What I Learned About Marketing From Sea Turtles! is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Top Ten Marketing Mistakes to Avoid (Part One) is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Three Tips to Build Trust in Email Marketing is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Some of the better known blog forum sites are: Blogger Forum, Bloggeries and Blogst Forum. A basic Google search will yield vast numbers of forum sites; it’s worth checking to see how active any forum is prior to registration, so you are joining the busiest, most popular groups.

Be certain to carefully read any forum rules prior to posting and abide by them. Also, don’t alienate potential visitors by submitting multiple posts just containing the link to your blog.

You are not limited to advertising your blog link or accumulating traffic on these forums; you can ask others to point out its positive and negative aspects; ask people to critique the style, layout and content.

Bear in mind opinions may widely differ, but it doesn’t mean something is bad if one or two people don’t like a particular aspect – it could be a matter of personal taste.  However, if you consistently get negative comments about certain parts of your blog, take the time to think about what changes you can make to improve them.

Return the favor and critique other blogs. Not only are people more likely to help you if they see you are willing to reciprocate, by viewing lots of blogs you get an idea of what works and what doesn’t and you’ll learn to more objectively view your own.

Reading forum posts allows you to pick helpful tips and tricks from other blog owners on topics like content, advertising and affiliate marketing. Absorb as much information as possible and make notes on anything of interest; then implement them to make your own blog more successful.

Don’t expect to post your link on a few forums and quickly gain hordes of traffic – you will only get out as much as you are prepared to put in. Advertise your blog on as many forums as you can to gain maximum exposure and you will be rewarded with a steady increase in traffic.

Jeannine Clontz, owner of Accurate Business Services, a VA practice, is an author, writer, speaker and VA Business Coach specializing in providing professional business coaching to established and start-up virtual assistants (VA’s).  For her FREE audio CD “What’s Holding Back my Business Success?”,  a 2-month trial in her Insider group coaching program, or 1-month trial of her coaching club visit:  http://www.VAbizcoach.com; or contact her at: coach@VAbizcoach.com.

Generate Free Blog Traffic With Blogger Forums is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

State of the Virtual Assistance Industry is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

I just spoke to one of my clients in Florida recently, and he reminded me how enjoyable it is to do business together.  He always seems to have fun projects that fit perfectly with my expertise and his positive outlook seems to extend from his business to his life!

This made me stop to think about my other clients, and they too have the same positive attitude, are fun to work with, and we share a mutual respect and appreciation for each other.

WOW, how cool is that?  This all makes me wonder, how did I get here?  How did this happen?  Could it be the law of attraction?

I think that has a lot to do with it, as does my attitude, and the fact that many of my new clients come to me as referrals.

But I think it’s also something else; I think it’s the brand I’ve created for myself.  I believe that along with the logo, website, tagline, etc., that creates my brand, so does my appearance, professional and personal image and ethical standards.  And I want to do business with people who appreciate my expertise and with whom I can share a mutual respect.  Don’t we all?

So I think my brand is also firmly grounded with me personally, even with my name, so to speak.  If I’ve learned nothing over these past few years of re-invention, I’ve learned that it’s better to have a personal and professional brand that I can carry into any particular niche I may expand into as the VA industry continues to evolve.

Today’s real estate VA could be tomorrow’s shopping cart VA.  If I spent all my branding on a professional ‘real estate’ focus, it could be difficult to transition any of that experience into the newly developed niche.

After being in business more than 11-years, I’m grateful for all the clients and colleagues who have helped make me such a great success; and helped me to establish such a personal, professional, and enjoyable brand.   I wish you all the same!

Jeannine Clontz, owner of Accurate Business Services, a VA practice, is an author, writer, speaker and VA Business Coach specializing in providing professional business coaching to established and start-up virtual assistants (VA’s).  For her FREE audio CD “What’s Holding Back my Business Success?” or a 2-month trial in her group coaching program visit:  http://www.VAbizcoach.com; or contact her at: coach@VAbizcoach.com.

What’s a Brand Got to Do With It? is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Here are five things to consider in crafting your 60-second infomercial:

1.    Who is your target market?  While I can open my informercial by saying, “although I have clients in almost every industry…” – you still want to focus on your niche or target market to help people think of who they know that could benefit from your services.  If you’re still not sure, analyze your current client list and see if there is a particular industry, or type of client that seems most logical to your offerings.

2.    What problems does your target market have that you can solve?  Keep it simple.  Come up with one or two things – don’t overdo it – less is more!

3.    How do you solve these problems?  Again, don’t come up with a laundry list of products/services, just enough to whet the appetite so they’ll want to find out more.

4.    Mention something specific that speaks to results, like: ‘many of my clients say their sales increased at least 20% as a result of working with us’.

5.    End with either a memorable tagline, or a question – like – ‘is that something that might be of interest to you or someone you know?’

Once you have it setup, print it out and practice it (and time yourself) several times until you have it pretty well memorized.  You don’t want to come off sounding too scripted, but you will need to get comfortable with all the aspects so that you’re sure to hit all the points you need to in your time allotment.

Once you have this mastered, you will want to cut the content even more, for a true elevator speech – which is usually only 30-seconds in length.

Finally, especially if you attend networking events regularly, you will want to have several different versions for answering the questions numbered two, three, and four above.  This gives people the opportunity to hear more about the additional services/products you provide.  If you only talk about one specific product or service, they’ll believe that’s all you offer and you could be leaving potential sales on the table.

With a little bit of work, and practice, you’ll have the perfect 60-second infomercial that helps people immediately recognize what it is you do, and who they need to refer to you.  Word of mouth marketing is the most cost-effective way to market your business.  The infomercial is the best tool to close the sale!

 Jeannine Clontz, owner of Accurate Business Services, a VA practice, is an author, writer, speaker and VA Business Coach specializing in providing professional business coaching to established and start-up virtual assistants (VA’s).  For her FREE audio CD “What’s Holding Back my Business Success?” or a 2-month trial in her group coaching program visit:  http://www.VAbizcoach.com; or contact her at: coach@VAbizcoach.com.

So, What Do You Do? Five Steps to An Infomercial that SELLS! is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Getting referrals takes time and work.  Just because you do a good job for your clients doesn’t mean they’re going to naturally send you referrals.  Attending networking events and making connections with people who could potentially provide you with referrals isn’t automatic, either. 

Just like everything else to do with your business, it’s hard work!  But it doesn’t have to be drudgery.  Once you start asking for and listening for the openings to make a request, it becomes a habit that will help you expand your business and increase profits.

A big part of it is your mindset.  Are you excited about your products and services?  Do you express excitement when talking about what you do?  Is there a smile on your face?  Do you think about the many potential clients searching for your products and services and how you are the best option to solve their problems?

Are you confident when you are speaking to a client or friend about passing along a referral (do you even ask?), and when your client or prospect is speaking are you focused on them and being a good listener?  Are you making eye contact?

These are all great ways to prepare yourself to ask for referrals.  And don’t forget to provide them, too.  Find someone that fits a need for this person that is not in your expertise, or suggest their products/services to someone else, and be sure to let them know you referred them.  Nothing helps solidify your relationship better than reciprocating.

Create a basic script for asking for referrals and practice it until it is second nature and flows naturally.  You’ll be surprised at just how many great prospects are out there just waiting to find you if only you would ask.

Jeannine Clontz, owner of Accurate Business Services, a VA practice, is an author, writer, speaker and VA Business Coach specializing in providing professional business coaching to established and start-up virtual assistants (VA’s).  For her FREE audio CD “What’s Holding Back my Business Success?” or a 2-month trial in her group coaching program visit:  http://www.VAbizcoach.com; or contact her at: coach@VAbizcoach.com.

Getting Referrals is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Here are my Top Ten Marketing Mistakes

1.     Your message is too general.  While some of you may think that EVERYONE could use your product or service, if you take a step back, you’ll probably notice some common thread to many of the clients you currently serve.  Maybe they’re in the same industry, or have a similar problem you’re able to solve.  Whatever it is, establishing a target market will help you focus your message on those most likely to respond favorably.

2.     Using only one medium.  If you’re only marketing on the Internet, you may be missing an entire segment of prospect.  Consider all your marketing options and mix it up to see if you get better results.

3.     Changing something that IS working.  Sometimes we get bored with our marketing and decide it’s just time for a change.  If you have something that is yielding good returns, don’t change it – instead add something new.

4.     Being  inconsistent.  Nothing says unreliable faster than sending out a ‘monthly’ newsletter in January and then not publishing the next issue until May.  Be prepared and plan to be consistent with your marketing.  Don’t set yourself up to fail.

5.     Spammy message.  Don’t come across like a snake oil salesman, make sure your message speaks to your prospect’s pain, but don’t overdo it.

6.     Your message isn’t clear.  Always test it out on current clients, peers, or family/friends to be sure it’s not confusing or misses the point you’re trying to make.

7.     Untimely message.  If you’re looking to build some business during the holiday season, make sure you’re giving prospects enough time to respond.  Don’t release your holiday special two weeks before the holiday, start building momentum at least two months in advance.

8.     No call to action.  If you’re not giving the prospect a reason to contact you, you’re missing the mark.  Create a sense of urgency with a deadline, or something extra if they respond by this date; anything that engages them and asks them to do something more.

9.     Not marketing to your current clients.  We sometimes forget that our current clients may not know about new services or products we have available, or, perhaps they have someone to refer.  Don’t leave them out of your regular marketing efforts.

10.  Not managing/collecting results.  How can you know if something you’re using is yielding a return on investment?  You need to ask every single prospect how they found you; or build in something in your call to action that will tell you exactly how you connected.  Keep track on a simple spreadsheet and check in periodically to get the biggest ROI for your marketing dollars.

So how many of my ten mistakes resonated with you?  Two, four, none?  Take steps now to correct these mistakes and you’ll start seeing more, better qualified, leads, connecting to your business.

Jeannine Clontz, owner of Accurate Business Services, a VA practice, is an author, writer, speaker and VA Business Coach specializing in providing professional business coaching to established and start-up virtual assistants (VA’s).  For her FREE audio CD “What’s Holding Back my Business Success?” or a 2-month trial in her group coaching program visit:  http://www.VAbizcoach.com; or contact her at: coach@VAbizcoach.com.

Top 10 Marketing Mistakes is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Face it, closing a sale with a prospective client can be a challenge.  On the open market you have to compete with every other VA they have researched, who responded to an RFP, or who they may have chosen from an online Directory.  Is this the BEST way to get leads?

NO, it’s not.  The best way to get leads is to get QUALIFIED leads.  How do we find good qualified leads?  Through networking and referrals, that’s how!  These referrals come through not only online and on-site networking and your current client base, but through social media marketing, peers, acquaintances and more.  CURIOUS?

LAST CHANCE – you must register by Monday, July 13, at 5:00 PM Eastern in order to get the dial-in information!  Are you an established full-time Virtual Assistant?  Have you taken advantage of your 2-month trial?  Find out more at:  http://www.VABizcoach.com   

Do you seem to do nothing more than collect stacks and stacks of business cards at networking events? Do you seem to find the wrong types of prospects to connect with? Still find that people don’t seem to understand what it is you do? Are you getting a good steam of referrals from current clients and prospects?  If not, you will want to attend my next Elite Virtual Assistance Insider Teleconference.  You’re sure to find this session very helpful in growing your business. Find out the answers to these questions and more.

Please mark your calendars for Wednesday, July 15th, beginning at 7:00 PM, EASTERN where I’ll be interviewing networking guru, Sue Kramer Harrawood of Peace of Mind Virtual Assistance (www.VApeaceofmind.com) on the topic of Networking and Referrals.

You’ll also get a chance to ask me and Sue any question about your business, and networking or referrals, or anything that might be causing you a challenge in moving your business forward. If there’s time left after the Q&A session, we’ll have an open discussion on a topic of interest.  Mark your calendar for Wednesday, July 15, 2009 beginning at 7:00 p.m. EASTERN. 

You also get a CD of the session and a transcript – so you can check back anytime you need a refresher.  You also have an opportunity to speak to me one-on-one about your business.

Don’t miss it! Registration is required – go to:  http://vabizcoach.com/free-test-drive.html

Effective and Affordable Way to Market Your Business is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog