Susan Young — AimFire Marketing

Creative Email Message Subject Lines

February 11, 2012 By Susan Young Leave a Comment

I’ve always told my small business readers to tie their marketing into the time of year or season. Well, with Valentine’s Day coming up on Tuesday, I had to share with you some creative email subject lines that I received in my inbox this past weekend:

Indianapolis Company: Ray Skillman Westside Mazda: Email Subject Line: ”Pamper Your CX9 this Valentine’s Day.” I am on their list because I purchased a car from them. Now, I would never think to incorporate Valentine’s Day into an email if I were a car dealer, but they did so very creatively with the subject line. And it’s great that they’ve even customized the email with the exact model of car that I’ve purchased. Even the email inside was customized for the holiday with various offers, such as a “Sweetheart Special,” in which the body copy states: “Give your CX9 the special treatment it deserves.” And of course, they have a few other specials, a great call to action (click here to schedule your service appointment or call) and the service hours and address clearly listed below, and of course a link to their website. The design wasn’t perfect, but they did a great job overall.

National Companies: Some of the other email subject lines which I found intriguing were from national brands, but we can still learn from them because they find ways to connect with their targeted audience through the subject line to get them to open the email. These days, with information and email overload, the subject line just may be the most important component of the email campaign. Here are some good ones that caught my eye:

Bob Evans Farm: Email Subject Line: “Snow is Coming! Pick up a Warm Meal for Your Family this Weekend” What a great way to contrast the cold winter months with the warm, comfort food of Bob Evans. Inside, the email shows a snowy scene with a Bob Evans billboard reading “Snow Day! Meals for Under $20″ and an offer for their 10 Family Meals to go for under $20, with convenient curbside service, along with a soup promotion and a few other promotions, and of course social media links. The copy also further enhances the concept, with words such as “Bad weather shouldn’t stop you from enjoying a great meal.”
Fisher Price Family: Email Subject Line:”Two Days Only: “KISS” Shipping Charges Goodbye!” This one is appealing to our wallets, of course, but also ties into the Valentine’s Day theme. Inside, they spell out the meaning of their subject line: “Let’s Keep It Sweet and Simple, Valentine…”, offering complimentary shipping on their site to entice people to shop on their website for Fisher Price toys.
Dole Sunshine Times: Email Subject Line: ”Find Your Winter Paradise with Dole!” Okay, so this one caught me because I could use a little paradise now in the middle of winter. Inside, the company features a tropical recipe, a link to their contest to win a Hawaiian vacation, and a link to print a coupon (my girls love their fruit cups).
Uncommon Goods: Email Subject Line: ”You Can Hurry Love!” This one, of course, appealing to the last-minute Valentine’s Day shoppers, who now realize that they had better hurry if they’re going to find a gift for their loved one online and have it arrive by Tuesday. Inside, the company gives selections for different gift recipients, and features an expedited shipping offer for an extra $3.

Now, to clarify, these emails were sent to my personal email account, which I use for most of my non-business email newsletter subscriptions. After scrolling through most of the B2B email marketing messages I received in my business inbox last week, I didn’t really see a ton which caught my eye. Most of the subject lines pertained to content inside, but weren’t completely compelling. The ones that were more likely for me to open answered a question or problem that I was having in my business, or a topic that interested me.

So the bottom line for creative email marketing subject lines: Be clever, entertaining or seasonal, and get personal. After all, you’re emailing to a real person, with true feelings and emotions — not just a business. Keep those things in mind the next time you create your email campaign, and I bet you’ll have a higher open rate.

Marketing a Super City: 2012 Super Bowl in Indianapolis

February 2, 2012 By Susan Young Leave a Comment

Marketing Indianapolis for the Super Bowl - 2012 As Indianapolis gears up to host one of this year’s biggest events — Super Bowl XLVI — I can’t help but notice all of the marketing and promotion the city has done to ensure that it makes a great impression on all who visit this week. Everywhere I look, I see banners on storefronts welcoming “Super Fans,” ads offering “Super Discounts,” and more. And of course, most of the planning for this event was done well in advance of the festivities all over the circle city. There were committees to put in place every last detail — from the super scarves and the gift baskets and cards in hotel rooms, the “Super Service” training for volunteers and business owners — to the websites and social media outreach. As a branding effort, Indianapolis has done a superb job of presenting itself as a world-class city, worthy of hosting any major event in the future. I am truly impressed and proud of my city!

Indianapolis, Indiana downtown at sunset

Indianapolis, Indiana: Marketing a Super City

If you are a business owner in Indianapolis, have you fully taken advantage of all of the opportunities to join in the festivities, even if you cannot afford a game ticket like most of us? Here are some ideas:

Attend Super-related business events and social events around the community. You never know who you might meet and how it could impact your business. Wear your local company logo’d shirt and stand in line to ride the zipline for some free advertising!
Reach out to your customers in a Super Way: Offer a special, game-day or game-week discount in your weekly e-newsletter or in-store.
Display game-day signage to welcome customers and visitors. Even if you’re not a football fan, you’ll show everyone that you’re in the spirit and give a good impression for those visiting you for the first time.
Throw a party: Like I mentioned, most people cannot afford a ticket to the big game, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be lots of Super Bowl parties going on all around the city. Use this as a chance to invite some key customers, prospects, partners or vendors to your office or home to watch the game.
Game-related PR: Is your business doing something special for the Super Bowl? Tell the local media about it, and you might just score some free publicity — maybe even some national coverage.
Don’t forget the post-game wrap-up: Just because the game is over and the hundreds of thousands of fans have left town, doesn’t mean you can’t capitalize on all of the fanfare. There will be plenty of talk surrounding the game and the city of Indianapolis for weeks after the event. Mention it in your communication or offer a post-game special.

Most importantly, take a lesson from Indianapolis when you are thinking about your marketing and advertising efforts. Even though you don’t have an entire city of volunteers to help promote your brand, you can look at Indianapolis as a good example of a marketing maven that got the job done.

PS: If anyone happens to have any extra Super Bowl tickets for Sunday that they’re willing to give away, I’m available!

Filed Under: Advertising, Event Planning, Indianapolis advertisting Tagged With: Indianapolis marketing, Indianapolis Super Bowl, Super Bowl Advertising, Super Bowl Marketing Indianapolis

Intimidated by Social Media?

September 28, 2011 By Susan Young 1 Comment

Here’s How to Get Started

I’ve talked to so many small business owners who know that social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter) is the latest trend they should be capitalizing on to help grow their business. But ask them how to go about initiating a social media campaign and they give me a blank stare. They just don’t know where to start, and it all seems so overwhelming. So if you’re among the confused, or you just don’t have the time but know you should be doing social media, here are some tips and thoughts to consider.

No Time for Social Media? Hire an Expert to Post for You.

No Time for Social Media? Hire an Expert to Set things Up, Train You, and even Post for You.

First: The Benefits of Social Media

To start, maybe some of you are wondering why they should care about social media. Isn’t it just for young folks? Well, the answer is: no. Many individuals from all generations are getting involved in social media, and many businesses are building a fan base and a following in social media too. (including some of your customers or favorite regional and national brands). I like to think of social media not as a replacement of traditional media, but an alternative method of building brand awareness and communicating with customers, prospects, fans, vendors, partners and the media. Social media is a great place to show your company or your brand’s personality, as well as to share news or information that is important to you, your business or your industry. It can be a great way to connect with reporters and media, as well as to follow what media are publishing. It’s a great way to get feedback from customers about a new product idea or to handle customer service issues. It can also be used as a tool to drive traffic to your blog or website, to position you as an expert, and many more benefits. One of the greatest benefits of social media is that it is a low-cost marketing method (but don’t forget to account for the value of your time).

Next: Start with Why Your Company Should Do Social Media:

I want to reiterate that social media marketing is not going to be the perfect fit for every business or industry. That’s why it’s important to first take the time to investigate whether or not this is the best channel for gaining awareness for your business, communicating with prospects and customers, and sharing your message. So think for a minute about your ideal customers. Do they spend time online? Do they read blogs, watch videos on YouTube, have a personal Facebook page? If so, then social media might be a good fit for your business. If your customers don’t have regular access to a computer or smartphone for visiting social media sites, than it might not be the most important marketing vehicle for your business. One way to discover this is to ask your customers if they use Twitter or Facebook regularly. In addition to determining which social media vehicles are right for you, think too about how you can incorporate existing marketing and advertising into your social media efforts. Could you drive people from a print ad to your Facebook fan page for a special offer? Also think about how you could drive people from your social media accounts to your storefront or website to complete a sale. When you integrate your social media with your overall marketing efforts, you’ll have a greater chance for success.

Next: Setup and Initial Social Media Training

If you do not already have a Facebook fan page, Twitter or LinkedIn account, now is the time to get started (we can assist with this if needed). For Facebook, you can go through the advertising link at the bottom of the page to create and manage your business Fan Page. On LinkedIn, you can create and manage your company profile and add employees and basic company information, as well as links to your website. On Twitter, you can create both a business and a personal account, depending on whom is going to be doing the tweeting. What I recommend is to spend some time looking at other company’s accounts to see what they are doing, and just using this time to “follow” or “like” other accounts. You can see some examples of good Facebook landing pages as well as what people are posting and the information they’re sharing on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Look for companies or individuals you already know and try to find them on social media. You’d be surprised at how many people are already using social media. AimFire Marketing can help with initial training on how to use your account, common features and tools, how to increase followers, etc.

Next: Content Strategy

What I see many people doing with social media is that they create their accounts on Twitter and Facebook and then let the accounts lie dormant, because they don’t have the staff or the time to spend posting. If you or your team don’t think you will be able to devote at least a few hours a week to social media, then it’s probably best to outsource it to an agency or consultant (like AimFire Marketing) who can handle this for you. We can work together with you to develop a content strategy and ideas for blog posts, as well as the kinds of topics that might interest your clients and followers. If you have a regular blog or e-newsletter that you send to customers, or case studies or press releases that you send out, this content can be easily re-purposed on social media sites. In addition, we can work with you to find content that others have written that we can share online too. The most important thing is to have some sort of content strategy going into social media marketing so that you’re not just haphazardly posting information without a goal in mind.

These are a few things that you should keep in mind as you launch into the world of social media marketing. Don’t be afraid to dip your toes in the water, even if you’re intimidated by the thought of social media. Once you get used to it, you may actually start enjoying it — and see the results of your efforts.

Filed Under: Facebook, Social Media Management, Social Media Marketing, Twitter

Disney – the Marketing Machine:

August 3, 2011 By Susan Young Leave a Comment

What we can learn from Disney to Market Our Businesses

It had been years since my parents had taken me to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, so when the time came to take my two daughters, Elaina (4) and Evelyn (2 1/2) to Disney World this summer, I was more than excited to see what had changed. I was also eager to look at the company and the experience from a different perspective (a marketing angle), since launching my Indianapolis marketing business in 2005. Why not learn from one of the masters of marketing? So when we arrived with our extended family for our 2-day adventure, I took note. Here were some of the things I noticed:

Elaina & Evelyn at Disney World, waiting for the Country Bear Jamboree show to begin

Evelyn & Elaina at Disney World, waiting for the Country Bear Jamboree show to begin

Keeping it Classic: The old, familiar Dumbo ride where I got lost (not once, but twice) as a toddler is the same as it was 30 years ago. The Country Bear Jamboree show was very much like I remembered it (but much cheesier now that I’m an adult). Even the evening electrical light parade through downtown had the same feel to it, even though the light displays were much more modern and elaborate than when I was a child. Disney has done a good job keeping some things classic, so that through the years, they stay consistent in their brand experience. Business Marketing Takeaway: Do you have some things in your business that you hold onto because they hold a special place in customers’ hearts?
VIP Treatment: Disney has many options for visitors to make them feel special. For instance, we received “1st Time” buttons for my daughters, which was supposed to give them extra attention throughout the park. And another extra package my daughter, Elaina, got to experience was at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, where she received the royal treatment from her own, personal
Evelyn receiving a special kiss from Sleeping Beauty, at a princess character breakfast. We will always remember this experience Disney created.

“fairy godmother” with a princess dress, hair, makeup, tiara and accessories. Despite the 90-degree heat, she didn’t want to take the dress off for most of the day! I also experienced what it was like to see my daughters meet and get autographs from Ariel, Cinderella, Snow White and all of the princesses for the first time at a Disney Character breakfast. These experiences made the Disney trip extra special for them (and for me), and were worth the extra cost. Business Marketing Takeaway: Could you offer some kind of VIP package or special treatment for customers willing to pay more for the experience?
Improving Customer Service: One of the coolest features of the two days at Magic Kingdom were the Fast Passes. These allowed us to avoid waiting in 90-minute lines with impatient toddlers just to enjoy a 60-second boat ride. We were able to skip around between several rides by picking up a Fast Pass ticket, and then coming back later to ride the ride or see the show with no more than a 10-minute wait. Disney has done a great job with this system, because it alleviates a common complaint that visitors have had for years — lines are long during peak operating season — and improves the overall customer satisfaction with the Disney Experience. Business Marketing Takeaway: Is there something you could improve upon in your current business process to enhance the customer experience, wait time or service expected?
Creating Memories (and Brand Evangelists): Aside from the many Mickey Mouse eared-souvenirs we could purchase from the various gift shops throughout Magic Kingdom, Disney also gave us a photo pass, which we could use to get our picture taken in various places throughout the park. While in concept, it’s a great idea for an additional service offered (and who wants to tote around a digital camera all day?) the drawback to this was the $15 per photo price tag, which made it a negative for me. One marketing tactic that I think they’ve done well with is their “Let the Memories Begin” ad campaign. If you’ve seen the TV spots or magazine ads, they feature submissions from real families visiting the parks, sharing a photo or video of their experience with Disney parks. One photo shows a family riding the famous teacups ride, and another features a video of two parents (and the children’s reaction) telling their kids that they’re packing their bags for Disney. The website also allows you to share your own memory, and thus feeds the emotional connection between the Disney brand and the customer/visitor. They have also re-purposed these memories on their social media sites, blogs, ad campaigns and more for greater impact. Business Marketing Takeaway: How can you create an emotional bond with your company and its customers, and get them to share their experiences with others, as brand evangelists?

Overall, I was very impressed with my most recent trip to Walt Disney World – from the hotel staff at the resort to the rides and the experiences. And I was even more impressed with Disney’s marketing prowess. Hopefully you can learn a few lessons from a marketing master on how to improve your marketing and customer experience.

Filed Under: Advertising, Branding, Customer Service, National Brands Tagged With: Customer service, Disney marketing, Disney marketing machine, marketing Walt Disney World, the Disney experience, What to learn about marketing from Disney

Death of Former Advertising Mentor Makes Me Evaluate, Appreciate Life

July 26, 2011 By Susan Young Leave a Comment

Normally I like to keep my blog posts fairly professional, but this time my personal and professional lives have overlapped a bit, so I have decided to share.

This past Sunday morning, one of my first real bosses, Dana Buerkett, died tragically, along with her husband and daughter, in a small plane crash just outside my college town, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. To read more about the accident, and the family impacted, click here.

I still remember, as a college junior, sending out cover letters and resumes to area advertising agencies, hoping to get an internship the summer before I graduated. Buerkett Marketing Consultants was one of the agencies who responded, and I was so excited to get a call from Dana saying that I could work for her that summer (and she was going to pay me too!

As an intern, I didn’t just get to make coffee, send faxes (we did that back then) and take notes during meetings. Dana gave me a lot of responsibility, and allowed me to learn the ropes in the advertising world. Back in 1997, the Internet world was fairly new. I remember updating Amazon bestsellers in HTML on a news magazine website, and helping brainstorm for advertising headlines and taglines. I participated in event management and online advertising sales. I even got to assist in judging for a student advertising competition.

Dana helped me to learn a lot about running an advertising agency, as well as how to treat clients and partners. It made me excited to enter my chosen field, and although she didn’t have a job for me out of college, we kept in touch over the years, and I had recently written a recommendation for her on LinkedIn. I will always appreciate her guidance and willingness to give a new advertising grad a great start. My prayers go out to Dana’s daughter, as well as her other family and friends during this sad time.

Upon reflection of this horrific event, I have been reminded of the precious value of each day, and hope that I can always make the most of every moment — both as a marketing professional and as a wife, mother, sister, daughter and person. My wish is that you, too, will value each day and live it as if it’s your last.

Filed Under: Advertising

Creating the Perfect Marketing Strategy without Copying It

July 3, 2011 By Susan Young Leave a Comment

Just as no snowflake is alike, your business marketing plan should be different too

Not all businesses are created equal, right?

So quit marketing and advertising your business like everyone else.

My point is simple: Find the right combination of advertising, marketing, PR and promotional activities that fit the unique offering, customer base and budget of your business, and you’ll find success.

Don’t just jump on the Twitter or Facebook marketing bandwagon because the company down the street has found success with it. Or, alternatively, spend thousands on one strategy while ignoring others that might prove effective.

Creating the perfect marketing strategy does involve some trial and error. Gently test the waters of any new marketing tactic and see what kind of results you get, before investing huge sums. However, with that said, you also need to give each marketing tactic enough time and impressions to see results, so don’t give up too early.

So how should you go about creating a marketing plan or strategy for your business?

Many business owners want to skip this step of creating a marketing plan. But it’s very important to the future success of the business. While I highly recommend a formal, written down and thought out marketing plan, if you don’t want to pay a professional like myself to develop one, you should at least sit down and analyze the basics of your business:

Define your product/service, niche, industry, competitors, unique selling proposition (USP), price point, and primary/secondary target audiences.
From there, investigate all possible advertising/marketing/PR/promotional options available, along with associated cost, audience reached, timing and other details. Include the cost of your time as well in these estimates.
Then make a recommendation of a combination of these tactics to try and put them in a marketing calendar for the upcoming quarter/year.
Evaluate the effectiveness of each tactic when determining whether to renew your investment in it.

A simple way to a marketing strategy that works for you. Just remember: All businesses are different, and thus the ways used to promote them should be unique as well.

Filed Under: Advertising, Budget Marketing, Facebook, Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Twitter, USP Tagged With: marketing planning, marketing plans, marketing strategy, social media marketing

Real Estate, Curb Appeal and Marketing Your Business

June 22, 2011 By Susan Young Leave a Comment

My Humble Home in Brownsburg, Indiana, back in Greener Days

On a hot, 80-degree plus afternoon, I decided to go for a jog in my neighborhood. While I was not trying to use this time to think, without an iPod (mine has been lost for several months), my mind started wandering, and I began making note of my surroundings. In my observations of my neighbor’s lawns and houses, I started making connections to the marketing world (I know – what a nerd!)

So what do my neighbors’ houses have to do with marketing your business? Here are some marketing lessons learned while jogging:

1. Curb Appeal: People do notice. Does your business have a nice appearance on the outside? Whether you have a retail shop or you are representing yourself at networking events, are you coming across with a nice first impression? Just as I saw many houses with poor landscaping, weeds and grass that desperately needed mowed, your business might be in need of a little curb appeal too. Could you use a new logo? Website? A new suit or tie to replace those shorts you’ve been wearing to the Chamber luncheons? Why would I want to buy what you’re selling if you don’t look appealing?

2. A “Wow” Factor: Does your business have one thing that is it’s specialty — something extraordinary for which you’re uniquely known? Just as some of the houses I noticed on my block had a really cool landscaping feature or porch furnishing that made their house stand out, you too need something to stand out from your competitors. Think of why your customers buy from you, time and time again, to get a clue for something that you could start marketing as your “wow” factor (or USP). For my business, it would be that I am a good business writer that also understands SEO (search engine optimization).

3. Look Better than your Competitors: If you have a for sale sign in your front yard, you’d better have that house looking its best, or why would I want to buy your house over another one down the street? On my jog, I saw houses for sale with immaculately kept yards, and others with enough weeds to make a lawn care company cringe. The same holds true for marketing our businesses. If you want to win business from your competitors, you’d better be one of the best looking business on the block, or I will shop elsewhere.

I saw some other cool things while on my run, but these were the top three tips that stuck in my mind. Hope they have helped you think a little bit differently about marketing and first impressions. Now I think I’ll go pull some weeds in my front yard…

Filed Under: Indianapolis Marketing, USP Tagged With: curb appeal, marketing and real estate, marketing your business, selling a home

Traditional Versus Online Advertising: What’s Your Share?

April 28, 2011 By Susan Young Leave a Comment

Wanted to share with you an article I wrote this month, which was featured in an e-newsletter of a colleague of mine, Janet Falkenberg of ExecuStrive, an Indianapolis virtual assistant firm. Thanks, Janet, for letting me share this article with my Indianapolis business colleagues.

Do you consider yourself a “traditional marketer”? Are you spending a majority of your marketing and advertising budget on offline activities, such as yellow pages ads, print advertising, coupons and billboards, because “that’s what our company has always done”? Are you wondering whether these methods are still paying off, or whether you’re spending too much in these areas for the return on investment?

Billboard Advertising - Traditional Advertising

Are you more of a fan of traditional advertising or online advertising?

Many companies have not yet maximized the opportunities that exist to market their businesses online. Some of the options available include:

Websites
Search engine optimization
Email marketing
Blogs
Pay-per-click advertising (Google AdWords)
Social media marketing (YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook)

Finding More Clients Online

Don’t get me wrong: traditional advertising has its place, and for some businesses, it’s the best method of reaching the ideal client. However, more people are using the Internet to research businesses and make purchases online rather than searching in yellow pages or in their local newspaper. With online marketing, your business could increase its brand awareness and lead generation exponentially using some of these online marketing methods. So you are missing out on a potential audience if you don’t at least consider online marketing as part of your overall strategy.

But where should you start?

Outsourcing your Online Marketing Efforts

Many business owners don’t have the skills or technical knowledge to use online marketing, or are overwhelmed with the idea of incorporating online marketing tools. In this case, it’s best to ask a marketing professional for help. They can steer you toward the right online marketing tactics that best fit your budget, target audience and sales goals. A professional can also create a marketing calendar of activities, as well as help you set up your online marketing plan and implement your online marketing program too.

For instance, if you had a plumbing company, and your website that was optimized for search terms such as ‘Indianapolis plumbing’ or ‘Indiana plumbing company,’ you could be generating hundreds of leads for your business each day, just from web searches alone. Couple this with blogging, a YouTube channel showing plumbing tips, and a modest pay-per-click advertising campaign, and you’ve got more leads than you can handle – all at a lower cost than one month of your yellow pages ad. Do you see the potential?

Integrating Online and Offline Marketing

Many businesses find it best to integrate both online and offline marketing methods in order to achieve greater results at a lower cost. If you’ve always spent $1500/month on billboard advertising and $1000/month on yellow page advertising, for example, we can look at how you could reduce your spend in traditional media and move some of that budget to online media. In most cases, you can market your business online at a much lower cost than traditional advertising.

I hope you can see the value of incorporating Internet marketing into your current efforts. You may be pleasantly surprised at the results and — the return for the cost — that it can bring for your business.

Filed Under: Advertising, Blogging, Business, Indianapolis Marketing, Indianapolis advertisting, Marketing Strategy, Marketing-Mix, Outsourced Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing, Website Development Tagged With: advertising budget, billboard advertising, blogs, offline advertising, online advertising, online marketing, pay per click marketing, search engine optimization, social media, traditional advertising, traditional marketing

The Frick and Frack of Blogging and Networking

April 18, 2011 By Susan Young Leave a Comment

Today’s guest post is by friend and professional ghost blogger Rhoda Israelov, President of Say It For You.

Rhoda Israelov of Say It For You

Last summer, for two entire weeks, my Say It For You blog posts were focused on the concept of “learning around” and “reading around” for your blog. The gist of those posts was that it’s really hard to keep blog content writing fresh and engaging if you’re not continually learning from everything you read and everybody you meet. Meeting, of course, entails getting out and going places and – networking. And, while I certainly do my share of social networking online, right now what I want to talk about is old-style networking, you know, the kind where you actually go to meetings, shake hands, and exchange business cards, keeping your ears, eyes – and mind – open to learning new things.

I blame master blogger Seth Godin for my preoccupation with keeping score. (Godin issued a challenge at the beginning of the current year, asking “What did you ship in 2010?”, with “shipping” meaning accomplishment). Well, Seth, when it comes to “shipping” network meetings, by my count, I’ve attended no fewer than 43 so far this calendar year.

As a professional ghost blogger and corporate blogging trainer, you might suggest my time would’ve been better spent in front of my computer blogging rather than running around to all those meetings!

The point, of course, is not to accumulate networking belt notches, but to learn what’s goin’ on. What are people thinking? What’s the talk? What’s happening in different industries? Who’s a player? Who’s not but has interesting views on things? All those tidbits and threads find their way into sessions where I offer business blogging help, and into blog posts – those I write for my Say It For You blog and those where I’m an “invisible” freelance SEO writer helping drive online traffic for various client companies.

So… how do you use all that wonderful networking experience into your blog content writing?

Best practices:

When someone you meet is telling you about their business, find out what “best practices” they use to run their business efficiently and ethically. In your blog post, quote them, linking back to their website (this tactic is itself a form of use your blog as a networking tool!) and then show how one of those best practices is applied in your business.

Similes:

Remember back in junior high English when we learned about similes, things that are “like” something else? You’ve talked with someone at a networking meeting and she’s told you about some new device or strategy used in her business. In your blog, tell how that device or strategy is a parallel to something your business uses.

Thought trends:

At networking meetings, keep your ears open for “hot topics” – what are people worried about, happy about, or wanting to do something about – NOW! If you can hit those hot buttons in your blog, sharing concerns and demonstrating that your service or product can be part of the solution – bingo!

This all goes back to the inspirational story about the young man who worked so hard felling trees he neglected to sharpen his axe. In-person networking is nothing more than keeping your thinking sharp. That, in turn, will be reflected in your “sharp”, up-to-date and interest-engaging business blog writing!

Filed Under: Advertising

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for Coaches & Consultants – 4/20 Teleseminar

April 5, 2011 By Susan Young Leave a Comment

SEO Teleseminar: Secrets to Helping Your Website Move to the Top of the Search Engine Rankings

Wednesday April 20, 2011 7:00 – 8:00 PM Eastern

Have you struggled to get your website to the first page of Google? Maybe you’ve heard of search engine optimization (SEO) but haven’t been sure how to implement it. Maybe you’ve tried some SEO tactics in the past but you still aren’t getting the results you want. Or is the thought of optimizing your website overwhelming, frustrating or downright confusing?

Now’s your chance to get a crash course in SEO.

Through my colleague, Kathy Jo Slusher-Haas of Market Your Coaching Business, I’ll be presenting at her monthly Experts Teleclass Series on SEO for Coaches and Consultants.

This powerful teleseminar will help you start making changes to your website immediately that will improve your results, so you can start seeing improvements in your website traffic in weeks or even days.

Details for this Complimentary SEO Teleseminar:

Wednesday April 20, 2011

7:00 Eastern (6:00 Central / 5:00 Mountain / 4:00 Pacific)

Length: 60 Minutes

Details and registration: SEO teleseminar

Hope to see you on the call! And the good news is that you don’t have to be in Indianapolis to benefit from this SEO seminar.

Filed Under: SEO Indianapolis, SEO Strategies, Search Engine Optimization Tagged With: Indianapolis SEO, search engine optimization, SEO, SEO classes, SEO events, SEO training

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