Diane Design It!

"Be the Buzz" Marketing: Find us on Facebook!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Miano) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:46:00 +0000

"Be the Buzz" Marketing and Social Media Strategy is a one-to-one how-to program I designed to help solopreneurs and small businesses unleash the Internet! Visit the Facebook Page for more information. When you join Facebook, and if you become a fan of the Be the Buzz Marketing, you'll receive regular updates such as helpful internet tips and announcements of workshops. Now is the time to put free and low cost internet solutions to work for your business! See you at "Be the Buzz" Marketing by Diane Design It!

How is your Online Marketing and Social Networking going to attract leads to you?

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Miano) — Sun, 24 May 2009 16:42:00 +0000

In my internet marketing business, I often discuss the how-tos of attracting warm leads by creating "buzz" around your business. I help many solo-entrepreneurs "brand" themselves, attract referrals, develop a free offer, use capture forms on websites, implement autoresponders and email marketing, and engage in social media networking.

This article from The Multiple Streams Queen and Coach Alicia Forest about the "Compelling Free Offer" is just so good, I want to share it with everyone! Here it is, reprinted in full!

If you would prefer to listen to the article on her blog, click here.

What's Your CFO (Compelling Free Offer)?
By Alicia M Forest, MBA
6-Figure Business Breakthrough Mentor

One of the reasons I love the business model I teach is because it effortlessly PULLS clients to me. I never have to chase them or worry about having as full a roaster as I want. The first step in making this happen is creating what I call your CFO - Compelling F.r.e.e. Offer. The problem is that very few solo-preneurs actually utilize this simple method of attracting all the clients they want.

Your Compelling F.r.e.e. Offer (CFO) is what entices people to want to find out more about you and what it is that you're offering. When you make your complimentary offer compelling enough, more people will be interested in taking advantage of it, which increase the audience to which you can then market to.

Your CFO can be packaged in a variety of ways: a mini e-course, a checklist, a CD, an audio download, a special report, a free teleseminar, etc. I offer a few different CFOs - a special report, an audio download, and for joint ventures I offer one of my paid products for free as a bonus to their paid offering.

The content of your CFO should be broad in scope, yet address a particular problem your target market is struggling with, something that they'd pay to have a solution to. That's what makes your offer compelling in the first place, and it's what attracts them into your Marketing & Product Funnel. Your CFO should be loaded with valuable content, so much so that you leave your prospect thinking, "wow, if this is what he/she gives away, imagine what his/her paid stuff must be like!"

To lead them further down your funnel, you'll want to be sure to not give away the store in your CFO, but share what the problem is, what your solution to the problem is, giving them a taste of how you can solve it for them. But what's key to making your CFO successful is to not just give great content, but to leave them with wanted more. The 'more' comes by way of your paid products and services.

The results of having a CFO are three-fold: you build your credibility and become known as an expert in your niche, your word-of-mouth marketing catches fire, and you're approached to share your CFO with even more people through joint ventures and strategic partnerships.

The mistake I made when I first started my consulting business was trying to pitch my services to people who didn't even know me (I cringed when I remember all those wasted early morning networking breakfasts). We all know that it's much easier to get business by referral, right? Because the person referring you has a relationship with you, and they have come to know, like and trust you well enough to pass your name along to their friends and colleagues.

That's what this method of marketing does for you. Your CFO is the start of building that critical know, like and trust factor with your prospects so that when they are ready to invest some money in a solution to their problem - whether via a product or service - your name is at the top of the list.

And the best part? You NEVER have to sell them on what you're offering. It's brilliant, really.

So, start researching what it is that your target market wants most, what problem is keeping them up at night. Then create your solution and offer it to them as your CFO to get them into your Marketing & Product Funnel. It's a winning formula every time!

Alicia M Forest, MBA, 6-Figure Business Breakthrough Mentor, teaches self-employed professionals how to attract more clients, create profit-making products and services, make more sales, and ultimately live the life they desire and deserve. For FREE tips on how to create wild abundance in your business, visit www.ClientAbundance.com

Workshops designed to help you Unleash the Internet!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Miano) — Sat, 23 May 2009 21:37:00 +0000

Internet marketing is on everyone's agenda! It's certainly on mine! Coast to coast, business owners have moved marketing off the back burner for obvious reasons. We're all in the business of sales, and we're all marketers! So, here in Highlands County, I've had the pleasure of presenting three different seminars to many entrepreneurs and businesses.

These lunch & learn style workshops have been sponsored by the Sebring Chamber of Commerce and Lunch Club Wednesday for both organizations members throughout March and April. So, in case you missed these, you may be interested in sponsoring them for your members or employees. Here's what it's all about and what people are saying!

"Unleash the Internet and Put it to Work!"
We will cover the basic needs for any solo-entrepreneur or small business to do business online, such as having a reliable e-mail provider, personalizing the e-mail signature, obtaining a local fax to email number, obtaining a domain name with a professional email address, publishing content on the web so you can be found by search engines, and having a list management/email marketing system to manage leads that come from your web efforts! There will be helpful handouts for participants.

"Don't Keep your Business a Secret Online!"
We will get into the Social Media state-of-mind by examining how to use free and low-cost internet tools to make connections with buyers online - and why business people should engage in social networking! It will be a fast-paced introduction to Blogger, Squidoo, YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook Pages for Business, Linkedin, Twitter micro-blogging, and Real Simple Syndication. We will discuss web strategy, the concept of branding, and how to marry social networking and your website or landing page. I will also offer advice on the etiquette of social media... some dos and dont's that are not apparent to new users.

What attendees have to say:

"Awesome Class, Looking forward to you being my internet marketing consultant. I thought I was already ahead of the social marketing curve, but I was humbled by how out of the loop I truly was, you opened my eyes to the full potential of internet marketing." - Steve Nyhan, Licensed Insurance Agent

"Do whatever you have to do to get to one of Diane's seminars. Or hire her for a one-on-one consultation. Affordable - You'll get a great return on your investment!" - Jeanny Campbell, LifeSuccess Consultant

"A wealth of information and Diane delivers it with enthusiasm." - Susan Beder, Owner, Scosta Supply

"These {seminars} are genuinely valuable to everyone! Diane offers so much information in such a short time. I learned several practical ways to market my businesses online." - Leslie Loughlin, C&C Title

"Diane, you are not only knowledgeable, but very patient, which encourages questions and dialog." - Vanessa Logsdon, Administrator, Highlands Little Theatre

"A great way to learn different venues available on the Internet in order to promote yourself!" - Kristin Handley, Owner, Embroidery & Beyond

"I've learned a lot of new information that will help me with the clubs and organizations I'm involved with." - Diana Albritton, Albritton Insurance, Founder, Lunch Club Wednesday

Creative Genius Meetup: Getting creative professionals together!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Miano) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 02:47:00 +0000

Have you ever had a stroke of creative genius, got it laid out on the proverbial napkin, then got stuck? This group is about helping each other get "unstuck", move forward, and take creative genius to the next level.

If you are looking for a creative professional, or if you are a creative professional looking to get found, this group is for you! We are committed to creating a network of creative professionals who want to gain and share skills, start or grow their business, and make valuable new contacts (and friends!).

We're bringing together everyone involved in artistic or creative professions and/or endeavors like website and graphic designers, photographers, bloggers and writers, fine artists, entrepreneurial innovators, and more.

Creative Genius Meetup
Wedneday, April 15, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Brewster's in Sebring, FL
Please RSVP at the link above
or email Diane: diane@dianedesignit.com

It's never been a better time to harness the power of the digital age and social networking than right now. Let's meetup, combine our collective creative genius, network, and learn from each other!

The creative genius meetup welcomes all creative professionals, local or from out of town! We are situated in Highlands County in the Heartland of Florida 1-1/2 hour south of the Disney area of Orlando or 1-1/2 hour west from Ft. Pierce or 1-1/2 hour east of Sarasota. Come visit our beautiful lake country and oak hammocks!

Finally, here's the strategy needed to unlock Social Media "Zen!"

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Miano) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 01:12:00 +0000

Update: As of July 18, the book will only be offered a short time longer. Click here to Get "The Zen of Social Media Marketing" now!

This new e-book is the best follow-up manual to my recent social media marketing presentations! It addresses the social media challenge head on - why some people struggle with Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, and video, while others use it effortlessly to promote their businesses and not-for-profit causes. I could not put it down and have made notes all throughout the accompanying workbook. I would say it's the best $27 I've spent lately!

That's why I'm so pleased to be able to offer this e-book to all my clients through my DianeDesignIt online site! Click here to visit Click To Client website!

The author Shama Hyder, owner of Click to Client, is a global online marketing consultant based in Texas, and she has published much more than an ebook! The Zen of Social Media Marketing is actually a self-guided journey in learning to use social media correctly and for profit that includes the techniques and blueprint to success! I would be thrilled if I helped to get this book into the hands of all my friends and customers as well as hundreds of solo-entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Click here to read what you will learn in The Zen of Social Media Marketing!

When compared to the many information products sold through the Internet today to help you improve your online marketing, this is the best value I've found! (And you know how I like low-cost solutions!) The price is only $27 for the immediate download, and listen to this - if you are a non-profit looking to leverage the social media sphere, you can e-mail Shama for a complimentary copy!

Click here to visit Click To Client website!

Workshops to Help You "Unleash" the Internet and Put it to Work for You!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Miano) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:55:00 +0000

I had the pleasure of 20 women from Lunch Club Wednesday in my recent workshop, "Don't keep your Business a Secret Online!" For every minute I gave this audience, they have given me greater rewards. They are enthusiastic about using online marketing and social media strategy to further promote their businesses and non-profit causes. Many thanks to Lunch Club Wednesday for sponsoring the two groups sessions at the Sebring Chamber in late February and early March. Here are just a few of the workshop reviews:

"Do whatever you have to do to get to one of Diane's seminars. Or hire her for a one-on-one consultation. Affordable - You'll get a great return on your investment!" - Jeanny Campbell, LifeSuccess Consultant, www.improveliferesults.com

"Wonderful and full of helpful information. I love your heart to help us, Diane!" - Diana Furr, Exec. Director, Samaritan's Touch

"A wealth of information and Diane delivers it with enthusiasm." - Susan Beder, Owner, Scosta Supply

"Diane, you are not only knowledgeable, but very patient, which encourages questions and dialog." - Vanessa Logsdon, Administrator, Highlands Little Theatre

"A great way to learn different venues available on the Internet in order to promote yourself!" - Kristin Handley, Owner, Embroidery & Beyond

"I've learned a lot of new information that will help me with the clubs and organizations I'm involved with." - Diana Albritton, Founder, Lunch Club Wednesday

Diane Miano/Diane Design It is proud to be a member of the Greater Sebring Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber is sponsoring two separate workshops coming up: April 21, for beginning Internet users, and April 23 for businesses interested in "unleashing" the internet and putting it to work! Please contact the Sebring Chamber for further information and registration.

An Online Solution for Personal Development

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Miano) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:12:00 +0000

A business absolutely devoted to service will have only one worry about profits. They will be embarrassingly large. -Henry Ford

Those of us in the business of helping others achieve success cannot help but love this quote from Henry Ford. It was tweeted today by one of my mentors, Christina Helwig, author of the blog The Female Mind, with whom I share a love for Greek food! (That's another humorous Twitter connection story I love to share in my workshops!)

Mr. Ford's eloquent statement embodies the spirit of a seminar I had the pleasure of attending in Palm Beach Gardens yesterday. Called "Thriving in 2009," the seminar was sponsored by iLearning Global, along with personal development leaders Brian Tracy, Steven Siebold and Paul Martinelli among others, who addressed an enthusiastic upbeat audience of more than 500 business leaders and entrepreneurs on a gorgeous Saturday morning here in Florida! The energy level in that banquet room was amazing and infectious, and Paul Martinelli (from Beyond the Secret) brought the afternoon to a close with people out of their seats and up on their feet! (Here I am pictured with Paul Martinelli after the event!)

Our group from Central Florida was led by Jeanny and Steve Campbell, LifeSuccess Consultants and business partners with Martinelli. "Tell us what you want and we will show you how to get it," Jeanny says of their business coaching programs. "We help you learn how to rely on and believe in your unlimited potential and power. We already know that you've experienced flashes of intuitive knowledge and big thinking that has you wondering just how far you could go if only..."

Informmercial Alert: (Okay, I must promote my clients!) In addition to a variety of in-person seminars, workshops, and one-on-one coaching programs, the Campbells offer an ongoing 10-week study course FREE of charge for the purpose of studying the Napoleon Hill classic, "Think and Grow Rich." I have the pleasure of attending the course, but that's truly putting the horse before the cart. The Campbells became a client of DianeDesignIt in November to help them use internet solutions to promote not only their LifeSuccess Consultancy but also their life's work called "Improve Life Results." To learn more about their work, follow and subscribe to BeyondtheSecretBlog.

In my opinion, Mr. Ford's insight and the perspectives of people like Brian Tracy, Paul Martinelli and the Campbells is profound if not absolutely vital to the small business owner in these economic times. Constant learning is the key to survival!

So, I come full circle to the actual point of my article (I would receive a failing grade in Journalism school 25 years ago for this article just for leaving the best for last, but that's why I love blogging!): I have been introduced to an amazing internet solution for Personal Development that is affordable and can be a business opportunity for those that have that desire! It's called iLearning Global and I would be willing to hold a personal webinar for anyone interested in seeing this internet innovation.

Much like Squidoo and many other internet community websites, iLearning Global offers an opportunity to earn as well as to participate and learn! I began my involvement in iLearning Global as a subscriber because of my personal quest for more knowledge. Specifically, I love the coaching I get for public speaking! So, I personally invite my readers, as always, to contact me to learn more.

No, I am not a life coach nor an expert in personal development -- for those areas, I'll refer you to Jeanny. But what I am is an online marketing opportunist and an evangelist of using social networking and internet technology to achieve your goals. From that vantage point, I would willing to share iLearning Global (and my expertise otherwise) with YOU!

Internet for Everyone: Standing up for Access, Choice, Openness and Innovation!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Miano) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:46:00 +0000

What do you think the future of the Internet should look like?

At Internet for Everyone, high-speed Internet, or “broadband,” is described as one of the most "transform-ative" communications technologies in human history.

In just over a decade, broadband has completely changed commerce, public discourse, and how we interact with each other and the rest of the world. Broadband is no longer a luxury, it’s a public necessity. Broadband’s potential to unleash innovation, promote free speech and encourage learning makes this technology the key to the future success of the U.S. economy and
American democracy.

I've joined and I will stand up for:

Access! Every home, business and civic institution in America must have access to a high-speed, world-class communications infrastructure. More

Choice! Every Internet user must enjoy real choice in online content as well as among high-speed Internet providers to achieve lower prices and faster speeds.More

Openness! Every Internet user should have the right to freedom of speech and commerce online in an open market without gatekeepers or discrimination. More

Innovation! The Internet should continue to create good jobs, foster entrepreneurship, spread new ideas and serve as a leading engine of economic growth. More If you would like to read my post at the Digital Town Hall in favor of innovation, click here. (and thank you!)

When I first read One Nation Online, I wondered, who wouldn't want fast, affordable, accessible internet service for everyone? Please join me in support of the movement in our country to find solutions and make the hope a reality. Here's how:

1. Visit Internet for Everyone and become familiar with the cause to decide what is your opinion and what do you think could be a solution. Join if you're so inclined.

2. The conversation continues at the Digital Town Hall. Login to post your thoughts — or add your comments to the posts. Town hall meetings across the country — including Digital Town Hall — give you the opportunity to inject your voice into a national broadband plan.

This plan will be delivered to the Obama administration and congressional leaders in Washington as a people-powered guide to building a better Internet in America. Please feel free to comment or share with a friend!

Internet Banners: Is your small business missing opportunities to promote online?

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Miano) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 17:56:00 +0000

You will find more opportunities to advertise your business online when you're ready with an online banner for your business! You might be amazed how many free or inexpensive opportunities arise to have your banner placed on web sites and blogs published by your network of friends, your professional colleagues, or your local toastmasters or chamber. Have you thought to propose a banner exchange?

For one really good example, our local women's networking club called Lunch Club Wednesday has a web site for announcements. A member can fill out an online form and upload a photo for approval to be placed on the site. When it is published online, it will then return search engine results for the content of her announcement so even more people will see her banner, logo or photo! If you are a member of a local networking group, you can take link exchanging to the next level and start banner exchanging!

A business banner is simply a picture file, or .jpg, that the web and blog owner can link to your business' web site or blog. Making a banner is most easily done in a program like Photoshop, and I offer to make make them at a reasonable price. The elements of your banners, like photos and text, can be manipulated to create horizontal or vertical sizes. It is a good idea to have a variety of tall and wide formats in typical website ad sizes, and usually a white background will be preferred if you like the floating effect.

Here is an example of a logo I designed for Sharon Leeds' blog which she can easily use in exchanges with other bloggers. You can see the full effect on her Destinations by Sharon blog. It, too features a cartoon effect which I designed using VistaPrint's caricature service. Also above is an example of a banner I created for myself on this lazy Sunday morning! It will probably go through more revisions over time. Since my blog has a black background, I used black but I also have a version of this on white.

There are several web sites where you can "cartoonize" yourself for a logo, banner or simply for your Facebook or MySpace. Here are two of my favorites:

At Obamicon.me, you can make your own "Obamicon" — your image in a style inspired by Shepard Fairey's iconic poster. Regardless of your candidate of choice in the 2008 election, here's your chance to sound-off.

At Befunky.com, you can "cartoonize," "Warholize," or "charcoalize" any picture you upload from your computer and the effects can be adjusted to your liking! This is my lazy Sunday "befunky" cartoon (right).

Workshop for Lunch Club Wednesday Members: Networking Online!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Miano) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 19:57:00 +0000

Don’t keep your business a secret! I will be leading a Workshop for Lunch Club Wednesday members called "Promoting Yourself and/or Your Business Online" for two consecutive weeks, Tues. 2/24 and Tues. 3/3 from 12-1 pm at the Sebring Chamber, Welcome Center. Space is Limited to the first 15 members to sign up. Lunch & Laptops welcome, even encouraged!

These two sessions will be fast paced - packed with online marketing tips and demos using social media like Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube for business. There will be helpful take-away materials... all for free!(Knowledge navigating the internet will be needed.)

RSVP to Diana@lunchclubwednesday.org... if you register, plan to attend both sessions!

To grasp social networking, start with Tribes and the Net Generation!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Miano) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 05:17:00 +0000

Everyone's talking about it... the emergence of social networking and all its' variations -- microblogging on Twitter, video-sharing on You Tube, professional networking on Linkedin! Participation is growing by leaps and it's revolutionizing the way people think, work, socialize and interact on a global level. Perhaps you're on board already, but if you are of the mind to ask "why should I?," then these freebies might interest you.

Seth Godin's book, Tribes, is available in an unabridged free version for you to download from Audible for a listen. His discussion is based on this premise, "The Web can do amazing things, but it can't provide leadership. That still has to come from individuals - people just like you who have a passion about something. The explosion in tribes means that anyone who wants to make a difference now has the tools at her fingertips...the Internet has eliminated the barriers of geography, cost, and time. All those blogs and social networking sites are helping existing tribes get bigger. But more important, they're enabling countless new tribes to be born.." The author's interview with WIRED this month is also a good place to become introduced to the author of Tribes.

Second, and I'm speaking here from my Baby Boomer vantage point, is New York Times best-selling author Don Tapscott's book Grown Up Digital. The CEO of Dell says, "(He) provides an exciting roadmap to surviving and thriving in the Connected Era." Tapscott's work is an in-depth study of the Net Generation, our youth ages 11 to 30. "For the first time in history, youth are the authorities on something really important," Tapscott writes. "And they're changing every aspect of our society -- from the workplace to the marketplace, from the classroom to the living room, from the voting booth to the Oval Office." My personal favorite is Part III, Transforming Society. In my humble opinion, this book will be valuable to and enjoyed by parents, activists, employers, communicators, marketers and educators of any age. Download the introductory chapter of Grown Up Digital.

My Top 10 Recommended Internet Solutions

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Miano) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 20:10:00 +0000

The way you use the Internet in your life and your business is as personal as any other consumer decision! Is it affordable and user-friendly? Will it help me be productive or reach my goals? In my opinion, these ten Internet solutions are worthy of your consideration.

1. Add a new Browser! Mozilla Firefox is my preferred Internet browser over Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Safari. However, I use all of them to test how things look that I've published to the web. If I have a problem, it's usually with IE. Chrome and Safari both have beautiful simplistic layouts. So my recommendation: Add a new browser or two or three and try them out! I spend zero time now bothering with viruses and spyware. You will enhance your Internet experience, browse more safely, and likely discover how to be more productive.

2. Consolidate your email! Google's Gmail is the final inbox destination of all my personalized e-mail addresses for all my companies and even my old AOL addresses. They are all forwarded to my Gmail and it's a big time saver. There is very little learning curve with the Gmail application -- set up an account, go to settings and run through each tab, and you're ready! Read "10 reasons to use Gmail."

3. Start collaborating online in place of meetings! Web conferencing has cut way back on driving to meetings for me! As a site designer, I often need to show a client something or brainstorm. Yugma allows me to share my desktop, conduct meetings and even host a webinar with one or up to five people with a FREE account. A big advantage is there is no downloading for my clients to be able to share my desktop. I send them an email invite, they click the link, click "run" and boom... they're with me! I love it so much, I'm an affiliate. Nevertheless, a small business may never need to upgrade from the free account.

4. Get (several) domains on the Web! Your domain is your real estate on the web. You should own the top level domains for your name and your business... that's at least the .com and .net, but also consider .biz, .us, .org, .me, and well, the list goes on. Usually priced at $9.99 or less per year, this is affordable real estate! My Wild West Domains store allows me help people choose a domain name, set up hosting, set up personalized e-mail (i.e. diane@dianedesignit.com), and get a website account, shopping cart, or traffic blazer account set up with one stop shopping! Click here to visit the store.

5. Get a Newspaper and an RSS Reader! The New York Times Reader Free edition and News Alerts really help me stay connected with the news since I'm not natural born newspaper reader like my father, nor a natural born novel reader like my mother, nor a television-aholic like ... well, he knows who he is. Click here for more on the NYTimes Reader. I'll discuss RSS readers in depth another time, but essentially, you can subscribe to any website that has a feed (look for RSS). Then, try Bloglines or simply get a Google Reader.

6. Receive faxes in your Email! Packetel, known as Pfax, is my fax-to-email provider for less than $4/mo. Since so many people now have unlimited long distance, I dropped my 800-# fax and opted for a local fax number. I've been using it for six months now, and it's reliable. Occasionally I get a spam fax, but a fraction of what I used to get with another provider that cost three times as much!

7. Create a PDF! When you send a word document, you're asking for it to come back with changes! For example, documents like a reservation agreement for a vacation rental or a work order/invoice should always be send as a pdf. Doc2pdf.net or pdfonline.com are lifesavers because I so often need to turn word documents into pdfs and host them online to be published to a web site or blog. Along those lines, if you need a place online to share a Word doc or .pdf, read on...

8. Backup and share documents online! KeepandShare or Drop.io are FREE places online where I can host a pdf and share the document. This really comes in handy if your receiver does not have much technical knowledge nor Acrobat Reader nor broadband access (like in Montana!) There are two other reasons to do this: First, you can access your document online from wherever you are! Second, it's a great way to back up important documents in case of computer equipment failures.

9. Accept several forms of payment online! PayPal continues to lead the way as a solution for me for receiving credit card payments, bank transfers, and foreign payments. Last year, when the euro was stronger, we had many vacation cabin guests from the UK and around Europe. PayPal worked perfectly for the situation. They offer integration with web sites as well.

10. Get in the conversation! Social networking is a term that you've undoubtedly heard as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn grow in popularity. It is reported that the fastest growing demographic for these sites is now the 30-somethings to 50-somethings! What are you waiting for? The conversation is good, the company is good, and you never know who you may befriend! And after all, people like to do business with the people they like! You see where I'm going with this? (Care to Follow Me?)

DianeDesignIt isn't only about websites and blogs (although I'm proud that the women in my local women's networking club call me the Blog Lady)! I'm in favor and personally promote anything that helps individuals and small businesses get online, get noticed online, and get more customers online! I would love to hear your comments!

Why give away "Strategy of Giving?"

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Miano) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 23:26:00 +0000

Strategy of Giving

View more presentations or upload your own. (tags: ocean blue)

Strategy of Giving is presented in this slideshow as a strategy and a book. (In this designers opinion, it's a great slideshow!) The inherent message, you reap what you sow, is being embraced on the web and by forward-thinking companies.

Why do I give away the eBook? Because I want to give you, my reader, something of value with the promise of continuing to give you valuable information in the future. So if it would help you accomplish something you're trying to do in life, in your organization, or in your community, YOU can give it away too! (Miikka says so, right there in the book... did you get it yet?)

Download the book, or click the e-book cover to read it instantly.

2009 Contact Me Information

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Miano) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 01:04:00 +0000

Here's all my contact information...

Diane Miano
DianeDesignIt!
Cell: 863-840-0335
Fax to email: 863-248-0940
E-mail: Diane@dianedesignit.com

If you'd like to receive weekly updates, please add your email address in the "Subscribe" section (your address is stored securely by the folks at Feedburner, never sold, and you can unsubscribe at any time)!

Shop online for your perfect domain name now, and get started creating a site immediately... or call me to take over the task for you!

Follow me and I'll follow you!

If RSS, Vodcasts and Viral Marketing sound Greek...

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Miano) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 20:18:00 +0000

These online marketing strategies may sound Greek to you, but they can be used successfully by small business and individuals! Just take a look at Blogger's "Blogs of Note" sometime, and you'll be so impressed by everyday people like you and me that are making a name for themselves or their businesses by blogging!

By offering their readers great content, these bloggers are turning people who are browsing into buyers! However, with all the "technological wizardry" available, we cannot neglect the process of analyzing our target markets and planning an overall internet strategy. I'm immersed in David Meerman Scott's book, "The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use News Releases, Blogs, Podcasting, Viral Marketing and Online Media to Reach Buyers Directly." Meanwhile, you might find this clip thought-provoking!

During a keynote presentation, David was asked the ultimate question during the Q&A session. * How do I explain to my boss the value to letting go of control and engaging my customers in a more intimate and public forum? * How do I measure the ROI of Success via social media engagements and creating content that may be of value to my customers?

The Power of Positive {Advertising} Thinking

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Miano) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:45:00 +0000

If you're a small business with a website, you have probably wondered "How can I ever afford advertising on the internet?" and "How can I drive more traffic to my website?"

I understand. I've pondered pay per click, search engine optimization programs, and buying keywords for my vacation rental property in Montana as ways to drive traffic to my website but always found it too expensive. But I have a success story to tell!

About six months ago, as a volunteer helping our Chamber market its charming mountain hamlet in Montana and advertise its website, I had the pleasure of working with Vertical Media, a publisher of travel-related web sites in the Rockies. Six month's later, the analytics speak for themselves. The advertising we placed delivered 4,033 referrals (compared to the projected 2,136) and nearly 139,000 impressions!

In my opinion, this success started with the Chamber's ability to recognize the potential rewards -- the Board had the power of positive advertising thinking. Mike Banville of Vertical Media and I thoroughly analyzed Cooke City's target markets , and Mike executed the plan to perfection. And lastly, website analytics, the powerful tool that it is, told us that 5 million people use VM's websites to plan their vacations, and it told us we would get a piece of that pie!

Note: In every website built by DianeDesignIt!, Google Analytics is installed FREE!

(Pictured below: Chamber Director Donna Rowland and I at the annual Montana Governor's Conference on Tourism in West Yellowstone this year... our focus: how to better utilize internet marketing and public relations in the travel business.)

More prize winners at Lunch Club Wednesday!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Miano) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:52:00 +0000

Congratulations to these winners of the prize drawing for a free .com and .biz for one year from DianeDesignIt. Don't forget to visit the Lunch Club Wednesday newsletter for up-to-date coverage, news and announcements!

October: Jeanny Campbell, motivation speaker ... visit her web site.
November: Vanessa Logsdon, Highlands Little Theatre... visit the web site.

What is included with a domain name registration? You'll be amazed...
• FREE! Photo Album
• FREE! Blog
• FREE! Hosting
• FREE! Complete Email
• FREE! Forwarding / Masking
• FREE! Change of Registration
• FREE! Starter Web Page
• FREE! "For Sale"/ Parked Page
• FREE! Domain Name Locking
• FREE! Total DNS Control

From Montana to Florida

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Miano) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:56:00 +0000

As most of the my clients and friends know, we left Florida for our Montana home on Sept. 17 and the time to return is approaching... there's no place like home! The saying holds true for both our vacation home here in Yellowstone Country as well as for our warm, sunny Florida home. It's lovely to "disconnect" for awhile but we're ready to return.

Just as I was getting some beautiful photographs for a collection I hoped to call "Autumn on Colter Pass," a snowstorm blew in and Autumn ended early! (Pictured is our pup, Yoshi, on the chase through that new white stuff!)

News-in-a-blog rolled out for women's networking club!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Miano) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 21:58:00 +0000

Lunch Club Wednesday, a women's networking group in Sebring, was in need of a way to get news and information out quickly to its membership. "News-in-a-blog" was the solution. It provides a website where meeting announcements; coverage of luncheon speakers, prize donors and showcase sponsors; and late breaking announcements can be posted quickly to the internet. The club's founder, Diana Albritton, has received numerous compliments and announcements from members of the club already! The newsletter was rolled out last evening to the membership and local news press. I personally appreciate the support and enthusiasm shown by all. If you would like to visit Lunch Club Wednesday's News-in-a-blog, click here.

Lunch Club Wednesday member wins free domains!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Miano) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:22:00 +0000

Congratulations to Moddie Desselle of Right Card Right Time for winning the door prize offered by DianeDesignIt at yesterday's Lunch Club Wednesday ... she won a free .com and a free .biz for a year! Thank you Moddie for your enthusiasm! You can visit Moddie's current website here.

As a website designer, I'm very excited about being able to offer domains and website tonight hosting accounts directly to my customers. DianeDesignIt's Domains Store offers everything you need to get started promoting your business online! Start searching today for your own personalized domain name.

Then, remember to pick up any other appropriate extensions, like .org, .biz, .us and .net. Once you find the perfect domain, you wouldn't want anyone to scoop you by getting these other extensions! All of these can be forwarded to your website! Also, for a limited time, each .com is available at the special pricing of $7.49/year and includes:

personalized email account
hosting and 24/7 support
starter web page
domain forwarding
100-pack e-mail forwarding
online photo filer

Preview Photography Books and get inspired!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Miano) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:53:00 +0000

Have you ever thought of commissioning your own book? It's a great way to preserve memories in a gorgeous keepsake that will last much longer than scrapbooks and is far more appealing to share. I have two personal keepsake books on public view at the Blurb Bookstore for you to see as wonderful examples.

Opa!

Photographs and Me...

By Diane Miano

Book Preview

Shiba

By Diane Miano

Book Preview

A Website for the Montana Rocky Top Cabin

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Miano) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:52:00 +0000

The Montana Rocky Top Cabin has a fresh new website! This is our vacation cabin in Cooke City, Montana, at the Northeast Gate of Yellowstone National Park. I built my first website in 2002 for the cabin to enable us to rent it to vacationers. Now in its 6th year as a vacation rental by owner, it is a big success thanks almost entirely to its web presence.

Go to the new Montana Rocky Top Cabin Website!

The Photography Store is Open!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Miano) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 14:36:00 +0000

The photography store is our solution to sharing our photographs and being able to order prints for ourselves and others. Hosted on Fotki, it also allows me to enter some of our photos in contests, and to make the photography available to the public. To order prints, click here.
Or to view more about our travels to Italy & Greece, visit our blog!

Opa! A Travel Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Miano) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:23:00 +0000

Welcome to the Countdown to Greece Blog! |"Dreams of dolmas drenched in olive oil, sweet filo desserts, dancing the Syrtaki invade our minds! Long before our ship, Splendour of the Seas, leaves Venice on June 28, 2008, we will daydream our way to Italy and the Greek Isles!" This blog is a solution to the expense of international calling! It will allow Sharon, Jen and I to post pictures along our tour of Italy and Greece. Since Sharon is a travel agent by profession, it will also give her a site to show her future clients! For Jen, it's a great place for photosharing with her friends at school and band. Everyone wins!

A Website for the Smoky Mountain Top Cabin

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Miano) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:56:00 +0000

My friend Diane Davies-Prescott asked me to build a website for her vacation cabin rental in the Smokies! This has been a real pleasure to do. She chose DianeDesignIt! because of my experience self-managing and marketing my own cabin rental in Yellowstone Country. Her cabin also sits adjacent to a National Park, the Great Smoky Mountains. Please take a look and perhaps start planning your vacation!

Go to Smoky Mountain Top Cabin Website