Social Media Marketing for Bay Area Business | Gail Nott

Facebook Limits Number of People You Can Invite to an Event

Gail Nott — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 18:52:35 +0000

It’s time to promote that teleclass! Quick — what was that Chrome extension that invites all your Facebook friends? A few clicks, and you’ve just invited a thousand plus people.

If you haven’t done it, you know someone who has. And when done tastefully and selectively, invite all of your Facebook friends was a great way to promote your upcoming event.

As of April 2013, Facebook limits how many people can be invited to an event. Originally, there was a set number of how many invites you can send at a time, and when you would get blocked.

Screenshot by Mari Smith

But when I checked on April 14th, Facebook removed the exact numbers and changed the policy and made it more vague. Facebook no longer gives an exact number of how many people you can invite, but it warns you may be blocked if people aren’t responding or RSVP’ing “No” to your event.

So what’s a workshop leader to do?

Here are 5 tips to effectively promote your event:

Be selective on who you invite.Select people who are more likely to attend, your ideal clients, people who live in the area of the event, etc.
Budget at least $5 for an Advertised Post.Post a photo or logo of the event, with an enticing title & link to register. Then click on Advertise Post (used to be called Promoted Post). You’ll get a guaranteed number of views.
Analyze your results.Take a look at your analytics. Are enough people seeing your posts, clicking through, and signing up? Do you need a better photo, better copy, a better landing page? If you have a marketing or business coach, ask them for feedback.
Promote your event through other channels.Don’t just post on Facebook and hope someone will sign-up. Post on other social media sites, send emails, & remember the power of a personal invitation. It takes more time & effort, and you’ll see you’ll get the highest return from it.
Ask for help.Ask your strategic alliances to help you promote the event & personally invite their contacts too.

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My Daily Success Habits

Gail Nott — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 23:30:47 +0000

J.T. O’Donnell, CEO of CAREEREALISM Media, wrote an article on 10 things she does every work day to grow her career and her business.

It inspired me to write about my daily ritual.

I read a great tip somewhere that in order to achieve your goals, we must create habits that support that goal — success habits.

Honestly, I don’t get to every task every day. And that’s ok. I’m moving forward, each step closer to my goal and enjoying the journey along the way.

So, here’s my list:

Review my goals and plans.
Complete 3 money-generating actions.
Complete actions due today.
Help at least one of my Top 10 Referral Sources.
Stay in touch with at least 2 people in my database.
Respond to all client emails and social media interactions.
Read an industry-related article and share it on my blog.

You’ve probably noticed that posting on social media (besides my blog), is not a daily success habit for me. And that’s because I have my own social media manager who makes sure my sites are updated on a daily basis. I just choose to respond personally to any comments I receive, plus interact with people and companies I’m following.

I use the free version of Habit Streak on Android to keep track of my how often I complete my success habits. (There’s a version for iPhone too.)

What’s on your list of daily success habits?

4 Easy Habits for Social Media Success by Ali Brown

GuestBlogger — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 15:17:24 +0000

With so many voices on social media, from angsty teenagers to big brand marketers, it’s easy to get drowned out in all the noise. So how do you add your own unique thumbprint that attracts the right people to your profile?

It all starts with being truly thoughtful about the content you post, and how you choose to share it.

Remember, it’s not just about getting your business noticed in a newsfeed once—it’s about getting people to want to come to your page to experience the real connection and value YOU offer. And they’ll do this when they resonate with your style and your mission, and truly trust in your expertise and insights.

Below are four habits you should put into practice to get noticed by your ideal market and build trust, rapport, and long-term client relationships (and that means more revenues too!).

HABIT 1: Offer both useful information and resources, mixed in with your promotions.

If all you do is offer useful info, that’s great and you’ll build a following, but you may suddenly find your business bank account bare. But if you promote yourself all the time, you’ll tick people off. The key is developing a nice mix of content and building relationships along the way, so your followers will be happy to hear about what you have to offer.

Over time, my team and I have developed a simple schedule to post great free resources, helpful articles, and info along with making sure we are continually promoting the valuable courses and programs we have to offer women starting or growing a business. Here’s what a typical week’s social media schedule looks like for us:

Helpful Business Article or Interesting News Item – 1 post per day

Inspirational Quote – 3-4 posts per week
Notifications of New Blog Posts and Articles – 2 posts per week
Promote Free “Top 10 Success Secrets” CD – 2-3 posts per week
Promote Free Reports – 2 posts per week (a different one each time)
Promote Spotlighted Product or Program – 1-2 posts per day, depending if there’s a special offer, deadline, or time-sensitive event happening

TIP: Use Google Alerts to receive daily news updates or web posts on any keywords or topics of interest, and share items you feel your followers would appreciate. For example, I’m always looking for positive stories on women around the world and the huge shift we’re making on the planet, so I receive alerts on women and world issues. I also get alerts on small business topics, and share any items of interest with my followers.

HABIT 2: Share personal or relatable stories or images

If appropriate, it’s important to let your customers, clients, and community see who you are as a person, beyond your brand. When I share a funny story about my fat cat Milo, an awe-inspiring moment like seeing dolphins during my morning walk, or rant about a common problem I see in my industry, my community chimes in with support, laughs, or even disagreement (which can still be good if it gets conversation going, drawing even more viewers to your account).

Sharing these moments gives people a chance to see what moves you deeply and personally. It lets people see you as a unique individual, who shares their hobbies, interests, and perspectives. Remember, people will buy from you again and again because something about your voice, your unique way, resonates with them. So don’t be shy about sharing some natural, candid posts that add a little color to your page. (On the flip side, you don’t want to over-share either. It’s just crazy what some folks will share online, and via their business social media too! Some details are better left discussed over a bottle of wine with close friends.)

Images tend to engage more people than words, and they’re also a great option when you’re on the go and don’t have time to write something up. It’s a quick yet high impact way to “touch” your audience. Whenever I host a strategy meeting for my Elevate Premier members, I make sure to get a pic to share the experience. Lately, I’ve been sharing a few photos of my home as my fiancé and I get the nursery ready for our twins. Sometimes, a snapshot is all you need to share a slice of your life.

If your business isn’t personal or a personal brand, or you’re a more private person, look for stories or images your followers can relate to in some way, and preferably related to what you offer or do. Success stories from happy clients or customers go a long way.

HABIT 3: Respond when you can

If you receive a comment on something you’ve shared, it’s always great to write back to that person and acknowledge them. A simple “Thank You” or “I’m so glad you liked it!” goes a long way, and it only takes a matter of seconds. Every day or so, I pop into my social media accounts to send a few notes of gratitude and acknowledgements. It helps me stay connected, and it’s one of the best ways to keep my ear close to the ground so I know what my customers want and need.

It’s also important you regularly scan your page responses so you can catch any customer service requests. This is where my team is a huge help, as I can’t keep up with it all. It’s becoming more and more common that customers will write on your Facebook page or send you a Tweet to complain they haven’t gotten their package instead of calling your toll-free number or writing your support email!

And of course you may get a few buggers who write critical or insulting comments on your page, which you can judge whether to respond to or just delete. If it’s an interesting point and you want to dialogue, go for it. But be careful about getting sucked in to a nasty conversation. A good rule I learned from my friend and social media expert Amber Mac is “Don’t feed the trolls.”

HABIT 4: Participate in the network—not just your bubble

It’s important to show that you’re not just feeding information to the public, but that you’re also absorbing other knowledge being shared. That’s when you truly become an active participant in your social circle. No successful entrepreneur has all the answers. It’s great to get out of your bubble and take some time each day to browse your community member’s pages and posts and engage with them as well. This is especially important when you are getting started and looking to gain ground by expanding your social media networks. Look for other pages or people who also interact within your industry or with your target market. Comment thoughtfully on their posts, articles, images, and more. Offer insightful add-ons and responses. Be a contributor. Feel free to disagree in a respectful manner to encourage dialogue and stir the pot.

QUESTION: How do you use social media to keep your community coming back for more? I’d love to hear your strategies. Please share your comments below.

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“Entrepreneur mentor Ali Brown teaches women around the world how to start and grow profitable businesses that make a positive impact. Get her FREE CD “Top 10 Secrets for Entrepreneurial Women” at www.AliBrown.com (affiliate link).

10 Case Studies: Content Marketing on Facebook & Twitter

Gail Nott — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 07:54:51 +0000

One of the great things about social media is that it can be an effective way to drive traffic back to the content on your site. After all, we want people on our site, signing up for our mailing lists and buying our products.

Of course, there’s a lot of competition on Facebook and Twitter to get attention for your links. With that in mind, let’s look at a few content marketing examples and see how you might incorporate some of these strategies into your own approach.

Example 1: Appeal to Guilt or Other Emotions

Here’s a great image posted on Facebook by WebMD. It shows a lady feeling guilty over something many of us are guilty…not flossing, so it taps into that guilty emotion. It links to an article that talks about the excuses for not doing this important activity and reasons those excuses can be overcome, so the content is a perfect match for what is conveyed in this photo.

Original Status Update: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151250437428482&set

Example 2: We’ve All Been There

Another one from WebMD that appeals to something many of us have been through…the pacifier falling on the floor. We all have our own ways of dealing with these things, but have we considered the consequences of what we do? A child’s welfare is an important subject to parents, so this really taps into that.

Original Status Update: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151246959823482

Example 3: Pictures That Tell a Story

The Colbert Report does a great job of telling a story through pictures and gets people interested in seeing the related video.

The facial expressions on the photos are often priceless and makes the viewer wonder what actually happened in the video. In this case, we get to see the reaction of singer Morrissey as Colbert makes a joke about the unintended consequences of his song lyrics. Even if you don’t have a TV show, you can still incorporate story telling into your images. You can illustrate a process, show emotions and more.

Original Status Update: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151102403111939

Example 4: The Awww Factor

This adorable koala photo is sure to get noticed. It links to an article about 19 fun facts, one of which is about the koala. It’s a great way to attract attention with a cute photo and then it also creates curiosity that makes one wonder what the fun fact and the 18 others are.

Original Status Update: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151446160234705

Example #5: Using Popular Culture

In order to create a link to products that incorporate two huge things in popular culture, Amazon posts an eye-catching image of the Angry Birds Star Wars game. They also generate a conversation by asking the question about what combination their followers would like to see.

What popular culture can you tap into to get attention for your content and/or products?

Original Status Update: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151171343063124

Example #6: Watch How Easy it Is

In this tweet, All Recipes appeals to their followers needs to have simple meals, particularly on weekends. They also include the phrase “What how to…” which is a great call to action. Tap into a problem your readers have and come up with a great solution. Whenever you make something easier for them, you have a winner.

The only thing I’d change here is to remove the exclamation points…they add too much hype.

Original Tweet: https://twitter.com/Allrecipes/status/268179097019109376

Example #7: A Solution to a Problem

It’s a problem for many cooks around the holiday season…lumpy gravy.

This tweet works well because it addresses the problem, has a solution for it. It also provides social proof for the solution as the recipe is “top-rated.”

Original tweet: https://twitter.com/Allrecipes/status/268088395467747328

Example #8: Give Them Something Extra

In this tweet, ESPN delivers content their readers expect, but also gives them 24 questions to ponder, creating curiosity and sparking more interest to click. The game schedule is probably posted on a lot of websites, but ESPN went just a little bit further to give something extra to their followers.

Original Tweet: https://twitter.com/espn/status/268111323370487808

Example #9: Play on Fears (Carefully)

This tweet not only creates curiosity, but also plays on the fears of parents. What parent wouldn’t want to click through to see what the law is and what the fuss is all about? They’ve also created a poll that allows visitors to share their opinion.

Careful with this tactic though. A whole marketing plan based on fear can backfire and create resentment versus client attraction.

Original Tweet: https://twitter.com/HuffPostParents/status/267825310840520704

Example #10: Set an Example

If you want to motivate your readers, set a good example. In this tweet below, The Beastie Boys try to get people to help with Sandy relief and show what Mike D is doing to help.

There are many ways to get your followers attention on social media and we’ve covered quite a few including:

Using images
Tapping into emotions
Solving problems
Educating on important topics
Piquing curiosity
Using strong calls to action
Capitalizing on popular culture
Providing more than other content providers
Motivating by setting an example

How can you incorporate these techniques into your own social updates?

How to Start Pinning Images on Pinterest

Gail Nott — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 07:36:57 +0000

One of the fastest growing social media site is the Pinterest. It is where you can “pin” pictures or videos that interests you or might want to share. It is a method for some to convey each day
their thoughts and even feelings.

When you sign up a Pinterest account, you will automatically be asked to incorporate your Facebook and Twitter accounts. You can’t add your Pins to your Facebook business fan page.

Get to know the Pinterest basics:

How to Repin
Repining is saving an image on to your own board. And you can create different boards to display the images you save or collect. To repin a photo, hover your mouse over the picture. Three buttons will appear on top: Repin, Like and Comment.

Simply click on the Repin button to share the image. People who follow your boards will see the images you repinned if the privacy setting to that board is set to “Public”. Pictures can be repinned multiple times. The images on your public boards can be repinned by other users too.
The “Pin It” Button
The pin it button is a great shortcut you can add to your Firefox, Chrome & Internet Explorer browsers. You’ll be able to pin photos from any web site. When people click on the photo you pinned, it will take them back to the site you originally found it.

Hot Tip:Pin photos from your own blog to increase traffic back to your site!

Go to the About tab at the top and hit ‘Pin It Button’. Click, drag and drop the [Pin it] box to your bookmarks bar.
Pinterest App
When there are so many social media sites to keep up with, having this app on your smartphone or table allows you stay engaged while you’re on the go. Pinterest has become my favorite app.
Gift Pins
Gift pins are images with a price tag on it. When you’re pinning an image of something you want to sell, include the price in the description. Gift Pins are automatically placed in the category “Gifts”.
Followers
Just like other social media sites, you can follow people and all of their boards they pin to, or just specific boards. And in return, you’ll gain followers too. Set a goal to increase your followers. The more quality followers you have (people who are genuinely interested in what you pin), the greater return you’ll have from your Pinterest efforts.
Comments

Followers can always leave comments on your pins, and you can comment on the boards you follow. Comments is basically the only available communication for users. Commenting can help build relationships with time.

Remember this is still a social site — reply, thank people, say hi, and share your thoughts.
Likes

This is the most popular of them all. It gives the users the option to just click on the button if they don’t want to comment on it. It’s the simplest way of conveying your impression on the picture or video that someone pinned or repinned.

These basics are all you need to know to start using Pinterest to your social media advantage!

Are you on Pinterest? Share your link below!

What Small Businesses Can Learn From Social Media Disasters

Gail Nott — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 22:57:28 +0000

With the fast-paced world of social media, I do believe that there is such as a thing as bad publicity.

Below are five social media disasters from 2012. Learn from their mistakes for your own social media campaigns.

Twitter Trouble

Here’s proof that we need to think before we tweet:

McDonald’s Hashtag Train Wreck: #McDStoriesFast food giant McDonalds must have paid advertising executives tons of money to come up with its January 2012 hashtag campaign.The first one, #MeetTheFarmers, was a great idea.The next one — #McDStories –- was a publicity nightmare.#MeetTheFarmers profiled three farmers and the #McDStories hashtag was supposed to focus on McDonald’s suppliers. Allegedly, only two official tweets were posted.
Instead, people flooded Twitter with bitter stories of bad food, poor service and awful experiences using the #McDStories. Within a week, the story had been picked up by major news publications, including Mashable and Huffington Post and the McDonald’s stock price dropped.

There are people still tweeting their #McDStories a year later.
KitchenAid’s Inappropriate Presidential TweetA KitchenAid employee “mistakenly” joked on Twitter from the company account about the President’s grandmother, who had just died three days earlier.Cynthia Soledad, senior director of KitchenAid brand and marketing, quickly took control of the company account and tweeted an apology.Their attempts at damage control wasn’t enough for news agencies or from disgusted readers (both Republicans and Democrats). Mashable noted that from reader reactions the fiasco seemed to “benefit KitchenAid’s rivals, Breville and Cuisinart”.
Starbucks: Irish vs. BritishStarbucks managed to inadvertently fan the flames of hundreds of years of Anglo-Irish hostilities with one tactless tweet.Starbucks Ireland “accidentally” posted a tweet meant for Starbucks UK, asking why they were proud to be British during the Queen’s Diamond Julbilee celebration.

Facebook Fiascos

Twitter isn’t the only social media site with mistakes. Facebook has had its share of companies’ negative publicity too.

Ryanair CEO RudenessSometimes, it’s not what a company itself posts on Facebook, but what others say about it. Suzy McLeod, a young mother, posted on Facebook to report an incident that left her out of pocket –- and her post got 383,399 “likes” in support.

The company reportedly refused to rescind the charges. Michael O’Leary, Ryanair’s CEO, made the situation worse when he called passengers who don’t print out their boarding passes “idiots” and reportedly told McLeod: “It’s your f**k-up.”
An Unwelcome Birthday SurpriseIt isn’t just businesses that can goof online. One of the biggest causes of social “disasters” on both Facebook and Twitter occur when people don’t understand or check their settings or when they post private things as public information.Merthe Weusthuis, a teenage Dutch girl, meant to invite thirty friends to her Sweet Sixteen party through Facebook’s Events. Instead, she accidentally invited the whole country. Thirty-thousand people RSVP’d yes before she could delete the event.

The Telegraph reported, “an unauthorized campaign was launched to promote the birthday party, reaching high levels of sophistication with the setting-up of a website, as well as a Twitter account which received hundreds of thousands of hits.”

The evening of the supposed party, 5000 party-goers showed up in Weusthuis’s hometown, and 34 people were arrested for vandalizing and looting.

Lessons for Small Businesses

So what has this small collection of 2012 blunders –- the tip of the social disaster iceberg — taught us about how to post with credibility and care?

Proofread and think about future implications before posting. Will this be taken the wrong way?
When choosing a hashtag, make sure it adds value versus just jumping on the bandwagon on a trending topic.
I f you do make a mistake, accept full responsibility and quickly apologize. Don’t delete your Page. Fix the problem immediately instead.
Consider if deleting your post will create more problems or stop them.
Make it a policy for your employees or social media managers to not use your software (like Hootsuite or Sendible) for their personal accounts.
Never create publicity stunts. Post with integrity and honesty.

This might all sound scary… don’t let it stop you from making a difference in the world and sharing your message!

After all, as P. T. Barnum also shrewdly pointed out:

52 Things to Blog About

Gail Nott — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 04:19:53 +0000

Getting started is one of the most challenging things about blogging. If you ever get stumped on what to write about, here are 52 ideas to help get the creative juices flowing.

1. Take a photo. Share a picture instead of words!

2. Share a relevant YouTube video. Perhaps even analyze it a bit in your post. It doesn’t require a lot of work to watch and then find the best videos.

3. Shoot a video of your own. People love to see a blogger’s face rather than just read their words.

4. Comment on another blog post on your blog. For example, if another well known blogger makes a strong statement, respond to that statement on your blog.

5. Comment on a news event and on how it relates to your field.

6. Write a how-to post. Walk-throughs, tutorials and how to’s tend to do very well online.

7. Bust a myth. What are common beliefs people hold in your industry that simply are nott true?

8. Tell an entertaining and educational story. What were some turning point moments in your career?

9. Create a Q&A post. What are common questions people have and what are their answers?

10. Examine a Problem. Take an issue that people often get stuck on and go in depth into its causes and solutions.

11. Write a Top X List. For example, “Top 10 ways to relieve stress,” or “The 50 Best Ways to Get More Referrals”. Aim high — the larger the list the more likely people will bookmark, share and talk about you.

12. Ramble. Just talk aimlessly and passionately about a subject. Be sure to set it aside and read it a day or two later to make sure it’s relevant before you post it.

13. Write about common pitfalls. What are mistakes that beginners might make without knowing it?

14. Interview an expert. Post it in audio or video form on your blog.

15. Review a product. What are its benefits and its drawbacks? What sets it apart? Would you recommend it?

16. Comment on state of the industry. What’s going well and what isn’t’ going well?

17. Ask your audience a question. What do they think about Topic X?

18. Post the top resources for someone in your industry. Give links, downloads, videos, etc that might help them in what they’re trying to do.

19. Make a prediction on the future. What do you think is going to happen in the next 12 months?

20. Write about an in person event. For example, “What I learned at Affiliate Summit X this year.

21. Share a provocative opinion. What’s an opinion you have that just isn’t politically correct?

22. Why someone is right or wrong. Write a post about why you think someone is right or wrong about a certain subject.

23. Make something complex simple. Break a hard process down into its parts and make it easy to do or follow.

24. Share a thought process. How do you get from point A to point B in your thought process?

25. Blog about a personal experiment. What’s something you tried? Did it work or did it not work? What would you do differently and what would you recommend?

26. Do an audio recording. Sharing yourself via MP3 rather than text can lead to more connection with your readers.

27. Write a sarcastic post. It shouldn’t be aggressive, but be a little satirical post that contradicts popular opinion.

28. Give away an eBook. Pack it with value and just give it away for free.

29. Analyze someone else’s success. Why did they make it? What did they do differently than other people?

30. Analyze someone else’s failure. Why did company X or project X fail? What was the key mistake?

31. Write about an article at the top of Digg or Reddit. These topics are what the movers and shakers online care about right now.

32. Write about the pros and cons of X. What are the benefits and drawbacks?

33. Take the alternate position. What does everyone else think? What do you typically stand for? Try taking the other side.

34. Write about a book in your industry. Review it or write a synopsis.

35. Write a post designed to be inspirational. Not a how to, but something that gives people a sense that they can do it too.

36. Write an Update post – How it used to be, how it is today. For example, “X used to work in the past, but with the recent changes in the market, you really need to do Y to get the same effects.”

37. Write a post for experts. Give specific how-to’s and little known industry knowledge.

38. Write a post for newbies. Make it easy and answer questions that beginners often ask.

39. Share a secret in your industry. What are things that people on the inside know but tend not to share?

40. Do a multi-part post with cliffhangers in between. Write a great post #1, then leave people wanting for more before part 2.

41. Write a followup on your most popular posts. Take your top 3 articles and expand on those topics.

42. Host a poll and then post the results. Analyze why you think the poll turned out the way it did.

43. Write an open letter to someone well known in your industry. For example, “An Open Letter to Steve Jobs” went viral when the iPhone 3GS came out.

44. Show off! What you did and the results you got.

45. A “What I wish I did differently” post. Use what you know now to analyze your successes and failures.

46. Address common frustrations in the industry. Where do people generally get frustrated and not know how to move forward? Let them know they’re not alone.

47. Post an infographic. Take statistics, data and information and put it in graphical form. These tend to get passed around a lot.

48. Around the world view. How is X done similarly or differently around the world?

49. Creative ways to do X. How can you do things differently than other people?

50. How to speed up X. How to do a process faster than it’s normally done.

51. A day in the life of. Outline what a typical day is like for you. Show your clients how you practice what you preach.

52. Invite a guest blogger to write on your blog. Choose someone who has a similar target market. If they ask you do to do the same, pick one of your previous blog posts and re-purpose it to suit their audience.

Anytime you get stuck, come back to this list to help inspire new blogging ideas.

I recommend that you schedule 1-2 hours once a month to plan out what you’re going to write about based on your marketing calendar AND write or film all of your blog posts for the month all at once.

If you find this difficult to do, find an accountability buddy or hire a coach or social media professional who can help you get this done. If possible, outsource or delegate non-CEO tasks such as filming, editing and posting.

If you implemented one of these ideas, leave your blog link below. Best wishes on your blogging adventure!

Commit to Imperfect Action by Ali Brown

GuestBlogger — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 15:24:29 +0000

It’s a new year, ripe with possibilities. Resolutions are being set with the best of intentions. But how will you make 2013 the year you truly create change—the year you start your business, write your novel, run the half marathon, or whatever you dream of accomplishing? Here’s a tip you’re likely not seeing around on the Internet today: DITCH the resolutions and commit to IMPERFECT ACTION.

I’ve seen many aspiring entrepreneurs get stuck year after year in building and growing their businesses. They get caught up on their mission statement, their marketing, their website, and what happens is it paralyzes them. They wait for everything to be perfect before they move forward. They stop moving, hoping—waiting—for the perfect answer to emerge out of thin air.

But being successful isn’t a result of perfect choices. It’s about getting comfortable with going out there and doing things IMPERFECTLY.

Running a successful business works like this: You’ve got to just get out there! Throw the spaghetti on the wall and see what sticks. Once you start taking action, you’ll discover what works and what doesn’t—and THEN the insights and clarity will start coming to you. If you can learn to get comfortable with this mindset, you’ll have more fun in your business, and free yourself to innovate and grow. And, I guarantee you’ll start making money more quickly.

In my online business training program Elevate, Head Coach James Roche shares a Japanese principle calledKaizen to illustrate this concept.

Kaizen was introduced to the United States in 1986, when author Masaaki Imai published the book, Kaizen: the Key to Japan’s Competitive Success.

Imai defined Kaizen as “a means of continuing improvement in personal life, home life, social life, and working life.” As a business owner, think of Kaizen as the art of using small, trivial steps to accomplish large objectives.

Toyota is one of the most popular examples of big organizations that practice Kaizen. In the assembly line at Toyota, if a worker has an idea for even a slight improvement, they are asked to pull the chord, and stop production. A group of engineers and specialists come down to the assembly line to discuss the proposed improvement, and they work to implement the idea as fast as possible to get the line moving again.

Employees are rewarded for giving these ideas, which could be something like, “We’re putting ten screws here, and we only need nine.” Engineers and Quality Assurance folks would then test it out with only nine screws, and if they discovered that indeed, nine screws were just as safe, they’d keep the idea—and save hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars.

Let’s look at an example that hits closer to home for small business owners. Lisa is a hair stylist who works in Los Angeles. Her clients come to see her from all parts of town, some even driving an hour. But in a big city like L.A., it’s been a challenge for Suzie to keep her clients coming in on a steady basis. Talented hair stylists are everywhere, and when faced with L.A. traffic, her clients occasionally choose another salon simply out of convenience.

She realizes that most of her clients were Beverly Hills adjacent. If Lisa were looking for the perfect answer, she might drop everything to open a beautiful Beverly Hills salon, where high-paying clients would flock to see her on her own specific schedule. She might get stuck thinking of the money she’d need to save for this Beverly Hills dream and the extra training she should pursue so she could raise her credentials, her prices, etc. None of these are bad ideas, but they will take time and money to make happen.

Now let’s get Lisa comfortable with taking imperfect action. She could rent a station at a Beverly Hills salon one day a week, and try another station in another part of town where her other clients are, so her clients in different areas could access her easily. Once she was established in different pockets of L.A., her clients could spread the word about her services to their local friends, which could establish her reputation throughout L.A.. It’s an easy-to-implement solution that she can act on immediately.

Now, let’s give a quick personal example. Lately Suzie has been indulging for the holidays quite a bit, and she’s enjoying every food she likes! Problem is now her jeans don’t fit, and she realizes she’s put on an easy 10 pounds. At first, she gets really down on herself and decides to get in the best shape of her life, run a marathon, workout every day, and eat an extreme diet. Well, you know as well as I do that she’s setting herself up for failure!

Big goals are great to keep in mind, but instead if Suzie decided to take imperfect action, she could say, “Well OK, I’m going to switch my usual burgers for lunch for a big salad with chicken instead. And I’m going to join a gym and commit to going three days a week.” After she builds on these successes, she’ll start to see results and get excited about her bigger goals. See how this works?

Remember, success is not just an intellectual exercise. It’s an *activity exercise*. Action is required, even if it’s not PERFECT.

QUESTION: What are a few imperfect action steps you can take today to get you on your path to accomplishing one of your resolutions? We’re all in this together, so please share below!

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30 Ways to Create Online Publicity for Your Wellness Center

Gail Nott — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 07:05:46 +0000

A common misconception with wellness center directors is that have to spend lots of money on advertising to grow their businesses. If you’re willing to either put time into promoting your business, or hire someone to do it for you, you can generate online publicity that can be more effective than paid advertising.

Here are 30 ways you can create online publicity at little or no cost.

Build a social media presence.
Building a presence for your business on popular social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+ creates ongoing opportunities for publicity. Make frequent, relevant and interesting posts.
Ask to be featured in a local blog.
Here’s the thing — if you want our center to be talked about, you need social proof that your wellness center is worth being talked about. After building your strong social media presence, then ask bloggers to be featured. Content producers need content; they will appreciate a good story that’s relevant to their readers.
Start a Facebook group.
An active Facebook group that is relevant to your niche can generate lots of publicity.
Make use of LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is a wonderful site for online business networking and making contact with members of the press.
Maintain a blog.
A good business blog is a great for publicity. Keep it updated with relevant and engaging posts — in fact, if you have to only focus on one online activity, focus on your blog.
Post linkworthy content on your blog.
Called “linkbait,” in the search engine optimization (SEO) world, “Top 5″ or “Top 10″ lists tend to attract links to them. Even better, see if you can compile a list of 50 or even 100 resources in your niche. It takes more work, but the world will take notice. Other linkbait ideas include infographics, product reviews and self-care tutorials.
Comment on other blogs.
Find other blogs that focus on your local community, niche and from businesses you would like to form a referral relationship. Keep your comments on-topic and useful, and only include a link to your site in the URL field. As long as you’re adding to the conversation and not blatantly promoting your business, this is a quick and easy way to gain exposure and build relationships with other businesses.
Write guest posts for other blogs.
Again, content producers are always looking for more content. Many bloggers welcome guest authors as long as they have something worthwhile to say. Instead of shamelessly plugging your business, write a post that their readers will be interested in and save the promotion for your byline.
Invite other bloggers to write guest posts for your blog.
They will pass the link on to their readers, giving your blog greater exposure.
Post interviews with fellow online business owners on your blog or website.
Again, they will let their customers know where to find the interview, giving you traffic and publicity.
Become a columnist for a niche blog.
This is a bit different from guest blogging. Instead of being a one-time or even a monthly guest blogger, as a columnist, you’ll be expected to write more often. Be sure you have the time and/or the blogging support to keep this commitment.
Give away something free.
Freebies are great for generating publicity, building your mailing lists and increasing brand awareness. Choose something that won’t cost you a lot of time or money, like a free report or self-care videos. You will spend time (and possibly money) in creating your freebie once; then you’ll be free to give away to everyone who visits your web site.
Give something away in a drawing.
A different take on the freebie-option, host a giveaway on your site or donate something for someone else to give away, it’s sure to attract attention.
Have a contest.
Make them work for the prize! Whether you have an essay contest, a design contest or a name our new class contest, you’ll get people actively involved and generate lots of interest.
Have a sale — and ask for reviews.
The bigger the savings, the more publicity you can expect. Consider using a service like Groupon or LivingSocial. Be prepared to attract more discount-seekers versus loyal clients. Be creative on how to use the publicity to your advantage. Offer the most outstanding customer service. Treat them like royalty. And ask for their honest reviews on Yelp and Google+. Even if they don’t become loyal customers, their reviews will increase your online visibility and credibility.
Exchange promos with other local businesses
Ask other local business owners if they would be interested in offering their customers an exclusive discount from your business if you do the same for them. This will result in good publicity for both parties.
Do a webcast.
Not everyone will make the effort to attend something in person. Offering a webcast for a product demonstration, a question and answer session, or even an interactive workshop makes it easier for people to “test drive” your services. These types of events are sure to generate buzz — especially when no one else in your industry or area is doing it. Be the first and stand out from the pack! Google+ Hangouts is a free tool you can try on your own for webcasting. If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact me for a referral to a service that will webcast your first two hours for free.
Put press releases on your website.
A carefully crafted press release is one of the most basic yet powerful publicity tools. Simply adding press releases to your website will attract traffic, and they could be picked up by media outlets.
Submit press releases directly to media outlets.
This is what business owners did before the internet existed, and it’s still effective. Simply find online publications that might be interested in your release, search for the appropriate contact, and email it to him or her.
Submit press releases to press release distribution sites.
Sites such as PR Web will distribute your release to major news sites and search engines, greatly increasing the chances that it will be picked up.
Donate money to a worthy cause.
Charitable organizations are usually happy to share the news when a business makes a donation. A donation is also a good topic for a press release of your own. Promote the organization on your blog and social media.
Donate goods or services.
A good alternative to a monetary donation is a donation of supplies or services. Write a press release and a blog post about your experience.
Volunteer.
If you’re not in a position to donate money or goods, donate your time instead. Offer to take photos at their event and share it with your online communities.
Create a scholarship.
Scholarships are excellent for generating publicity and goodwill. They don’t have to be expensive – every little bit helps when it comes to paying for college. Have applicants apply on your web site and social media sites.
Make a video.
YouTube is more than just a site for watching funny cat videos. It’s also a powerful promotional tool. A fun or informative video about your business could easily go viral.
Start a podcast.
You don’t have to have a lot to talk about to do a podcast. Some of the best ones are short and sweet. As long as you have something interesting to say, podcasting is a great way to reach internet users who prefer their content in audio form.
Participate in online forums.
Find forums that are relevant to your niche and start posting. You don’t have to actively promote your site, just be interesting and helpful and add a link to your signature.
Start a forum of your own.
Maintaining a forum can help you establish yourself as an expert in your field and attract traffic to your site.
Answer questions.
Sites such as Yahoo Answers provide opportunities for you to share your expertise. Include a link to your site in your user profile, and link to pages on your site in your answers when appropriate.
Use HARO.
Sign up at HelpAReporter.com to receive notice of queries from members of the media who are seeking sources. Respond to relevant queries, and you and your business could be featured in the story.
Pitch a story.
Don’t wait for reporters to come knocking or make a relevant query. You can think up a great story idea that ties into your business and go to them with it instead. If your first media contact is not interested, keep looking until you find one who is.

Gget the word out about your business even if you don’t have a huge advertising budget. Take one hour a day to work on generating publicity, or work with someone who can handle the technical and admin tasks for you, you can keep customers coming in without spending thousands on advertising.

What would you add to the mix? What online strategies worked in attracting clients to your center? I’d love to hear your comments below.

Strategies for LinkedIn Group Success for Business Coaches

Gail Nott — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 02:48:40 +0000

There are almost 1.5 billion LinkedIn groups, so if you’re thinking of starting your own LinkedIn Group, you will have to work strategically to propel your group to the top of its niche.

And that is the first step — pick a niche or target market. The trick is picking a specific niche and still have a large enough audience to make it work the work and attract potential clients for

The next step is to ensure it becomes and stays active, and attracts valuable members by contributing to the group daily.

On a daily basis:

Make posts.
Answer questions.
Ask them.
Create polls.
Share resources.

Other tips that can really boost your group power and attract new members:

Contribute to LinkedIn Answers
Invite top influencers for your group topic/niche
Announce it separately on your other forums and social networks
Build a “content library” for your group to access and use. This can include
- Photos
- Videos
- Infographics
- Webinars
- Blog posts
- Directory articles

Be sure to keep your content relevant to your group’s mandate – don’t let members wander off on tangents. Publish and re-purpose your content, as well as cross-promoting your group, via other social media networking sites.

Other tactics include creating Subgroups of your group. For example, say you had created the location-based “California Business Coaches” group: You could create subgroups to attract members looking to network with their colleagues using names such as “Marketing Coaches”, “Productivity Coaches”, “Sales Coaches” and so on.

One of the most powerful strategies you can use is participating in “LinkedIn Answers” – that will help get your group out there in the LinkedIn-public eye more quickly than any other strategy.

Another tip: Use Quora to publicize your group. Quora functions largely as a question-and-answer site and its big advantage over Yahoo answers lies in the fact that questions tend to be less general and more focused on business topics.

If you have chosen an “open” group, do watch out for spam: It can be a problem. Remove it straight away (another reason for checking your group daily). Your group’s content quality is crucial to its reputation.

As your group grows, you can add co-administrators (LinkedIn calls them “managers”). Don’t forget good old Google Analytics to help with your tracking.
And never, ever try to steal members from other groups. This is the worst mistake you could ever make. (Instead, cross-promote similar groups! Be generous!)

Finally, be sure to track and measure the results your group generates. One of LinkedIn’s biggest advantages is its powerful Metrics, so use them.

LinkedIn Groups offer a powerful way to build your niche and industry reputation, as well as make valuable new connections – and leads.
You’ve taken your first step towards a more focused future. Don’t neglect this powerful resource and opportunity