Google released their latest update to their search engine algorithm a few weeks back on April 24th. Did you notice any changes to your search rankings?

This update, dubbed “Penguin,”  has generated a lot of buzz. And not just amongst SEO professionals and internet pros. Really, any business that has a website (and who doesn’t these days), needs to know what’s going on.

A slap to black hat

Google has definitely been accelerating the rate at which they produce algorithm updates of late. This is all in their quest to bring searchers the best results possible. So with this latest update, they are really cracking down on any websites that employ what are known as black hat SEO tactics.

What are these? Essentially, activities that are scummy and just plain don’t offer any value to searchers. Tactics that are strictly about getting a website up higher in the rankings. Essentially anyone trying to trick Google into giving them the nod.

Such tactics include comment spam on blogs, going way overboard on keywords and links in copy (we’ve all seen sites with content like this where it seems that every other word is a link and a keyword – ugh!), publishing poor quality articles, amongst other questionable activities.

See Google’s quality guidelines  for more insight into what they like, and what they don’t. You can also see the official Google announcement about Penguin here.

Do this and you’ll be fine

It’s hard enough for SEO professionals to keep on top of the changes. What’s a busy small business owner to do?

Just be useful.

That’s all it comes down to. Any tactic that does not provide any value to a visitor (you know, an actual human) should not be used. Does what you’re doing feel natural, or does it feel awkward? Use your heart and some plain and simple common sense to guide you on this one.

Focus on killer content – Google values good quality content above all else. So keep your website copy and your blog posts focused on value. Create content that your target market can benefit from or that helps them out. Write for people, not search bots.

Be reasonable with keywords – Keyword stuffing happens when the content becomes about getting in as many keyword strings as possible and not about providing copy that is easy to read and delivers value. Of course you still can (and should) use keywords in your content, just don’t go overboard.

Mix things up – When using keywords and creating text links, don’t just use the same variation over and over again. Being overaggressive at targeting a specific word or phrase can get you in trouble (not to mention the fact that your content will read poorly – remember humans like flow and interesting copy). This holds true for onsite as well as offsite efforts.

Don’t copy and paste – Duplicate content is a no-no. While copying and pasting content from one page to another might seem like a good way to save some time and perhaps some money (hey, why should I hire a copywriter for this page when I can just copy what I wrote for this article), having the exact same content on different pages will discredit it in the eyes of Google. Be original each and every time.

Link juice – Keep the links coming into your site valuable. Of course directory listings and other links pointing to your site that would help someone that is genuinely interested in your product or service are fine. Hundreds of incoming links from poor quality sites aren’t going to help you much. And all those emails you get about buying or exchanging links from really weird random domains that have nothing to do with your industry? Steer clear. Would a visitor on exercisemachines.org find value in a link to your kittencare.com site? Remember, value.

Did you get hit?

While the Penguin update is about cracking down on unethical SEO practices, there has been a general uproar from business owners, bloggers and webmasters who have been caught by the update, even though they’re playing it straight. Try as Google might, their updates always do suffer from glitches and the occasional sucker punch to the wrong guy. Things should settle down as the update gets tweaked and improved.

If you feel that your website or blog was unfairly targeted, you can submit a complaint to Google here. And depending on the seriousness of your situation, you may need to bring in an SEO pro to assess your situation and ensure that everything is as it should be.

But all in all, the update is a good thing. It should hopefully help clean up the internet (and maybe even reduce the amount of comment spam we get, wouldn’t that be nice )

Have you noticed a change in your search rankings? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!

Comments, likes and tweets are always appreciated! Did I mention that I LOVE your feedback?

Image source: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Chances are, you’ve heard of Pinterest, right? Well, it has been absolutely everywhere, praises being lauded left, right and centre.

Haven’t heard of it? It’s the latest social media channel to really take off. It essentially involves users pinning images, graphics, videos and online content to boards around specific topics. It’s a beautiful, highly creative platform that lets you organize online content and images in a new way. It’s really fun to check out the unique ways that people are categorizing their pins. From what I’ve heard, it’s highly addictive!!

What’s so great about Pinterest?

Pinterest has been getting a ton of press and exposure – many businesses have seen some great benefits from using this social media platform. Here are some of the main benefits of Pinterest:

• it already has millions of users and daily visits and is growing super fast.
• it has become a major traffic driver. Pinterest got a lot of press back in January when stats published revealed that it drives greater traffic to websites than LinkedIn, G+, Reddit and YouTube combined. (See stats from Shareaholic )
• people spent a lot of time on the site. It’s very easy to go down a rabbit hole of beautiful images and cute graphics. Even just poking around a little had me fully drawn in and ready to get myself all signed up

So why am I not on it?

For those of you that have been with me for a while, you know that I never recommend to just jump on any ol’ bandwagon no matter what others are saying about it. Whatever marketing strategy you choose for your small business, it has to work with your goals and just plain be feasible. Better to hone in and do social media well on a small handful of channels (or heck, only one) than settle for half-assed execution across a myriad of platforms.

And this is exactly why I’m not on it. I already feel like I am not doing Google+ justice, so throwing another social media channel into the mix just doesn’t work for me right now. My biz has been hopping busy and I simply don’t have the time to take on another social presence and do it well.

That plus the fact that I am not a super visual person. The thought of pinning cool pictures doesn’t really appeal to me. I totally get how other people love it, but it just doesn’t really jive with the type of person that I am. And while there certainly is an aspect of visual and creative to what I do, it certainly isn’t the main focus. So I just feel that it isn’t the right place for my biz to be at this time. There are other social channels that make way more sense for me. So I’m focusing on those. That isn’t to say I’ll never use Pinterest, just not right now.

Never feel like you have to do something just because everyone else is or so and so guru says you should be.

What kind of small business is Pinterest for?

Regardless of whether I’m on Pinterest or not, it all comes down to deciding whether this is the right social channel for YOUR small business. If any of the below apply to you, go for it!

• Any sort of a small business that revolves around visuals is a perfect fit for this platform. Jewellers. Fashionistas. Artists. Designers. Bakers. Event Planners. Landscapers. Any sort of visually appealing product or visually creative service business can shine on Pinterest.

• Your target market is women (only about 20% of Pinterest users are guys), especially in the 25-44 age range. Check out these and other demographic goodies about Pinterest over at Ignite Social Media.

• Content marketing is a part of your strategy. While it may seem that Pinterest is only about photos and images, you can definitely use boards to organize resources and share blog posts and other online content. The image used in the resource will be highlighted.

• You absolutely love visuals. Even if your business isn’t really visual, as long as you love this kind of thing and it sounds like a whole load of fun to you, go for it. All kinds of businesses that aren’t even remotely visually focused are using Pinterest. Remember, being on Pinterest isn’t all about business – there is a huge personal dimension to it. It’s about pinning things that you love, not promoting your business at every turn, or pin.

• You have the time or the internal resources (aka an assistant or staff member) to take this new channel on. If so, it’s definitely worth a bit of experimentation. It’s a new way to reach new people, share more of your personality & values to make stronger personal connections, network, get inspired, do market research etc…

Additional Pinterest resources

As with any social media channel, there is etiquette for using Pinterest. This post by Copyblogger covers the ins and outs of making the most of this social network: 56 Ways to Market Your Business on Pinterest

Statistics. Examples. How-to tips. Oh my! SocialMouths has a killer post with everything you need to know about Pinterest.

The biggest question surrounding Pinterest is copyright issues. After all, we all know how careful we must be with the images we use on our blogs and other online properties.  buildalittlebiz gets into the nitty gritty of those copyright issues: pinterest & copyright

Comments, likes and tweets are always appreciated! Did I mention that I LOVE your feedback?

Image source: lobster20 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Let’s face it, no matter how absolutely rockin’ your biz is, nothing is perfect all the time.   Social media has opened up new doors for how customers complain.  What was once a phone call or a letter has turned into a Facebook post or a tweet.

The scary thing about this for business owners is that everyone can see it! This is probably the biggest fear that small businesses have about getting on social media in the first place. But avoiding social media doesn’t mean that you will reduce your exposure to bad feedback – the word will spread online whether you are there to deal with it or not. So don’t hide!

The key (as it is for all things in life) is to turn a negative into a positive.   Here are some tips to help your business take a complaint on social media and turn it into a chance to shine.

Respond quickly; Don’t delete!

Nip it in the bud before it spreads.  As a busy small business owner, you may not have time to deal with everything the minute it comes up, so just a quick “I’ll look into it” will do the trick.  Customers complaining by social media expect a quicker response than the “old-fashioned” phone call or post letter.  Leaving a complaint post with  no response gives an “I don’t care” impression and is a big invite for venting from other customers who might want to get something off their chest . When you do get the chance to respond, keep it short and sweet; customers can get overwhelmed or further irritated by a long, rambling response.

Also, deleting the post is not the answer.  It looks much better as a business owner to have an interactive conversation happening, than complaints simply being erased! There is no better way to burn a bridge than to delete a comment. And you just may spawn another slew of complaints about your deletion. Denial is never a good road to be on.

Don’t take it personally

Be proactive, not reactive.  It is not about you as a person;  it is about your business or product.  Negative feedback will help you grow (even if it is hard to hear).  A customer who has written you has taken the time to invest in the success of your biz.  Don’t be afraid to own up to your mistakes.   Address the issue and then try to reward or accommodate the customer as best you can.

You just may be surprised what calm, caring and effective action to a complaint can result in. I worked in customer service for years and would get all kinds of irate people in my face. But it never ceased to amazed me how a few kind words and genuine concern for their issue would be enough to stop the tirade in its tracks. I even had one complaint result in a customer that was so impressed with how we dealt with the issue that he vowed to continue buying ONLY our product.

Remember, most of us have been pre-conditioned by large corporations into thinking that we have to be very aggressive to get what we want from a customer service team that in most cases couldn’t care less about the issue. As small business owners, complaints are a great opportunity to offer a personalized service that a huge company simply could not.

Contact the customer privately

If it is a complaint that can’t be dealt with concisely on social media, or you want to give an extra personal touch (recommended!), contact the customer directly by private message or a phone call.  This gives the customer the feeling that you really care and have made the extra effort to contact them.

Also, if you wish to reward the customer with a discount or something complimentary to resolve the issue, you may want to keep this off the public social site.  While I hate to bring this up as I truly believe in the greater good of all people, you may encounter a problem if you are publicly rewarding customers who complain.  It may give others the impression of “rewarding complaining behavior” and create untrue complaints. On the flip side however, demonstrating that you have taken concrete action can also put your business in a positive light – perhaps just leave the specific details of the compensation out of it. Follow your heart on this one and do what feels right.

Show gratitude and follow-up

Nothing ends a social media complaint more nicely than showing gratitude for feedback. A simple “thank you” goes a long way.  It’s also great if you can show other customers how you have adapted or received the advice. If some measure or steps were taken, post this in response to the social media complaint.  Other visitors that come across the complaint will take notice.

Have you ever observed how people often talk about problems and issues they have with businesses? A negative experience is much more likely to be shared than a positive one. And with social media, people can complain instantly and share their gripes for the world to see. However, if you can find a way to resolve the situation, this is what will (hopefully) stick out in people’s minds. See a problem or complaint on social media as a perfect opportunity to turn a negative into a positive, and show how you you care enough about your biz and your customers to rock it!

Additional resource - some of my thoughts (going beyond social media) on good customer service for small businesses.

+ a little bit of fun – Ever worry that you aren’t doing a good enough job dealing with customer complaints? This true story courtesy of Scott Stratten is so wacky as to be almost unbelievable – check it out. As long as you have a modicum of common sense and decency, you should be just fine

On to you – what have your experiences with complaints on social media been? Any other tips to share? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Comments, likes and tweets are always appreciated! Did I mention that I LOVE your feedback?

Image source: Idea go / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Siesta Key Beach

Just returned from a wonderful holiday down in Sarasota, Florida. I actually went for a wellness workshop – meditation, developing personal power, gratitude, love and all that other good stuff. Absolutely nothing to do with business. Or marketing.

As small business owners, we can tend to get rather over invested in our businesses, can’t we? Where every little thing becomes about the biz. We’ve already talked about how that mind frame can cause problems, forcing us to keep our nose to the grindstone, even in those situations where it’s time for a break  .

The same translates to where we decide to funnel our earnings. Ever feel guilty about spending money on something strictly for yourself, thinking that it may have been better spent on something business related such as hiring a marketing consultant or picking up some much needed business training?

It’s important not to abandon your personal development in favour of business development. The quality of your life on a personal level directly feeds into the quality of your business. Keep on learning and growing, and remember that YOU are just as MORE important than your business. Love yourself first. All other good things will flow from there.

The key takeaways from my workshop?

Bring beauty in to the now, no matter what the present moment may hold + integrity in thought and action.

I am now focusing on bringing these qualities into every aspect of my life, whether I’m running errands or running my biz.

Do you struggle with finding balance between your personal life and your business? How does your personal life affect your small business? Would love to hear about your experiences in the comments!

Comments, likes and tweets are always appreciated! Did I mention that I LOVE your feedback?

Well, we are just a couple of days away from the official roll-out of the new Facebook design. The biggest change by far is how pages will look and this all revolves around the piece de resistance – the Facebook cover photo.

If you’re feeling really overwhelmed at the idea of a cover photo, don’t sweat it. The easiest option is simply to put up an image. An image is worth a thousand words and for many small businesses is a perfectly acceptable (and lovely!) option.

Don’t be afraid to give yourself the time to think it through a bit more. Notice what other pages are doing and brainstorm ideas.  No sense in getting a designer involved, or putting in the work yourself, until you’re sure what you want up there. Check out this post for some great ideas for how you can use the cover image to your best advantage. And remember, Facebook has some very specific rules for what can go in a cover photo!

The world is not going to end if you don’t get a killer cover photo up right away. I myself really haven’t had the time to think it through yet, so I’ve just grabbed an image off my homepage for now.

On to the inspiration! Get those creative juices flowing and check out what other small business owners are doing on their Facebook pages.

As you’ll see, the cover photo doesn’t have to be complicated to look fantastic!

Trash N2 Tees

Banjara Imports

Superior Business Management Solutions

Indigo Star Jewellery

Dig Yardscapes

Stafford Street Hot Yoga

Olga Ottens Creative Woman

Be Irresistible Online

Shine

Simplicity – Simple Small Business Solutions

Changemakers Toolbox

If you’re like me – lack artistic abilities and shudder whenever you hear the word Photoshop – let someone else step in to help. My friend Karen Gunton is offering Facebook cover photo designs for $30 – a steal! Click here to get all the details.

How have you dealt with this whole Facebook cover photo image? Leave a link to your Facebook page in the comments so we can check out what you’ve done.

Comments, likes and tweets are always appreciated! Did I mention that I LOVE your feedback?

Image source: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It happens to the best of us. You come down with a killer flu. You had a big fight with your partner. You got a scathing complaint from a customer. You woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Whatever is going on, the bottom line is that you’re having a crap day.

So should you just buzz along, business as usual? Definitely not. The important first step is recognizing that you’re not in the best head space and completely accepting that. Then it’s time to make the best of it.

Here are some of my favourite coping strategies for when the ick comes on…

Take the day off

Clearly, when you’re ill, this is a must if at all possible. Pushing yourself won’t help you get better. R&R is what’s needed.

Even if you’re physically capable of humming along, if you’re in a really negative mental space, a day off might be just what you need to recharge. As your own boss, give yourself permission to take a mental health day.

Take a break and do something for yourself

Sometimes it’s simply not possible to take the whole day off. In this case, try to squeeze in some time for something that you find enjoyable, that relaxes you, that energizes you.

Take a walk in nature. Have a bath. Meditate. Do yoga. Read a good book. Meet a friend for coffee. Dance to your favourite song. Whatever makes you feel good, take the time to do it. It doesn’t need to be something super long and involved. Even just repeating a positive mantra can do the trick sometimes.

I know that for me personally, if I’ve woken up on the wrong side of the bed, starting the day off with a jaunt in the forest is often to get me going again. Trees give me a power and a peace that’s hard to put into words. That’s what works for me. Find what works for you.

When you’re upset for whatever reason, you’re not thinking clearly. Taking a step back will help you to gain perspective on the situation and get a rein on your mind. Some days you will need to take the time to clear whatever is going on so that you can take effective action. Not reactive action that is based on your ego’s lashing out.

It’s challenging not to take things personally and not let our emotions start whirling and swirling. It takes mindful practice and commitment to get a grip on your mind. It won’t happen overnight, and it will come easier some days than others.

Refreshing your inbox a hundred times an hour to see if you got that response you’re waiting for is unhealthy. Sometimes the only way around it is to step away.

Take action, sort of

If something really has you upset and your mind is going a million miles a minute, you might not be able to enjoy taking a break.

But rather than take any sort of rash action, take action and then let it sit a bit. Write that email response, but don’t press send. Formulate a plan, and leave a little space before you get executing. After a break, you can look at things with fresh eyes and make adjustments from a clearer place.

Get it out

Sometimes the best remedy is just getting it all out. Whether you write how you’re feeling in a journal, or you call a friend or a mentor, or you just talk out loud to yourself.

Don’t let things stew with a big heavy lid on top – they will bubble over. Release that steam.

Get out how you’re feeling, take a deep breath, and let it go as best as you can. Sometimes this is all you need to gain a little perspective.

Ditch your to-do list

Give yourself permission to throw out or rejig that to-do list.

Do you have something very involved on your list? Major decisions to make? A task to tackle that you find challenging? Well, delay if at all possible. You’re not in the right head space to be making good decisions.

Do what you absolutely must. If what has you in a tizzy is a customer complaint, you HAVE TO respond asap, however use some of the tactics above to create some space (even just 10 minutes) so that your response comes from the best possible place and isn’t tainted by emotions such as anger, fear or defensiveness, which tend to crop up right away when difficult situations arise.

Otherwise, retweak your to-do list to include things that you like doing in your biz or things that come so easily you could do them in your sleep. Or just get the very minimum done, and then get started on that personal day.

Whether you’re just plain sick, dealing with some stuff in your personal life, or facing some challenges in your small business, having days when you’re just not on the ball is a part of life. And it’s perfectly OK. The key is how you deal with those days.

How do you deal with the bad days? Would love to hear your coping strategies in the comments!

Comments, likes and tweets are always appreciated! Did I mention that I LOVE your feedback?

Image source: vorakorn kanokpipat / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Before we get into this post, some qualifying questions to make sure this is the right post for you…

Do you have a blog for your small business? (If no, he’s a great resource to answer the question of should I blog?)

If yes, do you send out an email newsletter?

If you blog, and you’re NOT doing email marketing yet, then this is the post for you!

(For the rest of you, I’ll catch ya in the next post And if you need some inspiration for what to write about in your email newsletters, have a read over here).

Starting an email newsletter strategy is a pretty daunting undertaking. You have to be committed. You have to devote the time to creating the content, designing a template, setting up an autoresponder, managing your subscribers etc… Perhaps you’re not quite ready for this step yet? (And if you’re thinking, well I’ll just set up my email capture form now, and then think about sending e-newsletters when I’m ready, I’m going to stop you in your tracks and send you here!)

Just because you’re not ready for a full-on email newsletter doesn’t mean that you can’t start building your email database yet. You can start today… for free! And without any extra legwork on your part once everything is set up.

How to use Google FeedBurner for free email marketing

Google FeedBurner will automatically email your latest blog post to anyone that signs up for email updates.  Subscribers will receive content in their inbox, just like an e-newsletter.  Simple as pie.

How to get set up within FeedBurner:

1. Go to feedburner.google.com and login in with your Google account.
2. Type in your blog’s feed address – your blog URL + /feed (eg. myblog.com/feed).  Click “next” and follow the prompts to get things set up.
3. Navigate to the “Publicize” tab and select “Email Subscription”.
4. Click to “Activate” the service.
5. Go through the options available to customize things to your liking (design, delivery options, and other bits and bobs).

• To add FeedBurner Email to your WordPress blog click here. Feedburner itself can’t create an email signup form for WordPress (just a text link to sign up for email updates) but of course, there’s a plugin for that. Get it here.
• To add FeedBurner Email to your TypePad or Blogger blog click here.

The emails look just like an e-newsletter sent personally from the publisher (aka you!).  There’s only a light “delivered by FeedBurner” note at the footer.  Subscription management makes it very easy to view/sort/delete emails, and you can even opt to get an email notification when someone unsubscribes.  You can personalize your email branding by customizing subject lines and adding custom logos, and you can choose your delivery options for when emails will be delivered. Poke around – there’s lots to play with!

Aweber (affiliate link), my favourite email marketing system, does allow you to do the same thing, but it’s a paid service. If you’re in the boat of I will do email marketing at some point, but I’m not ready yet, I find Feedburner a great first step. When you’re set to go, you can move your email signups into the email system of your choice.

If you blog, it absolutely makes sense to start capturing those email addresses. There ain’t nothing more valuable than an email database. Even if you only get a couple of subscriptions trickling through, you’re already ahead of where you started.

Google FeedBurner will make getting your new content out to your subscribers effortless! And isn’t that what all us small business owners dream about

Comments, likes and tweets are always appreciated! Did I mention that I LOVE your feedback?

Image source: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It feels like just yesterday I was posting about a new Facebook design  (actually it was pretty much exactly one year ago).

Well, they’ve gone and done it again. 

Your small business needs to revisit its page and make some important changes before the new Facebook design officially goes live at the end of March.

Not sure if you’ve seen the new look yet, but it’s VERY different visually. My first thought was that it looked messy, but it’s already growing on me. It will just take some getting used to I’m sure.

What about all that work you put into creating a banner and getting your photo strip just right? I’m sorry my darlings – you can chuck all of that in the trash.

But let’s make the most of it, shall we? With the changes come new opportunities.

There are plenty of fantastic online resources to help you get the nuts and bolts of the new Facebook design (scroll down to the bottom of the post to access these). In this post, I want to get into what this all means for your small business marketing on Facebook.

Let’s look at some of the changes that will have the most impact on your small biz…

Cover photo

The biggest and most noticeable change with the new design – a large (850px wide x 315px high) image that takes up a major chunk of real estate at the top of your profile page. Before you get all excited about what you’re going to promote there, hang on.

There are a bunch of very specific Facebook rules around what kind of content can go here. Absolutely NO promotional information allowed here – no calls to action, no contact information, price or purchase information, no references to social action (eg. “Like” or “Share”). Website URLS. Nope. Discounts or promotions. No way. (Check out these guidelines from Facebook).

So it’s time to get creative with this cover area to maximize its impact for your small business branding. Looking for inspiration? These 2 posts both compile links to examples for the new Facebook page design:

• 20 Facebook Page Cover Photos to Inspire Your Brand (what the big boys are doing)
• Small Business Facebook Cover Photos (what the little guys are doing)

No more landing page

This for me is most impactful change in terms of Facebook marketing strategy. You are no longer able to choose a tab as a landing page for new visitors. No more encouraging people to join your page, introducing yourself or offering a special gift in return for getting the like. At least not when people first land on your page. You can still have all that information in your tabs – but it’s now a matter of attracting attention to it.

Powerful tabs

The tab section has also changed dramatically. Tabs have become icons at the top of your page, and far less of them automatically show up. Now only 5 show up automatically – for the rest you’ll have to click to expand the menu.

What this means for your marketing strategy is that you will have to think about which 3 tabs you want at the top (About and Photos are non-negotiable). What tabs contain the most pertinent information for your page likers? Rearrange your tabs so that your best information is right at the top.

You will also have to think about the look of the tabs. Since they are now images (111 px wide x 74px height), you can draw attention to your tabs with nice visuals –upload a custom image for any tab you want.

You can change your page name!

This is an exciting opportunity with the new Facebook design. Previously, there was no way to change your page name once it was set. This was particularly problematic for small businesses that underwent some brand changes. Now’s your chance to set your page name to what you really want it to be.

If you want to change your name, just use this form to make the request to Facebook.

Drawing attention to a post

This is one new feature that I’m really excited about. You are now able to pin a specific post (“pin to top”), which will keep it at the very top of your Facebook page for the next 7 days. Perfect for special promotions, events or anything else going on with your biz that you want maximum exposure for.

You can also highlight a post which will keep it where it is in the stream, but make it bigger.

Additional Facebook redesign resources:

The new Facebook design is definitely the hottest topic right now in social media marketing. If you’re looking for specific details as to all the changes with the Facebook page design, these posts are a great place to start:

1. Facebook’s official training for the new design
2. An introduction to the new Facebook timelines for pages from Webonize
3. The New Facebook Page: All The Juicy Details from SocialMouths
4. The Complete Guide to Setting Up the New Facebook Page Design from Hubspot

Would love to hear your thoughts about the new Facebook design. And if you’ve jazzed up your Facebook page, leave a link in the comments so we can check you out. I’m planning to do up a post in the near future with some cover photo inspiration from other small businesses – if you leave a link to your page below, I’ll be happy to include your small biz in the post!

Comments, likes and tweets are always appreciated! Did I mention that I LOVE your feedback?

If you’ve ever spent any time trying to connect with reporters and get some free pr for your small business, you know what a time consuming, and often frustrating experience it can be. Reporters are extremely busy people who get flooded with pitches – getting a response to your pitch is challenging. In most cases, your pitch doesn’t even get read in the first place.

But reporters do need sources.

Ever read a newspaper article on the topic of your business and wondered how the heck “fill-in-the-blank company” get featured? *Sigh* “Must be friends with the reporter or have some big PR/Marketing budget. If only I had that,” you might have thought.

Ever wish there was a way that you could find and connect with reporters that are actually actively looking to cover a topic or story related to your small business in some way, without having to shell out the big bucks for a pr consultant?

Enter HARO (stands for Help a Reporter Out) – a free online platform that collects information requests from reporters and makes the inquiries available to the general public.

It’s the largest free source repository in the world with over 1,200 queries a week. What is a query? It’s a question from a journalist, reporter, blogger, etc. looking for sources for their next article or piece. They could be looking to talk to anyone from a cheese expert to someone affected by the volatile real estate market…and everything in between! HARO has close to 30,000 journalists actively looking for leads.

The way it works is that you receive 3 emails a day with queries from journalists/major newspapers/tv news right down to small business blogs/authors. There is an email header summarizing the information requested. Take a quick 10 seconds to scan if it has anything to do with you. If yes, send a quick email to the address listed about why you’re an expert on the query and provide your contact info.

Tips for responding to HARO requests

• Keep your responses simple. A few paragraphs should be plenty to get your message across – think short and sweet. Provide the contact details they need to find out more if they are interested. Reporters are super busy people. If you write an essay as your response, they are most likely not going to take the time to read it. Don’t add to their workload. And hey, don’t all us small biz owners agree that time is precious, so it’s great to be able to just drop a quick line and see if you get a bite!
• Keep your responses straightforward. While it’s important to keep things simple, you do have to make it very clear why they should use you as a source. How are you particularly qualified to answer their specific query?
• Don’t contact reporters about anything else but what they’re asking about. Anything else will be considered SPAM and ignored.
• Respond quickly. Reporters work on really tight deadlines and have to turn around articles super fast. The faster you can respond, the greater chance you’ll have of actually getting a response.

To sign up, head to www.helpareporter.com and click the “Become a Source” button. Simply enter in your contact information and you’re all set. This free subscription will send you media opportunities 3 times a day (and you can unsubscribe at any time).

Update and add to your account details

In your account details, you can set your location, as well as select specific industries you want to be notified about. There aren’t too many options available at the moment, however the folks at Haro are working to expand the list. If your industries are travel, business or lifestyle and fitness related, then make sure to select the option to get a special email with only queries related to those specific topics.

Local businesses and HARO

If your small business strictly serves its local market, ie. you don’t sell to anyone outside of your local area, then HARO is not an ideal tool for you. It would extend your reach far too broadly. In this case it’s better to target your local publications directly, and look to get in touch with the reporter that would be the most likely to cover your industry.

Expectations

It’s important to realize that you aren’t going to be getting a ton of responses. Getting a response at all is a great, alebeit rare, thing. However, there are definitely opportunities to be had, so taking a sec to scan the emails when you have the time can prove to be worth it. Or pass the task on to an assistant.

Another free pr option

If this free tool really has you excited, you can also check out another similar option – Reporter Connection.  It operates pretty much the same way as HARO, but is just a little smaller.

HARO  is a great way for your small business to get further exposure, potentially connecting you with reporters/bloggers/news resources. You just might get the chance to tell your story, get your brand out there, and market your products or services!

 ”Be excellent to each other. Try to help some people out to try to make this world a better place.” – Peter Shankman, HARO founder

Have you ever used HARO? What were your experiences? What are some of your other tricks for getting noticed in the media? Let’s hear it in the comments!

Comments, likes and tweets are always appreciated! Did I mention that I LOVE your feedback?

Image source:  renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Marketing and copywriting go hand in hand. You need to write copy for your website, your social media profiles, your sales materials.

Not only that, but it needs to be done well. Copywriting is an extremely important communications tool that directly affect how people perceive and feel about your small business.

It can be a daunting task – use these 9 tips to make things a little easier on your small business…

1. If you suck at or severely dislike writing, don’t. Hire a copywriter. An important productivity (and happiness) rule is to do and focus on what you love and what you are good at. Outsource the rest.
2. Write a draft and then hire a copywriter. You can cut copywriting costs by providing a draft – it turns the project into a polishing/editing endeavour, vs content creation from scratch. This is especially important if your spelling/grammar are poor and/or you need help with readability and flow.
3. Don’t be stuffy and boring. Write in a conversational way. Many businesses make the mistake of being too professional sounding in their copy, trying to communicate credibility. It only just frustrates readers, especially if there is any industry jargon involved. Make your copy readable by writing like you talk.
4. Talk to your audience. Use their language. Create a connection through the words and tone you use. If you’re hiring a copywriter, give them a list of adjectives that would describe your target audience.
5. Break it up. Bullets. Headings. Bolding. This helps to make your copy easy to scan and digest.
6. Use a thesaurus. Avoid repeating words. It breaks up the flow of your copy and is not very interesting to read. If you’re stuck, a thesaurus can be a really big help!
7. Write a no-holds barred first draft. I personally like by starting with a copy free flow session. I just let all my ideas flow out and I get them ALL down. Afterwards I’ll pick through and find the gems.
8. Don’t go to print (or publish) until you’ve had a proof read. Your brain sometimes sees not what is written but the message that you have in your head. Especially when you’ve been working with a piece of copy for quite some time. You simply won’t see the mistakes. Getting someone else, whether a pro or one of your staff, to give the copy a  reread is very important.
9. Have fun! Don’t take language too seriously. Think of it as a creative art. Use your imagination. Don’t be afraid to change things up.

Do you have any other copywriting tips to share? Would love to hear them in the comments!

Comments, likes and tweets are always appreciated! Did I mention that I LOVE your feedback?

Image source: healingdream / FreeDigitalPhotos.net