Have I got Article Marketing all wrong?

To keep up to date with the best tips and tools to share with my colleagues and clients, I subscribe to lots of newsletters and use Google Alerts to tell me when my favourite bloggers have posted something new.

Now, I only discovered blogs just over a year ago (I know that’s very late!) and really love the wealth of information being shared by these generous people.  I do tend to be a bit of a book and blog worm (is there such a thing as a blog worm?) and read voraciously!

I also enjoy sharing what I’ve learned about growing a small business and write articles for my Ezine ‘Competitive Advantage’ that comes out every two weeks and shorter articles more often for this blog.

But I’ve noticed that I’m doing things a bit differently from most other bloggers.  They use the article in their Ezine, post it on their blog and submit it to several article directories and do all this more or less on the same day.  Because I didn’t realise things were done this way, I felt a bit short changed at first when I had subscribed to both their Ezine and their blog, as I’m getting the same articles twice – now I just unsubscribe to one (usually the newsletter as it cuts down my inbox).

My reasoning for writing different content is that I like my Ezine subscribers to be the first to read new articles – after all they have been good enough to sign up and many have been with me for years.  I don’t submit these articles to other sites for about a month, and often don’t post them on my blog at all.

This does mean quite a bit of extra writing and I’m often tempted to take short cuts.  But I want my loyal subscribers to benefit first and stay with me because I provide plenty of high value content.  Perhaps I shouldn’t be expecting them to sign up to both?

I’d really value your opinion on this.  What do you do and what do you expect?

In case you missed these

I'd like to make it a regular feature on this blog to share websites and other blogs that may be of interest to fellow business owners. It's impossible to find time to read through all the newsletters and alerts out there, I know I've become very selective these days. Time is precious with every minute accounted for! So, without further ado, here are this week's offerings:

MiniCards £9.99
Buy this on MOO.com

Moo.com Some unusual mini cards, postcards, notes, stickers, etc. at reasonable prices for small quantities. The standard designs are good, or you can customise them. I'm thinking of putting something together for a product launch in a couple of weeks.

Caroline Middlebrook has written a very comprehensive guide on using Twitter which is great for beginners and for business owners wanting to use this tool for marketing. Some useful pointers on 'Twitetiquette' - there's a whole new language awaiting you with Twitter! (If you want to 'follow me' I'm at www.twitter.com/LouiseBJ )

Emyr Williams of Bytestart is one of the stalwarts of small business information. The site contains literally hundreds of articles for start-ups and growing businesses alike. There's a newsletter too, that I've been getting for some years, as it provides updates on changes in company law and other regulations.

Say No to 0870 is an excellent resource (I've used it twice this week). If you're like me and don't like paying up to 10p per minute for calls to UK non-geographic numbers, go to this site. Type in the 0870 number and you'll find out if there is a geographic alternative number listed, that is cheaper to dial. You can also contribute by sharing any alternative numbers you know of. This site also covers 0845, 0844, 0871 - as well as 0800 and 0808 numbers that can be costly for mobile users.

I hope this is helpful.

Marketing Messages - Too Time Consuming?

I've just been trying to watch a series of training videos, the content of which is supposed to help me make a lot of money in my business. I got annoyed when they kept stopping and starting and then playing out of order (could that have been due to my frantic clicking?). Anyway, at that point I gave up and starting writing this post!

Only a few months ago, free audio and video downloads on the internet were far less commonplace than they are now. Advances in technology mean that just about anyone with a webcam and internet connection can make and upload videos (audios are even easier). These are an incredibly powerful marketing tool for small businesses – if they’re done right.

The internet marketing 'gurus' teach that you have to give away something that has high value when you want to promote your product or service. I certainly agree with that. Unfortunately there are many people who have a different idea of what constitutes high value.

It’s true that these preview audios and videos are getting longer (at least an hour). But what I’ve noticed is that the value of the content is shrinking and the amount of verbose ‘filler’ is expanding to fill the gap! At this point I should say that there are still some excellent and very generous providers of free information – but unfortunately they are becoming outnumbered by the poor content providers.

The problem is, for those of us looking to get an idea which provider’s program or product to invest in via these previews, we simply don’t have the time to watch or listen to all of them! Even if we wanted to!

Just as we have become increasingly selective in the newsletters we subscribe to, I believe we need to do the same with these latest marketing messages. The marketers who will succeed in attracting our attention are those who take the time and trouble to form a strong relationship with us - which they will only achieve by delivering consistently high value information.

What's your experience? And your opinion? Feel free to post your comments!

Bits and pieces

Sometimes it's hard to know what to blog about. Writing articles and issuing a newsletter can be challenging too. Here's a really useful guide from Alice Seba, an excellent internet marketer whose blog I follow: 24 Ideas for Endless Email Topics. It's completely free!

Today I've been engaged by a new client for business coaching. I just love the variety of my work! Already my mind is buzzing with ways to increase his business. Also, I am able to take a more objective view because, let's face it, we tend to get almost too close to our own businesses and become blinkered as to how to move forward. I'm really looking forward to working with him.

Next week I've been asked to give a short talk about the Dangers and Remedies of Stress so I'm working on some slides (they seem to love Powerpoint!).

Ouch, that hurt!

Last week I did some long overdue housekeeping on my Ezine subscriber list. I deleted all the 'unsubscribe' request records and the hard bounces. I knew that doing this would reduce the total number on my list, but it still hurt to hit the delete button.

On the plus side, it does mean that those people still on the list are definitely in my target market and are interested in receiving newsletters and other notices from me.

It's taken me many years to realise that people unsubscribing doesn't necessarily mean they don't like ME! During my 'housekeeping' I also removed the email addresses of people who I know have moved on to take up new positions. There were also some who work in larger corporations - they're definitely not in my target market!

What would have made it easier for me would have been to send a little note wishing them well in the future - after all, I have met nearly all of them personally, but it doesn't seem very business-like somehow. After all, they have just told me they don't want to hear from me by email anymore!

Every now and then I have a purge of all my newsletter subscriptions, just to not end up with an overflowing Inbox. I know that other people must go through the same exercise (in fact it's something I tell my workshop students to do!).

I'm currently doing a lot of experimenting with Email marketing and will be sharing the results.

Now, I just need to replace those unsubscribers .......

Are you keeping up to date?

Staying up to date with information can be very hard to do.

This morning I was on the motorway driving to meet a new client. It was raining and generally not very pleasant. Fortunately most of my fellow drivers were adjusting their speed to suit the poor conditions. There are several overhead gantry signs along this stretch of the M27. When these first came into service I thought they were a great idea. I believe they still are - sometimes.

Unfortunately, the messages displayed are often out of date. The accident they refer to was cleared an hour ago. The heavy or wide load is long gone. The suggested speed restrictions of 40, 50 or 60 miles an hour are confusing when you can see way ahead that everything is moving freely.

Yesterday, I was invited to attend a workshop about Website optimisation. I know the chap who is delivering it and the information he delivered at his last workshop was out of date. The internet moves so quickly it is difficult to keep up and you simply have to have the latest news to use on your website. I won't be going to this workshop.

I used to think that reading newsletters and blog postings every day was being a bit lazy and self-indulgent (indeed it's easy to spend a lot of time on them if you're not careful). I've now worked out a system to skim everything quickly and keep the really interesting stuff to go back to later. I now know that reading this information is useful, both for me and for my coaching clients. I can pass on the little nuggets I pick up to help them in their businesses. If I didn't spend the time keeping up to date, I wouldn't be able to do this. It's an additional service that my clients appreciate - and it makes me look good!

New Challenges for the New Year

May I wish all readers and all bloggers a very happy 2008!

This week has been incredibly exciting and very busy for me! I've recorded a special introductory audio for the website and launched the Accelerate Business Club, something I've been dreaming about for quite a while. It's a bit nerve-wracking but great fun to see it become reality.

I've also decided that, instead of holding a physical workshop this month, I'm going to run my first Teleclass (all about using Emails to get more sales). Sorting out the logistics has been interesting! I've just announced the date to all my newsletter subscribers - I find that to be a wonderful way of focusing the mind and making sure it happens!

Next week, things should get back to 'normal' in terms of business. Meetings are booked, networking restarts, client work resumes. It's very easy to get caught up again on the busy 'hamster wheel' and forget what the actual plan is! So far I've managed to fill the diary for next week without setting aside the time I need for business development. Not a very good example to set my coaching clients - but I am only human!

So, I'm off to plan out the rest of the month, before that runs away with me too.

Is it really still only Monday?

I'm not sure that Monday is a good day for a networking breakfast. I feel as though I've almost worked a full week already! I promised to report on the quality of the breakfast - it was excellent! In fact, so good that I'm going back next week (I've been asked to substitute by someone else - how could I refuse?). The group is great fun and I'd like to get to know some of the members better.

I'm still working on this month's newsletter! I managed to get side-tracked by some exciting ideas for workshops next year and it was only with great difficulty that I re-focused on the job in hand. Does that ever happen to you?

Another reason I can't believe it's still only Monday is because I did some work over the weekend (a life coaching client and dealing with an email backlog), not always a good idea.
I think I'm starting to ramble, so will post again when I'm wider awake.

Before I forget, there's a great video on Alice Seba's blog - watch it right to the end!
Alice Seba's Internet Marketing Sweetie Blog: Silly Sunday: Marketing Rules

The calm before the storm?

I've been a bit quiet on the networking front this month, until now! I'm booked on 3 events before next Friday (I'll report on the breakfast quality as usual!).

I don't know about you but whenever I work on my website or the social networks or indeed, blogging, suddenly time speeds up to a terrifying rate! A lot of the past week has passed in a bit of blur. I've also been working on the December issue of my newsletter 'Competitive Advantage' (if you're on the list it will be with you in the next couple of days).

As a business coach and entrepreneur, I think it's important to keep moving forward and, if possible, stay one step ahead of my competitors. This year I've worked very hard and spent a lot of money on development training to help both me and my coaching clients. As a result, I've got a few surprises planned for them and newsletter readers next year and am busy getting them finalised I think life's going to be rather exciting in 2008 - and I can't wait!

Tomorrow I'm off to a breakfast meeting (these dark mornings are no fun at all!) and then getting together with a fellow trainer to thrash out what we can collaborate on next year.

When is a Newsletter not a Newsletter?

In the (nearly 10) years since I've been in business, email newsletters or e-zines aimed at small businesses and entrepreneurs have been both a lifeline, and an endless source of information and inspiration to me.

My own newsletters (I used to write three!) have always had the primary intention of sharing knowledge, resources and tips with their readers. Today, 'Competitive Advantage' is aimed at the owners of small business owners and entrepreneurs, many of whom I meet at various networking events.

When working with coaching clients looking to grow their businesses, I encourage them to keep in touch with their clients and prospects via an e-zine. It's a cheap, efficient and easy marketing tool, and can be incredibly effective if used correctly.

Unfortunately many companies confuse the term 'newsletter' and 'promotion'. I get emails that are 100% promotions - for cars, villas or holidays in warmer climates. Not a mention of '10 ways to stay safe if you break down' or 'The 5 questions you must ask before buying your villa abroad', nor even 'How to select the holiday of your dreams'.

You see, I've been spoilt by some excellent newsletters and have based my own on them. I strongly believe that a newsletter imparts information and tips and isn't just a blatant promotion. Of course it's expected that the sender will refer to a product or service - but such promotion should form just a small part of the whole.

What tends to happen is that, after the first or second promotional email, more people will unsubscribe if they're not looking for a new car, villa or holiday at that moment. With an informative newsletter, relevant to their business, this is less likely to happen.

I shall write an article for my own newsletter 'Competitive Advantage' with some suggestions on how to write ezines that get read.

Catching up with the week

This week has been very busy - again (and I'm not complaining!). During the first part I spent a lot of time getting ready with a new workshop which I delivered today. Would you believe it was on Time Management?! I was a bit apprehensive, as I always am with a new workshop (you can never be sure what people are expecting), but it went very well. The feedback forms and testimonials are very encouraging and the whole experience gave me a real buzz as I drove back to the office this afternoon. Delivering the workshop showed me just how much I have learned about time management to share with my clients (following the techniques for myself is an entirely different matter).

Tomorrow I'm coaching again, a small business with some big ideas (very exciting) so I'm looking forward to that meeting.

My newsletter is very late going out (something I must remedy). I'm getting some very strange symbols dotted around and have had to spend ages trying to get rid of them. Must crack that tomorrow.

A busy week so far - TGIF tomorrow!

This week has been busy, both in terms of working with coaching clients and delivering a workshop on Tuesday. I'm also working on a new part of the business that I'm very excited about, but it's having to be squeezed in after hours at the moment. Keep reading for details as they become available!

Next week, I've been asked to deliver another new workshop, and I have to confess that I haven't written it yet! Still, deadlines are wonderful for focusing the mind. At least I shouldn't have the added stress of the printer saga this time.

The beginning of a new month means a new issue of my newsletter 'Competitive Advantage', which is just about ready to go. I had a lovely compliment from a delegate on Tuesday who told the others that my newsletter was 'really good'. Did I pick up some new subscribers? Definitely.

I've also been working with a marketing consultant on a press release over the last few days, which has been quite exciting. It's all signed off now and will be submitted to several local publications over the next few days. I shall be waiting with bated breath to find out if it gets published.

On re-reading this post, it sounds a bit smug and all about me. I'll try to think of something for all you business owners and entrepreneurs for my next post.

A bit more about Goal Setting

As you might imagine, I subscribe to lots of blogs and newsletters. I like to make sure I’m on top of the latest coaching techniques and business ideas, so that I can pass them straight on to my business coaching clients.

Yesterday, I wrote about setting goals for the month. I was reminded in a newsletter of the importance of checking that the goals are truly yours. In other words, are you doing this for yourself (because you really, really want to) or could you be doing them for someone else?

You’ll know what the answer is. If the goal is someone else’s, you will feel a bit uncomfortable. You certainly won’t feel excited by it. If, on the other hand, it’s your goal, you will feel very excited and inspired by it.

Are you excited by your goals?

Networking and Newsletters

I don‘t know where September has gone, but it has certainly whizzed by for me! This week started with 4 breakfast meeting possibilities, of which I attended 2. This morning, I returned to a group I haven’t visited since March, because it’s a bit further afield for an early morning drive. It’s a very friendly group (called Ambassadors) and it was lovely to see everyone again.

I’m busy working on my newsletter which goes out to nearly 400 local business owners (and growing!). My ethos has always been to give lots of useful information and keep self-promotion to an absolute minimum.

This month I’ve got a dilemma because there’s so much new stuff to talk about. E-books for sale on the website, taking payments online, and offering a small number of advertising spaces in the newsletter itself. I hope my readers will forgive me!

What surprises me, amongst the many people I meet at networking events, is how few of them write and issue a newsletter. (If they do, they certainly don’t promote it. A Newsletter is such a valuable marketing tool and I have gained new business coaching clients by keeping in touch and providing useful information. Yes, it does take time to research and write the content each month but it’s definitely worth it.