Whether you’re self-employed or run a small business, it’s easy to get so busy you can’t remember the last time you came up for air. Do this long enough and you can get pretty lost in it…Certainly to the point where you no longer see the forest for the trees. When I was running my last business full bore, it seemed like days would pass without me leaving the house—let alone talking to another human being besides my hubby (Poor guy. He really got an earful when he got home at night.). It didn’t take me long to discover this was unhealthy for both me and my business. Because I never got any fresh ideas for how to run, market or grow my business. I didn’t have anyone to turn to for support or guidance. And I sure didn’t have time to take a break and get some exercise or hang with friends. The thing is, it is really hard to grow a successful business if you’re living and working in a vacuum day after day. You need to get out and see what’s going on in the world. Otherwise you’re likely to be blindsided by changing conditions in the marketplace, economy or industry. Besides, some of the best and most profitable ideas don’t come from reinventing the wheel…They come from taking an idea that works in one industry and incorporating it into your own. The drive-thru window is a perfect example of this. But without fresh ideas and inspiration it’s hard to come up with anything new. So how do you pull yourself out of a small business black hole? Here are 3 simple ways… #1) Subscribe to general magazines or newsletters geared towards entrepreneurs, not just ones that speak to your industry. This gives you a broader knowledge base of what’s working for other businesses and new ideas you can incorporate into your own. #2) Get out of the office and do some networking live and in person. But don’t worry about selling anything. Look for ways to make connections with smart entrepreneurs and people in complementary professions. And go in search of other, savvy small business owners you can create strategic partnerships with, or mastermind with in search of support, answers or accountability. #3) Take thyself to a seminar, workshop or conference. Again, it helps to go to at least some events that aren’t specific to your industry. Otherwise you just end up with idea incest. My favorite seminars are geared towards marketing because they attract a wide range of businesses, yet spend the entire event talking about something every entrepreneur needs be better at. These events cost a bit more, but they’re usually really energizing and are wonderful venues for making powerful connections. I recommend you attend at least one a year—more if you can. Do these 3 things then fasten your seat belts. You’re sure to get a bunch of brand new ideas. And chances are you’ll be inspired to change some aspect of your business for the better! What do you do to take a step back from your business and reconnect with the world? Where do you find ideas and inspiration for improving your business? Please do share by leaving a comment below… [tags] Small Business, Marketing, Networking, Growing, How to, attending seminars conferences [/tags]

Okay, I know we’re pretty much all about up to our eyeballs in email these days. Even with really good filters set up I still get an easy 100 a day that make into my main Inbox (Ack!). So I’ve spent some serious time going through and deleting the newsletter subscriptions that weren’t consistently bringing me valuable information. Below are the ones I get and read religiously because they’re packed with business-building tips, ideas, secrets and wisdom. If you’re serious about growing your small business, and you do all or part of the marketing yourself, check these out… 1) Want the latest on Websites, e-commerce, email marketing, online newsletters and more? Check out the Mequoda Daily at http://daily.mequoda.com. 2) For a little of everything, including, but not limited to: marketing and copywriting tips, real estate and stock market investing tips, inspirational quotes and an always interesting “word of the day” you need to read Early to Rise. 3) The folks at ientry.com oodles of amazing newsletters for small business owners. They’re really cool in that they’re a combo of specific blog posts and news alerts about interesting topics. My two favorites are Small Business Newz and Web Pro Newz. 4) For serious marketing and copywriting wisdom, look no further than copywriting legend Clayton Makepeace’s The Total Package newsletter. His articles are always good, and his guest authors include other well-respected copywriters/marketers like Troy White Michael Masterson (of ETR) and Daniel Levis. 5) So, this isn’t actually one I get and read…It’s the one I write. But hey, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention it and let you know what’s inside each weekly edition, right? Bright Ideas are a mix of practical marketing and sales tips, useful tidbits, killer recommendations and a dash of inspiration. Subscribe here and get a copy of my 17-page report “The 7 Deadliest Small Business Marketing Sins…Are You Guilty?” as my thanks to you! Can you recommend another newsletter you look forward to every day.week or month? Please do share by leaving a comment below… [tags] Free, Small Business Marketing, E-Newsletters, Recommendations, Tips, ideas, secrets, wisdom [/tags]

If you’re a big business with dedicated marketing staff and a budget that matches your size, you can afford to spend quite a bit of time and money on marketing and advertising. But if you are a smaller business, chances are you simply can’t afford to keep running new ads and creating fresh promotions. Instead, you have to find ways to do more with less. Luckily there’s lots of ways you can reduce, reuse and recycle your marketing materials. One of the best options I’ve found for getting maximum bang for your marketing buck—hands down—is writing articles. Whether you write it yourself, or you have someone edit or ghostwrite it for you, a well-written article is the ultimate multi-purpose marketing tool. Articles can promote products or services, drive traffic to your Website, and increase your search engine rankings. They can highlight your knowledge and expertise, and help you become more well-known. You can use articles to stay in touch with your clients, or attract new ones. The list goes on and on… Keep in mind that if you really want articles work for you, each one needs to be informative, well-written and carefully targeted to your audience. Be sure to include your Web address, and ideally a “call to action” directing people do something—sign up for your newsletter, call for more info, or visit your Website. A short bio is often a good idea too. Here are ten different ways you can put one single article to work for you:

1. Even if you aren’t a professional writer, if you have something useful to say—and a clear, readable writing style—you can likely publish an article in a local magazine, journal or newspaper. Just send a query first. Not the complete article.
2. That same article can be published in your own newsletter (If you want to get it in a magazine or newspaper, always send it to them first. Many publications won’t use an article that’s been published anywhere else). Other businesses are often looking for content, so add an offer to let them publish your article in their newsletter as long as they include your bio and contact info and/or offer.
3. Post it to your blog and submit it to online blog carnivals focused on your topic or area of expertise. Then Tweet about it too.
4. Anything you write can also be posted to your Website. The more fresh, relevant content you have on your site, the higher it ranks in the search engines.
5. Submit it to online article databases and social networking sites. This creates incoming links pointing to your Website and gives others the chance to sample your expertise.
6. Give your articles away as leave-behinds at networking events or speaking engagements. It’s a terrific way to encourage people to visit your display table.
7. Mail a copy of your article (especially if it got published in a newspaper or magazine) to your own clients and/or contacts.
8. Build your contact/mailing list by giving your article away for free on your Website in exchange for reader’s names and email addresses.
9. Include an article (or two) with any promotional packets or mailings you send out to potential customers.
10. Expand upon one article, or combine several, to create a book or an e-book to sell or give away.

Can you think of more ideas for marketing your business with articles? If so, I’d love to know. Please leave a comment below… [tags] Articles, Multi-Purpose, Small Business Marketing Tool, Online Networking, Offline database submissions, blog carnival, write, publish, submit, post ebook, e-book [/tags]

Any marketing professional or copywriter worth their salt will tell you the headline is the single most important part of any sales, marketing or advertising piece. In fact, most good copywriters spend far more time on the headline than they do writing everything else. Why? Because the headline is the first thing people see. And because the headline alone is often what makes people decide whether or not to keep reading. In today’s fast-paced, information-overload world, people don’t have time to read a bunch of text unless the think it has information they need. So if the headline holds no interest, you can bet they won’t read on. And, consider this from world-famous copywriter and ad man, David Ogilvy “On the average, five times as many people read the headlines as read the body copy.” Yet most small business owners rarely use headlines in their marketing and advertising. And when they do, they often write them almost as an afterthought. “Welcome to Our Website” is not an effective Webpage headline. How do you write an effective headline? The two main goals of any headline are: 1) Get the attention of your target market 2) Convince them to keep reading So start by asking these questions: Who is my ideal customer? What are the key and/or features and benefits of my product or service? What is the number one reason my customer would want to buy this product or service (What problem are you solving?)? What is your offer? The answers should form a solid basis for your headline. Then, try following these eleven proven tips paraphrased from David Ogilvy, copywriter Bob Bly and me for creating powerful, attention-getting headlines.

1. Putting your headline in quotation marks can increase recall by an average of 28 percent
2. Headlines that offer helpful how-to information attract above-average readership (I call these Reader’s Digest-style headlines)
3. If you’re selling something of interest only to a small group of people, put words in your headline to target them like: “asthma”, “bed-wetters” or “women over 35”.
4. Make sure your headline suggests there is something they want, or want to know, in the rest of the message
5. Whenever possible, avoid headlines that paint a negative picture. Go for the positive instead. People want positive things and changes in their lives.
6. Feature a free offer. This makes it easy for people to say yes to what you are offering.
7. When you have news (a new product or service launch, or a new use for an old product) use words like: “new”, “now”, “at last”, “introducing”, or “announcing”, to get the readers attention
8. Ask an open-ended (not yes or no) question like the famous “Do you make these mistakes in English?” It arouses curiosity and makes people want to know the answer.
9. Warn the reader to delay buying with a headline like “Don’t buy another vacuum cleaner until you’ve read this free report!”
10. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Get a book of proven sales letters or advertisements then choose a headline you like and rewrite it to fit your needs. John Caples famous—and famously successful headline—“They laughed when I sat down at the piano. But when I started to play…” could be rewritten for a cooking school like this: “They laughed when I invited them over for an authentic Vietnamese dinner. But when they tasted the food…”

Once you’ve got a couple potential headlines that seem to pack a punch, test, test, test to see which one works best. Happy headline writing! Have you seen a killer headline lately that grabbed your attention and inspired you to action? Do you have any other headline writing tips, ideas or examples? Please do share by leaving a comment below… Want more copywriting help? Sign up for my FREE 7-day copywriting e-course. [tags] Copywriting, writing headlines, how to, small business marketing, advertising website, sales letter [/tags]

The economy is hitting a lot of small businesses pretty hard right now. But it doesn’t have to hurt you! The key to growing your business in a down economy (or any economy for that matter), is make to sure you’re out there marketing all the time. As long as you’re communicating regularly and effectively with your target market, and making sure they know why they should buy from you (right now!) instead of the other guy, you’ll be fine. If you’ve pulled back on your marketing to save money, or you’re struggling to market your business in a way that actually gets you leads and/or sales…Well, then you’re likely to find your business struggling too. Because I’m dedicated to helping you make 2009 the best year it can be, I’ve got a special gift for you that’s sure to boost your business in these tough times... For a limited time you can get my sassy, savvy guide to marketing your small business in any economy “110 Practical Marketing Ideas for Growing Your Small Business” FOR F*R*E*E right here: http://www.freesmallbusinessmarketingtips.com I normally sell the print version of this helpful guide online for $17. All I’m asking now is that you cover just $2 for the envelope and shipping and the rest is on me. So if you... Are having trouble finding time to market your business regularly... Are not sure what you should be doing to market your business in the recession—especially on a shoestring budget... Want to attract more customers and increase profits this year, without all the costs and confusion... Grab your gift copy of “110 Practical Marketing Ideas for Growing Your Small Business” by clicking this link: http://www.freesmallbusinessmarketingtips.com/ It’s jam-packed with proven, practical marketing ideas for building your business that pack a powerful punch. And it’s written in a down-to-earth style that makes every tip and idea easy to understand and implement. Inside its pages you’ll find:

• 16 Quick & Dirty Marketing Secrets
• 4 Business & Marketing Stats You Should Know
• 23 Easy & Inexpensive Marketing Ideas
• 3 Ways to Get and Use Terrific Testimonials
• 4 Tips for Making Networking Work
• 6 Ideas for Marketing with Business Cards
• 8 Key Tips on Writing that Sells (Copywriting)
• 4 Powerful Tips on Marketing with Articles
• 24 Simple Email Marketing Secrets
• 7 Practical Tips for Getting Website Traffic
• 1 Final Key Tip
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What are you waiting for??? Go here now to get your gift copy mailed to you right away: http://www.freesmallbusinessmarketingtips.com/ You can help me spread the success by paying it forward. My goal is to help entrepreneurs everywhere get through these tough times by putting 4000 of these out into the world. So please do forward this link or page to anyone else who might appreciate the gift of proven, business-building marketing advice. Do you have a short, sassy marketing tips to share that works like gangbusters for you? Do you already own a copy of my handy guide? Please share your thoughts by leaving a comment below… [tags] FREE Recession-Busting, Small Business, Marketing Ideas Guide Tips, attract customers, easy inexpensive networking, email newsletter, business card, Website traffic testimonials [/tags]