If you’ve got a blog, be sure to add the Twitter feed widget. And connect your blog to as many of social networks as possible. Look for a link to add in your blog RSS feed info.

The more you can connect different sites together into one, seamless communications stream the easier and more effective using social media to market your business becomes.

Know of more helpful software or sites for managing your social networking? Please do let me know!

What I’ve learned is that it’s not about how hard they work…It’s about how smartly they work.

There was a time when I was new to running my own business and “working smarter” seemed so pie-in-the-sky. It was something other people somehow pulled off. I wasn’t even convinced it was real. I didn’t have time to stop and think about better managing my time because I was working too hard!

Somehow, it was clear that other entrepreneurs were better at doing things that truly created more efficiency for themselves—in how they completed tasks, achieved goals, arranged their day, got found by potential clients, and so on. So I’ve spent the past eight years learning how to make this happen for myself and my clients.

The thing is, it’s clear working smarter doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Most small business owners have to, well, work at it a bit. But it’s worth the extra effort up front to get more done with less effort later.

Wanna be one of those folks who works smarter instead of harder? Here are some simple tips for you to get started…

• For starters, let’s take multi-tasking. Believe it or not, studies now show that multi-tasking doesn’t increase productivity or speed up the completion time for each task. (Just type ‘Juggling Too Many Tasks Could Make You Stupid’ into a search engine for a great Wall Street Journal article by author Sue Shellenbarger. Or go here: http://208.144.115.170/columnists/workfamily/20030228-workfamily.html)Americans are a distracted bunch, and we have so many more ways now that things compete for our attention. You know the drill—the phone, email, Facebook. You may have a huge sense of busy-ness, but don’t mistake it for true productivity. Basically it ultimately creates a kind of stress response and messes with your memory so you get less accomplished and everything takes more time.

  Stop doing it and work on just one task at a time until it’s done.

• Create more hours in a day by staying focused. Be committed to setting aside time for doing work with your phone and email turned off, and your office door closed.Few things come in via email or voice mail (remember that handy tool?) that must be handled right now. A few hours or a day later is typically just fine. So actually schedule time in your day to focus on a project, or time in your week or month to sit in a quiet space and do some planning.

• Stop reinventing the wheel! While for most people the idea of sitting down and creating process docs for the different tasks you do seems like about as much fun as a trip to the orthodontist, it needs to be done—even if you’re a solopreneur.Otherwise you end up wasting time figuring out how to do the same thing each time and your efforts lack consistency. Plus, when you are ready to hire an employee or outsource tasks, those process docs are worth more than their weight in gold.
• Get it off your plate! This is one of my favorite solutions for getting more done with less effort…If you’re really strapped for time, or you have tasks you just can’t stomach doing or are bad at, hire a Virtual Assistant (VA).They can do everything from answering email to setting up social networking profiles to building blogs, creating newsletters, sending holiday cards, and more. Some even specialize in online marketing. I hired my first VA 4 years ago and it’s been the best thing I’ve ever done for my business.
• Turn it down! Not the volume—rather, be more choosy about work that you take on. Juggling as many projects as you can doesn’t inherently mean more success for your small business.Especially in the beginning, it’s easy to take on any and every client or job that comes your way because you need the cash. But it might well end up being just more tiring to take on more work rather than adding significantly to your bottom line. Plus, you want to make sure your more lucrative projects/clients don’t suffer from your diluted attention and efforts.
• Make it happen, even on a budget. If you know you need to put more energy into marketing but you keep putting it because of funds there are some very inexpensive low-hanging fruit to go for.Try putting out press releases online, using social networking sites and doing email marketing. And when is the last time you spruced up your personal bio? Or committed to attending live networking meetings? If you have stuff to say that potential clients might want to hear—have you thought about blogging? You can create a blog for free on WordPress!

If you need more info on these marketing ideas, or other ways to manage your time and grow your business more easily, I’ve got another terrific resource for you…

While today is the last day of my f*r*e*e* Small Business Success Telesummit 2010, you can still join in for the final four experts. And you can also grab a copy of the audios and/or transcripts so you can listen in on all 12 hour long calls.

Five of the presentations cover information exclusively devoted to helping you run your business more efficiently and drive up your productivity. The other seven are devoted to things you could be doing to spread the word about your business, products or services and help more potential customers find out about what you have to offer.

Here’s a list of all the speakers that joined me for the three-day event:

Social media expert Nancy Marmolejo, PR experts Shannon Cherry, Diane Ennen and Nancy Juetten “The Bio Whisperer”, Time Liberator Susan Lannis, The Tips Booklet Queen Paulette Ensign, Savvy Networker Zita Gustin, Results Coach Leanne Hoagland-Smith, Founder of the HUBstreet social networking site Nancy Fox, New Business Mentor Leah Grant, Internet Marketing Strategist Erin Blaskie, and Practical Marketing Expert Stacy Karacostas. Plus, everyone receives a bonus ebook packed with helpful articles from these experts.

With the help of these amazing experts, you can get the info you need to transform your business without traveling anywhere!

Phone lines for the calls are limited, so get all the deets and nab your spot right away by going here:

http://www.smallbusinesssuccesstelesummit.com/

If you’ve already missed the live event (the last call ends at 2:30 PST Thursday, January 21st), you can get your very own copies of the recorded audios and/or transcripts right here. Or, if you register on the live events page listed above, you’ll be taken to a page with all the purchasing options.

http://www.smallbusinesssuccesstelesummit.com/sales.html#up

Do you have other tips and tricks you use to get more done with less effort? If so, I’d love to know about them. Please do share by leaving a comment…

Entrepreneurs everywhere looking to jump-start their small business growth are invited to attend a free, three-day teleseminar event featuring 12 expert speakers Jan. 19th – 21st at no charge. Topics include using social media and other online tools for marketing, creating a more compelling personal bio, mastering in-person networking, how to market your expertise using tips booklets, time-management techniques and more. Registrants can attend from anywhere via phone. The hour-long calls are live and include time for audience Q&A with the experts.

Speakers scheduled for the three-day event include social media expert Nancy Marmolejo, PR experts Shannon Cherry, Diane Ennen and Nancy Juetten “The Bio Whisperer”, Time Liberator Susan Lannis, The Tips Booklet Queen Paulette Ensign, Savvy Networker Zita Gustin, Results Coach Leanne Hoagland-Smith, Founder of HUBstreet social networking site Nancy Fox, New Business Mentor Leah Grant, Internet Marketing Strategist Erin Blaskie, and Practical Marketing Expert Stacy Karacostas. Plus, everyone who registers receives a bonus ebook packed with helpful articles from these experts.

Stacy Karacostas is hosting this event in an effort to give more small business owners the information they need to grow and better run their businesses in 2010 and beyond.
Karacostas, the owner of Seattle-based Success Stream Sales and Marketing Solutions, specializes in helping small business owners take the stress, struggle and confusion out of marketing. She regularly hosts monthly teleseminars interviewing a range of experts on topics important to small business success such as how to attract new customers, podcasting and Internet radio, online video, bookkeeping basics, Facebook marketing, and other current topics.

“I love doing monthly teleseminar interviews because they’re a terrific way to help small business owners get the info they need to really thrive. And my community loves the info other experts bring to the table. This Telesummit will concentrate a ton of great information—from business basics, to outsourcing, to the latest in online marketing—into three consecutive days. The goal is to help entrepreneurs harness the energy of a brand-new year and get the info they need to achieve their business resolutions” Stacy said.

The Telesummit details, schedule, speaker bios, and registration are available online at http://www.smallbusinesssuccesstelesummit.com

Registration is free and open to everyone!

People everywhere are changing their priorities and their buying habits. While at the same time, new tools and technology make it easier to get your message and marketing out there. Unless you pull yourself out from behind your business periodically to see what’s new, chances are good you’re going to be left behind. That means your business is likely to suffer.

I’ve found one of the best ways to combat this problem is to regularly attend conferences, events and workshops outside of my industry. Because, while reading about the latest and greatest online or in books is great, nothing substitutes for meeting and talking with other people. Or hearing experts speak live about what they’re doing and what’s new.

Since I attended my first big seminar event back in 2006 my business has been completely transformed. I’ve changed my marketing, started creating my own products, help workshops, and even launched a membership site. None of this would have happened if I hadn’t learned how to do it by hearing other experts explain the nuts and bolts. As a result, I’ve made a commitment to attend at least one or two big live events each year.

But let’s face it, shelling out a few grand and taking a week off work to go to a conference or seminar isn’t always in the cards. So the next best thing is to attend live Webinars and teleseminars. These events let you get most of the benefits of an in-person event (sans the networking of course) without all the hassle and expense. And the best ones even let you ask questions live…Something you rarely get to do a big conference.

That’s why, this year, I’ve brought together a stellar lineup of small business experts for a FREE 3-day “Small Business Success Telesummit”. It’s all done by phone, so you can attend every session, or just one or two, from the comfort of your own home or office.

Topics include everything from using social media and other online tools for marketing, creating a more compelling personal bio, mastering in-person networking, how to market your expertise using tips booklets, time-management techniques, outsourcing secrets and more. I’ve even convinced all the speakers to stick around for live Q & A segment at the end of each call.

Here’s a list of all the amazing speakers scheduled for the three-day event:
social media expert Nancy Marmolejo, PR experts Shannon Cherry, Diane Ennen and Nancy Juetten, Time Liberator Susan Lannis, The Tips Booklet Queen Paulette Ensign, Savvy Networker Zita Gustin, Results Coach Leanne Hoagland-Smith, Founder of HUBstreet social networking site Nancy Fox, New Business Mentor Leah Grant, Internet Marketing Strategist Erin Blaskie, and me, Practical Marketing Expert Stacy Karacostas. Plus, everyone who registers receives a bonus ebook packed with helpful articles from these experts.

Now you can get the info you need to transform your business without spending a penny!

So what are you waiting for? While the event is totally free to attend live, phone lines for the calls are limited. If you’re ready to take your business to the next level go here and register for the Telesummit right away:
http://www.smallbusinesssuccesstelesummit.com/

What’s the biggest ah-ha moment you’ve had listening in on a teleseminar or attending a live event? Please do share by leaving a comment below…

Instead, he said it’s more like getting a puppy…You have to make a commitment to feed it, and play with it, and take it out for walks every day. And I couldn’t agree more.

Social networking is not at all like placing an ad then sitting back and waiting for the phone to ring or people to walk in the door. It’s about creating conversations, establishing deeper relationships, and building a community of like-minded folks.

Yet every time you turn around it seems someone is shouting about all the wonders of social networking and how easy it is to use it market your business…Especially if you pay them hundreds or thousands of dollars to show you how.

On the flip side, a quick online search will turn up plenty of articles wondering how, or if, you can actually make any money from Twitter or Facebook.

I know for a fact that you can grow your business using social networking because I’ve done it with mine. But it takes time and a well-thought out strategy to get great results.

If you’ve already started using social networking to market your small business, or are even just thinking about it, here are a few things you really ought to know.

1) All the marketing basics still apply.

If you don’t know your target market, you can’t define your USP (Unique Selling Proposition), and you don’t have an offer they can’t refuse and a way to build your list, all your social networking efforts won’t do you any good.

2) Nobody makes money off of Twitter alone.

You have to use it, and most other social networking tools, as part of a bigger strategy. Think of all these social networking tools as your front porch. They’re a place where you can step outside and invite others in. But then you need somewhere to invite them to, and a reason for them to stick around. This is where your Website or blog comes into play.

3) It’s not about what happens now, it’s about what happens next.

Most people are not going to whip out their credit card just because you sent them a message about your latest product, service or event. So stop worrying about whether each specific action you take generates a sale or client and instead worry about driving traffic to your site.

4) You gotta build your list.

People have been saying “The money is in the list” since long before the Internet existed. Yet most small business owners ignore this truth completely, both online and off. The thing is, once someone arrives on your site they may still not be ready to buy. So offer them something useful in exchange for their name and email address. Then stay in touch regularly via email so they can get to know, like and trust you.

5) An e-newsletter is key.

Once you get their contact info you have to stay in touch. That means sending regular e-newsletters. These can be long or short. You can write them yourself, have them written, or use other people’s articles for content. But you absolutely have to send them out a minimum of once a month. Bi-weekly is better. Weekly is best.

6) You’ve got to participate actively and regularly.

Even if you have all the various backend pieces in place, social networking won’t work if you don’t work at it. Much like in-person networking, you need to show up regularly, reach out to others, and offer value (whatever you do, don’t just sell). Back to the earlier dog analogy, you’ve got to play with it and feed it regularly…At least a few times a week at a minimum.

7) Most social networking experts, aren’t.

While there are some very good people out there, a lot of the so-called experts are just folks who know how to set up and use the tools. They aren’t marketers and don’t know how to develop a large marketing strategy. So if you want to hire one, ask about specific results (like increased Website traffic, leads or sales) and check references.

Keep these seven truths in mind, and you’re likely to find social networking is one of the best, and least expensive, small business marketing options out there today!

More than 130 people registered for last month’s teleseminar interview on the subject “Social Networking -A REALLY Good Marketing Strategy or a Huge Waste of Time?” http://www.success-stream.com/teleseminar-12.htm! Even though we covered a ton of terrific info on the call, it left folks wanting more. So today I’m going to answer all the questions subscribers have been emailing me about how this whole Social Networking thing works.

++ Question #1 from subscriber Rose de Dan of reikishamanic.com ++

Regarding Twitter: “Currently I am only following people who I think are in some way related to what my audience might be interested in. What is the purpose of following 2000 people? Does that get you any more exposure? What is the purpose of following someone back unless you are really interested in what they are doing? How could I possibly wade through 2000 or more tweets a day? Why is that a good idea?”

**Answer – What’s it worth to you to be able to communicate regularly with 2000 people at no cost?

I think it’s worth quite a bit, because if they like you, then they’re likely to forward your info on to other people. Your list grows, connections are made, and you have a larger pool of potential customers for your business. What’s not to like about that?

If you’re following 2000 people, then it’s likely most of those people are following you back. Also, it’s considered polite and good form to follow people back who choose to follow you. You can use a program like TweetLater to automate this.

That doesn’t mean you need to read or respond to every Tweet. Find the ones you enjoy and interact with those folks. Reply to their Tweets or ReTweet them if you think others might be interested.

++ Question #2 from subscriber Richard Esmann of pvmdataservices.com ++

“What should you put on your (Social Networking) profile? Can you share a few do’s and don’ts?”

**Answer – There are no hard and fast answers here, but I can give you some helpful guidelines…

1) Don’t put anything up there that you wouldn’t want the whole world to see. Nothing ever goes away on the Internet.

2) Just like with any type of marketing, you want to first consider what information would be of interest to your prospects. If you put stuff up that no one cares about or is interested in, people aren’t going to read it or want to learn more.

3) Second you need to consider your own goals. For example, if you’re trying to land speaking gigs, you want to include info that makes you look like an amazing and experienced speaker with a wealth of knowledge to share.

4) Do write with a personality and voice. This is no place to sound like a textbook.

5) It’s absolutely fine to include some personal details in all your Social Networking profiles. That’s part of how people decide they like you. However, some sites are definitely more geared towards businesses and professionals (Biznik and LinkedIn are two of the biggies) while others are designed more for friends and family (Facebook, MySpace). But the lines are definitely blurred.

My best advice here is to spend a bit of time on sites you think might be a good fit for you before you complete your entire profile. Look at other people’s profiles and see what you like and don’t like. Find folks with lots of followers and try to figure out what they’ve done. Visit competitor’s profiles so you can find a way to be different. Then start creating your own.

Keep in mind, it doesn’t have to be perfect right out of the gate. Done is far more important and you can always change it later.

++ Question #3 from subscriber Bradley Bogue ++

“How do I get the “friends” attention?”

**Answer – This question is a little vague as he doesn’t address a specific type of Social Media, but I’ll do my best to provide a few helpful tips.

1) If you want to get a “friends” attention, first off, offer to connect with or “friend” them. Every site has a way to do this. And some even have programs that let you search for particular types of individuals. I like search.twitter.com for finding other small business owners and marketers to follow.

2) If you really want to get, and keep, friends and followers you need to actively post interesting content. Social Networking is all about building relationships. It is not about directly making sales. If all you do is constantly promote yourself or sell, sell, sell you aren’t going to be happy with the results.

Search for ways to make connections and be helpful first and the sales will come. For example, a good rule of thumb is to make just 20% of your Twitter posts (or blog posts) promotional. The rest should be personal or helpful.

## Got more questions about Social Networking (or marketing, or copywriting, or growing your small biz)? I’m happy to help! Email me at stacy@success-stream.com and I’ll put them in the cue to be answered in a future edition of Bright Ideas. ##

Thoughts, ideas or suggestions on this topic? Please do share by leaving a comment below!

Want more helpful articles like this one sent to your Inbox each week? Sign up for a subscription to Bright Ideas weekly e-newsletter along with a copy of my Free Report “The 7 Deadliest Small Business Marketing Sins…Are You Guilty?” at http://www.7deadliestsins.com.

However, you may have noticed there’s more to it than just putting up a profile or sending a few Twitter Tweets. That’s why I’ve written this 3-part (maybe more) series of posts filled with simple tips and how-to’s for getting started with–and making the most of– your online marketing efforts.

This is the 2nd in the series, so we pick up with…

14 Keys to Effective Online Marketing Continued…

#5 – Twitter truth revealed! Twitter is just another tool for reaching out to large numbers of people, letting them know more about you, and providing links to other info that might be of interest.

Twitter by itself is NOT likely to grow your business or make sales. It’s simply a way to update people about your activities, blog posts, events or offers then send them back to your site or blog to learn more (If you don’t have a Website or blog yet, now’s the time to get one!).

A good rule of thumb is to make about 80% of your Tweets personal, or links to interesting info on other people’s sites, and 20% self-promotional. And don’t feel like you have to respond to every Tweet that comes across your desktop.

Instead, periodically pick one or two to comment on or reply to. Forwarding someone else’s tweet (IE re-tweeting) is another terrific way to provide valuable content, make connections and build your list of followers.

#6 – You need tools to manage all these online tools! One of my favorites is www.hellotxt.com. This micro-blogging aggregator lets you post Tweets/updates simultaneously to a wide variety of sites including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and more with the click of your mouse.

Tweetdeck is the preferred tool for managing all those Twitter followers without getting overwhelmed. I also like and use www.Tweetlater.com to set up future Tweets and track when other people send me direct messages, or re-tweet my posts. Then I can reply or thank them in a timely fashion.

#7 – Online marketing is not about the hard sell. It’s about offering quality content people find helpful or interesting so they’re inspired to click back to your hub site to get more.

That said, it’s not enough to simply drive people to your hub Website or blog. You need to collect their contact information and develop your own community of followers who love what you have to say and happily buy your products or services.

The best way to do this is to offer something of value on your Website or blog at no charge so you can get their email address and keep in touch regularly. A free report, audio download, PDF, book excerpt, helpful checklist or anything else that is truly useful will do the trick.

You’re also going to need an email service at the very least.

For email only, AWeber is considered one of the best in terms of deliverability. Many people also like getresponse.com and constantcontact.com. However, if you’re thinking about selling your products or services online you should get an integrated email service and shopping cart.

I use and highly recommend 1 Shopping Cart http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?pr=1&id=98461. It handles email and ecommerce so you can segregate your list according to their past purchases and communicate differently with different groups of prospects and customers.

Because it’s industry standard, it’s easy to find people who know how to use it. And you can always start with their lower-priced, email-only service then upgrade later.

#8 – Once you start collecting email addresses, you need to stay in touch and keep offering value until they’re ready to buy or hire you. Otherwise your hot new prospects are going to forget all about you and what you do.

That means sending an email newsletter at least once a month (bi-weekly is better and weekly is best if you can manage it). Less than monthly and you’re just wasting everyone’s time.

Struggle with coming up with fresh content on a regular basis? You have a couple of options…

Option 1 – Hire a cheap content writer on elance.com. You’ll probably still have to do some editing, and/or even supply them with ideas or raw content, but this is a viable option.

Option 2 – Subscribe to a content service. Some are better than others so be sure to check samples before you subscribe. I like the content Jim Palmer delivers. It’s well-written, and each month’s installment covers enough topics that you can always find something appropriate. Check this service out here: http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/?Clk=3022883

Whew! I’ve already covered a ton of info and we’re just over half way through the 14 tips you need to know. More to come next week…

[tags] Small Business, Marketing, online, social networking, Internet, stacy karacostas, tips, Twitter, email, shopping cart, newsletter [/tags]

When I first started using Internet Marketing tools to grow my business a few years ago, I wasn’t sure all this Online Marketing stuff was destined to stick around. It could’ve just been the next great fad.

While the tools keep changing–and some do prove to be nothing more than a flash in the pan–it’s become clear that Internet Marketing and Social Networking are here to stay. In fact, the Web provides a boatload of highly effective and inexpensive ways to market your small business… Once you learn the basics and get a good plan in place that is.

Because, especially in the beginning, Online Marketing can be confusing and overwhelming to say the least. Between email marketing, online article submissions, Social Networking, blogging, Twitter, Social Bookmarking, Squidoo, and all the other options out there it’s easy to waste time, spin your wheels, or just get frustrated and quit.

So in the next 3 posts I’m going to cover the fundamentals of Online Marketing. And explain a bit more about how all these tools can work together to drive traffic to your Website and grow your business.

14 Keys to Effective Online Marketing

#1 – No single marketing tactic (online or off) is going to grow your business all by itself. Instead you want to use at least 3 or 4 together to accomplish your goals. This means creating a plan.

For example, I use a combination of article marketing, social networking, blogging (including audio and video), email marketing, social bookmarking and micro-blogging (IE Twitter) to drive traffic to my Website. Then email and direct mail to stay in touch.

#2 – You need an online hub you can drive prospects to who want more information. This can be a traditional Website or a blog site.

If you don’t already have a Website, get one. And consider having a blog site built instead of a traditional HTML site.

Basically, blog sites are built on a blog backend or platform (WordPress is the industry standard and leader currently). They may have static pages like a traditional Website, but they typically also include a blog you update regularly with new content.

The benefits of blog sites are:

> You get better search engine rankings because blog sites are automatically set up to be indexed

> You have a way to communicate new info to prospects and clients regularly

> They are typically cheaper and easier to build as most are at least started using a template even if that template gets customized.

If you already have a Website, keep it. You can always add a blog to it and get many of the same benefits.

#3 – You gotta stay in touch! While initially Online Marketing is all about pulling people in, not pushing them to buy, eventually you do need to take action. That means coming up with ways to keep contacting them and offering valuable information.

Typically that means offering a no-cost report or audio in exchange for their email addresses, then following up with email newsletters. I’ll go into more detail about this next week.

#4 – Social networking sites like LinkedIn, Biznik, FastPitch, FaceBook, YouTube, and more are terrific tools for getting your name out there and driving people back to your hub site. And each one is a bit different.

Different sites let you republish your blog content on your profile, submit articles to the site, participate in Q & A forums, or upload videos. The key is finding the sites your prospects are using. You can do this simply by Googling “social networking+your industry”.

Once you’ve found some sites that look promising, sign up for a free account and “lurk” for a bit to see what other people have posted and how folks are participating. When you feel good, jump in and play.

A few tips: You can put the same profile information on all your social networking sites if it makes sense. Most people are only going to connect with you on one or two sites anyway, and consistent messaging is a good thing.

Be sure to include links back to your main Website or blog.

Don’t sign up for more than 3-4 sites. To get the most from social networking, just like with live networking you need to show up regularly and participate. Join too many and you’ll be overwhelmed by the time suck.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to marketing your small business online. Next week, I’ll cover even more specifics. Stay tuned…

Thoughts, ideas or suggestions on this topic? Please do share by leaving a comment below!

Want more helpful articles like this one sent to your Inbox each week? Sign up for a subscription to Bright Ideas weekly e-newsletter along with a copy of my Free Report “The 7 Deadliest Small Business Marketing Sins…Are You Guilty?” at http://www.7deadliestsins.com.

[tags] Small Business, Marketing, online, social networking, Internet, stacy karacostas, tips, video, website, blog [/tags]

So what is this big mistake?

Asking for the sale too soon!

All too often small business owners are so focused on making a sale right now today, they’re oblivious to what’s going on in the prospect’s mind. So they come up empty handed time after time. And they fail to build a community of repeat customers who buy from them time and again. Here’s why…

People don’t like to be sold, they like to buy. And they like to buy from someone they know, like and trust. On top of that, people jump at the chance to buy things they really believe are going to be of value to them.

So if they don’t know who you are, or the value you, your products or your services have to offer, chances are they won’t risk spending their hard-earned dollars with you…Especially if what you are selling costs more than $100.

After all, would you pay $3000 for a two-day seminar from someone you’ve never heard of? What about $1200? Or even $500? Probably not.

Because unless someone gives you a direct referral, how do you know you are going to get your money’s worth? Or any value at all? For all you know, it could be a big scam or one long sales pitch. And your potential customers often feel the same way.

So instead of pushing people to buy your products or services, give them ways to get to know, like and trust you. The sales will automatically follow.

Here’s another way to look at it…

Think of your business like an old-fashioned swimming hole. Now, most people are not going to just jump in when they first get to a new swimming hole–especially if they can’t see the bottom.

Instead they might start by dipping a toe in to test the water temperature. Or asking how deep the water is, and whether the bottom is sandy, rocky or slimy.

Once they feel more confident that the experience is going to be what they want, they might wade in a ways before fully submerging.

If all goes well, then they might think about jumping in off surrounding cliffs, or hitting the rope swing. Because now they know the water is plenty deep and warm.

Of course, some folks are willing to risk it and dive in right away—especially if someone who’s done it before says it is okay. And that’s fine. Nothing’s stopping them.

But most people are going to want to ease in to one degree or another.

So the key to getting more people to buy from you—especially high-dollar items—is to create a series of smaller steps that let them wade in and test the waters before taking a bigger, more risky leap.

How? It’s simple really…

1) Always offer plenty of free information. There’s lots of ways to do this including:

+ Mailing out a regular newsletter
+ Putting free useful content on your Website
+ Starting an e-zine and/or blog
+ Offering a free report
+ Public speaking live or via teleseminars or Webinars
+ Giving away a trial size or introductory version
+ Adding helpful audio or video to your Website

2) Stay in front of them.

You want your target customers to recognize your name and/or brand, and begin thinking of you in positive terms. Familiarity breeds confidence because people start to feel they know you. And they see that you aren’t just going to be here today, gone tomorrow.

Plus, studies have shown that when given a choice between two identical items, people will chose the one who’s brand name is most familiar every time.

3) Create a series of complementary products or services at different price points. Someone who is not willing to sign up for your $3000 seminar might happily risk buying a $19.95 e-book, or taking a free teleseminar.

So offer some things that are f*ree, then others that are gradually more expensive. People may start out downloading your f*ree information. But once they see the value you deliver, they will come back for more.

If you’re doing all this, then the key to ongoing sales success is making sure that everything you produce—whether you give it away or sell it—is high-quality, valuable and helpful. Because the first impression you make will determine whether or not they come back again.

Once potential customers see that you know your stuff, and have solutions for their problems and needs, they will begin to trust you—and buy more and more of your fabulous products and services.

So don’t just try to sell…Focus on building a relationship in steps and letting people get to know you, and the sales will automatically follow.

[tags] Effective Small Business Marketing is About Building Relationships…Not Just Making Sales, Stacy Karacostas, Marketing Junkie, Succcess Stream, small business marketing, marketing [/tags]

Personally, after playing with Social Networking of all sorts for the past year, I believe it is a REALLY good marketing strategy for the right businesses (and the right business people).

Think about it… Where else can you reach thousands of highly targeted prospects—and get in front of them over and over again—without spending a dime?

The thing is, you have to know how to do it the right way or it WILL be nothing more than a huge, frustrating time suck! (Think email overload times a thousand. Ahhh!)

Now I don’t know about you, but I can’t afford another big time suck in my life. And I’ve learned from experience that the easiest way to figure out how to use Social Networking is to learn the ins and outs from someone else.

So if Social Networking has got you confused, excited, overwhelmed, interested or just generally unsure whether it’s right for you (or if it is, how to use it without driving yourself batty), you’re in luck!

This month, I’m interviewing Online Marketing Expert Michele PW on all things Social Networking. She’s promised to answer the big question…

“Is Social Networking a REALLY good marketing strategy or a HUGE waste of time?”

Plus other critical questions like:

• How do you decide if this whole Social Networking thing is right for you?
• How do you choose the best social media and sites for your business?
• How do you make it work—and make you money—without pulling your hair out?
• PLUS, she’s going to share what’s changing and what’s new in the Social Networking world.

Bottom line, you’ll receive all of Michele’s best tips, tricks and secrets for taking advantage of the low-cost marketing power of Social Networking. If you want to stay ahead of the curve with online marketing or at least not miss out, you gotta be on this call.

And you can listen in at absolutely no cost to you!

Just click this link to reserve your spot on the call:
http://www.success-stream.com/teleseminar-12.htm

Even if you can’t make the live call, you can register to get a copy of the call recording sent to you after the fact. So there’s no reason to miss out on this valuable business-building information.

http://www.success-stream.com/teleseminar-12.htm

Are you using Social Networking to market your small business?

If so, what’s working and what’s not?

If not, why not?

Please share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

[tags] Social Networking, Twitter, FaceBook, Digg, Marketing, online, Small Business, how to, Time Suck, Michele PW [/tags]