1. Teleseminar with Susan at Career Management Alliance, Sept. 26!
2. 4 Ways to Promote Your Business on the Web
3. Notable Quotables
4. Susan Sightings: See Susan on The View From the Bay, abcTV
5. Book Talks in September - November

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Teleseminar

We are excited to invite you to please join Susan on Sept.26, 12:00pm (PST) 3pm(EST) for a 60 minute teleseminar at Career Management Alliance

Topic: 6 Secrets of Marketing Your Business
ℑℑ For more information and to register (If you can't attend live they'll send a link to the recording).

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4 Ways to Promote Your Business on the Web
The internet is a great inexpensive way to promote your business. However, if you look at the statistics it seems daunting:

• There are not millions but billions of web sites jockeying for position and attention.
• Approximately 30 trillion pieces of e-mail are sent out each year.
• The average person is bombarded with thousands of advertising messages every day from TV, radio, the Internet, billboards, etc.

Two things your website must have for your business to stand out in the overcrowded internet space.
1. Compelling web site copy with solid content and attention grabbing headlines that your target market is searching for on the web. Make sure your website doesn’t appear to be only about selling something. People want information not hype.
2. Capture site visitors’ contact information. Your site must get net-surfers to stay long enough to view an opt in offer that is irresistible like a special report or teleseminar--so that they will join your mailing list. You can then start a relationship with your prospects. Approximately 90% of your online marketing and sales will come from this email list.
I recommend that if you are not a writer and especially have no clue how to write compelling web copy that you hire a web consultant or writer who can. Remember, you’re in the business of providing your expert advice, product or service and your website needs to work for you. Don’t pinch pennies here or be a lone wolf. Your job is to develop the promotional strategy that works best for your company and target market.
Consider using a combination of these strategies:

1. On line Press Releases that drive traffic if not lots of free publicity
Most small business owners believe that their press releases won’t see the light of day with big media outlets. They are most likely correct, but that doesn’t mean that a well written press release with an engaging story angle could not create significant increases in site traffic and generate hundreds or thousands of incoming links. There are online wire services that are fee based (businesswire.com) or free (prweb.com) for distribution of your press releases. This is much less expensive than a Pay Per Click Ad campaign. As an added bonus, you could get free publicity from the media. It is worth considering in your promotional campaign because besides gaining credibility and visibility you improve your website popularity which search engines use to move your site up in internet searches. Remember: press releases that are thinly disguised ads will land in the trash.
2. Submit articles to blogs or websites that cater to your target market
Do you want to become known as an expert in your field? Think about publishing well researched, content-rich helpful articles in others’ ezines or newsletters or in other websites relevant to your industry and/or your target market. This gives you wider presence on the web and builds your reputation. After all, your articles do not ONLY appear on your own website. Research web enewsletters and blogs carefully to determine their quality and how well they match your market. This takes more time, but pays off in the end. Try to avoid the scattergun approach of submitting to websites or blogs that have a large quantity of ezines and newsletters that are on a wide variety of topics, many of which will be unrelated to what your business.

3. Create a blog that keeps your business “top of mind” with customers
A blog is a powerful, cost-effective alternative to a website or email newsletter. It is easy to set up and update. Your information can be fresh, up to date, targeted, and sent easily to your niche market(s). You can also create more than one blog, each targeted to a different market. It is a quick and easy way to build your presence on the web, connect and engage with your current customers and find new ones. There are online companies that help you set up your blog and make it easy for you to maintain it. Fees for hosting range from $4.95- 29.95 per month depending on the package you choose. You can also create one for free and maintain it on your own website. Before you start blogging, investigate what you plan to do with your blog, what is your focus and who you plan to reach. Research by reading other blogs to get the flavor, and spirit of what small business folks are writing about and asking about. Blogs are also a great way to “listen” to your customers because you can pose questions and ask for feedback. A blog is also your platform, a way to express what you stand for, your expertise, and ideas while building a relationship and trust with your readers. Your blog needs to be congruent with your marketing plan and then becomes part of the cohesive business you’ve built around a single market serving their needs. Be careful with self promotion. You can list products and services at the bottom of the blog and occasionally mention specific products. In the latter case, include a “click here icon to learn more” and that can lead to a sales page. One added benefit of a well positioned interesting and informative blog is that many major media folks look for stories and experts by reading blogs.

4. Advertise in e-newsletters for high and frequent exposure
When you place an advertisement in a high profile e-newsletter targeted to your same market, it is more likely that it will be read because the reader has requested the newsletter and trusts the source. It is also cost effective. Research newsletters carefully and choose wisely. Then track the results of your ads. Keep running the ads that work and cancel the ads that don’t work as well for you. In many e-newsletters the ads appear near the top of the page before the featured articles. Remember: It is a waste of money to run an ad only one time. Repeat exposure is what works best in advertising.

Which of these strategies fit into your marketing plan and budget? Select one or two to start, go slowly, track results, and stick with the one to two strategies that really work well. Remember: It is not about you, it’s about your client—What information do they need? How do they want to be treated? What problems can you solve? What is the benefit to them of working with you? Once you convert users to buyers, be easy, fun and productive to work with and you’ll attract all the clients you want.

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Notable Quotables

“Life is a movie you see through your own eyes. It makes little difference what’s happening out there. It’s how you take it that counts.”
Dennis Waitley

"Every joy is gain, and gain is gain however small"
Robert Browning
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Susan Sightings!

Teleseminar

Topic: 6 Secrets of Marketing Your Business

September 26: 12pm (PST) 3pm(EST)
ℑℑ For information and to register.(If you can't attend live they'll send a link to the recording).

Book Talks
Topic: The Top 8 Things I Wish Someone had Told Me About Building A Business

November 11: 11:30am – 1:30pm San Ramon Chamber of Commerce, Crow Canyon Country Club, 711 Silver lake Drive, Danville, CA 94526
ℑℑ For information and registration

November 13: 6:00 – 8:30pm Mt.Diablo Business Women, Lafayette Park Hotel, 3287 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, Lafayette, CA. For information and registration

Do you know an organization looking for speakers? Please refer them to Susan.

Please pass this along to colleagues and friends. Thank you!