New Year, New Marketing Ideas

January is traditionally the busiest month for resume writers, according to the Resume Writers' Digest Annual Industry Survey. So if your phone hasn't been ringing (or your emailbox "binging"), here are some ideas to help you attract new clients right now.

• Re-evaluate your marketing plan. Wait. You do have a marketing plan, right? A written document that outlines your vision for your resume writing business, your goals and objectives, who your ideal target customer is, and the "5 Ps" (what Products/services you'll offer; your Pricing strategy; your Place/distribution plans -- i.e., whether you'll work with clients in person or virtually, or both; how you plan to Promote your business, and People involved -- you, and/or subcontractors or virtual assistants who will serve your clients). You'll also want to outline the marketing tactics you plan to use (including your marketing budget) and a schedule for implementing the tactics.

Every few years it is necessary to take a look at your marketing plan with new eyes. If you're not as busy as you'd like to be, you should evaluate your marketing plan every few months. What are you doing now? What's working? What's not? How can you revamp your existing marketing tools (articles, blogging, public speaking) and employ some new ones (social media, teleseminars/webinars)?

• Become a social networker. Speaking of social media, Twitter and Facebook are becoming valuable tools for a lot of resume writers, who have used the social media sites to position themselves as expert resources for clients, recruiters, and the media.

• Advertise your business on your personal Facebook page. I came across a resume writer last week who just made the announcement that she was no longer going to post any business-related posts on her personal page. Huge mistake! Facebook has just changed their algorithm again, and it's resulting in less visibility for Business Pages. The new "Subscribe" feature also makes it easy for "non-friends" to follow what you're up to -- and posting business content on your personal profile is what they're usually looking for! Post links to new content on your website and other promotional links that friends and family can view and share. But don't neglect your fan page for your resume writing business. It's still a valuable tool. Encourage current clients to sign up and tune in for special information or offers that they won't find anywhere else.

• Don't neglect offline tools. For many resume writers, a significant portion of your business is still local. Just because more and more clients are finding you online doesn't mean that you should neglect offline tools, like direct marketing, flyersm and promotional items.

• Video marketing. People love to watch informative videos online. You can take what you know and turn it into a visual presentation that immediately gives new clients a picture of who you are and what you do. I am loving doing "Desktop Demos" -- on my Mac, I just use QuickTime and a USB headset/microphone to do a quick video. It saves as a .MOV file, and I upload it to YouTube so anyone can view it. Easy!! Check out this video I did last week on how to use BeAResumeWriter.com's Pass-Along Materials.

If you have an iPhone, it's also easy to record and upload a video to Facebook. Possible topics: share job search tips, give an update on the job market in your local area (who is hiring; who is not!), walk people through a before-and-after version of a fictionalized client's resume....

• Create a press release. Are you about to offer a new service or product? (LinkedIn profile development, your new career membership site, salary negotiation coaching), Create a press release that will attract new clients to your business. Use a press release service and be sure that your content is SEO optimized. (Want more ideas on how to use the media to attract new clients? Check out the recording of my teleseminar on "Feed the Media" in the Free Level Resources section of BeAResumeWriter.com. Not a member of BeAResumeWriter.com? Click on the "Become a Member" tab and apply for your free membership)

• Take a fresh look at your website. Are you making it easy for prospective clients to understand how they should work with you? You need two things on your website: A clear "call to action" that tells clients exactly what you want them to do to start working with you (call? send their existing resume?) AND you need a way to capture information about folks who visit your site but aren't ready to start working with you yet. (A free report delivered via autoresponder usually fits the bill.)

These are just a few ways you can attract new clients for your resume writing business.

When You Might Want to Relocate Your Resume Writing Business

That's Jon digging out after a snowstorm.

My husband, Jon, and I talk a lot about moving. Mostly when we've had a massive snowfall here in Nebraska, where I live. A couple of winters ago, we had so much snow that we had a snowdrift that obscured our house (as viewed from our street) for more than a month. It was hard not to think about moving somewhere warm on a day like that.

This winter has been better. Today, in fact, it's in the 30s. Yesterday it was in the 50s, and tonight we're expecting snow. That's par for the course in January in Nebraska. Hopefully it will be a dusting. But the big snow is coming. It always does.

But weather might not be the only reason you would consider relocating your career services business.
Finances is another major one. You might have considered relocating your business in an effort to ease the financial burden. But, if you are established in an area, why would you consider this? Here are a few reasons.

Why Relocate?

• Growth -- The object of your career services business is not just to help clients, but also support yourself. Your current location may not offer your resume writing business the opportunities to do that if you work with a primarily in-person clientele, and the folks in your area can't afford your services, for example.

• Cost -- This one affects resume writers with both commercial office space as well as those who work from home. It's a fact that different areas of the country have different costs of living. If you work virtually with clients, living in an area of the country with a lower cost of living can make a huge difference in your profitability. Your revenues may be the same, but if your expenses are half of what they would be in a higher cost-of-living area, you can be pocketing a lot more of the money.

• Poor market -- Maybe your resume writing business just isn't doing well in its current location. The market for your business may have dried up due to economic changes. In order to survive, you may have to consider moving to an area with richer resources. (Again, this is more likely to be the case if you work with clients in person, or if you do a lot of speaking/networking in your local community.)

• Lifestyle changes -- No one lives in a bubble. Sometimes personal issues make it necessary to make a change in your personal location ... and consequently, your business location. Last year, Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter moved from Kansas to Texas so she and her husband could indulge in their love of sailing. (The better weather didn't help either -- right, Jacqui?)

• Amenities -- If you have an inner city office for your resume writing business, you already know that space is at a premium and an expensive one at that. A chance to grow larger may mean finding a larger office space that wonít break the bank. Areas outside your current city can offer relaxing scenery, open work environments for employees, better parking for customers and delivery people, as well as options for expanding again without moving this time.

Relocation may not be something you've contemplated for your resume writing business, but sometimes it is a viable option. The reasons above are just a few that could lead you to a new venue... or at least get you started thinking about it!

Resume Writers: Should You Start Your Own LinkedIn Group

Recently, some folks on the NRWA E-List have been complaining about the volume of email messages. (The surge corresponds with my return to the organization. Coincidence?)

One list member suggested switching from the current YahooGroups format to a LinkedIn Group. If you're not familiar with LinkedIn Groups, let's chat a bit about LinkedIn Groups and why you should join them -- and maybe even start your own.

I still find a lot of resume writers are confused about LinkedIn and how it can help their business. One important function of LinkedIn is to connect you to other resume writers. I've heard from a couple of resume writers that they're reluctant to get "LinkedIn" with other resume writers. I say, "WHY NOT?" Resume writers can be a source of referrals, ideas, and inspiration.

LinkedIn takes the guesswork and legwork out of networking with others in your field. This site allows you to search for, connect with and get needed advice from professionals with a few clicks. There are no face-to-face meetings unless you want them. Even so, you can get to know people through their profiles and interacting in groups and discussions.

LinkedIn Groups: Increase Your Visibility and Expert Status

This brings us to LinkedIn Groups. What are they? These groups are like small gatherings of professionals with similar business niches or interests. The entire site is available to you, but concentrated groups help you to target those professionals with whom you need to network.

Groups help you do many things:

* Discover other professionals to meet quickly
* Actively participate in discussions relevant to your interests and needs
* Zero in on the most influential people on LinkedIn within your professional sphere
* Know which profiles to view and which people to "follow" in discussions
* Begin your own discussions to help establish yourself as a leader in your field

These are also excellent reasons to begin your own LinkedIn Group. Before you do, though, get a feel for the process by joining a group or two. You can search for relevant groups using different parameters.

For Resume Writers, I recommend these groups (Note: Some groups require pre-approval or membership in the associated organization in order to join):
Career Directors International
Career Management Best Practices
Career Professionals Network
Career Professionals of Canada
Career Rocketeer
Career Thought Leaders Consortium
JibberJobber Career Management
Resume Experts
Resume Writers & Career Coaches
Strategic Resumes LinkGroup
The NRWA

Once you find one that you like, introduce yourself. Do this by posting a new discussion question and then leaving a comment. Let people get to know you.

LinkedIn Groups can also increase your visibility and popularity on the site. While you are leading discussions, don't forget to leave meaningful comments on other discussion topics. It will look pretty suspicious if you only post questions and never join in the discussions of others.

Build up a presence and a following. When you are ready, create your own group. If you specialize in a particular industry or niche in your resume writing business (and you should!), you can check out the existing groups that serve these markets, and perhaps create one that focuses on jobseekers in that niche.

Ask your existing clients to join your LinkedIn group. Don't forget business contacts on other social sites like Facebook and Twitter. Invite LinkedIn members with similar interests as a way of connecting with new faces.

You should definitely be involved in a couple groups on LinkedIn .... and consider starting your own to increase your visibility, ranking, popularity, network and credibility among clients and prospects.

Got any other suggestions for career-related LinkedIn groups? Post them in the comments below.

Viral Marketing and Your Resume Writing Business

You probably know what a viral video is -- like the YouTube video of the skateboarding dog. Infographics are also something that often go viral -- most often on Facebook. This infographic from Hubze, ironically, is on how to get your content to go viral.

Viral marketing tactics can be effective in spreading the word about your business, your product, and your service without offending others or being self-serving.

But, viral marketing is inherently self-serving, isn’t it? Well, yes and no. To be truly effective, viral marketing must include a give-and-take approach. You must engage others, take part in conversation, and give as much as you get. In other words, don’t expect your message to spread itself. Viral marketing takes time, careful planning and well-thought out execution.

It has, for lack of a better word, an incurable need for attention.

While viral marketing can be applied in a number of ways, there are 3 main approaches:

#1 – To Share. Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube are in fact products of viral marketing themselves. While they’re sole purpose is to allow (and encourage) users to share information, they too must share their service via their users. It’s simple, really. Their users believe in them and enjoy their websites so much, that they share those websites with others. Knowing this and trusting this would take place, these social media powerhouses have become multi-million, some billion dollar businesses thanks to, you guessed it, viral marketing.

#2 – To Add Value. Adding value is not a characteristic unique to viral marketing. It is a common marketing approach across the board. For hundreds of years, business owners have understood the importance of offering their customers “more.” For instance, buy this product and receive this additional product for free. You get the picture. So, this notion of adding value applies to your viral marketing in the same way. However, rather than simply applying added value to your products and services, make value-added offers to those who share your message. For instance, send this message to an additional 10 people, and receive a free product. Incentivize and you will see results!

#3 – To create buzz. Similar to sharing, creating buzz is can be extremely effective. How is it different? While sharing refers to others literally sharing information with friends (i.e. Like my Facebook page? Sign-up for your own Facebook page today and see more of what I’m up to, including photos, favorites and more!) creating buzz is more about spreading the word. Consider how gossip spreads, or the way in which gossip magazines create stories based on hearsay. The idea is to get people “talking” about you and your business in a positive way so that they begin to encourage others to become customers, sign-up or carry on the conversation on their own.

As you can see, viral marketing is about more than inundating your audience with your message. Its about strategic planning and taking an approach that puts your business in a positive light while enticing others to not only become customers, but to spread the word as well. 

Want to learn more about Viral Marketing? Check out the Viral Marketing Stampede special report, available now in the "Paid Member Resources" section of BeAResumeWriter.com. (Bronze member benefit.)