Guest Blogging How-To: How to Make Your Post "Most Read"

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This is the third entry in this week's series, "Guest Blogging How-To" and it focuses on how to write a killer blog post that will get people to visit your site, generate social media traffic (shares, tweets, likes), and that will generate repeat invitations from the blog owner.

So how do you make a guest blog post the "most read"?

Get to Know The Blog and Audience
Start by reading the blog you want to guest post on -- get a sense for who their audience is and what kind of style the blog owner has. Also, check for other guest posts. An owner who has allowed other authors to guest post in the past will be more likely to allow future guest posters.

Who tends to read their blog? What kind of attitude do writers on this site have? What kinds of topics do they address? Is there a common train of thought prevalent on the site?

Read through the comments of past posts. Get a sense for what kind of questions people have and what kinds of posts they tend to respond to.

Try to get a handle on what kind of material people like. Is it step-by-step guides? Do they like success stories? Perhaps they have one specific problem that they want to resolve?

Figure Out the "WIIFM"
Before writing your blog post, figure out the "what's in it for me" (WIIFM) that users should walk away from your post with.

Should they understand a certain concept better? Should they know how to do something that they didn't know before? In what direct way will your content impact their lives?

Then begin your article by telling them this "WIIFM" statement. Make it hard-hitting and compelling and really get them excited about your content before you deliver it.

Add Personality, Share Your Experience
The best blog posts are those where the writer really shares his or her experience. Don't try to come off as a stand-offish "professional voice." Instead, really add your personality to the mix. (Want to see examples of this? Check out blog posts by Julie Walraven or Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter.)

In addition to making your content land better, this also does one other thing. The more personality you have in your writing, the more curious people will be about you. At the end of the article, that makes it more likely for them to click on your link.

Sit On It
After writing your blog post, let it sit or a few hours or preferably a few days before sending it in for publication. (Make sure you know the deadline given to you by the blog owner, though!)

By going over it a second time, you'll often catch spelling mistakes or be able to reword your sentences in a more powerful way.

In other words, give it your all and try to make it perfect before sending it off.

Writing a top-notch guest blog post takes a lot of effort. You'll have to refine and refine the post, as well as pour your heart and soul into it if you want it to make an impact. Your reward will be an increase in targeted traffic to your own blog or resume writing business website.

Tomorrow: "What To Write In Your Guest Post"

Guest Blogging How-To: Finding Blogs Seeking Guest Bloggers

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This is the second installment in this week's series on guest blogging. You can read yesterday's post here: "Guest Blogging How-To: Five Days to More Traffic and Higher Visibility"

One of the most frequent questions I get about guest blogging is:
"How Do I Find Guest Blogging Opportunities?"

The easiest way is to contact the owner of a blog that you already read. That way, you're familiar with the content and style ... and, if you've been commenting on the blog, the owner might even recognize your name when you email him or her!

If you are looking to widen your audience for guest blog posts, however, consider a site like MyBlogGuest.

MyBlogGuest is the largest marketplace for guest bloggers to meet with people who want guest posts. Landing a guest blogging gig on this site is extremely simple: just contact a blogger who is looking for the kind of topics you write about, make a pitch, and you're done. Best of all -- it's free!

Keep in mind that MyBlogGuest is best for landing moderate PageRank or moderate traffic sites. High profile blogs like TechCrunch or LifeHacker simply aren't on MyBlogGuest. Instead, to land first and second tier blogs, you should go directly to the blog's author and make your pitch.

However, for moderate rankings and PageRank sites, there's nothing easier than MyBlogGuest.

The "Looking for a Guest Author" Section

Start in this section. This is where bloggers who want to look for guest authors go to advertise. Start with the "Business and Edu" section.

Look at all the listings by webmasters. Pick out the ones that make sense for you, based on what your site is about, their site's traffic, and their site's PageRank.

Contact them and make your pitch. If you have a good site and a good pitch, chances are you'll get the gig!

Use the "Search" Function

Begin by selecting a sub-category. You can start with the "Business and Edu" category and then use search terms, like "Career" "Jobs" "Resume" and "CV" to narrow it down. Click through and look at the site and see what kind of blog posts they publish.

The "Looking for a Blog" Section
This section is where you, the guest blogger, can post your own ad. The best way to get a high volume of writing requests is to post in this section, as well as reply to posts in the "looking for a guest author" section.

Look through other people's posts and see what catches your eye. Write your post in a manner that's both attention catching and informative.

The Articles Gallery
The articles gallery is where you can post your own pre-written articles for other webmasters to use. All they need to do is attribute the article to you in the signature.

This is different than article directories, in that each article can only be used once. Once a webmaster puts it on their site, the article is removed by the articles gallery. There are no duplicate content issues.

The best way to use MyBlogGuest, as with any other community, is to become an active member and contribute. Build your reputation and use the site to rack up lots of backlinks to your own resume blog.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post: "How to Make Your Post 'Most Read'"

Guest Blogging How-To: Five Days to More Traffic and Higher Visibility

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Earlier this month, I wrote about "Why Resume Writers Should Consider Guest Blogging" -- and I got several emails from readers wanting more information. So this week, I'm putting together a five-part series on guest blogging.

With so many different possible ways to promote your resume writing business competing for your attention, it can sometimes be tough to figure out exactly which techniques to implement and what to skip. Guest blogging is one of the most powerful marketing tactics out there. Here are just a few reasons why you should consider this tactic in promoting your business.

Targeted Traffic
When you write a guest post on someone else's blog, anyone who clicks through to your site is going to be highly targeted traffic. Writing a post for another high traffic website is all it takes to get a flood of high quality web traffic coming your way.

I talked in my "Using Content to Capture Career Clients" teleseminar about how posting on other people's blogs (where your ideal clients hang out) can be a great way to get visitors to your site. The key is finding blogs that your target clients already read.

PageRank and SEO
Getting backlinks from guest blogging checks off just about every item on a "SEO" checklist: The links are targeted. They're from real sites. They're (often) in-context links. You can control the anchor text. And if you're writing for high traffic blogs, the links will naturally have both PageRank and authority.

Many sites have gotten higher Pagerank rankings purely by getting dozens -- if not hundreds -- of backlinks through guest blogging.

Building Relationships in the Industry
Having relationships in the careers industry will help you advance your resume writing business in many different ways. When you're launching a new resume service (LinkedIn profile writing, anyone?)  and need bloggers to write about it, who do you turn to? The people you have relationships with.

When you're looking for referrals to the media, who do you turn to? The people you have relationships with.

Relationships, relationships, relationships. Guest posting helps build relationships. If you provide something valuable for their audience, they'll be eternally grateful. You can write for other resume writers -- or for affiliated career bloggers (recruiters, HR professionals, association websites, etc.).

Increase Your Reputation
Another way guest blogging can help is by increasing your reputation. This is especially the case in the careers industry, which is like a "big small town" in many ways.

Let's say someone frequents four different career blogs. On all four blogs, they see guest posts by you. Just the fact that you're all over the different websites in the careers industry is going to do a lot for building your reputation.

When you guest blog post on someone else's site, that's an implicit endorsement from them. It also gets you more exposure, which builds credibility.

Helps You Explore Different Ideas
Guest blog posting also helps you expand your own ideas.

If you're invited to guest post for a Fortune 500 company on job search techniques, that's going to require a different line of thought than writing for a small association blog.

When you guest post, you have to stretch your ideas, concepts, and identity to bring value to people who are slightly different than your typical market. This helps you develop and grow your ideas and concepts.

These are five of the main benefits of guest blogging. It's one of the highest ROI activities any resume writer who regularly blogs could take on.

Coming up in this week's series:
Part II: How to Find Guest Blogging Opportunities
Part III: How to Make Your Post "Most Read"
Part IV: What To Write In Your Guest Post
Part V: Landing a High Profile Guest Blogging Gig

Why Resume Writers Should Consider Guest Blogging

On last month's BeAResumeWriter.com teleseminar, "Using Content to Capture New Career Clients," I talked about the idea of "Write where the people are."

In looking at my blog statistics today, I've had more than 74,000 pageviews on my blog since I started it … but many of the resume writers I talk to who have blogs have much less traffic. If your blog doesn't get much traffic (visitors to your blog), it can feel like you're shouting in the woods. No one is listening. The concept of guest blogging is taking that message to the streets -- specifically, the corner of a really big city. Go to where the people are, and share your message.

One way to do that is through guest blogging. There are several advantages to guest blogging -- as I mentioned, it's a great way to drive traffic to your blog or website. It's also a good Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tactic. Finally, it can also help strengthen your brand as a resume writer.

Guest Blogging Helps Position You as an Expert
Not all guest blogging opportunities are created equal. While my general feeling is that you should consider any and all guest blogging offers, some opportunities will prove more fruitful than others (in terms of visibility and traffic). Others might not have a large volume of blog visitors, but can help boost your credibility.

You also need to consider the quality of the target blog. Here’s why: presumably you’re going to put a bit of work into writing a top-quality blog post. You’re going to focus on providing value and benefit to the blog's readers. If that post is then placed on a blog that doesn’t have a good reputation -- or a blog that really doesn’t fit your target market -- then you may be doing yourself a disservice.

Instead, work hard to earn guest blogging opportunities for top rated blogs that fit your niche. You’ll be able to reach people who are actually interested in your information and build your brand. Aim for quality over quantity.

Consistency Is Key
While your guest post content will differ based on the purpose and mission of the blog, it’s also important for your voice and style to remain consistent. Part of building a strong brand as a resume writer is helping your readers recognize you immediately. Your voice and writing style can help make your brand memorable. It boosts awareness.

For example, if you have a no-holds-barred style that likes to stir the pot and create controversy, that same style should remain consistent -- regardless of where you’re blogging. The look and feel of your blog post will ideally remain consistent, too. If you regularly include text boxes with side notes on your own blog, then include them in your guest posts too. Be consistent.

Don’t Just Stop at Posting
Once you have published a guest post on a notable site, start marketing the heck out of it. Link to it on your social networking sites (Facebook business page, Twitter, LinkedIn -- even Pinterest!). Send a snippet and a link to it in your email newsletter. Share a link to it on your own blog too.

Guest blogging can be fun and it can certainly be an effective tool to drive traffic to your resume writing business website. However, the strongest reason to pursue guest blogging opportunities may be to build your brand.

If you want to learn more about content marketing (including using blogging to build your resume writing business), check out the "Using Content to Capture New Career Clients" teleseminar recording.

"Write Where The People Are"

Note from Bridget: Here's an excerpt from my "Using Content to Capture New Career Clients" teleseminar last week. I'm finishing editing the transcript today, and it will be posted to the Expert Interviews Series page on BeAResumeWriter.com by the end of the day today. (Note: Bronze members have access to all previous teleseminar recordings and transcripts; Free level members have access to the recordings only.)

As you work to develop a content marketing strategy for your resume writing business, I’m going to advise you to start with this important piece of advice: “Write where the people are.” 

So, to start with, that’s probably not your own blog. Probably the number one challenge that I see from resume writers is they say, “I’m putting this stuff out here and I’m not getting the people to visit my blog.” You have a hard time getting momentum or traction when you’re shouting in an empty forest. Go to the city. Go to where the people are. And so from that standpoint, focus on putting content where people already are and driving that traffic to your website then, to build your mailing list.

So where are the people? It depends on the kinds of jobseeker clients that you target, but some ideas can include guest posting on another resume writer’s blog or teaming up with a couple of other resume writers and blogging on a joint site, like Career Thought Leaders does. 

Another idea is pay-per-click advertising—go to the sites that are already getting traffic, like Facebook and LinkedIn and Google and use pay-per-click advertising. You can also sign up for a site like Careerealism which allows you to subscribe to be able to provide content on their site, which is very heavily trafficked by job seekers. You can send out press releases like we talked about. You can post articles on LinkedIn groups that target your jobseeker clients, especially within specific niches. You can post on article directories, although the caveat there is that they require unique content and that they don’t drive as much traffic to websites as they used to. And you can create joint venture partnerships.

The most important thing to remember, though, is to "Write where the people are." Before you can build your own tribe (followers, members, subscribers), start building a following.

Social Media Sites Can Improve Your Website SEO

Photo used under Creative Commons from Victor1558

Yesterday, I offered a free special report for resume writers on using Pinterest ("Resume Writers' Guide to Pinterest"). Pinterest is just one of the social media sites (along with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, among others) that can drive traffic to your resume website and/or blog.

It's no secret that search engine rankings are important -- many prospective resume clients start their search for a resume writer online.

Search engine optimization is necessary if you want to achieve any useful ranking that can impact your resume business in a positive way. It can take months and even as long as a year or more for websites to achieve the coveted spot on the first page (or even the first spot!) on a search engine. To speed up that process, you can take a look at social media to increase your visibility.

Google is now considering social media stats in their overall algorithm for website rankings. The good news is that many of us use social media anyway, so turning it for business won't be a stretch. You can use your knowledge and the keywords from your website to help you attract other social media members who are in your target market.

Here are a few tips to help you utilize social media to improve your SEO efforts.

• Join the social networks that matter -- There are several social media sites but the ones most used are Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Establish personal (if you haven't already) and business profiles on each of these sites. Within your profiles, incorporate the target keywords that you use on your site to attract visitors.

• Utilize every area of these sites -- Link updates on your website to posts that you make on these sites. Uploading a video to YouTube? Use keywords in the description and add a link to your site. "Like" pages that are similar to your niche market. 

• Join sites relevant to your target audience -- This is an old one but a good one. For instance, when you sign up for community forums (like a Group on LinkedIn), become an active member. Two-word comments, or posting to promote your site, can be viewed as spamming. You will gain more traffic from other members and influence in the community if you genuinely participate. 

• Follow other relevant blogs -- Make comments, offer to guest blog for influential bloggers in your niche (for example, if you are a resume writer who works with CFO candidates, find bloggers who write about business-to-business financial topics), and offer useful information.

The more engaging that you are on social media sites, the more you will rise to the top on the lists of others who also patronize those sites. This can elevate your status and increase traffic to your website. Also, communicating with your target market here can offer valuable insight for prospective clients, increasing your status as an expert for them when it comes time for them to conduct their job search.

Is Your Search Optimization Strategy Working?

You may have heard a lot about SEO. (I've written about it before a couple times on this blog.) It stands for "search engine optimization" and is important to the algorithms that can put your resume writing website at the top of the search results page on Google or Bing or leave you at the bottom. Here are some ways to measure if your efforts are getting noticed.

You first need a basic understanding of SEO. When people search the Internet, they use keywords or phrases to find what they are looking for amongst the hundreds of thousands of web pages that have been created. If you've ever looked in the upper left-hand corner of your search engine results, often certain words return millions of results. For example, this search for "Resume Writer" on Google returned 3.8 million results. Yikes!

No one bothers to go through all of those. They rarely look beyond the first or second page. So that is where you want your web pages, content, videos, and blog to appear, in order to be found by those who are looking. (And here's another trick: Don't try to rank nationally for "Resume Writer" -- instead, try to rank for "Resume Writer (Your Area of Expertise or Geographic Area)" -- i.e., "Resume Writer Baltimore" or "Resume Writer Elementary School Teacher.")

You have to do some work first. SEO is not an exact science. But, you can use keyword programs (for free) to help you find out which have the highest amount of competition and which are underused. From there, the trial and error begins. Some recommend using one keyword per web page to see which ones are drawing the most traffic for you. Also be sure that your website is registered with the major search engines.

Some Ways to Measure SEO Success:

• Backlinks. These are the external links that link back to your website from other places. You can create backlinks by using the resource box when submitting content to article directories, bio boxes when guest blogging, as well as signature lines on forums and places like that. (You can also get a backlink by becoming a member of BeAResumeWriter.com -- there are two member directories on the site -- one for free members, and one for paid members -- that can provide a backlink with high authority.)

• Traffic metrics. How many unique visitors do you have compared to returning visitors? What you want are unique visitors because these are new faces that are being drawn in by your marketing strategies. You can also look at revenue generated against visitors at any given time. You can find out your traffic by using Google Analytics. This free program gives you lots of information to calculate your SEO success. Test your keywords for at least three months to get an accurate picture of whether or not they're working.

What you ultimately want is for people to buy from you. You want that conversion from casual visitor to customer. It is essential that you include a call to action on your website pages that will compel the reader to make that conversion. You can track this metric as well.

Help your prospective resume clients find you online by maximizing your efforts at "Search Engine Optimization Success."

How to Create A Content Strategy for Your Resume Writing Business

I love talking about content. My last two blog posts were focused on monetizing your content. Here's a post from last month about writing better content. But maybe I should back up a moment and talk about how resume writers can create a "content strategy."

Do you have a content strategy? Or are you just winging it? You post a blog post when you think of something to write about, and you might have three blog posts in a row, followed by a month of non-posting. Or you decide to engage in article marketing and write 4 or 5 articles for free article sites -- but the key to those sites is quantity. You need to write 10 or 20 or even 50 articles (over time is fine -- one a week is 52 a year!) if you're going to make it a significant source of traffic for your site.

What Is a Content Strategy?
A content strategy is exactly what it sounds like. It's a plan to create, organize, market, and maximize your content. You can plan a week in advance, a month, a quarter or even a year in advance. When you have a content strategy in place, the process of creating content for your blog or website becomes much easier. It's also easier to outsource it when you know exactly what you need.

Here are seven questions to ask yourself when creating your content strategy.

1. Where will you publish your content? 

Now this may seem like an obvious question -- on your blog or website, of course! However, you may also want to guest blog, publish on article marketing sites, and submit content to other newsletters or magazines. Think about where you want to publish your content. Then move onto the next question.

2. What types of content will you publish?

Blog posts? Articles? Reports? Downloads? That's the first question, and then you want to take a look at the formats or styles that your readers respond to. For example, maybe you find that lists are your reader's favorite articles or that they love downloadable checklists. When you know what they like, you can include it in your plan.

3. What's the goal or purpose for your content?

To have extremely effective content, you want it to have a goal or a purpose. For example, do you want to drive traffic to your website? Do you want prospective clients to email you their resume for a review? Do you want to promote an affiliate product? What about driving traffic to your opt-in page to build your mailing list? Create a purpose or goal for every piece of content you create.

4. When will you write your content?

Now that you know what you're going to publish, and you have a goal for it, it's time to schedule it. Some people write all their content at the beginning of the week or month. Others write a little bit every day. It's the same as writing resumes -- you'll find that you have a particular rhythm that works for you. There's no right or wrong way to do this, but you do want to schedule it so it gets done.

5. When will you publish/upload?

When will you publish your content? For example, will you write the content for the week on Monday and publish it on Tuesday? Blogs allow you to upload posts ahead of time and schedule them for publication. If you're using article marketing sites or have a website, then you'll want to schedule publishing time into your day. (It can be as simple as setting yourself a reminder alarm to upload your content.)

6. How can you maximize your content?

Next, plan how you can repurpose and reuse your content. For example, can you tweak the article and publish it in your newsletter? Can you share it on a social networking site? Can you collect articles and create a short report? Plan how you can use your article in other ways to make the most of your time and energy.

7. How will you market your content and use your content to market your business?

Finally, how will you make readers and prospects aware of your content? For example, will you link to it from Facebook? Publish it in your Twitter feed? Will you create a weekly wrap-up blog post or email and highlight your new articles for the week? The more people who are aware of your content, the more readers and traffic you'll have.

Once you get the hang of it, implementing your content plan to promote your resume writing business will be a quick and easy process.

Guest Blog Post: Marian Bernard on "Feed the Media: How to Get Publicity for Your Business"

This guest post is contributed by Marian Bernard, of The Regency Group. She attended the "Feed the Media: How to Get Publicity for Your Resume Business" teleseminar I taught on Nov. 9. Here are her notes, for your enjoyment.

FEED THE MEDIA:
How to Get Publicity for Your Business
(notes from teleseminar delivered on November 9, 2011 and transcribed by Marian Bernard ... www.ResumeExpert.ca)

The difference between advertising and public relations

• Advertising (marketing) is what you pay for; by contrast, public relations / publicity (promotions) is free
• With advertising (as well as radio and TV) you have complete control of the message
• Resume writers complain that they don't have control over the final "publicity product"; it's virtually guaranteed that something unrelated to the interview may be asked

How to identify what is newsworthy and what will get you media attention

1. Is it interesting to the media's target audience? 
2. Is it timely? (e.g., the role of New Year's resolutions and the job search)
3. Have you established why YOU (as opposed to someone else) are the person to interview for that story? (e.g., could I be interviewed because a local layoff is taking place?) Will it benefit my business to be interviewed? 

Other "interview-relevant" topics: 

When people falsify information on their resumes / digital dirt / when I earn an award / when I host a free teleseminar (or webinar) on job search topics / when I partner with another business or organization / when I reveal industry and employment scams (e.g., Bernard Haldane) / I can make career industry predictions and comment on trends / offer feedback on LinkedIn (and Facebook) and how they impact the job search / when I speak at a conference or event / a news release that debunks job search or 1-page resume myths / sharing a tip sheet / every time unemployment numbers are released (either trending up or down) / every time a major employer in York Region closes down / conduct surveys and release results (e.g., contacting the local employment service and recruiting firms, and asking for their worst interview anecdotes)

· I can compile statistics and assemble a fact sheet. When such "hot topics" resurface, I can contact local reporters

How to build your media list and how to target effective contacts in the news media

• Journalists seek out industry and subject matter experts
• Journalists ask people they know for ideas or they call upon people they already know

Strategy to get noticed: 

I can connect with - and follow - journalists and primary contacts via Facebook and LinkedIn

• Conduct research to determine what publication(s) my target resume writers read; e.g., newspapers, free weekly newspapers, influential local blogs, trade publications, association newsletters. I can also do a Google search for radio and TV - Greater Toronto Area
• Identify which media outlets will be relevant for the stories I am pitching

For example:

o Newspaper: "Business" or Career" section
o Radio: Talk format ... contact the News Director, the actual Host of the program, or their Producer
o TV: Local news stations which feature consumer segments (e.g., how to help jobseekers avoid fraudulent opportunities) ... contact the Assignment Editor or a Consumer Reporter

· Create and update a media list (Marian has one!) every month or two

· Increase your visibility on line (e.g., through ezinearticles.com and easyarticles.com [or is it easy-articles.com?] ) to make yourself more "Google-able"

· Add a "Media / News / Press" tab on my web-site to store a media kit; I can also post media releases that I wrote

Media Training 101: Top things you need to know when working with the media

• When speaking to the media, you want to come across as confident, approachable, authoritative, and knowledgeable. You are the expert; that is why the media is interviewing you. The message is the key!
• The media plays an important role in reaching prospective clients. Three-quarters of a local audience is watching TV news; 54% listen to talk radio; and although local newspaper circulation is declining, it is still a viable option
• The only thing you have complete control over in an interview is YOU; i.e., what you say, what your message points are, and what you want to convey
• There is a way to bring the interview message back when the topic strays: "The person who is interviewing you directs the questions and topics, but the interviewee has 100% control over the answers" 
• Write out key points ahead of time; e.g., "Although the national numbers are bad, the local numbers are ..." Script your 2 / 3 / 4 key message points ahead of time so you can discuss them conversationally

Print interviews: Think in terms of sound bites because responses can be edited down:

• Be concise (do not ramble on)
• Stay on topic (have a focused message in mind)
• Use positive language and don't restate negatives
• Reroute off-topic banter back to the relevant topic
• For print interviews, it IS okay to say, "I don't know that, but I'd be happy to get back to you. What's your deadline?" 
• There is no such thing as "off the record"
• Ahead of time, prepare at least one quote that you hope will appear in print

Tips for TV (a very visual medium):

• Prepare how you look as well as what you say
• TV can suck the energy out of you; to counteract this, "dial up" your enthusiasm a notch or two
• Maintain at least a slight smile on your face; practice in front of a mirror
• Lean forward about 15 degrees to avert the prospect of appearing heavier than you are
• Get review and feedback from friends on your TV appearance
• What to wear (and not)? Don't wear shirts with busy patterns. Women should never wear tight-knit sweaters because it's difficult to hook up a mike to. Notice what the anchors are wearing the next time you tune into TV news

Interested in getting media attention for your resume writing business? Buy the "Feed the Media: How to Get Publicity For Your Business" teleseminar recording and transcript (just $5). (Bronze members of BeAResumeWriter.com -- you can get this recording/transcript for free as part of your membership. Check out the Expert Interviews Series section of the Paid Member Resources.)

Guest Post: Business Success: It's Not All About Finding Your Niche and Growing Your List

Guest blog post by Sandra Martini
This past weekend I was involved in a hit and run car accident. As witnesses pulled around me to continue on their day, I started thinking about personal responsibility.

Obviously the person who hit me wasn’t taking any.

Then a flashback to a call with a potential client a few weeks ago (yep, I’d moved the car out of the road by this point) where she said “none of my previous coaches know how to teach and that’s why [her] business isn’t succeeding.”

And on to several business owners who have said, and continue to say, something to the effect of:
“I don’t have time to connect with my clients each week”
“I don’t have time to read and comment on industry blogs”
“I hear your 30-day training is great, but I’m too busy to sign up, read each daily message and take action on it”
“Sounds like a great book, but I don’t have time to read it”
“I didn’t have time to follow- up with those I met at the event – I’ll do it next week” (note: “next week” never comes)
“I’m too busy trying to get clients to create a plan”

You get the idea. Excuse after excuse after excuse. And usually wondering why things aren’t going the way they hoped.

Reality:
We’re ALL busy. And most of us think we’re busier than we are.
Our clients are busy. Our vendors are busy. Our colleagues are busy. Those who succeed learn to manage their time and focus on those activities which will best serve their goals.
As a business owner, even the owner of a lifestyle business, we occasionally need to make sacrifices –- get up an hour earlier, work on a Saturday morning/evening, whatever to finish something we committed to.

It’s tough to stay on top of all things, all the time -– especially when we combine business with a personal life.

I know this and experience the same and when I’m tempted to make an excuse, I remember something my Dad said long ago: “whatever you accept, you get more of” -– start accepting excuses (even from yourself) and you’ll get more of them.

As the market becomes more competitive and clients become more discerning about where they invest their money, you want to ensure that you’re known for the *right* things: providing value and doing what you say you will…in addition to the *what* of what you do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My Request to You:

Before we can move forward, let’s clean up anything that needs attention:
Grab your “to do” (or “Action”) list. You know…the *big* one.
Look over it and put stars or highlight anything that “should” have been done by now -– starting with things that are owed to clients, colleagues, vendors, etc.
Make a commitment to yourself right now that you’ll assume personal responsibility in all things going forward, knowing that it means you’ll have to say “no” to things which don’t fit or you don’t have time for.
Set aside a day this week to catch up on those things which need catching up on (delegate what you can, do the rest).
Smile and give yourself a reward for getting caught up.

Moving forward. . .
Take time to identify your personal and business values.
Each morning think about your top five values and act with intent throughout the day.

Taking consistent action and living your life/managing your business according to your values will ensure that you’re on track for a life on your terms. And if those values include integrity, personal responsibility, value, Extreme Client Care™ and constant learning, you’re well on your way to success and the life you envision.

It’s the millions of little things we do and choices we make, every day, which determines our business success or failure.

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If you liked this article, you'll want to hop on over to www.SandraMartini.com for more comprehensive business building and marketing strategies, articles and resources. Sandra Martini, a Small Business Mentor, founder of Escalator Marketing™ and creator of the Escalator Profits Program™, teaches small business owners and entrepreneurs how to build sustainable businesses without losing their integrity or their minds.

How to Drive Traffic to Your Resume Website

Although I believe it is possible for a resume business to succeed without a website, an effective website that draws "significant" traffic (and significant can mean different things to different people), can help propel your business.

Generally, the more traffic you have, the more prospective clients you will have.

Here are five ways to drive traffic to your resume writing business website:

#1 Social media. Social media works quickly and if you have a large following on any of the social media sites (Twitter, Facebook), you can generate a ton of traffic to your website quickly. The key is to create attention-grabbing posts that arouse curiosity, make people laugh, or stir up a controversy. You want to generate click-throughs to your website.

Make the most of your social networking tactics and use technology to get the job done. For example, one StumbleUpon post can be integrated with both Facebook and Twitter profiles so you're making waves on all three social sites at once.

#2 Article marketing. Article marketing works well when you concentrate your efforts on quality article marketing sites with large audiences. One well written, informative article, rewritten a few times, and submitted to a handful of directories can generate the traffic you're looking for. Be sure to include a bio box that includes a call to action and a link to your website to motivate click-throughs.

#3 Blogging. Post on your own blog or be a guest blogger on a blog with a large number of subscribers. Like social networking, if you offer an informative, controversial or entertaining post, youíll have people clicking through to your website like mad. Of course, if you also promote this wonderful blog post(s) via social media, you can double your traffic results.

If you don't have your own blog, you can pay to be a featured career expert on Careerealism. It's not inexpensive ($149 for 3 months), but you can get significant traffic for your website from their links. (Here is resume expert's Dawn Rasmussen's blog post on Careerealism.)

#4 Video content. It's amazing how quickly a video can go viral. Like print content, videos that entertain, stir up a bit of controversy, or offer tremendous value cause a buzz. They're forwarded to friends and downloaded on laptops and mobile devices around the globe. A good video can generate all the traffic you need. Again, integrate a bit of social media to promote your video, blog about it too, and you can multiply your traffic results.

#5 Partnerships. Partnering with another business can work quite well to generate traffic fast. The key is to come up with a mutually beneficial agreement. Find people in the careers industry that are willing to work with you and help each other drive traffic. A partnership may include guest blogging on each others' websites, swapping advertisements, or even promoting one another in your e-newsletter.

Itís possible to drive a ton of traffic to your website fast. The trick is to have a plan in place, know your audience and your goals, and take action.

When Traffic is a Good Thing

Normally, when I think of "traffic," I think "bad!" Like, stuck in a traffic jam or having to navigate through the cars parked on both sides of the street for the neighborhood church's festival to get out of my neighborhood last weekend. Yes, in those cases -- traffic is bad.

But there is "good" traffic too -- as in traffic = visitors to your website.

Website traffic is -- for many business models -- the key to profits. The more traffic you have, the bigger your bottom line. This is particularly true for resume writing businesses that work with a national clientele. Whether you're launching a new product (perhaps a workbook touting "10 Top Interview Secrets") or just want a quick influx of cash (booked appointments!), sometimes you need tons of traffic quickly.

Here are five fast solutions to drive traffic to your resume writing business website.

1. Social media. Social media works quickly -- and if you have a large following on any of the social media sites (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn), you can generate a ton of traffic to your website quickly. The key is to create attention-grabbing posts that arouse curiosity, make people laugh, or stir up a controversy. You want to generate click-throughs to your website.

Make the most of your social networking tactics and use technology to get the job done. For example, one StumbleUpon post can be integrated with both Facebook and Twitter profiles so you're making waves on all three social sites at once.

2. Blogging. Post on your own blog or be a guest blogger on a blog with a large number of subscribers. Like social networking, if you offer an informative, controversial, or entertaining post, you'll have people clicking through to your website like mad. Of course, if you also promote this wonderful blog post via social media, you can double your traffic results. (See tip #1.)

3. Article marketing. Article marketing works well when you concentrate your efforts on quality article marketing sites with large audiences. One well-written, informative article -- rewritten a few times, and submitted to a handful of directories -- can generate the traffic you're looking for. Be sure to include a bio box that includes a call to action and a link to your website to motivate click-throughs.

4. Video content. Video is one of the top traffic-driving sources online nowadays. It's amazing how quickly a video can go viral. Like print content, videos that entertain, stir up a bit of controversy, or offer tremendous value cause a buzz. They're forwarded to friends and downloaded on laptops and mobile devices around the globe. A good video can generate all the traffic you need. Again, integrate a bit of social media to promote your video, blog about it too, and you can multiply your traffic results. (The ability to do video is built into lots of tools nowadays. My favorite is the FlipCam -- which is no longer being made -- but I just discovered that my $150 Nikon Coolpix camera has built-in video ... it's not professional quality, but it would work for an online video -- especially one that you post on your blog.)

5. Partnerships. This strategy takes a little bit more work than the first four tips, but can yield significant traffic to your site. Partnering with a relevant or compatible business (career coaches, mental health counselors, real estate agents) can work quite well to generate traffic fast. The key is to come up with a mutually beneficial agreement. Find people in your industry that are willing to work with you and help each other drive traffic. A partnership may include guest blogging on each other's sites, swapping advertisements, or even promoting one another in your ezine. (If you are a generalist resume writer, partner with a resume specialist -- for example, someone who works with federal resumes or finance candidates, or IT specialists -- and swap content and traffic.)

For example, earlier this month, I partnered with Wendy Terwelp, who was promoting a "Rock Your Network®!" teleseminar training program for careers industry professionals. I contacted Wendy to see if she'd be interested in putting together a free preview call for resume writers. We launched the call about 10 days after I initially contacted her, and the 45-minute call was chock-full of great information about how to use social media in your careers industry business (both for yourself as well as for your clients). Wendy was able to reach 50+ careers industry professionals who listened to the call live (or the recording), and I was able to promote Resume Writers' Digest through her social media channels (her Facebook group and Twitter profile). It was a great partnership.

It is possible to drive a ton of traffic to your website fast. The trick is to have a plan in place, know your audience and your goals, and take action.

Guest Post: Clarifying Social Media Strategy with the POST Method

By Christine Gallagher

It sounds simple, but before you implement a new marketing strategy in your business, you need to first know what your objectives are. That is, what is it that you are trying to accomplish? Social media is no different. It's not enough to want to add it to your marketing mix because "everyone else is doing it."

Luckily, Forrester Research came up with a handy little acronym, which my colleague Amy Miyamoto and I also included in our Social Media Made Simple webinar series. It's called the POST Method, and it's a really easy way to frame your social media strategy. Here's how it breaks down:

P: Who are the PEOPLE you would most like to attract via your social media presence on sites such as Twitter and Facebook? For example--mentors, colleagues, strategic alliance partners, raving fans, potential clients, local connections? Or a combination of these?

O: What are your primary OBJECTIVES for your Social Media presence? For example, is it to get found by those who are looking for your services or products, finding and interacting with current and potential clients and customers, building a community around your business, creating awareness of your content and offerings, building relationships with potential strategic alliance and referral partners, learning from mentors?

S: What Social Media STRATEGIES do you plan to implement? Will you have a Twitter profile, a Facebook Fan Page, a LinkedIn profile, join a Facebook Group, start a blog? Which ones have priority over others?

T: What TECHNOLOGIES will you use? For example--Hootsuite, Twellow, Ping.fm, Twitpic, YouTube, Bit.ly for link shortening? (The ones you determine to be of highest priority to you will influence the kinds of actions you take on the social media sites you have a presence on.)

Finally, for bonus points, you could also include "M" as in "how will you MEASURE your results?" Understandably, businesspeople still want to know the ROI of their activities--and although this is not as cut and dry to measure in social media, there are still certain numbers that you can look to: your number of newsletter or blog subscribers, number of followers and fans, your website traffic, the amount of comments on your blog, how many purchases made, etc.

The POST method is a good basic structure for starting to define your social media plan, objectives, and priorities. By identifying all the relevant parts of the structure you are creating a clearer vision and purpose--as well as implementing goals, strategies, and tools that will best enable you to effectively reach the ideal people you are looking to connect with through social media.

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Christine Gallagher is founder of ShesGotClients.com, a company dedicated to teaching women entrepreneurs all over the world how to use authentic relationship marketing and online strategies to attract raving fans, enroll more clients, and enjoy more income and freedom in their business, all while sharing their gifts and their message in a much bigger way.

Christine created The 6 Simple Steps to Kick Start Your Social Media Success System(TM), a real-world, step-by-step "roadmap" that teaches entrepreneurs how to consistently bring in new clients and customers using the Internet.

Through her coaching and training business, Christine helps entrepreneurs maximize their profits using an integrated social media and online marketing strategy, and teaches them how to stop trading dollars for hours by using online information marketing techniques.

Christine was recently featured as a social media marketing expert in the book Get Scrappy: A Small Business Owner's Guide to Marketing On Less, as well as profiled as one of "16 Brilliant Business Minds on Twitter" by The Huffington Post. Her blog was also recently chosen as one of the top 50 small business blogs by Konector.com, and her newsletters, products, and online reach now educate and inspire over 18,000 people every month.

Learn more about Christine, her products, programs and courses at ShesGotClients.com

Sign up for Christine's "Get Out There" Ezine. Click here.

Guest Post: Avoiding the Hit or Miss In Your Business

Guest blog post from Monica Shah.






Recently, I wrote a blog post on the three numbers that you must track in your business.

I received this comment:

“Hey Monica, any advice for someone who’s already tracking revenue and expenses numbers, but it’s still hit or miss all the time? I used to avoid it, but now I’m avid about tracking it, yet my consistency doesn’t seem to be yielding the results I’d like .” – Angela Minelli

What an amazing question. This used to happen to me all the time. I would make clear goals, keep track of money and know my numbers, but I just wasn’t filling my practice, selling enough products, or filling my groups. Furthermore, bringing in consistent income was also incredibly hard. I found the whole thing royally frustrating. Now that my business has matured, I can clearly see what was causing these results. If you’re out there, creating your goals and dutifully following your numbers, but you still seem to be missing the mark, then I’d like to offer a 5-step clear action plan that will bring you more money and more clients.

1. Avoid “magical money thinking.” 

Figure Out Your Numbers. Let’s say you want to fill your practice with 10 new clients by the start of July. That means you need to get about 3 new clients every month. Please avoid assuming that if you think about that number hard enough or clear your emotional blocks long enough, the clients will just flow in – that is what I call “magical money thinking.” The first step is to make a clear action plan around how you are going to meet 3 new clients this month. It’s all a numbers game. Let’s assume for every 2 sales conversations, you sign one client. Let’s also assume that for every 3 people that you ASK to do a sales conversation with, 1 says YES. That means you need to get yourself out and about so that you can meet or interact with at least 18 people this month who you’ll ask to do a sales conversation with you. And you will do six sales conversations in order to hit your 3 client goal.

2. Create an action plan to connect with new people. 

Ok, now you need to decide how you are going to meet at least 18 people new people this month. Don’t worry, it’s not as hard as it seems. First start with follow-up from your own list and other business events that you haven’t done yet. This is what I call a low-hanging fruit list. Make a list of people that you can contact that you’ve already met or who have expressed working with you in the past. Ask them to do a free meeting or initial session with you. Let’s say you find 3 people to ASK.

Second, plan your networking events. Let’s say you meet on average 4 people at each networking event. That means you’ll need to go to at least 3 networking events this month. That is 12 new people to ASK.

Third, plan a workshop. Let’s say you get an average of 3 free initial sessions after you do a workshop. That means you’ll do 1 workshop this month. That is 3 new people to ASK.

Now you know how you are going to meet your 18 new people to connect with this month.

3. Calender Your Events. 

This is the most important step. Now find 3 real networking events and put them on calender ahead of time. It may be helpful to put six on the calender, just in case you can’t make some of them. Also, locate a place to do a workshop on your topic area and get that on the calender. Commit to these events. No getting tired or shy when the day comes to put yourself out there. The more consistent you get about doing this kind of plan and actually following through on it, the more consistent your income will be.

4. Follow this Plan, no matter how advanced you are in your business. 

For those of you out there that are planning group program launches, product launches and the like. You can use this same plan. Here are the differences. For a launch, you want to start planning 8 weeks out from the launch. That way you can get your copy written and get the pages up on time. Next, use the same steps to determine your numbers. In this case, you want to add some online joint ventures, social media marketing and teleseminars to your connecting efforts. I think it is important, especially for new business owners with small lists, to combine offline marketing like networking and workshops with online marketing like teleseminars and joint ventures. You’ll connect with more people that way. Put everything on the calender and stick with it.

5. Stick to the plan. 

Please realize that consistency is important. The first time you create an action plan like this, it may not work so well the first month, even though you follow it to a T. However, by the third month, seeds that you planted in the first month will start to sprout. This is even true with your first launch of a group program or product. Sometimes it takes two times through before people start to notice you. Just stick with it – consistently making action plans and following through on them. When I do a VIP day with my clients, where I work intensely with them for 6 hours, we create a 12 month action plan so that they know exactly what to do each day, each week and each month. I highly suggest everyone has a plan that they are following that goes out at least 60 days.

As you can see, knowing the numbers is only 50% of getting results. The other 50% is creating a smart action plan and sticking to it. I hope this helps you to see specifically HOW you start to create such a plan. Leave me a comment and let me now how this lands with you.


Monica Shah, MBA, is the Breakthrough Business Specialist. Her M.O.R.E M.O.N.E.Y system effectively teaches women to take their passion-based business to six figures and beyond. Would you like to learn how to run a business that you love while creating the lifestyle you deserve? Check out her website http://www.RevenueBreakthrough.com, for free articles and resources and to sign up for her free report "5 Simple Steps to Double Your Income in 60 Days or Less."

Getting Ebook Ideas from Magazines (Third Part in a Three-Part Series)

This is the third post in a three-part guest series of articles by Jimmy D. Brown. This post focuses on getting e-book ideas from magazines... using Magazines.com.

After visiting the world's largest search engine and the world's largest bookstore, it's time to take a quick stop at the world's largest periodical store, Magazines.com.

You'll find every imaginable magazine listed at this site. The interesting part (and useful to you as a research tool) is this: you'll also find the COVER of usually a recent copy of each magazine.

There aren't a ton of magazines (any??) geared towards the job search, but browsing through the categories of magazines on the site, you can find some magazines that will spur some ebook ideas. For example, looking through the "Women's" category, I came across "Working Mother" with this cover tease: "Get That Job: Surprising Interview Tips." Your ebook could be on "Surprise Your Job Interviewer With Your Preparation" and it could cover how to research the interviewer and the company using free Internet resources.

Each of the "cover stories" you find represent an idea for your next ebook.

The best part about it is this: the publishers of these magazines have done the research for you! They've measured the level of interest for these ideas and found it high enough to warrant not only writing content about them, but referencing that content on the cover of the magazine!

That's your hint: People want this information.

So, there you have it in this blog series -- three "idea hangouts" where you can find ready-made, in-demand, red-hot topics for your next ebook for your job seeking clients.

Happy hunting!

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Jimmy D. Brown is the author of, "5 Keys To A Big-Profit, 

S.M.A.L.L. Reports Business."  To download your free copy, 

visit http://www.SmallReportsFortune.com.

Getting E-Book Ideas (First in Three-Part Series)

This is the first in a three-part guest-author series on coming up with ideas for e-books. Resume writers who only trade their time for dollars (the "time-for-dollars trap!") are missing out on the opportunity to made additional income. The blog post series is by Jimmy D. Brown.

I've always been impressed with those who seem to always be ahead of the pack when it comes to new ideas.

When I first started publishing information products online, I thought that certain people had a crystal ball they gazed into.  Or some top-secret contact who was providing them with inside information.

Over time, I realized that it wasn't magic that allowed these people to come up with red-hot ideas on demand.  It was simply that they knew where to look.

I soon discovered many places where ideas seemed to always be found.  I call these places "idea hangouts."  In this blog series (this is the first of three posts), I'd like to share three of my favorites "idea hangouts" where you can find ideas for your next ebook anytime you want.  Almost like a genie granting you three wishes...

Today's blog post focuses on Google.com.

Google is the ultimate "idea hangout."  There are so many ways to mine the gold in Google's amazing search database that it would take another article to graze the surface of this enormous iceberg.

What I want to mention are just two quick ways to find ideas by searching Google.

- Identify Listings.

Search for a broad topic related to your area of interest or expertise  (i.e., "resume writing" or "job search" or "job interview"). Look at all of the web sites listed in the index of returned results.  You'll likely find some ideas for information products right there in the first couple of pages.

Here's some e-books I came up with when I Googled "job search":

• "Find a Job Faster Using Job Boards"
• "Ten Tips for Getting a Federal Job"
• "Using Social Media to Find Your Next Job"
• "How to Successfully Change Careers"
• "Find Your Next Job Using Craigslist"

- Identify Advertisers.

You'll probably notice small ads on Google -- either at the top of the page or to the right of the page (or both!).  These advertisers represent your competition.  They also represent your thermometer for taking the temperature of your market and gauging interest in specific topics. Chances are, what they're selling, you should be selling.

In both of these examples, you can click through to the web pages of the sites listed and study their respective sales pages.  Look specifically at the "bullet points."  Each of these represents a potential idea for your next ebook.

Here were some of the products/services being advertised with "Job Search" on Google:

• "Find Your Perfect Job" using Taleo.
• "Job Search at Job.com" 
• "Real part-time jobs" from pic.tv
• "Job search from JobSquared."

Next up: Getting E-Book Ideas from Amazon.com (Part two in a three-part series.)

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Jimmy D. Brown is the author of, "5 Keys To A Big-Profit,
S.M.A.L.L. Reports Business."  To download your free copy,
visit http://www.SmallReportsFortune.com.
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Happy Birthday, Justin Bieber!

Okay, so I'm not 14 years old. But I have seen Justin Bieber's movie (in 3D, no less!) -- Never Say Never.

I didn't know much about JB before I saw the movie -- other that what I read in People magazine, for the most part. But my brother has five little girls (ages 4-13) and they've seen the movie seven times now, so Jon and I came along to see it for my niece (& goddaughter) Lauren's birthday in mid-February.

I have to say, I'm impressed. The kid has talent -- and beyond that, he has something to teach resume writers about branding, social media, and (client) relationship management.

As a brand, he's a force. Seven million+ followers on Twitter. More than 6,000 Tweets sent (I'm sure by now he has a social media team helping him with it, but in the early days, it was all him!) More than 22 MILLION Facebook fans for his brand page. And when he cut his hair, he (reportedly) lost 80,000 Twitter followers. Amazing.

A guest post on the TechCrunch blog today gets it: "What Every Entrepreneur Could Learn from Justin Bieber." The BrittInspired blog opines on "What Justin Bieber Taught Me About Social Media."

My favorite bit of wisdom from that post:
 The Bieb’s career started when a talent manager found a video of him singing on YouTube. That’s all it takes. One great piece of content. One person to notice you and unimaginable things can happen. No one is going to notice you if they don’t know you’re there.

Plus, the kid is inspiring. So is the movie. Go see it.
Happy 17th Birthday, Justin Bieber!

Guest Blog Post: The K.E.Y. To Becoming a Successful Ebook Writer

By Jimmy D. Brown

There must be some reason why certain ebook writers are successful and others are not.

In other words, why do some authors make hundreds -- or thousands of dollars each month -- and others barely make enough to cover their credit card processing fees?

There must be some reason for the difference in level of success, right?

There is.

In fact, there are three "reasons" why that I want to share with you now. I've used the word "K.E.Y." as an acronym to reveal these three elements of successful ebook publishing.

1. K = KEEP it concise.  

One of the biggest mistakes ebook writers make is starting their project with the idea in mind that their ebook must be a certain number of pages in length.

That is, they assume the ebook should be 50 pages or 100 pages or even 200 pages in order to be desirable to consumers.

Wrong.  Ding. Thanks for playing.

Much more important than QUANTITY is QUALITY.  Almost every potential customer in your target market is considerably more interested in learning something useful than they are reading a bunch of commentary that has little or no real value to them.

The ability to concisely (yet comprehensively) share content that is practical is a must if you want to be successful in the information business.  No fluff.  No filler.  No fat.  Just the meat.

That's what readers want.  Especially today in our fast-paced, instant, I-want-it-now society.

And chances are you are much more likely to write a 30-page manual to help your clients create an online profile for job searching and get it done than you are to slave over trying to measure up to a 200-page masterpiece.

Your first key to success is "keep it concise." Share what you need to share in the least amount of pages as possible. It doesn't have to be the great American novel.  This isn't Hemingway.  

2. E = ENJOY yourself.

I simply must mention that if you enjoy your "work" then you are exponentially more likely to complete your ebooks than those who reluctantly or grudgingly write.

Seriously, don't underestimate what I'm saying here. You'll get much more done as a writer by having fun with your subject matter.

That's the beauty of information publishing.  YOU get to pick the topic.  A topic of interest -- of passion -- to you as the author.  Something you find enjoyable, even exhilarating.

To be sure, you want to choose topics that are in demand and have a ready-made audience awaiting who are willing to purchase them.  But, at the same time, you can look for those marketable topics that appeal to your interests and expertise.

(It's a natural that resume writers have lots of topics that will be of interest to job seekers.)

I don't care how "profitable" a subject may be, I'd never take it on as a project of mine unless I got some sense of satisfaction or enjoyment in writing about it.

Instead, look for those things that you are already talking about anyway.  And then write what you've been talking about.

3. Y = YIELD results.

Finally, I must exhort you to "yield results."  That is, you simply must stick to it and finish the job.

I cannot tell you how many people that I've met online who struggle with the affliction "short-of-the-finish-line-itis."

They begin running the race with gusto.  They pick their topic like it was a Nike outfit.  They outline their ebook like they just heard the starting gun fire.  They come up with ideas to include in their work like they were sprinting down the track.

And when they round the first corner, they start slowing down.  Before they know it, they're up in the stands watching others cross the finish line.

That's why I am adamant about telling you the golden rule of ebook content:
Never start something you can't finish in 30 days.

With any new ebook you are planning on writing, choose the topic and outline it in such a way that you can complete the content within one calendar month.  Anything that goes beyond that period of time is likely going to be discarded somewhere past the starting gate and before the finish line.

It's important that you set for your goal a reasonable, reachable amount of pages for your ebook ... such as 30 pages.  Then, divide that goal number of pages into your 30 days.  In this example, it would mean writing just ONE page per day (very realistic!) for 30 days and your ebook will be completed.

Victory!  The finish line!

Certainly there are a wide variety of other "keys" to being successful as an ebook writer (choosing the right topics, learning to outline well, brainstorming ideas, marketing, etc.) but these three form a solid foundation for you to build upon as you continue to learn more about information publishing.

K = KEEP it concise.
E = ENJOY yourself.
Y = YIELD results.

See you on your victory lap!

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Jimmy D. Brown is the author of, "5 Keys To A Big-Profit, S.M.A.L.L. Reports Business."  To download your free copy, visit http://www.SmallReportsFortune.com

Clipart courtesy of http://www.freeclipartnow.com

Guest Blog Post: E-mail Newsletters: Still Relevant?

As social media and blogging have grown more and more popular, there’s been some talk about the demise of the “lowly” email newsletter, or e-zine. Once a staple of business owners using the Internet to market and promote their businesses, it seems that lately the thinking is that they’re not so important anymore. Or, even worse, not as effective.

If you’re not familiar, an e-zine can be as simple as a plain text email with a couple of helpful tips for your readers—to a HTML version with pictures, an article, listings of your upcoming events and more.While it’s true that there is more “stuff” clamoring for our attention in our inboxes than ever before—and blogs and social media seem to be the more of-the-moment methods to reach out to potential customers—I still believe that an e-zine is a key marketing tool. In fact, it’s the perfect vehicle for continuing the relationship you’ve begun with people on social media sites or your blog.

Here are a few reasons why:

1) Keeps you top of mind

As much as we would like to think that our prospects or our audience are always thinking of us (wouldn’t THAT be nice?), it’s unfortunately not the case. Just as a company wouldn’t run a TV commercial just once, repetition is necessary to remind people of you, your offerings and your expertise.

2) Intimacy

No, not that kind. An e-zine gives you a great opportunity to create a feeling of “intimacy” between yourself and your readers by sharing a bit about what is going on with you outside of your business. (Think about what you’ve been up to lately—got anything to share about your recent vacation, your pets, a great book you’ve just finished?) Often people do this in a section at the beginning of their e-zine under a heading such as “A Note From” or something similar. This helps strengthen the relationship with your subscribers by giving them a glimpse into who you are.

3) Expert status

The more consistently you share information, tips and articles on the subject or niche you are most knowledgeable in, the more credibility you gain in the eyes of your readers. Perceived expertise leads to trust which leads to sales.

A few other tips for your e-zine:

Frequency: How often you send it depends on how often you can commit to doing so, (how’s that for an answer ? ) but I recommend at a minimum twice a month and ideally, once a week. Remember, you want to stay top of mind above all else.

Subject line: Another important part of your e-zine is your subject line. Obviously you want as many people to open your e-zine as possible, so have some fun with this. Think of what would stir up curiosity in your reader—and don’t be afraid to be a little provocative or a teensy bit controversial once in a while.

When to send: A common question is “what day is best to send it out?” There is no set answer to this, except to say that I have heard several different opinions on the matter. Tuesday through Thursday is often said to be the best time—however, I know others who send theirs out on Sunday and have a very good open rate as well. You may want to play around and test a couple of different days and see what your results are. No matter what day you choose, know that an open rate of 25% and above is considered good. Your email marketing service will be able to supply those stats.

If you’ve been hesitant about putting together your e-zine because you think you don’t have enough content or you don’t have a fancy-looking template, remember, simple is fine. Start with one tip. The sooner you make the commitment to communicate with your list on a regular basis, the sooner you can reap the benefits of that strengthened relationship.

No more excuses, ok?

Christine Gallagher, The Online Marketing and Social Media Success Coach, is founder of Communicate Value, where she is dedicated to teaching small business owners and professionals how to conquer the overwhelming aspects of online and social media marketing to increase business and maximize profits. To get your free 5-Part E-Course and receive her weekly marketing & success articles on leveraging technology, building relationships and boosting your profits, visit http://communicatevalue.com.