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

© Alexandr Mitiuc - Fotolia.com

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

Here's What You're Missing...

If you’re not a member of BeAResumeWriter.com, here’s what you’re missing right now… (for only $10/month you get EVERYTHING on this page)…

Latest and Greatest Learning Opportunities
First, there is a monthly training webinar that you’ll get the recordings for -- AND transcripts -- as part of our "Expert Interview Series." Here's the recordings currently available on the site:

• "Building Affiliate Relationships to Grow Your Resume Business"
• "The Employment Game: How Are You Preparing Your Clients" with Janine Moon
• "Feed the Media: How to Get Publicity For Your Resume Writing Business"
• "Using Content to Capture New Career Clients"
• "Five Keys to Generating New Business With Online Marketing" with Mark McLaren

Click here to get access to the recordings of all the teleseminars above -- PLUS, keep reading to see what else you'll get!

AND...

Each month you'll get a new Special Report, helping you be more effective in your resume writing business:

• Write Great Resumes Faster (sells for $14)
• Resume Writer's Online Marketing Guidebook: 21-Step Guide to Taking Your Resume Business Offline to Online (sells for $14)
• Maximizing Your Cash Flow: Subcontracting and Referral Relationships (sells for $10)
• Making Money Writing E-Books
• Referral-Based Marketing Strategies: How to Generate New Clients For Your Resume Writing Business
• Website Traffic Secrets for Resume Writers
• Time Management and Productivity Strategies for Resume Writers
• Emotional Marketing: Connecting With Resume Clients

(The previous month's report is removed when the next month's Special Report is added. You can purchase some of the previous reports separately -- see the links above.)

Plus additional BONUS special reports each month (these are changed out monthly). Currently, the bonus special reports available are:

• "Using Google Checkout In Your Resume Writing Business"
• "101 Productivity Principles For Getting Things Done"
• "Advanced Features of Microsoft Word: Document Review"
• "Twitter Tracking & Analytics"
• "Practical and Creative Online Business Branding"
• "Membership Sites and Partnerships"
• "Offline Advertising and Promotion"
• "Marketing Ideas for Business"

Click here to get access to this month's special report -- "Emotional Marketing: Connecting With Resume Clients" and the bonus special reports listed.

AND...

You'll also get access to Pass-Along Materials -- brandable, ready-to-go content you can use with your resume writing clients. These are articles, checklists, and special reports provided in Microsoft Word format that you can simply stick your name on and use "as is," or edit and/or rewrite into new content. These resources will help your clients be more effective in their job search, but you don't have to take hours and hours to write them. Each month, you have access to a unique PAM content package.

Here are the topics addressed:

• "Do You Have Any Questions for Me? The Question Every Candidate Should Be Prepared to Answer In An Interview" (October 2011)
• "Getting Started With LinkedIn In Your Job Search" (November 2011)
• "Jobseeker's Guide to References" (December 2011)
• "Job Search Advice: 365+ Ready-To-Go Tweets and Facebook Posts" (January 2012)
• "Jobseeker's Guide to Salary Negotiation" (February 2012)
• "Jobseeker's Guide to Online Reputation Management" (March 2012)
• "Getting Started With Facebook In Your Job Search" (April 2012)
• "What To Do Next With Your Resume" (May 2012)

(Previous Pass-Along Materials packages are removed when the next month's PAM content is added. You can purchase some of the previous PAMs -- see the links above.)

Click Here to Join BeAResumeWriter.com and Get Access to the "What To Do Next With Your Resume" Pass-Along Materials Report. I've Nicknamed it, "You've Got Your Resume: Now What?"

You'll also get access to the ENTIRE BACK ISSUE ARCHIVE of the Resume Writers' Digest newsletter. This is literally hundreds of pages of great articles and information dating back to 1999, including recaps of conference sessions on resume writing, marketing, and business management.

On BeAResumeWriter.com, you also get access to "Business Forms & Templates" you can use. Here's a quick list of what's available (new forms are added regularly!):

• Resume Critique Form
• Instruction Sheet for Final Files
• Company Profile Sheet
• Backup Resources
• Resume Writing Business Checklist
• Subcontractor Tracking Form
• Business Expense Budget
• Monthly Trending Report
• Promotional Calendar Template
• Conference Budget Form
• Conference Quick List

You'll also have access to an Enhanced Membership Directory -- and your listing on BeAResumeWriter.com is searchable by prospective clients looking for a resume writer. (You'll find a link to the BeAResumeWriter.com Directory of Professional Resume Writers on Google.)

Have you heard that blogging can build your business? Check out our 10-video series on "Building a Better Business Blog" -- currently available for Bronze members. Previously, we had a 10-video series on "Web Marketing Intensives." These resources are changed out periodically.

Speaking of "resources" -- check out our Public Relations Resources. Building on the information offered in the "Feed the Media" teleseminar (available for download or streaming audio on the site), you'll have access to:

• 12 Timely News Release Topics
• 25 Reasons to Send a News Release
• News Release Ideas from A to Z
• Sample News Releases

All that ... for $10/month. Seriously -- is there a better value for your dollar?

JOIN TODAY.

"Crossing the Generational Divide"

Last week, I helped out at a three-day conference for insurance and financial professionals. One of the sessions I was most looking forward to sitting in on was "Crossing the Generational Divide," with Preston Swincher of The Center for Generational Kinetics.

I had watched a video on YouTube of Swincher presenting on the topic of generational differences, and I thought he was both insightful and hilarious. (I've also included the video at the end of this post ... see if you agree.)

Swincher helps people understand how generational differences affect the workplace and specifically, communication issues. He started with an exercise where he asked the participants in the room (approximately 100 insurance agents and financial professionals -- most of whom were between the ages of 40 and 70) to think about the most menial job they ever had, how old they were when they started that job, and how much they earned at that job (by the hour). This being Nebraska, the "best" response was $.12/hour or a penny a cow for milking cows. Both of those respondents would surely be breaking child labor laws if they were doing it today, of course.

He pointed out, however, that even if the individuals made 75 cents or less an hour in that first job, "you still saved (part of that) money." Audience members nodded. They laughed when he said, "I'm part of Generation Y. If we earn $30,000 a year, we spend $50,000. It's the new math."

Swincher pointed out that — on average — Generation Y workers go to work at 3-5 years older than every other generation started working. He said, "That changes things. It changes how you look at work, and how you look at responsibility." He pointed out that Gen Y workers are entering the "work" stage at a different "life" stage compared to other generations.

He drew another knowing laugh when he said, "It's our very first job ... so we're probably ... 27."

Swincher asked audience members to think back to all the things they learned from that first job. He asked, "If you could offer one sentence of advice for that generation (Gen Y), what would that advice be?"

The answers included:

• Hard work never hurt anybody.
• Remember who are customers are … they are the people who actually pay you.
• Take pride in what you are doing.
• Show up and be on time.
• Act on your commitments, not your feelings.
• Be different in order to be superior.
• Be willing to pay the price; get over this feeling of entitlement.

© antonbrand - Fotolia.com

Swincher said the best piece of advice he's heard so far, from an audience in Dallas, was from an older gentleman who contributed, "Pull up your pants."

Swincher noted that people want to be motivated — they want to be led from their personal life experiences.

When they look at this generation of workers, older generations don't see what's in front of them — instead, they see themselves when they were the same age. The young worker sees his parents, "who may or may not need help restarting a computer." More laughs from the audience.

That separation of perspective is a huge challenge for some people.

Swincher noted that for the first time ever in this country, we have four generations working side by side all at the same time.

Swincher's employer, The Center for Generational Kinetics, looks at what shapes people and how it influences behavior in the marketplace and how we can forecast that.

You can find out more about what Swincher had to say in the next issue of Resume Writers' Digest.

Check out this video with Preston Swincher -- and let me know what you think in the comments:

Motivating Resume Prospects

Yesterday, I wrote a blog post "Before You Can Motivate, Seek to Understand Your Resume Prospects." I'd like to talk more about motivation today.

I'm reading a book, "Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive" (I'm only on page 44, but it's very interesting reading so far...) and wanted to share some ideas on using copywriting principles to motivate prospective resume clients into buying from you. Of course, many of these same ideas can be used in your actual resumes too.

One way to look at copywriting is as the art of creating motivation using the written word. The written word carries profound power to persuade. How do you use this powerful tool to create motivation? By mastering and implementing these five principles.

Principle #1: Using Benefit-Driven Language
Most resume writers focus a lot of attention on telling consumers why their resume writing service is the best. Yet at the end of the day, that's not what consumers care about.

Consumers care about what you can do for them. They don't really care that you have three certifications or that you offer a 30-day guarantee. They don't care that you've been in business longer than anyone else, but they do care about reliable service. Most important, however, is that they care that your resume can get them interviews ... and ultimately, the job.

Translate statements from "about me" to "about what we can do for you."

Principle #2: Use Power Words
Power words or action words are words that pack an emotional punch. Instead of saying that the new resume will help them get interviews, say that the resume will help secure more interviews and job offers. Instead of saying their resume will help them get more job interviews, say their phone will be ringing off the hook from prospective employers wanting to hear them.

Power words create mental imagery and have an emotional tone that helps sell your product.

Principle #3: Proof, Proof, Proof
Prove every claim you make. People today are extremely skeptical -- and rightly so. There are so many people making bold claims that promising a benefit simply isn't enough anymore.

Prove what you're promising, then prove it again and throw some proof on top. It's much better to solidly prove that you can help someone get more interviews than it is to loudly proclaim that you can help them get interviews without proof.

People won't feel motivated unless you can prove that you're the real deal. And unfortunately, many resume writers don't follow up with clients to be able to gather supporting data needed to provide proof that their resume services work.

Principle #4: Removal of Risk
Doing business with a company for the first time is very risky for consumers. They don't know if you'll fulfill your claims, they don't know if your resume writing is any good, they don't know how good your service is — they really don't know much at all about you.

That's why risk removal is such a powerful way to get people to act on their motivation.

Risk removal doesn't actually create motivation. Instead, what it does is remove barriers to getting people to act on their desire for your product.

Add a powerful money-back guarantee to your resume service to reduce and remove risk.

Principle #5: Urgency
When people think they're going to miss out if they don't act, that's a powerful motivator. It's called the "Fear of Missing Out" or FOMO for short.

Learn to leverage FOMO in your copywriting and you'll be able to motivate and generate real action. Use it to take people from wanting your product to actually buying it.

Before You Can Motivate, Seek to Understand Your Resume Prospects

Before you try to motivate someone to become a resume client, the first thing to do is spend as much time as possible really understanding who they are and where they're coming from. Your customer doesn't care that you want to motivate them to become a customer. They just want their problem solved. (They simply want a job. Or, if they have a job, they want a new job.)

Speakers and business owners who focus on trying to motivate people often fail. Why? Because wanting to motivate someone is inherently a self-centered desire. "I want to help people find a job," or "I want to build my resume business," or "I want people to buy," are all "I-focused" statements.

Instead, successful resume writers don't start with what they want. They don't start with wanting to motivate jobseekers; they start with what the customer wants.

The Magic Question: What Do You Want?
When it comes to business, what the customer wants is king. If the customer wants something that's different than what you want to provide, you'll have to ask yourself which is more important — the success of your business, or going the path you chose.

The most successful businesses in the world almost all undergo a drastic change and revamping at some point:

• Pixar started out as a company designed to manufacture 3D rendering technology. They lost money until they realized the market was in actually creating the movies themselves.
• IBM was one of the world's largest computer manufacturers for years, until the personal computer revolution. They then realized their customers just didn't want what they had to offer anymore, and had to reform their company into one that did consulting instead.

The same applies to resume writers. People often get into business with one set idea of what they want to provide, without asking questions or understanding where their customers are coming from first.

Deeply Understand ... and Motivation Will Come
If you want to motivate jobseekers, first start by understanding them better than anyone else does. If you can understand your audience better than your competitors, you'll be able to motivate them better than your competitors.

What is the real pain point with your target audience? Why are they willing to spend money on your resume service (instead of doing it themselves)? What is it like to not have a solution to their pain yet?

How do people decide on how much they want to pay? Is it based on price, as is a commodity? Or is it based on how likely they believe you'll be able to solve their problem, as it is in consulting?

Try to understand how your customers decide on a solution and why they haven't picked any of your competitors. Try to understand what they want more than anything else.

When you speak, if customers get the sense that you've really taken the time to understand them, they will respond.

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.

Securing Referrals From Other Resume Writers

Purchase This Report 

I've written lots of blog posts -- and even a special report -- on developing referral business. But in talking with a resume writer colleague yesterday, I thought of a couple of issues that make matching up a referral among resume writers a little bit easier.

Many resume writers ask for colleagues who are interested in a referral on the professional association E-Lists. The usual response is a series of email responses along the lines of "I'll take the client." 

Having been on the "asking" end of soliciting a referral writer, I can tell you that doesn't make it easy to choose a writer to send to prospective clients. That's why you'll sometimes see resume writers ask for prospective writers to contact them off-list, or they'll say something like, "The first three writers to respond will be forwarded to the prospect."

But there's a better way to handle referrals. Here are a couple of ground rules:

• Only respond to referral requests that you are qualified to serve. In some cases, resume writers are overbooked and can't accept a client due to time constraints. But in most cases, referrals are made when a client needs a specialist. If you're not a specialist, don't use this opportunity to pick up a new client. This is not your chance to get some practice with an unfamiliar field. You're not serving your new client -- and you're not helping your colleague. You might be a great resume writer, but the referring resume writer wants to look good too. 

• Distinguish yourself. The resume writer I spoke to was surprised when his request for referrals was answered with resume writers who either didn't establish their credentials for being qualified to write the client's resume -- or, worse, they sent samples, but they weren't for the type of project being referred. (If you want a referral for a Bioscience project, send a science-related sample!)

• Establish your expertise and secure referrals without competition. If you're a specialist in a particular field -- information technology, federal resumes, military transition, engineering ... whatever -- you can cultivate referrals by establishing your expertise. Instead of responding to general requests, you can elicit direct referrals by participating on E-Lists as a subject matter expert, and the next time someone is looking to refer a client within your specialty, they will likely contact you directly.

• Prepare yourself for referrals. If one of your client acquisition strategies is to solicit referrals from colleagues, prepare for for the referral request. Create a one-page sheet demonstrating your credentials. This should include your specialty area, credentials (especially any industry-specific certifications or training), scope of work you perform (resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, etc.), related books you've been published in, and any testimonials received from clients in this field/industry.

• Outline your referral rate. Many resume writers are happy to make a referral to a qualified colleague simply to serve a client -- but offering a referral fee can help make it worth the referring resume writer's effort to find a writer for the prospect. The "standard" fee for referrals is 15%, although it can range from nothing to 30% or more. By outlining the referral fee in your response to the requesting resume writer, you might get the nod over another writer who doesn't offer a referral fee.

If you're on the asking -- or receiving -- end of referrals (or want to be!), check out the "Maximizing Your Cash Flow: Subcontracting and Referral Relationships" special report.

Today's Reach Personal Branding Interview Series: William Arruda and Deb Dib!

Reach Personal Branding Interview Series Today's Guests: Deb Dib and William Arruda

REGISTER NOW for the call-in details
http://360rea.ch/HLufUn

======================================
Guest Deb Dib & William Arruda – April 19, 2012
======================================

The world is experiencing an increasingly
volatile marketplace forcing significant change
for both employees and employers. What could
possibly offer both executives and those they lead
the sense of stability, empowerment,
value-creation, and recognition in this
environment?

Personal Branding.

Most executives and employers, who are serious
about building their careers, have accepted this
truth but they may find themselves struggling with
how to live the power of their personal brand.
They need a relevant, actionable, fun and fast
career success guide that teaches them how to live
their brand.

Look no further…your troubles have been solved!

Ditch. Dare. Do! is the quick-start guide and
deep-dive instruction manual every executive and
employer needs to leverage the power of personal
branding. Deliberately bold and brief, Ditch.
Dare. Do! is a series of powerful stand-alone
two-page vignettes that create a comprehensive
roadmap for career success and fulfillment in the
new and exciting world of work.

Usually William Arruda, founder of Reach Personal
Branding, is the one asking all the tough
questions. But this interview will be a bit
different. The Reach Personal Branding Interview
taking place Thursday, April 19, 2012 at noon EST,
William will be the one answering the questions!
He and Deb Dib, co-authors of Ditch. Dare. Do!
will share with us some personal branding secrets
from their soon-to-be-released book: Ditch. Dare.
Do! Personal Branding GPS for 3-D Executive
Success.

In this interview, which will be recorded, you
will learn:

-How adopting a "Ditch. Dare. Do!" mindset drives
3-D executive success.
-Why continuous mind-shifting is so necessary for
career success today—and how 3-D branding can
help.
-Why "Ditches, Dares, and Dos!" are career
propulsion for all executives—from innovation
leaders to risk-averse traditionalists.
-Strategies even the busiest executives can use
to create and execute a 3-D brand plan as their
personal GPS for executive success.
-Why 3-D branding is good business for companies
and teams.
-How coaches can use these concepts to help their
clients increase success.

Deb Dib

Deb Dib, often called the career industry's
Resident Trend-spotter and Chief Innovation
Officer, is an unabashedly 'disruptive' and
passionate personal branding and career
communications expert.

A Reach Certified Personal Branding Strategists
since 2004, Deb pairs proven Reach methodology
with her innovative 'bold, brief, and branded'
career-comm to help colleagues and clients answer
today's mantra: 'So what? Make me care! Do it
fast!'

Deb is the co-author (with William Arruda) of
Ditch. Dare. Do! 3D Branding for Executives, the
first recipient of the Dick Bolles/Career
Management Alliance Parachute Award, and winner of
Career Directors International's Career Innovation
award (for co-authoring The Twitter Job Search
Guide). She is the co-creator (with Susan
Whitcomb) of The Academies' Get Clear. Get Found.
Get Hired! Coach program (The G3) and Why-Buy-ROI™
branding. She is the founder of C-Suite Career
Catalysts, a consortium of top career pros
focusing on C-level careers and issues.

Deb holds nine certifications and is featured in
30+ career books. Her advice has appeared in
articles in The Washington Post, The New York
Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Daily News,
Newsday, Forbes.com, Money.com, and
BusinessWeek.com among others.

William ArrudaDubbed the Personal Branding Guru by Entrepreneur
magazine, William Arruda is the founder and
President of Reach, the world’s leading personal
branding consultancy with representatives in 30
countries. He is credited with turning the concept
of personal branding into a global industry. One
of the most sought-after speakers on career
management and executive success, he has delivered
hundreds of keynotes to audiences of five to five
thousand throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and
Africa.

His corporate clients include Adobe, BP, British
Telecom, IBM, L’Oreal, JPMorgan, Microsoft, Morgan
Stanley and Starwood Hotels. His private clients
include some of the world’s most influential
leaders. As a thought-leader, William is a
spokesperson on personal branding and social
media. He has appeared on BBC TV, the Discovery
Channel and Fox News Live and he has been featured
in countless publications, including Forbes,
Strategies (France), Time Magazine, Veja (Brazil),
the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.
William is the author of the bestselling book,
Career Distinction, and the upcoming book, Ditch.
Dare. Do! He has lived in Boston, London and Paris
and now calls New York City home.

================================================
Topic: 3D Personal Branding: Your GPS for
Executive Success
Guest: Deb Dib & William Arruda
Date: Thursday, April 19, 2012
Time: 12:00 Noon – 1:00 pm Eastern (NYC Time)
Register for dial-in number:
http://360rea.ch/HLufUn

"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.

Content Marketing: Striking the Right Balance Between Selling and Connection

As I prepare for the "Using Content to Capture New Career Clients" teleseminar on Monday (90 people are currently registered!), one of the points I want to emphasize is the use of content for list-building -- and the importance of not just selling, but giving something of value to the people who connect with you.

Email marketing often involves a tightrope walk between selling and connection. If you sell too much, you'll lose your customer's interest and burn out your list. Focus too much on connection and not on selling and you won't generate enough revenue.

What's the right balance?

Between 10% and 20% Selling

Generally the right amount is somewhere between 10% and 20% selling, with between 80% to 90% of your content being focused on quality, solving the customer's problems and making a connection.

That means, for every five emails you send, four should focus on great content. As they start to get emails from you, they'll know that emails from you will be of a high quality.

Having 80%+ of your content be connection-based also does one other thing: it essentially buys you the right to sell to them.

When someone gets immense value from the emails you're sending, they won't feel resentful when they read a sales message. In fact, they'll read your sales messages with an open mind, knowing that there's a good chance they might get value from the product you're offering.

If you oversell, people will resent being sold to. If you consistently provide high quality content, people will look forward to your next product and eagerly read your sales message.

The 5-to-1 Email or the "At the Bottom" Style

There are primarily two different ways you can split your selling and connection content.

The first method is to send only emails that have connection and problem-solving content, then every once in a while send a 100% sales message. (That's the method I'm talking about above.)

If you use this method, make sure that your sales messages also provide value. Even if you regularly send out quality content, you still can't just send out a spammy ad. Instead, you have to provide value even as you're selling them.

By sending only one sales message every 5 or 6 emails, you keep up with the 10% to 20% rule.

The other method is to sell in each email you send, by putting an advertisement or one or two promotional sentences at the bottom of every email.

This method works very well, because instead of trying to get a home run of sales in one email, you're getting a steady flow of sales with every email that you send.

Try to tie in your sales message with the email itself. For example, if your email talked about all the most common obstacles jobseekers run into when looking for new positions, then pitch your product or service at the end. This could be an ebook you're selling (maybe one based on Pass-Along Materials), a free resume critique, a resume update, or interview coaching.

Walking the fine line between over- and underselling in email marketing can be a little tough. As a rule of thumb, sell between 10% and 20% of the time to maximize customer connection while still pulling in strong revenues. For more on content marketing and its role in getting you new business, be sure to sign up for the free "Using Content to Capture New Career Clients" teleseminar this week.

7 Time Management Tips for Resume Writers

Here's something a little different! For today's blog post, I recorded a video, with 7 Time Management Tips for Resume Writers.

Using these time management strategies, you may be able to cut the time it takes to write a resume in half. Good work habits can be the factor that makes all the difference.

Here's a summary of the tips:

1. Identify your easiest tasks. Make a list of things that you really enjoy -- especially the activities that put you "in the zone," making time seem to fly by. Move items that are not legitimately work-related to another list. Prioritize the remaining activities in order of importance. Highlight in yellow activities that directly make you money; highlight in blue activities that are not directly billable to a specific client, but are still work-related. Start each day by doing the "money-making" (yellow) tasks first, then see how many "maintenance" (blue) tasks you can fit into the rest of your day.

2. Identify your most-hated tasks. Compile a list of your "drudge tasks," and think about each one. Ask yourself: Why am I having so much trouble with this task? Do I feel inadequate or overwhelmed by the task? Is it just boring or outside of my skills and interests? How can I eliminate this task? Will my resume writing business survive if I do? Who can I outsource or delegate this task to? If I decide to keep doing it, what would make it more fun or easier to manage?

3. Identify distractions. Eliminate predictable distractions (like that hour you lose each day on Facebook) and work to minimize unpredictable distractions (like the dog whose paw is stuck in the dishwasher). Schedule those "time-suck" activities for a specific time of day (ideally, at the end of your workday), or set a timer to remind you it's time to get back to the "money-maker" tasks.

4. Set goals you can reach. Break projects down into bite-size components, then schedule and tackle those components in a manageable number each day. If a long-term goal seems unattainable, break it down into easier, short-term steps.

5. Re-evaluate your daily priorities. If being overwhelmed is a big problem for you, pick just three single priority tasks per day, and tackle those first, before you do anything else. (Usually, these will be client consultations and the actual resume writing process itself.) You'll be amazed at how much easier the rest of the day will flow.

6. Take breaks. You'll produce your best work if you remember it's all about balance in your emotional life, your personal life, and your work life. Get up from your computer at regular intervals. Schedule small, regular household tasks into each day as a "work break." Consider an exercise break midway through the day -- say, a 20 minute walk around the block. And take a music break -- especially for tackling high stress projects!

7. Recognize your rhythms. Every resume writer has an optimum time of day when they produce their best work, as well as a minimal time of day when they are most likely to "fight" their work. Fit your work around your minimal periods -- and do your best to ensure your "peak" periods aren't interrupted by unnecessary distractions.

Want more resources to help you with time management and your resume writing? Check out the "Write Great Resumes Faster" special report.

Understanding Web Analytics for Your Resume Website

With more and more clients finding their resume writers through web searches, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and website traffic strategies are becoming more important for resume writers to understand how to drive visitors to your resume website.

One way you can objectively tell if your website traffic generating strategies are working is to look at your web analytics. You can use the analytics built into your website hosting program, or you can use a free tool like Google Analytics. Here's the first page of an actual Google Analytics report:

Website analytics can tell you a lot. For a resume writer, understanding web analytics is a crucial skill. Your analytics can tell you whether people understand what you're offering, whether people like your brand, and whether or not your website is doing everything it can to bring you new clients.

Here are some of the important numbers every resume writer should be watching in their web analytics.

How Many Visitors Are You Getting?
The first -- and most important -- number you should be watching is how many visitors you're getting. In addition to the raw number, also pay attention to whether the visitor count is going up or down. (You can check this weekly or monthly, but quarterly trends will give you a "bigger picture" analysis.)

As your marketing efforts progress, you should see a direct boost to your visitor count. It might not happen right away, but within a couple months, you should see a measurable increase.

How Many Hit a Goal?
Your resume website should have a very clear goal. For most resume writers, that goal should be to get a website visitor to either inquire about -- or purchase -- your resume services. (How many visitors do you convert into inquiries and/or sales?)

You can actually use Google Analytic's "Goals" feature to track your progress towards your stated "goal." You can measure progress in terms of folks who fill out an inquiry/contact form, sign up for your email list, download a special report on a careers-related topic, or make a deposit or sale.

Whatever the case, you should be carefully tracking the goal hit rate for your website.

Learn more about the "Goals" feature in Google Analytics.

Geographic Location
Are the people who're landing on your website the right kinds of people? If you have a small local business, check to make sure the traffic you're getting is actually from your area. Many resume writers nowadays work "virtually," so location isn't as important as it used to be.

Where Does the Traffic Come From?
How do people end up on your website? Do they type something into the search engines and end up on your site? Or do they enter your URL manually? Is someone else sending people to your website? (LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook can be huge "referrers" to your website.)

Tracking your traffic sources and your referrer data can give you valuable information about what's working and what's not working when it comes to generating traffic.

Bounce Rate
This is an analytic that is often misunderstood. The bounce rate measures the percentage of people who land on your website and leave without visiting a second page on your website. (They only visit one page -- maybe your home page, or a landing page -- and then they leave the site.)

A high bounce rate usually means that visitors came to your site expecting one thing but didn't find what they were looking for. If your bounce rate is above 60%, you might have some serious revamping to do.

Are People Coming Back?
Finally, check to see whether or not people who visit your website come back again. (Look at the "New Visits" analytic.)

For some businesses, this is an irrelevant statistic. For example, a restaurant's website doesn't really expect to get repeat visitors. People just use the website to find the address or phone number so they can show up. But for resume writers, you want people to keep coming back to your site -- especially if you have a blog.

Most people who are looking for a resume writer aren't ready to "buy" when they start their search. This is particularly true for prospects who are spending $400 or more on a resume. (Under $250, resumes are almost an "impulse buy" and you may be able to get them to purchase right away.)

Over $400, the goal is to get them to your site, give them some valuable information, and then -- most important! -- get them to opt-in to your mailing list, can move them along the process to making a direct inquiry about your services.

These are some of the many things that your analytics system can tell you. Learning to understand analytics can really help you steer your resume writing business in the right direction.

Why You Should Have a Membership Site for Your Resume Writing Business

Are you looking for ways to serve your resume writing clients more effectively -- or create another stream of income? Try a membership site. It is not easy, but it can pay off in many ways for your business.

Why do people seek out your resume writing business? They want a job ... even if they are just buying a resume. They really want more help -- and it may be more help than they are willing to pay for ... at least up front. The advantage of a membership site is that you can provide "group" services (with corresponding "group" pricing).

A membership site can increase not only your profits but also your expert status and visibility in your niche market. Be aware, however -- while there are many advantages to a membership site, the first requirement is that you are ready to handle the increased workload. You can decide what you are going to offer in your membership site -- some of them, like a fixed-term membership site, can be "set it and forget it." Others, like a membership site that includes a weekly Q&A call, won't require much preparation, but will test your expertise as you might get some unexpected questions. You can also create a membership program where customers pay a monthly fee to get priority access for resume updates and resume retargets. You can provide them with a monthly e-newsletter with career tips as their "tangible" membership benefit.

Research all that you need to do to get and keep it up and running. Make sure you don't overextend yourself -- pick a program you can manage without too much extra time and effort. If you can fulfill all the promises of your program, then you are golden.

So, back to the reasons why you need a membership site. Here are a few.

• Dedicated customers. Once you convince someone to buy a membership, they will automatically renew each month as long as you provide the promised tools/services. The idea of a membership site is to satisfy a need, but at a higher level. Even if the members one day opt out of the membership, they will more than likely still use your services in some other capacity. (And the monthly payment is a reminder of you each month.)
• Monthly income. Like I said, you are creating a new income stream. As long as your customers are satisfied, you can count on that money coming in each month.
• Increase your brand. Through offering exclusive services to your members, you are strengthening your brand. This means having the resources to provide consistent quality to your members each and every month. When that happens, these members will promote your membership site with their network which can net you more membership site members -- but also more prospective resume clients as well.
• You can expand this portion of your business. Your membership site may start out with one level until you get the hang of managing it and/or you pick up more customers. Adding a multiple tier of services increases monthly profits and opportunities to attract more customers. It also helps solidify your position in your niche market. (If you have a membership program with weekly Q&A calls, you may add a second tier that includes you answering up to 3 email questions from the member each week.)

Membership sites can be a pitfall if you are not careful. Being prepared can avoid this problem. Have your resources in place to continually provide tools and benefits for clients each and every month. Also, donít forget to create a communication system where a client can reach you when they need you and get a timely response.

Membership sites can be a big boon to your resume writing business if you are prepared to take the challenge.

Free Teleseminar on Wednesday, April 11 - "Using Content to Capture New Career Clients"

Free Teleseminar: "Using Content to Capture New Career Clients" --

How You Can Use Article Writing, Blogging, Special Reports, and Other Types of Content to Establish Yourself as an Expert, Build Your Mailing List, and Convert Prospects Into Clients for Your Resume Writing and Career Services

Wednesday, April 11, 2012 • 3:30 p.m. Eastern time

with Bridget (Weide) Brooks, editor of Resume Writers' Digest and founder of BeAResumeWriter.com.

Creating content -- shared through articles, blog posts, information products, teleseminars, webinars, and/or live speaking opportunities -- is a great way to establish yourself as a career services expert. It can also be vital to increasing your online presence (content ranks very highly in online search results), which drives traffic to your website. Content can also be used as a revenue stream, providing passive income (through special reports, ebooks, membership programs, or hardcopy books). It can also help you grow your mailing list, allowing you to increase your prospect conversion rates and generate referrals.

This teleseminar is designed to help you in several ways:

• How can you come up with content? You're busy. What content do you already have? What content can you access for free or a very low cost?
• How can you repurpose content so you don't have to constantly create new content? How can you leverage content across multiple platforms to get the maximum impact? 
• Some topics are widely covered in the careers industry. How can you make your content unique to you? How can you enhance your brand profile through content?

About Bridget:
Bridget (Weide) Brooks has published the Resume Writers' Digest trade newsletter for resume writers for more than 10 years, and founded BeAResumeWriter.com in 2011 to provide careers industry professionals with information and tools to help them be more successful in their work with clients and in their business. She has been a featured speaker for numerous professional associations, including the National Resume Writers' Association, CertifiedResumeWriters.com, and Career Directors International.

To register, or for more information:
Using Content to Capture New Career Clients Teleseminar

The Hands-Off Manager

Leadership comes from partnering, NOT criticizing.

Managers have a choice: be hands-on or hands-off. This choice presents itself over and over again each and every day. Every interaction with an employee is a version of this choice. But, what is the right choice? The Hands-Off Manager: How to Mentor People and Allow Them to Be Successful helps to answer that very question.

In The Hands-Off Manager, authors Steve Chandler and Duane Black offer a new vision for all managers. With stories, examples, and vibrant activities for the reader to practice, this book shows any manager—new or seasoned—how to coach and mentor employees, rather than hover over their shoulders and goad them into action. In this system, each employee’s strengths are honored and honed in a climate of partnership and mutual goal-setting.

The information presented in The Hands-Off Manager will help create an organization that fosters harmony and functions in the best possible way. The lessons presented can be applied to any form of leadership, at home or on the job, in the community or in the workplace. These concepts can be used to create success beyond anything readers have ever imagined possible.

The Hands-Off Manager: How to Mentor People and Allow Them to Be Successful (EAN 978-1-60163-223-4, pages: 224, price: $14.99) was published by Career Press.

Steve Chandler is one of America’s best-selling authors whose dozens of books—including the best-sellers 100 Ways to Motivate Others, 100 Ways to Motivate Yourself, and Reinventing Yourself—have been translated into more than 20 languages. Chandler is also a world-famous public speaker who has been a guest on hundreds of radio and TV shows. Chandler has been a guest lecturer at the University of Santa Monica, where he teaches in the graduate program of soul-centered leadership. Chandler has been a trainer and consultant to more than 30 Fortune 500 companies worldwide.

Duane Black is now retired. Black was the executive vice president and chief operating officer of SunCor Developments, where he oversaw 150 employees and more than 150,000 acres of housing developments.

How to Stay Motivated as a Resume Writer

© Minerva Studio - Fotolia.com

Earlier this month, I wrote a post about "Finding It Hard to Stay Motivated?"

Being a resume writer can be a very profitable way to make a living -- however, because you only get paid when you work with clients, self-motivation is a necessity. There's no one else to motivate you. You're on your own.

While the threat of no money may seem like motivation enough, sometimes you need a little more motivation. Here are some ideas to get you motivated.

1. Set a Daily Income Goal
Take a look at how much you made last year and create an annual goal for this year's income. Then divide it by 365 days. That's how much you want to earn daily. Print this number out in a large font and hang it over your desk. (My husband uses a weekly goal, because he understands that things can change from day to day.)

2. Track the Money
Hang a dry erase board on your office wall. After you complete a resume project, write down the amount of money you've earned on the board. Track it for the month and keep a running tally. If you're money motivated, watching that number grow will help you stay busy.

3. Take a Day Off
This may sound contradictory; however, one habit that many self-employed resume writers have is to work seven days a week. This leads to burnout and work apathy. Take a full day off each week to recharge yourself. Don't think about work. Don't check email. Just enjoy the day.

4. Build Your Resume Business
If you're doing the same thing day in and day out, it's easy to lose joy and motivation. Spend time each month planning how to grow your business. What is working for you? What isn't working? How can you attract more of your ideal customers? What new service can you provide that offers value to your customers and excitement or interest to you? (LinkedIn profile development? Social media coaching?)

5. Create New Habits
One of the reasons motivation can falter is if you're in a rut. For example, you get up every morning, drink your cup of coffee and check your email. You then get right to work. Why not change your morning habit? Before you check your email and get to work, do something creative or physically active. Changing your habits and routine can add life back into your day. Self-employed resume writers are creative people and a rut can drown your creativity and motivation.

You're in control of your life and your income. If what you're doing isn't working for you and you're feeling unmotivated, you have the power and the wherewithal to make a change. Find your motivation!

Blogging and (Resume) Writer's Block

As a resume writer, when you think about "writer's block," you probably think about the times you're stumped while writing a resume. But many of the resume writers I talk with say that they find the blank page most daunting when it's time to write something for their blog. The phenomenon is common enough that there's a name for the condition -- "blogger's block" -- the condition of not knowing what to put in your blog.

It's easy enough to amass content on your blog -- creating blog posts that are links to other articles, for example. But your blog should feature your voice. It's fine to look for articles in the media -- watch the news, read the paper, check media websites. Look for articles sourced by resume writing colleagues on Twitter and Facebook. But instead of just linking to the story, comment on it. Link to the original news source, but give your opinion about it.

You can also use your blog to promote affiliate programs you work with. Amazon's affiliate program is a great example of this. All of us read (and probably, collect!) career-related books. Take a few minutes to review the book -- including if you'd recommend it to job searchers. You'll have something to write about, and if your blog readers click on the link and purchases the book, you'll make a few cents (or dollars!) off the purchase too.

Blogs are also a great way to promote your website -- especially when you've posted new articles. Create a blog post that contains the first few lines of the article to tease your readers, as well as a link to the page that features the full text.

Keep your posts timely and helpful. Look for natural tie-ins with holidays and career milestones. (For example, with St. Patrick's Day coming up, now would be a great time to write a blog post about how jobseekers can improve their "luck" in the job search.)

To help your readers stay up to date with the new posts that you add, you can install a feed burner. There are different feed services to choose from, including free ones. Once you register, you will be given a small amount of HTML to add to your blog. Your readers can choose to subscribe and have your new posts delivered to their email automatically. (Find out more about RSS feeds in this blog post.)

NRWA 2012 Conference Contest

To celebrate The NRWA's 15th Anniversary, the board of directors is giving away 15 prizes to paid registrants of The NRWA's 15th Annual Conference in Charleston, SC, Sept. 19-22, 2012.

To qualify to win one of the prizes, you must be registered for The NRWA 2012 Conference by March 31st at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.

With conference registration rates starting at $385 and multiple payment plans available, don't miss this opportunity to take advantage of cutting-edge continuing education and potentially win one of these great prizes.

Sign up for the 2012 Conference now to ensure your name is entered into the giveaway at Conference Giveaway

What Prizes Are Being Given Away?
The prizes include:

• Four Future or Previously Recorded Teleseminars from The NRWA ($35 value each)
• Three Sample Submissions to begin the NCRW Certification process ($50 value each)
• Three 5-Packs of The NRWA Online Training Segments ($130 value each)
• Two One-Year Memberships in The NRWA ($150 value each)
• Two $100-off registrations for The NRWA's 2013 Conference ($100
• value each)
• One Free Hotel Room Night at The NRWA 2012 Conference Hotel ($175.00 value; tax included)

When Will The Prizes Be Drawn and Announced?
All prizes will be drawn on April 2, 2012 and winners will be announced in a separate email on April 4, 2012.

Using Squidoo to Promote Your Resume Writing Business

Squidoo has many things going for it as a marketing tool. It can be used to tap into highly tech-savvy groups of consumers. It can be used to increase your credibility by providing top-notch content. You can leverage Squidoo's search engine clout to catapult yourself to the top of the engines. And best of all, it's free.

Here are a few smart ways of using Squidoo to promote your business.

Embed a YouTube Video
Most user generated content websites don't allow you to embed your own videos. Squidoo is different. With Squidoo, you can embed any video you want.

Video allows you to connect with your audience in a much more visceral way. They can visually connect with your brand, get more of a sense of who you are and retain more of what you say than if they just had text.

Video also presents a whole host of marketing options that don't exist in just text. Conversion rates for resume writers who use video marketing are often much higher than marketing just using text.

Create Lenses for Your Brand and Product
Two places to start on Squidoo are your brand and your products.

Getting these two Squidoo pages up will help you manage proactively how you appear to the world. Since Squidoo lenses have a good shot of ranking just below your main homepage listing, it gives you a unique opportunity to write your own script about how your brand and products are perceived.

Don't hide that you're the author of these pages when you're writing them. Try to give objective information and make sure the content you provide is top notch. Don't use the Squidoo lens as a sales page; instead use it to provide relevant information that people can actually use.

Create a Host of Lenses around One Topic
Creating a host of lenses around one topic allows you to position yourself as an authority on the topic. It also allows you to interlink all your content and it increases your chances of creating content that ranks on that topic in the search engines.

Come up with a publishing schedule around creating these lenses. For example, try to publish one lens every week.

The secret here is to make sure that each and every lens you publish has content good enough to be impressive. Don't sacrifice quality in the name of quantity.

Get the Click
The most important thing to remember about getting Squidoo traffic to your website is that Squidoo is not a good place to try to make sales. Instead, it should be used as a place to introduce yourself to your readers.

Instead, post a link back to your resume website in your Squidoo lens. From there, you can use your website for your hard-hitting sales message.

These are a few smart ways to use Squidoo to promote your resume writing business. When it comes to free tools, Squidoo ranks as one of the best ways on the internet to promote your business.

Want to Network With Other Work-at-Home Moms?

If you are a resume writer who is also a work-at-home Mom (WAHM), you may find yourself longing for a little in-person human interaction with other folks in the same situation as you.

I was inspired to write today's blog post when I attended the wake for the dad of my one of my childhood best friends this week. My mom and her mom have met weekly in a Rosary group for more than 35 years. The group started because they were all stay-at-home Moms (SAHMs) in the 1970s. As someone who works from home (and has for the past seven years), I can understand the desire to participate in an activity that gets you out of the house on a regular basis.

If you're feeling the same way, you might want to start a group with other moms who work from home. These can be individuals who work in a variety of fields -- product sales, real estate, online marketing ... there are more people than ever who work from their home.

Networking is important for your resume business. The more people you know, the more contacts you have who can help you and you can be a help to. Think of it this way: each person you know knows someone else who also knows someone else. It is how word gets out about your business. Through networking you can form profitable friendships and business partnerships. Even many years down the road, an affiliation that you made could prove useful. 

Want to get together with other moms who work from home? There is a way that you can do it by using Twitter. Learn how to set up your own tweet up group.

This is where social networking comes into play. Through sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter you already know that you can "meet" new people who have the same interests as you do. You can form associations that are as strong as any face-to-face friendship.

But, did you know that you could use them to actually meet the people you only ever see online? That is the idea behind a tweet up. It sounds like something that birds do, but it is meant for people.

What Is a Tweet Up?

The idea behind it all is to meet people who have common interests through Twitter. You can set up a tweet up with a certain goal in mind such as business networking, social networking, or even a brainstorming session.

With the idea of WAHMs in mind, you can network with other moms who are entrepreneurs in your local area. When you set it up, here are a few tips.

You will be the host for the event if you begin the tweet up group. It doesn't have to be a presentation, but you will more than likely be responsible for getting the ball rolling at the beginning. Then, you can let the conversation take its course.

Think up a theme. Decide what you will discuss at the meeting, what the main topic will be. Post an agenda for anyone you invite to look over. You can set one specific item for each meeting to focus on -- and can take turns being the "presenter" for the group.

With children and families, it can be hard for mothers who work from home to get out and network. A tweet up is a way to plan an outing that will be beneficial both on a personal and a business level.

Invite guests. Look around Twitter for prospective people with similar interests that you want to invite. If you don't know them already, follow their tweets and participate in discussions before introducing yourself and sending them an invite.

© freshidea - Fotolia.com

Decide on a place and time. Once you do, start a tweet with a hashtag related to the event (like #parkup for a meeting in the park) so anyone who accepts an invitation can follow the conversation. You can provide information here about what to bring, like business cards or ideas to talk about during the gathering. With moms, there might be an issue of childcare. Choose a meeting place with a play area for children. You can meet at a restaurant, at someone's home, or in a park.

A tweet up group can be a great way to meet your need for human interaction while also providing you with valuable networking contacts and you may even learn some new skills or marketing ideas at the same time!

Using an Email Newsletter to Promote Your Resume Writing Business

© Beboy - Fotolia.com

Have you thought about using an email newsletter to market your business? Here are a few tips to use as you craft your e-newsletter.

People love to read information about their jobs and career. You can use your content as a way to market your resume writing services. Getting people to subscribe to your email newsletter is one step closer to getting them to try your resume writing services.

Here are some ways you can use an email newsletter in your resume writing business:

• Offer free subscription -- Just for signing up and giving their name and email address, you can offer free subscriptions to your email newsletter.
• Write articles about your services -- You can write articles related to the specific niche market you serve in your resume writing business or more general articles that offer timely and expert advice to your reading audience. But, don't forget to write articles that also focus on your career services. Let people know that you are an expert and then tell them about what you do.
• Create a customer section -- This is where customers (and prospective customers) can have their questions featured and answered by you. Include an email address where they can send their questions.
• Offer affiliate offers or advertising -- You can feature affiliate offers (such as reference checking or resume distribution services) or advertising. The more subscribers you have for your enewsletter, the more affiliate revenue you can generate, or the more you can charge for your ads.
• Have guest writers -- You can have other resume writers (or your affiliate service providers) write articles for your e-newsletter. For example, if you don't offer career coaching, you can partner with a career coach to write an article for your e-newsletter. In exchange, they get a byline and a link to their website at the end of the article.
• Hold contests -- Everyone loves contests! The prize could be something related to your business (like $50 off a resume package) or a career-related book, or an Amazon gift card. Second and third prizes could be discounts with purchase of a service. Feature the names of the contest winners in the next edition of your e-newsletter.
• Promote Your E-Newsletter to Your Current Clients -- In addition to looking for new subscribers, don't forget to invite your current resume clients to sign up for your e-newsletter list.
• Put The Word Out On Social Networks -- Do you have a Facebook business page? Promote your e-newsletter on there.

Email newsletters can be used to promote your business by providing vital information about your business to current and prospective customers.

Email Marketing for Dummies

I am a huge advocate for resume writers building and using an email list. John Arnold’s book, “E-Mail Marketing for Dummies” may be the perfect source for learning how to start e-mail marketing and excel at it.

The book, which has a cover price of $24.99 (but sells for $16.49 on Amazon.com), helps you develop a strategy for marketing with e-mail. Learn how to build an e-mail list, create messages which reach those on your list and produce results. You’ll also discover how to track those results. Along with technical advice for building a list, you’ll also have the benefit of legal guidance that will keep you from inadvertently crossing over into spamming those on your e-mail list.

This easy-to-follow guide will show you how to incorporate an e-mail list into your total online marketing plan. Find out how to create messages that say “Open and read me,” how to include social media sources such as Facebook and Twitter, target your e-mails so they are relevant to your readers and track which emails get the most clicks through to some type of action.

384 pages long, “E-Mail Marketing for Dummies” is a one-stop place to get all the advice you need to be set up a successful e-mail marketing plan, increase your business, track the effectiveness of each campaign and finally find a method of marketing that can be the difference between online business success or failure.

If you are looking for one book that gives you the information you need for developing an e-mail marketing campaign for your resume writing business, this one is a book you’ll definitely want to read.

Finding It Hard to Stay Motivated?

I read on her Facebook page today that Kathy Sweeney started her resume business, The Write Resume, 25 years ago today. (Congratulations, Kathy!!) My resume writing business was founded in 1996 (15 years last year!). Longevity in the resume writing business isn't rare -- there are hundreds of resume writers who have been in business for more than 10 years -- .... but staying motivated can be a challenge.

In the beginning you were likely gung-ho about starting your resume writing business. Maybe some of that fire is starting to flicker out. (It can ebb and flow...) So, how can you stay motivated?

When times get tough, you may decide that you want to throw in the towel. Confronted by a PIA client (think: pain in your keister!) you might think to yourself, "Wouldn't it just be easier to go get a job?" After you've spent the last 14 hours writing resumes, handling client emails, doing all the financial paperwork and recordkeeping that goes along with keeping your business running, and squeezing in some marketing activities so the phone will ring tomorrow, you might be both physically and mentally tired.

Before you give it all up, however, consider a few ways that you can help yourself to regain your zest for running the business.

First, ask yourself a few questions:

• Why did you start the business in the first place? Don't underestimate the power of your memory. Were you working for someone else but wanting to be your own boss? If you don't want to return to that way of life, then donít give up when the chips are down. Was it because you had a desire to help others? (Most resume writers have a little "social worker" in us.) Who did you help today?

• How are things looking for other resume writers? It could be that everyone is having a slow season. Evaluate your growth compared to others in the careers industry. 

There are two things that can motivate you to keep going here:

One: Other resume writers are doing better than you are. A little friendly rivalry is healthy. You can opt to step up your game and learn from whatever others in the careers industry are doing to make financial gains where you are not. (For example, LinkedIn profile development writing is a growing area. Would learning some new skills and expanding the types of services you offer rejuvenate you?)

Two: If other resume writers are in the same boat, you can rise above the mediocrity. Remember what you started your resume business for. If you are going to make a living and reach your goals, keep the big picture in mind.

• What are your goals? Every resume writer has to remain focused in order to move forward. Your goals set the path along which you will travel. But, if your goals are non-existent, or they aren't strong enough to support your business, then it is time to re-evaluate and change them to become the appropriate platform to help you gain success.

Now that you have asked yourself some questions, here are a few suggestions to help you continue to push forward.

• Get sage advice. Consult a trusted advisor. The leaders of the professional resume writing associations can give you perspective. (Frank, Laura, Wendy, Louise, Maria.) They can help you to regain your focus and also set a new course for your business should you need that.

• Partner up! Reach out to another resume writer and team up to form a support group for each other! If you're stuck while writing a particularly difficult resume, you can reach out for inspiration. You can post encouraging notes on each other's Facebook walls. (Or use Facebook's "Poke" feature to let him or her know you're there for them.)

• Gain camaraderie on forums. Visit and become a participating part of professional association e-lists and online forums. You can find out tips to help you move forward in your business. Consider attending a conference offered by one of the major associations or taking online training.

• Get access to tools to make your work easier. Don't reinvent the wheel! I use an inspiration book to help me when I get stuck in writing. And you can use tools from BeAResumeWriter.com -- like each month's unique Pass-Along Materials to help your clients (and market your business).

It's natural that you're going to have times when you struggle in your careers industry business. Taking it one day at a time (hoping and planning that tomorrow will be better than today) can keep you going through the difficult times.