How to Stand Out From Your Competitors Online - SSM Take 10 Episode #3 [ 13:34 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (235)

Blogging about your business is an excellent way to drive traffic to your website and attract high-quality leads. You can get even more mileage out of your blog posts, and create massive online visibility for your work, by re-purposing your content into other formats. This strategy will have you showing up EVERYWHERE and standing heads taller than your “competitors” (I prefer to think of them as colleagues) when a prospect goes online looking for the solutions you have to offer. Click on the play button above to listen in as Denise Wakeman, Founder of The Blog Squad, explains how! MORE

Your ideal prospects will only buy from you if they know you, like you and trust you.

One easy way to develop credibility with them is to create content to address their needs and share your expertise.

There are endless ways you can do this, but you want to be strategic in your efforts and have a content marketing plan in place. This includes outlining where and how you'll distribute your content (i.e. blog posts, articles, audios, videos, etc.)

I thought this was a great article to share a few key tools that will make your content marketing strategy more effective.

http://labs.openviewpartners.com/top-content-marketing-tools-of-the-trade/

I literally just hung up with my coach and wanted to share some insights on how you can gain better results with your Facebook Fan Page.

As I'm sure you've noticed Facebook is constantly changing their landscape and how the features work. So, what worked 6 months ago to engage your audience probably isn't working anymore.

Admittedly, I haven't done the best job of engaging my audience on my Facebook page, but I'm excited that I'm taking steps to correct this. Thus, I want to pass forward the quick lessons I learned today so that if you have a Facebook Fan Page, you can make some simple tweaks to start creating better connections with your audience:    MORE

Blogging has been by far one of THE most effective strategies I've used to drive traffic to my website and build my list of pre-qualified leads.

I strongly believe that every business should have a blog because it allows your target market to get to know you, like you and trust you, which then encourages them to seek out your expertise. Hence, I often recommend this strategy to my clients and students to help them create more visibility for their work.

Often one of the first questions new bloggers ask is, where do I set up my blog for the best results? Excellent questions. There are many, many options available and which one you choose really depends upon your personal preferences and level of comfort with online technology. Read more about How to Choose Your Blog Platform

Blogging about your business is by far one of the best strategies for driving traffic to your website, educating your target market and connecting with ideal prospects.

However it's important to think about setting realistic expectation for your readers, as well as protecting your business interests while you are freely expressing your thoughts.

This quick article by Mashable highlights a few critical points all of us bloggers should take note of as we strive to add value to the marketplace and grow our businesses.

http://mashable.com/2011/06/16/blog-legal-tips/

Marketing your services is what keeps you in business -- so using the best marketing tactics to support your goals only makes sense. There are dozens of simple ways you can add impact to your marketing strategies -- and many of them are right under your nose.

The best marketing tactics are the strategies you can implement right away, utilize with minimal effort, maintain on a regular basis and work into your budget and schedule. Here are a few of the best marketing tactics you can start using TODAY to create more profits in your business.    MORE

Struggling to market your business the way you want to? Tired of being on a cash flow roller coaster? The solution lies in getting help to consistently market your business. I'll let you in on a secret. It's not pursuing one particular marketing strategy that gets you great results. It's marketing consistently that makes all the difference. Listen in to this week's episode on how to apply this strategy to your business and the many benefits of outsourcing your marketing.

Outsource Your Marketing for Consistent, Profitable Results (SSMS Episode 15) [ 10:20 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (189)

Maintaining a business blog is one of my favorite strategies for driving pre-qualified traffic to your website. But a lot of entrepreneurs I know shy away from starting a blog (or let it "die") because they can't imagine writing content every week. I hear your struggle! So today's episodes shares a few of my secrets for how to overcome this dilemma and take advantage of this powerful marketing tool.

SSMS Episode #7 - How to Easily and Consistently Create Hot Content for Your Blog! [ 10:23 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (170)

Marketing your business is not a one-time event that you participate in when you need to attract new clients or increase your revenue. To create long-term success in your business, you need to market consistently - each day, each week and each month to grow your business and attract a steady stream of clients.

The basis of marketing your business is sharing your expertise and solving problems for your ideal clients. They are always looking for solutions, so it's important that they are regularly reminded of what you have to offer.

Here are some different marketing strategies that typically work well for solo service professionals:

• Email marketing
• Vlogging/videos
• Blogging
• Social media
• In-Person networking
• Public speaking
• Hosting lead-generating teleseminars & workshops
• Hosting and participating in radio shows

This list encompasses a few different techniques which may be new or "out of the box" for you. It's best to chose marketing strategies that fit your personality as well what is appealing to your audience. But with so many options available, how do you chose what's right for you and your business?

First and foremost, you need to be in tune with your target market. You need to know exactly what problems they are facing right now. What are they struggling with RIGHT now? What are they searching for? What do they want to learn from you?

By identifying their most pressing problems, you will be able to choose the marketing strategy that best fits the solution you will provide. For example, if you’re a public speaking coach, you might want to blog regularly about the best techniques to eliminate the fear of public speaking. A post can include tips on how to reduce fear and stress while delivering a great presentation. Then, you can also create a video that demonstrates these techniques, in action, so that your target audience can "see" how to do it.

Providing solutions on two different platforms extends your reach to your target audience, as well as allows them to choose which format works best for them. Some people can read instructions and do something, while others need to see it to understand and emulate it. Either way, you've provided exactly the solution your target audience is looking for. Additionally by using a blog and video, you are providing content that will "live" online for months and years to come. So, it will serve not only the people who are looking for a solution now, but also 3 months from now, a year from now and beyond. This content will continue to generate leads for you and support your overall marketing plan.

You also want to get clear on HOW your audience wants your message delivered to them. Are they active participants in social media? Do they prefer live workshops to virtual learning? Would they rather read what you have to say then listen? If you don't know the answer, simply do some market research and ASK your ideal prospects what they prefer. They'll be happy to tell you and will be much more inclined to enroll in your offering because you've tailored it to their needs.

Finally, consider what you want your prospects to do once they've received your message. Do you want them to request a free consultation? To sign up for a teleseminar or workshop? Enroll in of your group programs? Or purchase a product? You'll want to choose a marketing strategy will make it easy for your prospect to take action on what you've shared.

Which marketing strategies have created the best results for your business? Are there any you want to try but have been hesitant to do so? Share your thoughts with me below!

Want to use this article on your website, blog or in your own ezine? You're welcome to do so! But here's what you MUST include:

Sydni Craig-Hart, The Smart Simple Marketing Coach, is founder of SmartSimpleMarketing.com Known for her simple, tech-savvy, integrated approach to marketing, she also has the unique ability to find untapped profit centers in her client’s businesses so they can create money NOW. Visit www.SmartSimpleMarketing.com to listen to Sydni's F.R.E.E. audio class, “10 Proven Steps to Powerful Marketing Results!” and to schedule your F.R.E.E. "Profit Breakthrough" session!