Here are the resources I mentioned in the video:

• Domain Registration - GoDaddy
• Web Hosting - HostGator
• Web Hosting - BlueHost
• Content Management - WordPress.org

If you have other resources you'd like to share, feel free to do so by posting a comment below!

If you’ve ever felt invisible in business, been deflated by lacklustre marketing results or struggle to spark a 2-way conversation with your target market…

– take a look-see at this:   

My biz girlfriend Gina Bell invited me to write an article for the newest issue of Rebelations Magazine!

The “Visibility Boom” issue is devoted to helping you get noticed, get clients and get your business growing!

Inside this top-notch resource for innovators, trendsetters and entrepreneurial go-getters you’ll enjoy 17 other rebelicious articles AND a special feature that will have you creating your own Visibility Boom in no time!

Imagine hearing your ideal clients say…“I see you everywhere!” and “I want to work with you!”

I’m biased for sure but I’m certain – this is a must-have resource for any aspiring woman in business!

And what I know about Gina Bell is she’s a “don’t just do it REALLY do it” kind of gal so fasten your seat belts and hold on tight – you’re going to looooove this magazine!

And the best part – it’s totally FREE!

Be among the first to join the Rebelution and jump inside the newest issue of the digital magazine at:

http://smartsimplemarketing.com/rebelations

You know I only share top notch stuff, right? This is one of the most valuable resources I’ve seen recently so don’t miss out! Get your copy and post a comment below to let me know what you think!

At the very least you need to decide what to say on your business card and on your website. If you decide to blog you’ve got to figure out what to write there, and participating in social media requires a steady stream of interesting, engaging and results focused content.

So, what are you to do if you have ZERO writing skills and don’t even particularly like to write?  

A few things:

1. Don’t panic! And don’t procrastinate! This is an easy fix. You first need to admit that you need help.
2. You can easily hire a professional copywriter for a reasonable investment. There are a multitude of options and I know several folks I will happily refer you to, all you have to do is ask.
3. Keep in mind that you don’t actually have to write ANY of your content. You can use audio and video to create compelling messages that speak to the problems your ideal client is looking to solve.

If you do decide to tackle writing your own copy, here are a few tips to help you sound like a pro and get the results you’re looking for:

1. Write to ONLY one person. I realize you are writing to a group of people that may number into the tens of thousands. But really, each of these folks is only concerned with their individual needs. When they interact with you they only care about their relationship with you and what you can do for them. So use that to your advantage. Write as if you were talking with just one person and speak in that tone. Your message will be much more engaging and this will work wonders to strengthen the trust and credibility you are working so hard to create.
2. Be conversational! Resist the urge to craft the “perfect” message. There is no such thing…so called perfection is WAY overrated. Instead, use your normal voice! Imagine you are sitting down with a good friend, enjoying your favorite beverage and they’ve come to you because they need help with the exact problems that you solve. What would you say? What questions would you ask? What would your tone be? Write from that place. You’ll get a much better response because the person reading your marketing materials will feel a personal connection with you and be compelled to take the next step.
3. Include a specific call to action. I know you think what you do is so incredibly simple that everyone already knows what to do to get the results they want. Not so. Don’t take for granted that your reader will know what step to take next. It’s not that he or she is not an intelligent person, but they simply won’t see the path as clearly as you do. So instead of an ambiguous, “If there’s anything I can do to help you, please let me know”, tell your reader this: “if you want XYZ, do this first”. Give them a specific phone number to call, web-page to visit, email address to write to, link to buy from. Connect the dots and tell them exactly what to do next. Again, you’ll get better results and your reader will appreciate your clear, simple instructions.

Fortunately, writing great copy is not rocket science and is definitely a learnable skill. So there is no need for you to be intimidated and procrastinate on a project because you feel you don’t know what to write. With practice and a diligent focus on helping the person you’re writing to, you can learn to at least be decent at it to get the results you want. And of course you can always call in a professional if you need to.

What writing project will you tackle next? Do tell by leaving me a comment below!

Whether you want to admit it or not, prospective clients ARE going to look for you online and you need to be in control of what they find.

The foundation of your online presence is, of course, your website.

If you don't have a polished, professional, client focused site now, or your current site is out of date, you likely have wondered how to go about go about creating a quick and easy, money making website.     

I am all for having a custom designed site that reflects your brand and has all the "bells and whistles" needed to make it an effective marketing tool.

But, I also recognize that for some folks, creating THAT kind of website seems completely overwhelming.

If that sounds familiar, you'll appreciate these two resources I recently discovered that can help:

• http://FreeBlogFactory.com/
• http://OnePagerApp.com/

In both cases, you can setup a polished, professional (albeit somewhat minimalist) website in just a few hours. You won't necessarily have all the extra cool features you could have, but it is a place to get started.

NOTE: I have not personally used either of these sites, but if I was starting from scratch I would strongly consider using either resource as a place to get started. Just make sure you maintain control of your hosting account by using a company such as HostGator or Bluehost.

If you are feeling really ambitious, you might check out my friend Christina Hill's Website Creation Workshop, where she'll walk you through creating your own customized WordPress website. WordPress is THE platform to use if you are serious about leveraging the Internet to increase your income.

You can learn more about Christina's workshop at:

http://smartsimplemarketing.com/recommends/wordpress-workshop

The bottom line is this: There is NO, I mean NO excuse for you to NOT have a polished presence for your busines online. I know you are a serious business owner. I know you are committed to your work. Please don't undermine that by not paying attention to your online "digital business card".

My grandmother used to say (actually, she still says it), "better to let them think you're stupid than to open your mouth and confirm it". The same princple applies here. Better to control what your prospective clients are finding about you and your business online, than to have them wondering if you are really a serious entrepreneur.

'Nuff said.

That said you simply can’t ignore having an effective strategy for marketing your business online. It is quite simply one of the most reliable and affordable ways to let the world know “Here I am! Here’s how I can help you.” Even if you primarily do business in person with people in your local area, I guarantee you your prospects are looking for you online. So you want to make it easy for them to find you and to say yes to what you have to offer.

Here are five reasons why social media should be an essential part of your marketing toolbox:

What does this mean for your business? When used correctly, social media can create more visibility, opportunity and profits for your business. Take the time to research your target market and see how they are interacting on social media so that you can determine how best to use this tool to achieve your goals.

After I completed my analysis, I found the statistics fascinating:

• 27% of my clients came from FREE Teleseminars I'd hosted or participated in
• 25% came from Online Marketing
• 19% came from Referrals
• 15% came from Networking

The other three areas, speaking (live), webinars and social media all yielded results of less than 10% of my overall client base.

What does this tell me? Exactly where I should be focusing my efforts! Based on the numbers, I should focus my time, energy and resources on the four strategies that yield the greatest return. I should refine my messaging so that it's more appealing and relevant when I am hosting free calls, marketing on the web, encouraging referrals and networking.

What does this have to do with you? That you should do the exact same thing. Set aside an hour to review your client list over the past 12-18 months. If you haven't had a lot of clients, review your prospects list (those who were interested in your offerings but for whatever reason didn't convert) and see where they REALLY came from.  You may be surprised by what the numbers show and now see a clear path as to where you should focus your attention.

With the myriad of marketing options available to us as service professionals these days, it's easy to become overwhelmed. That makes it very hard for us to make a decision about what we should be doing to grow our businesses. So, one easy way to move past the overwhelm is to stop, analyze what's working vs. what's not working and re-group to just focus on the activities that make sense for your business.

I'd love to hear what you discover about your marketing efforts from completing this exercise. What does your analysis show that YOU should be focusing on? Do tell by posting your comments below.

With teleseminars and webinars you can give your audience an opportunity to sample what it’s like to work with you live and see how quickly they can benefit from your expertise. You offer them solutions and prove your value in a an hour or less.