Sep 04

8 Reasons to Attend Gary Loper’s Twitter Party

Twitter PartyWould you like to leverage Twitter to grow your business?

Learn tips and strategies to leverage Twitter on September 7th starting at 9am Pacific.

Gary Loper is hosting a FREE Twitter Party online.

It’s easy to participate!

All you have to do is join the conversation online.

Simply click on this link on September 7th and post a message:

http://twubs.com/GaryLoperTwitterParty

Stay in the chat and communicate with the other participants. Whatever you post in the chat will also post on your Twitter page.

Here are 8 Great Reasons to Participate in the Gary Loper Twitter Party:

#1 It’s Virtual

No travel required, no need to buy new clothes and dress up, or be subjected to mystery food people may have brought for the pot luck meal.

#2 Opportune Timing

The Twitter Party will begin at 12 pm ET and it is scheduled to run for 5 hours, or when all my twitter accounts end up in Twitter jail. You can pop in and out of the conversations, and still attend to other tasks on your agenda. And for the real party people in the States and Europe the party will be over in time for you to still go out on the town.

#3 Please add your 2 cents

Jump in and add to the current conversation. Everyone will be able to and are encouraged to contribute to the conversations. How many parties or events have you attended where you wanted to add your thoughts to the conversations, but couldn’t get a word in? This will not be a problem at the #GaryLoperTwitterParty. Jump in and add to the current conversation.

#4 Great Co-hosts

Gary has only invited great Tweople who he has known for a number of years. Meeting most of them via Twitter and extending their relationships to partnerships and friendships, Gary is honored that they all will be helping him bring the Twitterverse a little closer together for at least one afternoon.

@GaryLoper @RickCooper @CarylLoper @RevPamela @FeliciaSlattery @AngelaMaiers @TheSmartChic @PattyFarmer

#5 Cost Effective

There is no charge for the Twitter party, and no need to purchase a gift and wonder if it fits. In fact Gary’s co-hosts will be offering door prizes throughout the afternoon. Get ready to do some virtual treasure hunting. 🙂 And, everyone will have an opportunity to share their free gifts with all the attendees.

#6 Remarkable Attendees

With the collaborative effort of Gary’s team and his community on Twitter and other social networking sites, he’s positive that we will gather an incredible group of attendees. And, with your generous RT’s of everyone else’s tweets, we will become a trending topic.

#7 Trending Topic

We’ve seen the trending topics on the side of our home pages and curiosity kicks in and we go to check out some of the trending topics, and wonder … what in the world is the point of the conversation? With the #GaryLoperTwitterParty there will be substance throughout the entire day and just as you were curious about other trending topics, other people will be just as curious about our party and will jump into the exchange. What that means to you and everyone is more people will see your tweets, your answers to chat questions, your social networking links, your recommendations, and your offers.

Gary Loper will follow the simple basic guidelines of tweet chat etiquette.

#8 Valuable Networking

You’ll be amazed at the connections you can make when you add to the discussions, are respectful to everyone, are generous with comments and RT’s, follow the simple basic guidelines of tweet chat etiquette and reach out to help others who may be joining the party a little late.

About Gary Loper

Gary LoperGary Loper is an inspirational speaker, social media expert, and life and business coach. He teaches his audience strategies and tactics on how to become successful, to produce and maintain positive solutions, to stay in a positive mindset, and attract and manifest true wealth. Besides being a certified ‘YES! Energy’ and ‘Go-Giver’ coach, Gary is a host of a internet radio show.

I look forward to connecting with you on Gary Loper’s Twitter Party.

Block the time on your calendar. Join us anytime from 9am Pacific to 2pm Pacific!

Click here to join the chat at that time:

http://twubs.com/GaryLoperTwitterParty

Rick Cooper
Online Marketing and Social Media Trainer

Sep 03

Optimize your Online Marketing Processes

Gears TurningOne of the most valuable principles I have learned over the years to improve my business operations is the concept of optimization.

Some business owners struggle as they run their companies because they get stuck. An obstacle arises and they get bottlenecked. The bottleneck causes them to grind to a halt.

I have learned over the years how to quickly select new strategies and implement them.

Here’s a valuable mindset: “Focus on completion not perfection.”

There is a time to make improvements and there is a time to just get it done. Many business owners struggle to implement online marketing systems and get stuck rather than just following through and taking action. Don’t let this happen to you.

Here are 3 keys to optimize your marketing:

1) Make a list of web pages to optimize

In the online marketing world, your web pages have the potential to generate leads and income.

Invest time every week reviewing web pages and updating any copy that needs to be improved.

Copy refers to copywriting. That is writing that is persuasive and influential. How effective are you at writing copy? Who do you know that can write copy or edit copy for you?

While you’re at it, make a list of other marketing materials you need to improve.

2) Learn best practices

There are plenty of places where you can learn how to improve your marketing.

Watch your competitors to see what they are doing.

You can read books and listen to audio programs.

And you can attend teleseminars, webinars and live events to learn more.

3) Improve your marketing skills

Developing a skill requires practice. Do you think a world class pianist reached excellence by practicing once a week or twice a month?

Absolutely not!

They practice for hours every day.

If you want to improve your marketing skills, you need to use your skills.

You can improve your marketing skills and each lesson you learn will help you increase results.

One of the ways I help clients are through copywriting. I invest about 3 – 4 hours a day in writing copy.

It is because I write every day that I find it easy to write. I have learned how to write quickly in a way that people can easily understand.

That is the essence of writing marketing copy.

It’s the ability to communicate a clear message your client or prospect can understand.

It’s a message that inspires, motivates and encourages them to take a next step in working with you.

What can you write that will lead people to a next step in working with you?

Rick Cooper
Online Marketing and Social Media Trainer

Sep 02

Social Media is Easy When You Remember these 80 Rules

People ask me all the time what do they need to do to get results on social media.

Good question. The fact of the matter is that social media is just like any other marketing. It requires having a clear strategy and a plan.

You need to be consistent in your social media marketing.

You need to have the right online marketing digital assets in place. For example, you need a website, you need online videos, you need blog posts and you need lead capture pages.

And you need to follow the rules.

What are the rules?

They are summarized in the wonderful Infographic below courtesy of Jeremy Waite, head of social strategy at Adobe.

Click on the image below and zoom in to read the rules.

The 80 Rules of Social Media

The 80 Rules of Social Media

Thanks to Berrie Pelser for sharing this on his blog.

By the way, which are my favorite rules? #22, #31, #37, #56, and #78.

Rick Cooper
Online Marketing and Social Media Trainer

Aug 22

How to Leverage Other People’s Talents

Successful business people smilingAre you trying to do everything yourself?

One of the problems many business owners face is that they try to do everything on their own.

You may enjoy having a variety of work.It might make the day go faster.

But, this may not be the best approach for your business.

My mentor Eric Lofholm shared a timeless principle that I will pass along to you.

It’s called “Highest and Best Use”. The idea comes from real estate. Each piece of land has a highest and best use. A single property might be most valuable as a residential home,a commercial property or even a parking lot.

You have a highest and best use. In many cases,your highest and best use is to focus on revenue producing activities (marketing and sales).

That means you may need to delegate some work to other people.

I realized that I was doing more and more administrative tasks and needed to hand some of it off. I reached out to someone to ask for help. I delegated the work. That freed me up to focus on higher priority activities.

You can leverage other people to get things done. Anything you can have someone else does one less thing you have to do.

I once heard Melanie Benson Strick say on a call, “You can’t expect CEO for doing administrative work.” That’s so true, isn’t it?

You need to decide what you do in your online marketing and what you can have someone else do.

Working directly for Eric Lofholm and Loral Langemeier, I saw first hand how important it is to assign work to other people. You can leverage the strengths of people who may know more than you in a certain area.

Have you ever done something that you really didn’t enjoy doing? Did you find that it was a pain in the patootie?

When you delegate something you don’t enjoy or that you are not best suited to do,you will free up your creative energies to focus on something else.

You can also leverage other people including coaches, mentors and joint venture partners.

What can you do this week to delegate a task or a project to someone else?

What relationships can you develop to improve your online marketing results?

Make a decision now to leverage other people. Pick something simple you can delegate and find someone to give it to. You will be glad you did.

Jul 27

Insider Secrets to Get Publicity

PublicityMarketing, advertising, promotion and publicity are all methods to create visibility and get your message out there.

It’s a common mistake for small business owners to focus on one area and miss out on other opportunities.

One of the least understood methods to generate visibility is through publicity.

What’s confusing for most people is that publicity doesn’t necessarily communicate anything about your business. For example, if you book an appearance on a morning TV show, you are there as an expert to share tips and strategies meaningful to the audience.You are NOT there to promote your business.

So, why do it?

Because it creates visibility.
Because it increases awareness.
Because it opens the door to new opportunities.
Because it attracts people.

So, what can you do to get publicity?

Let’s take a look at few secrets to get publicity:

TV

While it’s challenging to gain a coveted spot on TV,what a huge boost it can create. Yes, there are opportunities, but it may take some effort, as well as a bit of luck.

But don’t squander your opportunity. Be sure you are prepared before you even attempt to get on TV.

Not only do you need to be prepared about what to talk about. You also need to know how to behave on TV. That includes how to sit, how to smile and what gestures to make.

If you make it on TV, your life may never be the same!

Radio

It’s much easier to book a radio interview than it is to get on TV.

In fact, there are plenty of opportunities to book an appearance on an internet radio show.

On radio, you only have to worry about what you say. You don’t have to dress up or drive anywhere.

Just determine what your message is and then practice it.

Focus on adding value. Your message will reach a new audience and you can encourage them to connect with you on social media, visit your website and even request a free resource.

Remember that you will have more time during the interview and more flexibility about what to discuss on internet radio than on traditional radio stations.

Newspapers

Yes, there are still newspapers out there and they are looking for experts to quote.

It takes effort to seek out opportunities that fit your expertise though.

You need to build a media list and make an effort to connect with journalists.

And by the way, have you ever thought writing your own column? It takes a lot of work, but you can build a large following over time.

Magazines

Magazine articles are written 3-6 months in advance. So, you have to think ahead when attempting to get quoted as an expert in a magazine.

Here’s an interesting tip: You can often get published in a magazine through a freelance writer.

Start cultivating relationships with freelance writers. Look for ways to help them. And let them know that you are an expert.

It takes patience to get featured in a magazine article, but remember that there are other ways to make an appearance. Be creative!

Press Releases

A simple strategy to create visibility is to write a press release. It’s a tool to help you get publicity.

A press release alone may generate interest simply by posting it online or sending it out.

Just make sure you communicate information and not just promote yourself or your business.

So, what else do you need to know to get publicity?

Publicity Expert Jill Lublin says, “Be yourself“. Build on your assets and your uniqueness because they are really what people want. Clients and customers want you, your special viewpoint or approach; your unique insights or touch, not a weak imitation of someone else. Don’t just be a copycat; find your own voice.”

And I encourage you to find your own voice. Come up with a plan to get publicity and take action. You can’t control the outcome, but publicity will help increase your exposure and can get results.

Jul 23

Social Media Etiquette for Small Business Owners

Social Media EtiquetteAs a social media trainer, I observe a lot of people using great techniques to reach people on sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. There are many ways to use social media to connect and communicate with people online. It’s easy to develop relationships and support others.

I have also seen people using strategies that can only be described as spam.

I want to encourage you to take the high road when posting on social media.

Avoid using underhanded tactics to get your message out there. For example, do not post a message on your Facebook Wall and then tag 46 people in it just so the message will appear on their Wall. I consider that spam and so do most people.

Will Rogers said, “It takes a lifetime to build a good reputation, but you can lose it in a minute.”

Here are 3 suggestions on what NOT to do:

1) Post on someone else’s Facebook Wall

Do not post a promotional message on someone else’s’ Facebook Wall unless you have permission.

I used to allow people to post on my Wall, but some people used the opportunity to post spam. So, now I only allow people to post comments. I like comments and it gives me more control over the messages being shared and the interaction.

Don’t take a risk by trying to promote your business to someone else’s friends. It can do more harm than good.

If someone invites you to share details about your business on their Facebook Wall (personal) or their Facebook Page (business), then do so.

Otherwise, don’t do it.

Be aware that other people may mark your posts as spam.

2) Sending a Private Facebook Message to a Group of People

From time to time, I receive messages through Facebook where I am one of 200 or more people.

Of course, this is not really a private message and very quickly it turns into a free-for-all.

It’s usually unclear who started the message or why the message was sent.

I would caution you not to send a group message like this to people. It’s annoying.

It’s much better to send messages to one person and then have a conversation back and forth.

If you get invited to a Group Message, you can simply leave the conversation.

Click Actions and then select Leave Conversation.

3) Blasting the same message over and over

Marketing is more successful when you repeat messages over time consistently.

But beware of tweeting or sharing the same exact message over and over too often.

People will remember and they will be annoyed.

Make sure that you alternate promotional message son social media with informational messages or personal details.

Use the 80/20 Rule.

80% of your messages should be informational and no more than 20% of your messages (posts)should be promotional.

Strive to use social media in a way that builds relationships.

Focus on adding value.

People will remember you, and they will refer you.

Jul 23

Tips to Create Social Currency through LinkedIn Endorsements

Linkedin EndorsementsAre you interested in gaining favor with other people online?

There are many reasons to develop relationships with people online and a simply way to build goodwill is by creating social currency.

Social currency is created when you do something positive or favorable for another person through social media.

For example, if you spotlight someone on your Facebook Page and tag the person in the post, you will benefit the other person and they will know about it.

LinkedIn has a powerful feature which allows you to endorse someone else. The LinkedIn Endorsements feature is a simple way to acknowledge other people based on their skills.

You have always had the capability to get recommendations from people on LinkedIn. You can request a written recommendation from someone. It will show up on your LinkedIn Profile. You want to receive new recommendations from people on an ongoing basis.

Now, LinkedIn now gives you the capability to endorse someone based on a skill set.

When you endorse someone, they will be notified by email.This creates instant social currency. This will often result in the other person reciprocating and helping you.

Develop a frequent habit of endorsing people you know.Endorse them based on your experience with them and knowledge of what they do.

Follow up with people who endorse you. Thank them.Schedule a phone call to chat and learn more about what they do and how you can help each other.

Here’s a goal: Find 10 people to endorse every week.One of the nice things about this goal is it will get you into the habit of going to LinkedIn and looking at people’s profiles.

While you’re there, you may also consider sending them a private message or checking to see what groups you have in common. Then, visit the group and Like, Comment or add a Post.

Can you do me a favor?

Please visit my LinkedIn profile. Scroll down and look for the Skills and Expertise section. Look for “Social Media Marketing” and then click on the plus sign (+) next to it to endorse me. (Thanks!)

Click here to visit my LinkedIn Profile and endorse me:

http://www.linkedin.com/in/rickscooper

Jul 15

How to Influence People Through Public Speaking

Public SpeakingDo you have a message to share with the world?

Would you like to use public speaking to attract new clients?

As a speaker, I seek out opportunities to speak to groups about online marketing and social media.

For the last few years, I have attended meetings of theSacramento Speakers Network. This is an amazing group that was started in 2006by Publishing Expert Stephanie Chandler.

Every time I attend, something incredible happens.

Stephanie is an amazing woman who always impresses me. She brings in amazing speakers to the Sacramento area to speak to members of the group.

My experience inspired me to write this blog post on public speaking.

You can use public speaking as a strategy to grow your business!

Have you ever thought about speaking to groups? If not, you may want to consider it.

Speaking is an incredible technique which provides you with an opportunity to influence people.

Many people are afraid to influence people. But, as a business owner, building a successful business demands that you develop your skills of persuasion and influence.

As a public speaker, people will view you as an expert. They will perceive you as an authority. This is a powerful position to be in.

Here are 3 keys to influence people through speaking:

1) Deliver value

First, remember that whenever you seek to influence people, you do so with their best interests in mind. Focus on adding value.

I think the biggest opportunity you have when you speak to a group of people is to educate them.

Most people want to learn. When you teach people,you automatically build trust and rapport.

You will also start the process of reciprocity.

When you deliver value, people feel compelled to reciprocate. They want to do something in return for you.

2) Generate leads

Most business owners want more prospects. They want to attract their ideal customers.

Do you want more customers and clients?

Absolutely!

Well then, get out there and speak!

Feel a little nervous about speaking to a group of people?

Why not deliver a teleseminar or webinar to get started. It’s a lot easier.

The point is to develop a strategy to use speaking to grow your business.

It’s a big part of my business and I have been speaking to groups since I launched my company back in 2003.

3) Extend an Invitation

Can you get business when you speak?

Yes, you can.

But, be careful when you make an offer during a speech.

If you are speaking to an association or group,it’s a good idea to ask your contact what is acceptable to do from the front of the room. Ask their permission to share an offer. If they do not allow you to offer a product or service, then ask if you to hold a raffle to collect business cards.

When you speak, make a clear offer. Explain exactly what you are offering and how much it costs.

The confused mind doesn’t buy. If people are confused, they will not take action.

This is a skillset. You may benefit from learning techniques on how to sell from the stage.

I would encourage you to consider becoming a speaker. It is very rewarding.

And it’s a great way to grow your business!

If you are already a speaker, then continue to develop your skills.

You have greatness inside of you!

Jul 11

Get Organized Webinar Series

Get Organized NowWould you like to be more organized?

Join me for a Free Webinar Series where you will learn tips and strategies to get organized. You will have an opportunity to share your commitments to work on organization projects and your results.

Join 8 Top Experts in Organizing, Productivity and Technology…
-Lisa Montanaro, Productivity Consultant
-Cathy Sexton, Productivity Expert
-Brandy Reissig, Professional Organizer
-Natalie Conrad, Professional Organizer
-Susan Mayfield, Professional Organizer and VA
-Todd Lay, Paperless Bookkeeping Expert
-Doug Skinner, Mobile Productivity and Cloud Computing Expert
-Ron Olsen, Minimalist Expert and Inspirational Christian Speaker

The webinars are on July 13, 20 and 27 from 9am Pacific to 10am Pacific.

Click here to register now

The webinars will include 30 minutes of content on tips and strategies to get organized. The rest of the time will be used to give you an opportunity to talk about your challenges in getting organized and sharing your own organizing tips.

Plus, you will have an opportunity to declare any organizing projects you plan to complete in the next week and then to come back and share the results.

Click here to reserve your spot

Jul 08

Tips to Attract Customers With a Free Report

Free ReportTo be successful using Online Marketing, you will benefit from implementing Content Marketing strategies.

Content is information that adds value to your ideal clients. Content marketing is creating content to attract clients online.

One of the best ways to attract new customers is to simply create great content and share it online.

An example is to create high value content for your blog. Set a goal to post content to your blog every week.

Another Content Marketing strategy is to create a free report. You can repurpose content from your blog to create a free report. Find several related blog posts and then copy and paste. Then, edit the document and you have a free report.

Create a Lead Capture Page to offer your free report and then invite people to download your report.

This is an excellent method to grow your email list.

Here are several tips to help you get started:

1) Focus on adding value

Start by thinking about what problems your ideal customers have.

What are they struggling with?

What solutions are they searching for?

Outline your ideas and then write the report. It takes a few hours of dedicated effort to create an 8-10 page report.

2) Create a Lead Capture Page

If you want to grow your email list, then you may want to create a Lead Capture Page to offer your free report.

This is simply a web page where you include an opt in form so people can input their name and email address.

After they opt in, send them an email message with a link to download the report.

Create a success page where they can download the report. Then, after they opt in, redirect them to the success page.

3) Drive Traffic to Free Report

It’s not enough to create a lead capture page; you also need to drive traffic to the page.
That simply means you need to post links on different websites which lead back to your report.

Once you have launched your page, it’s time to promote it.

Here are a few ways to get the word out:

  • Submit an article to EzineArticles.com and include a link to your report
  • Post a message to your blog on a topic related to your report and then includes a link to get the report
  • Post a short message on Facebook or Twitter to invite people to download your report
  • Send an email message and invite people to get your report
  • Ask a Joint Venture Partner to send an email message to offer your report
  • And many more

If you have never thought about creating a free report, then I encourage you to consider it.

To learn more about how to create a Lead Capture Page, download my Free Report on 7 Steps to Create a Lead Capture Page:

http://socialmediaoutcomes.com/7steps