Apr 15

Increase your Visibility by Booking Interviews

Increased visibility 3-YESAn exciting method to reach a large audience is to book radio interviews.

You can communicate with an interested group of people and develop trust and rapport.

You can also use the opportunity to generate leads.

So, what’s required to actually book an interview?

Number one, you need to know what topic you plan to discuss. It’s not like giving a speech. You don’t have control. The host of the show has control.

You need to be prepared to answer questions. Get to the point and share tips that people can easily understand.

In some cases, you may be able to provide a list of questions. That makes it easy for both you and the host.

You can book an interview on traditional radio. You can reach millions of people, but it’s much easier to get booked on internet radio.

There are plenty of opportunities to be a guest on internet radio. You will reach fewer people than on traditional radio, but you may have a better chance to reach your ideal customers.

Make a list of radio shows where you can be a guest and start making calls to book yourself for an interview.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

1)      What is your message?

2)      Who do you want to reach?

3)      What stories can you share?

4)      What do your ideal clients want to know?

Answer these questions first and start contacting radio show hosts.

A great place to start is on BlogTalkRadio.com.

Apr 09

Great Quote from Jim Rohn on Practicing your Communication Skills

Jim Rohn SpeakerI love quotes from Jim Rohn and this one is both inspiring and educational…

“Take advantage of every opportunity to practice your communication skills so that when important occasions arise, you will have the gift, the style, the sharpness, the clarity, and the emotions to affect other people.”

~Jim Rohn

What can you do to practice your communication skills? Many of my clients are speakers and they can use teleseminars, webinars and live events to develop their skills.

Take action today to seek out new opportunities to communicate more effectively.

Mar 12

Build Brand Awareness through Social Media

You’re investing a lot of time on social media, but are you creating leverage through social sharing?

Post, monitor and engage. These are the techniques that help to drive interaction, add friends and get results.

You also have an opportunity to create awareness for your business.

Create Branded Images

Post Consistently on Social MediaYou can create images to post on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest to create more visibility.

One technique I am using is to create a series of images that include some of my branding elements.

The images include my photo and logo. They will also use the same colors as appear in my other marketing collateral.

The images feature a value added quote from me. The purpose is to create something that people will like and comment on.

Some people may also share the images as well, creating a viral marketing effect which will allow other people to see the image.

You can do the same thing.

Create Quote Graphics

Goals and AccomplishmentYou can also create quote graphics that do not include your logo. Pick a royalty-free image, put a text box over the image with a quote and then add your website address.

You can post the images multiple times. People have a short term memory. Not only that, whenever you post an image, only a portion of your friends and followers will actually see it.

This is just one idea. You can probably come up with additional ideas. It just takes a little creativity.

Look for ways to add value through social media. Make it fun!

Rick Cooper
Online Marketing and Social Media Trainer

Jan 29

6 Keys to Optimize your WordPress Blog Posts

Wordpress Blog TipsWordPress is a powerful tool to publish information online. As a blogger, you have an opportunity to share tips, strategies and techniques that will position you as an expert and attract clients online.

At the heart of a WordPress site are blog posts. That is the content that will attract traffic online from search engines. It is the information you will share that will encourage people to visit your site.

Do you have a blog? If not, it’s time to consider getting started. It’s easier than you think.

If you do have a blog, are you posting content on a consistent basis? If not, it’s time to establish a habit of posting to your blog.

Here are 6 keys to improve your blog posts to make them more search engine friendly:

1) Write a keyword-centric high value blog post

Nothing will do a better job to attract potential customers and keep them coming back than posting good, solid content on your site.

To make sure you are creating valuable information that potential customers want to read, take the time to brainstorm a list of hot topics. Then, get started writing blog posts.

It’s OK to work on several blog posts at once. This can help if you get stuck. Just be sure to go back and finish one of the posts and publish it on your site.

2) Choose titles that are descriptive

Sometimes, people will only see the title of your blog post. Make sure it grabs their attention and inspires them want to read it.

Curiosity is a great factor that helps to encourage people to read your blog posts. From time to time, select a title that stops people in their tracks and forces them to have to read the entire blog post to understand what you are communicating. People are curious!

3) Select categories that represent all of your topic areas

Categories are an easy way to sort and organize blog posts so that people can find them easily. If someone like your blog, they will look for other blog posts that might interest them. Make it easy for people to find related content.

Your WordPress blog will create a separate web page for each category. If someone clicks on the category, it will take them to a web page listing all of the posts in that category.

This is an easy method for indexing content. You should select about 10 to 15 categories for your blog. You can assign a single blog post to multiple categories.

4) Assign tags based on keywords and unique search criteria

Tags are different than categories. You might have only 10 to 15 categories, but you can use hundreds of tags. Use tags to reiterate certain keywords in your blog post. You can also use words that are not in your blog post. I also find it helpful to use my name as a tag. You can also use other people’s names as tags.

Each tag will have a unique website address assigned to it, so all posts that include that tag will appear on the web page. This helps in Search Engine Optimization. Tags are powerful. Don’t forget to add them.

5) Optimize the words in the URL

First, I recommend you use “post name” in the URL. You don’t want a web page address that includes “?p=123”. You can make the switch in the Permalinks section under Settings.

By default, your blog post URL will include the words in the title. It might make sense to remove a few words to make the URL shorter and change the order of the words to improve Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

You can probably see how this website address is better than a URL with random numbers:

https://socialmediaoutcomes.com/go/tips-to-generate-more-sales-online/

6) Name your photos based on keywords

People often name photos based on what is happening in the photo. It’s better to actually give your photo and name that is based on keywords or benefit statements someone might be searching on. It does help with SEO. And sometimes people search on photos.

By the way, you can also assign title to a photo that will be visible when someone hovers over the photo image on the page. This gives a subtle reminder about how you can help them.

Post Content on Your Blog Weekly

Get into a habit of posting content to your blog every single week.

This takes a certain amount of discipline.

Set a deadline for each week. Pick the same day each week. For example, Friday at 5pm. When you have a deadline, it’s much more likely you will actually get it done!

Need help creating a blog? Click here to learn more about how start a new WordPress blog.

Rick Cooper
Online Marketing and Social Media Trainer

Jan 01

10 Tips to Leverage Social Media

How to leverage social mediaI want to share a Top 10 List with you.

This list is focused on giving you some strategies to implement on social media right now. Read the list below and then watch the video!

(SCROLL DOWN FOR THE VIDEO)

I would suggest you pick one strategy below and implement it right away. Bookmark this web page and come back to it in a few days, or print the list and post it on your wall.

I would also encourage you to join me for the 30 Day Marketing Challenge. Sign up in January 2013 and get access to exclusive training and resources. Invite your friends and colleagues!

Top 10 Tips to Leverage Social Media in 2013:

10) Schedule a Facebook Event to position yourself as an expert and encourage viral sharing
9) Create a list of 101 tips to share on social media
8) Post content weekly to your blog and share on social media
7) Pay to promote posts on Facebook to get more visibility
6) Record videos to post on social media to build trust and rapport
5) Add a Facebook Like box to your website or blog
4) Spend more time in Facebook Groups and LinkedIn Groups
3) Pay a graphic designer to create a custom Facebook cover photo
2) Create visual images to post on Facebook and Pinterest
1) Create a Social Media Marketing Plan for the next 30 days

You’re invited to participate in a new 30 Day Marketing Challenge.

Sign up any time in January. The sooner you signup, the sooner you will benefit from participating!

Click here to sign up for the 30 Day Marketing Challenge:
http://socialmediaoutcomes.com/challenge2/

Watch the video now to learn more about each one of the tips:

Nov 11

Developing your Social Media Influence

Michele Jennae is Founder of influenSPHERE, a company dedicated to helping people strategically expand their sphere of influence.

I first met Michele through Twitter. I liked her posts on Twitter and started retweeting her posts. She retweeted some of my posts too. Social media makes it easy to share someone else’s content. I share other people’s content as a way to deliver value to my readers and build social currency.

Michele is great at communicating on social media. She engages people and has a dialogue with them. And she shares inspirational messages.

Twitter was a great place to get acquainted. Next, we became friends on Facebook. It’s easier to chat on Facebook. People tend to share more personal information on Facebook including pictures. It’s easier to make a personal connection.

What’s interesting is that we live in the same area, yet we had never met each other in person. And we both do a lot of networking.

At the time, Michele had a radio show on BlogTalkRadio. One day, we decided to chat by phone. We had a great conversation and it gave us a better opportunity to learn about each other’s business model. Michele invited me to be a guest on her radio show. It was a great show. We talked about networking strategies and social media.

We are both members of the Sacramento Speakers Network, a Meetup Group. One month, we discovered we were both planning to attend the Meetup. We were excited about finally having a chance to meet in person.

We had communicated together on multiple social networks and finally had a chance to meet in person. The room was small and there were over 50 people at the event. We could see each other from across the room but could not reach each other.

Finally, the event ended and I made my way over to her. We chatted for a few minutes and it was like we had known each other for years.

Social media is a powerful tool for communication. You can meet people, develop relationships and do business together.

Michele’s focus these days is on the art of business and the business of the arts. Michele and I stay in touch and look for ways to support each other. That’s what friends do.

Oct 21

Tips to Generate More Sales Online

Are you making money online? Or, do you struggle with trying to generate sales on the internet?

Sometimes online marketing can seem like a bit of a mystery. It’s easy to slap something together quickly and post it online. But, do you think it’s really going to generate the same results as a well-planned strategy?

It takes time and effort to select a great offer and then implement steps to promote it online. Achieving success online depends on thinking through the sequence of how to deliver value at successively higher price points. While some people might be willing to purchase a high-end product or service when they first visit your site, the majority will likely take a more initial step like opting in to receive a free resource or buying a low cost product.

So, what can you do to get more sales online?

Here are a few quick tips to improve your online marketing results.

1) Sales pages

One of the best practices in online marketing is to create a sales page. There is a simple rule in marketing that, “The confused mind doesn’t buy.”

When you present a single offer on a web page, it allows you to get laser focused about why someone would want to buy. If you do not have an online sales page, then set a goal to create one in the next 90 days. This is one of the single best decisions you can make to earn more money online.

Most websites offer too many options. As a result, people don’t buy. Yes, you can create an online store. But, don’t expect to earn as much money as Amazon.com. You may get an occasional sale, but unless you are driving huge traffic to your site, don’t expect a big result.

A sales page features a single, compelling offer. And it’s a best practice in online marketing.

2) Drive traffic to your sales page

“Build it and they will come!”

It would be nice if that were true. Unfortunately, it takes time and effort to get people to your sales page. And to optimize your results, it helps if your prospect has already benefited from receiving value from you through a free report, audio or video.

You need to implement multiple strategies to get people to your sales page. Make a list of different techniques you have learned. Prioritize the list and start implementing them one by one.

One of the best ways to leverage a sales page is in combination with hosting a live teleseminar or webinar.

3) Create a compelling offer

What do you have to offer online? Some of the best offers come from packaging your products together to create an irresistible offer.

What do you have that you can bundle together? It needs to be something that is complimentary and adds value when combined.

Online marketing takes a little bit of creativity. I encourage you to take time periodically to brainstorm ideas and identify strategies you can implement.

It’s okay to test offers to see what works best. Test different bundles, various price points and bonus items.

Rick Cooper
Online Marketing and Social Media Trainer

Oct 14

Article Marketing Strategies to Increase Your Visibility

Are you taking enough action to get visitors to your website?

Improving your online marketing results starts with taking frequent action to create content and post it on the internet. Every time you post something on the internet, be sure to include a link back to your site. And don’t just include a link to your home page, include links to other pages on your site.

One of the easiest tools to drive traffic back to your website is to write an article. When you write an article, it positions you as an expert. Articles help to develop trust and rapport with people online. And you can include a link back to your website, blog or lead capture page.

Here are 3 simple steps to start writing articles to increase your visibility:

1) Select a topic and title for your article

Make a list of potential topics and choose one. It doesn’t matter which you select. Just pick a topic and start writing. If you write one article a week for a year, you will have 52 articles. So just pick any article and get started.

Think about your ideal customers. What problems do they struggle with? What solutions are they looking for? Write an article that will appeal to your ideal customers and select a title that will attract them.

2) Create content and then repurpose it

Writing an article is just another form of creating content. There are many ways you can use content, from posting it online for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to creating an Information Product to sell. Remember that you can repurpose content. In other words, you can take content in one form and turn it into something else.

For example, you can turn a short blog post into a longer article by expanding on the subject. You can also split an article into two blog posts.

Make a habit of creating content. Set goals and write every week.

3) Publish your article online

Once you finish an article, publish it online. There are article directories where you can post articles. You can sign up for a free account at http://ezinearticles.com. Submit your article to the site. It usually takes a few days to get approved. Post new content to the site. If you have published the article elsewhere, it may not be approved.

At the end of the article, include a short bio and a link to your site. Keep it to 3-4 sentences. This is sometimes called a byline or resource box.

Article marketing is a great strategy to increase your visibility online. It’s an easy way to get started in creating content you can leverage online.

Rick Cooper
Online Marketing and Social Media Trainer

Sep 18

Social Media Goals to Develop More Relationships

Do you have goals for social media? It’s unfortunate that most business owners don’t take the time to set goals that could substantially improve their results on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Getting clear on your goals is the first step to determining your strategy to leverage social media. If you don’t set goals, it’s difficult to know whether you are on track.

What goals should you set?

Here are several areas where you can set goals:

Friends, Fans and Followers:
Social media sites list the number of friends you have. In the case of Twitter, you have people you follow and those who are following you. Set a goal for the number of friends you want on each social media site.

So, how often should you track your results? It’s easy to track results monthly. On the last day of the month, summarize the numbers in a spreadsheet. Do it yourself or have a virtual assistant do it for you.

Activity:
While it’s difficult to keep track of how many messages you have posted on most sites, it’s still helpful to set a goal for how much activity to have on each site. For example, you might set a goal to post at least 3 messages on your business Facebook Page each day.

You can use a checklist to keep track of daily activity to make sure you have met your goal. The goal is used to drive the activity. If you don’t set a goal for daily activity, it becomes very easy to fall behind. There is nothing motivating you to take consistent action.

By the way, Twitter does track the number of tweets, so if you subtract the number from the prior month, you will know how many tweets you posted during the month.

You may also want to consider setting a goal for the number of personal messages you send on Facebook. If you want to send 10 personal messages per week, set a goal for 40 per month. Is it necessary to track all this minutiae? It’s up to you how much time to invest. The purpose is to simply get you into action consistently. Always focus on high priority activities that will generate the most results for your business.

New Customers:
While it may be difficult to know whether a new customer lead originated from social media, it helps to set a goal for how many new customers you want to receive from social media each month. Be reasonable. You don’t want to create an environment where you end up pressuring people you know on Facebook in order to reach your goal. Instead, social media sites are a platform for making connections, developing relationships and adding value. In the process of delivering value, you may also attract potential customers.

Likes and Comments:
One of the measures of success on social media is engagement. Watch for whether people interact with you on social media sites. When people click on the Like button or post a comment, it creates interaction. Facebook rewards interaction by showing your posts in a person’s newsfeed more often.

I regularly monitor the statistics on my Facebook Page. I can see how people see each post. It helps me understand what people read and respond to. Watch your stats and make changes as necessary.

Make sure you devote some time each week to start conversations on your personal Facebook page and your business Facebook Page. And be sure to respond back to people who post a comment. The more comments, the more it will attract other people to post a comment. There is a snowball effect. Imagine a snowball rolling down a hill. It continues to pick up snow and grows into a larger snowball. The same will happen when people post a comment. It will result in more comments.

Each month, review your results and implement new strategies. You will also benefit from developing formal and informal joint venture relationships. It helps to have other people you know post comments and interact with you through social media.

Look for win-win opportunities. Social is fun if you make it fun.

And always remember that social media is social.

Rick Cooper
Online Marketing and Social Media Trainer

Aug 23

Amazing Technique to Reach Clients with a Laser Focused Message

One of the challenges people have when using Facebook is that they post generic messages that are not customized to a specific audience. As a result, they don’t really get the results they want.

Learn a very powerful technique which will allow you to reach a targeted audience with your message.

Watch the video below to learn this technique!

Click here for a Free Report on 10 Ways to Monetize Social Media