10 Places to Promote Your Business Online For Free

'Water everywhere and not a drop to drink'... this is exactly how I felt when I began my journey to finding places online where I can promote our business. In one hand, you have the vast enormity of the web and all the sites, blogs and platforms I can go onto and talk about my business and the issues that we were trying to solve. On the other hand, you have to think carefully which domains you want to be associated with, which ones allow that type of content and which ones are suitable for your business and its audience.

So if you like me, struggle to find your feet at the beginning, here is a good (by no means complete) list of the top 10 places online you can promote your business.

#1 Changes start from within - 
Optimize your email signature. How many emails do you send every day? Quite a few of them I imagine. Now imagine how many people you could have attracted if you had a link to your website included in your email signature. In fact, today it is becoming quite normal to have your own or your company's email signature contain not only a name, phone number, email address and website, but also links to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media profiles. So, make sure you use every bit of real estate in your emails.

#2 Search Engines - 

It must comes as no surprise that the majority of web traffic comes from search engines. With that being said, search engines should be the first place you turn to promote your business. Make sure that search engines know about your business, your whereabouts and your website by submitting all the relevant information and completing local search forms. It's free and it only takes a few minutes.

Google
Yahoo
Bing

#3 Social Media - 

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last few years, you will know that social media is an essential part of business success and it is particularly effective and efficient tool to use for smaller businesses.

Social media allows you to connect directly with your prospects and customers, but also gives you the fantastic opportunity to promote your business, website and content. By using social media successfully you will be able to keep marketing costs to a minimum, measure what is and isn't working well, and build a community feel that reflects your brand.

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Google+

#4 Video - 

Because it's a video platform, YouTube may not initially seem like a suitable platform for marketing your small business, but guess what? It is! Closely tied to Google+, YouTube is a more social and influential platform than ever.

Creating and posting video content on YouTube is a great way to boost the visibility and credibility of your small business. Creating video content doesn't require a big budget. All you really need is a camera.

You can create content featuring your customers saying why they like your business, it could be a short video of you explaining about your product or even a quick tour of your premises. A simple video like this can make all the difference!

YouTube

#5 Photo Sharing -
Photo sharing sites are perfect for creating more buzz around your business and also creating some links to your website around the web (this is good SEO practices 101). You can take a picture of your product, your premises, your logo and share them. Depending on what your business offers photo sharing websites could be more or less useful to get your point across, nevertheless you should give them a go.

Instagram
Pinterest
Flickr
Picasa

#6 Guest posting - 
Guest posting remains one of the most important marketing strategies. Guest posting, as the name suggests, is writing and publishing content on a third-party blog or website as a guest author. Done correctly, this strategy for sharing content is a great way to find and connect with new readers, find prospects and create a wider audience for your business.

Depending on your industry and area of expertise, some websites may be more suitable than others. Here are a few content sharing platforms that would be a great place to start.

RebelMouse
HubPages
StumbleUpon (this website is particularly good as it accepts a variety of different content formats on every topic imaginable)

#7 Presentations - 
Slideshare is a free website which allows you to post content as a presentation. Presentations are viewed by the general public, and can increase traffic to your website, landing pages, or blog. It is a great place to promote attractive, useful presentations to get the visibility you need.

Slideshare

#8 Audio Submission Sites - Similarly to Slideshare - a site dedicated to presentation submissions, there are websites entirely devoted to audio submissions. Be it an audio explaining the benefits of your products and services or an audio of a webinar you held, you can submit it.

Again, this is a great way to gain extra exposure for your business.

SoundCloud
FileDropper

#9 Answer Questions - 
There are plenty of websites out there that are dedicated to asking and answering questions. This is the perfect opportunity for you to engage with potential customers. You can either ask a questions regarding your product and see who answers and target those people as potential clients. Alternatively, you can find questions on topics you are familiar with and answer them including a link to your website.

If you are a wedding photographer for example, you can ask a questions 'What is the most important thing when considering hiring a wedding photographer'. Or somebody else might have asked 'Why are wedding photographers so expensive' to which you can answer explaining that there are a number of costs involved in the process such as travel, film, printing of a wedding album etc. You can also include your prices and a link to your website. Who knows, maybe this thread would be read by a potential customer.

Quora
WikiHow
Ask
YahooAnswer

#10 Go on the 'Front Page of The Internet' -
Would you like to go 'on the front page of the internet'? Then go to Reddit. It is a social platform allowing like-minded people with similar interest to connect.

The great thing about Reddit is there are small communities called sub-Reddits that bring people and their interests together. There are sub-Reddits about pretty much any topic you can think of, so I am pretty certain there is one that would a good fit for your business. There are some generic ones, such as /r/smallbusiness, /r/businessproblems, /r/entrepreneur etc.

Similarly to the questions submission sites, you can ask and answer questions, submit content and links, write stories etc.

Check it out!

Reddit

As you can see, there are plenty of opportunities to get your business out there. Spend some time looking at the different option and find out for yourself which medium(s) would be the most appropriate for your business. As I said at the beginning, this list is no complete, so go ahead and tell me, where and how do you promote your business online.http://www.intouchcrm.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8930603

Omnichannel - The Next Big Shopping Experience

Imagine walking into a store to buy something and being greeted by name by a sales person. Not only that, but they seem to know you had intended to buy that TV from their website, got as far as putting it in the shopping kart, but had thought you might just pop into the store to see it working before making up your mind. You really like this store; you had even praised them on social media and always get their catalogue. Now it seems that they can read your mind, know what you have researched on your tablet on the way to work and have some brilliant ideas about what TV would suit you best. Actually, you are not many years in the future, you are benefitting from Omnichannel marketing.

There have been several stages in the evolution of marketing to consumers. In the first stage potential customers were provided with ad hoc, untargeted information about potential products. In stage two the market was segmented and people received product information according to their age, occupation, geographical location etc. Then marketing got a bit more sophisticated and loyalty programmes were started such as store cards. Potential customers received product information according to their past purchasing with that specific company. Omnichannel is the latest in marketing where companies can suggest products according to purchasing across many channels and many platforms from many retailers, consolidating this information into behaviour patterns and personalising it just for you.

Omni means many and the many channel approach provides a seamless shopping experience to the customer whether they are shopping from a tablet, a computer, through social media or in person. Click or brick, telephone or by mail the customer will be provided with the same experience. The retailer has the advantage that they have a greater understanding of the customer's needs and can present suggestions to them as they shop. Within a retail building the retailer can map the progress of the shopper through the shop, following their eye line and seeing what they touch and what is of little interest.

All of this is possible due to the other word that really should be included within the name - integration. All the back end systems are integrated. So the database from the website is integrated with the shop database. The CCTV cameras are connected to the system so that the shopper can be viewed. A Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection to their mobile phone helps track a customer. When the customer talks to the retail representative they will know everything about them and be able to make informed recommendations. The big difference from a multi channel experience is that the experience is seen from the customer's point of view as opposed to the marketer's view.

Omnichannel is a more organised, more joined up and more effective multi channel experience. Some say it is multichannel done right! It provides the physical interaction and personalised service that many people miss when shopping online and is a key differentiator for retail bricks and mortar retailers.

So how can Omnichannel marketing be achieved? First of all everything from everywhere needs to be measured, then that information needs to be sorted and understood. Lastly that information needs to be applied to each customer's behaviour, wants and activities. Whilst online retailers have had the use of website analytics to understand what their customers do on the website and provide some insight into changes that can be made, until recently, a bricks and mortar retailer did not really understand the shopper's experience in their stores. Why they bought and more importantly did not buy were not questions as readily answered for them.

In order to do this for a brick based retailer, there needs to be an appropriate technological platform and fully included and trained staff. As the name suggests everything needs to be integrated. However it also needs to be robust, upgradeable and easily understood by the non-technical who will be operating from it.

Only in the last few years that technology has been robust enough to support this kind of system. The sheer volume of structured and unstructured data that needed to be put together challenged hardware, networks and software.

Thankfully a few, innovative companies have sprung up that are able to use truly comprehensive in-store analytical platforms with a breath taking level of sophistication. These systems are able answer questions about shopping, aggregated across thousands of stores as well as the ability to drive deep down into this information. Retailers will soon be collaborating for the good of all and the customer will benefit.

Whilst it is the software that is driving Omnichannel marketing, the hardware is equally as important as it supports and enables fast processing and combines with the network to allow for fast data transfer and collection.

The technical platform needs to collate information from numerous, different data points which means an enormous amount of data being processed and collated. Surely we are in the era of Big Data! Some examples of data collection points include:

• WiFi and blue tooth enable devices

• Security cameras

• POS (Point of Sale) systems

• Payment cards

• Loyalty cards

• WiFi points

• Workforce Management Systems

• CRM (Customer Relationship Management Systems)

• Weather and timing systems

This information can then be processed, analysed and output to a number of tools, apps, reports and other software systems as well as produce real time alerts to phones and tablet. The type of information available is very wide and includes:

• Traffic measurements

• Buying profiles

• Buying behaviour

• Movements around a store

• Shopper demographic

• Poorly performing retail areas

In effect they answer the five vital questions that any retailer will ask themselves:

1. Are our shoppers engaged with us?

2. Are our promotions working?

3. Which bits of our marketing works best?

4. Where can I best use my staff?

5. The big one: What can I do better to become more profitable?

Some truly innovative companies are bringing buying power into the hands of the shopper and enabling the retailer to be very responsive to their needs. That is Omnichannel.

IIntergence is an IT services company with over 10 years experience helping enterprise clients with transformational projects. Intergence help clients ensure that their underlying IT infrastructure is ready for the innovative services that a true Omnichannel experience requires. See our latest technical solutions at www.Intergence.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8930771

Misalignment of Marketing Priorities

In November 2014, ITSMA took a poll to gain insight into the top priorities of B2B marketers over the next two years. The poll showed that Brand and Positioning was the number one focus at the time with Lead Generation as the second overall priority. When looking ahead to 2016, marketers forecasted a change in these priorities with Lead Generation moving from the second most important to fifth and "understanding buyers" as the top priority as indicated by 85% of respondents.

When looking at the ITSMA poll more closely, "understanding the buyer" is not even rated as a top priority in 2014 so the real question is, how will B2B marketers be effective at generating leads if "understanding the buyer" does not become a priority for at least another year?

The foundation of any successful lead generation program is understanding the buyer. This is not simply the development of a persona that so many organizations have that highlights "Jim the IT Director" who likes cars, has 2.5 kids and makes an annual salary of $135,000 a year. While this information may be good for a consumer-oriented purchase, it does not get B2B organizations any closer to understanding the trigger events that initiated the purchase process, the multiple stakeholders that are involved with the purchase, the buyers path to purchase or their content consumption patterns.

Without this granular understanding it is impossible to build and align content (the fuel behind any effective lead generation program) that engages, nurtures and converts their buyers along their purchase path, which is the approach today's sophisticated buyers demand and prefer. If this prioritization holds, B2B marketers again will be turning in lackluster results in terms of driving revenue and maximizing customers' lifetime value while at the same time, falling further behind their buyers.

This complete misalignment in priorities also highlights two other gaps that must be addressed if B2B marketing is going to succeed in today's buyer-driven world.

- An investment in skills development

- Focus on a documented, cohesive, buyer-centric strategy

In response to the question "Please rate the skill set of your marketing personnel in terms of executing Demand Generation strategy?" only 7.5% of respondents rated themselves as highly skilled. This lack of skill may explain why marketers view lead generation and understanding the buyer as mutually exclusive, they may simply not know any better. They perhaps believe true lead generation is simply the practice of capturing names via random tactics and sending to sales as leads. Marketers need to be enabled to do their jobs effectively and investments should be made to elevate the skill level, increase the knowledge and enable marketers to run programs that contribute to revenue.

According to the most recent Content Benchmark Study by Content Marketing Institute, only 35% of B2B organizations have a documented strategy. Translation: most organizations are practicing random acts of content and will not be able to tie this back in any meaningful way to business impact. As mentioned previously, any content strategy that is designed to fuel lead generation must start with the buyer in mind. Separating the two will only lead to a poor buying experience.

As we are two full months into the New Year, B2B marketers need to re-think their priorities and make sure they align because as of now, they do not make any sense.

To better understand Buyer Insights, go to: http://annuitas.com/demand-generation-strategy/buyer-insights/, or contact ANNUITAS at info@annuitas.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8926745

Using Security Cameras For Marketing!

You're spending good money on a camera system for your business to cover security, safety, liability, monitoring and more. If you have a camera system already in place, or if you're going to install one for your business, let it bring you customers! You can use your camera system to highlight an aspect of the business on a website and/or designated in-house TV channel. Hotels, cruise ships and resorts can do it by showing live views of the pool area, beach, nightclub, bar area, and restaurant. Sports bars can show packed dining areas, lively sports activity, and scrumptious food and beverages being delivered. Retail stores can show store names and product displays. Health care and senior living facilities can show exercise rooms, specialty care areas, staff training, and amenities. Auto body shops can display their latest beautiful vehicle repair. The list is endless, and it could be YOUR business.

Individuals can also benefit from their camera systems! If you have something you're really proud of - a horse, car, boat, collection, etc. you can have a camera watch it. You can show it in real time on your smart phone, tablet, laptop or other capable device as long as your system and your device both have an internet connection.

Then there are additional business benefits such as writing off part of your system as an advertising expense! If you lease/purchase the system for business you can also expense it, instead of depreciating it. Ask your accountant. Also some, but not all, insurance companies will discount the liability portion of your business insurance if you have a camera system. Ask your insurance agent if this is available to you.

You need to have a better quality camera system to do this properly. The cheapest systems have poor picture quality and are unsuitable for this purpose. It requires that you determine how many cameras you want to use for marketing. They will, however, still be recording the video. Those cameras will be designated to also transmit directly over your website and/or television channel. In the case of hotels, resorts, cruise ships, etc. they can be shown on a specific television channel set aside for this purpose. Additional equipment is needed, along with a knowledgeable IT person. Website video needs to involve the website administrator or the website company itself. These technical people can set video to display at the most active, or the least intrusive times, depending upon the type of business. Accommodations may need to be made that will affect the amount and type of lighting used for the best and clearest picture. Signs also need to be posted that video recording is taking place.

Are you ready for some increased business exposure? WOO-HOO!!! What will you use yours for?

West Palm Beach, Florida based author Bruce Montefusco has educated and informed over 2000 businesses and individuals about best solutions for camera systems and their capabilities. He also confers on large scale camera and Wi-Fi systems for hi-rises, multiple buildings, and entire communities. He can be reached at 772-245-7127.bruce@securitycameragroup.com. Learn more at http://www.securitycameragroup.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8924408

Is Product Placement Good For Business?

Product placement involves placing branded goods or services within the context of a film or television programme. It is largely being used in place of other offline marketing techniques (such as television advertisements) as it is believed that, if carried out effectively, it has the power to massively manipulate viewers into buying into those goods or services.

Otherwise known as embedded marketing, this offline marketing strategy has been used by marketing companies for many years, but is becoming increasingly sophisticated as advertising becomes even more subtle and strategic. Many placements are barely even noticeable yet they still have the power to influence users into buying those goods or services, without those users even realizing it.

For example the same brand of drink might be consumed throughout a TV show, or the same type of car used throughout a film; though this sort of feature is not explicitly obvious to the viewer it is subtly influential, creating in the viewer an emotional attachment to that product.

Some product placement campaigns are incredibly costly. One of the most notable was the placement of the new Ford Mondeo in Casino Royale. According to reports, Ford paid $14 million for the privilege of including the car in the film, which was only featured in the film for around three minutes. The sales results, however, were magnificent.

Does Product Placement Work?

Product placement can sometimes backfire if viewers feel that the placement of the item or service is too obvious. It can leave viewers cringing if it is too blatant, often resulting in a great deal of uproar and ridicule that does not have a positive impact on sales (although this still gets people talking about the brand).

Nevertheless, product placement can be incredibly effective if carried out correctly. Many soap operas are cleverly weaving a product into scenes of the show in a manner that is so subtle it is barely even noticeable. Over time, devoted viewers come to associate that product with the show and develop an affiliation for that product, encouraging them to become committed customers to that brand. This is an excellent way to enhance image building and branding.

Closing Thoughts...

Though online advertising is becoming an increasingly popular marketing vehicle, product placement is not going anywhere. If effectively executed it has the power to add reality to a show or film and persuade users to use these products in their daily lives.

About 8 Ways Media

8 Ways Media SA is a Swiss-based web design and marketing agency providing 8 main services including branding, web design, IT development, offline & online marketing and much more. 8 Ways Media specialises in providing services that focus on creativity as well as the latest parallax designs and technological trends.

Visit http://www.8ways.ch/news to learn more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8931860

5 Scent Strategies to Boost Your Retail Sales

You're undoubtedly already aware of the fact that unpleasant odors can cause customers to leave your retail space, but did you know that pleasant scents will attract them and invite them to stay? It's a tactic that's long worked or bakeries, but your business doesn't have to be the culinary kind for in-store fragrances to have a positive effect on customer sales. Following are five ways that you can boost your sales by using an effective olfactory marketing strategy.

Keep it Simple

Straightforward, easy-to-recognize fragrances that have pleasant connotations are far more effective than complex fragrances that overwhelm and try too hard. You don't have to stick with single note fragrances, but choose those that blend a range of familiar fragrances for best results. It's also important to remember that scent can produce negative emotions and memories as well as positive ones, and keeping things simple can help circumvent that.

Keep it Subtle

Loud, overpowering scents are likely to cause customers to head for a door rather than encourage them to stay and shop. Many stores that have gone overboard in saturating their retail spaces with scent have faced embarrassing protests from sign-wielding consumers outside of their stores accusing the retailer of exposing their customers to toxic chemicals. Always remember that marketing scents should whisper instead of shout.

Develop a Signature Aroma

No matter which fragrance you choose, developing a signature fragrance and branding it to your store will help customers identify it with your business. Most consumers remember fragrances rather than pictures or other visual imagery. In general, it takes about 90 days for a retail establishment to develop their signature scent to the extent that return customers begin to associate it with their store, so have patience and be consistent.

Taylor Scents to Your Business

Certain smells bring out different feelings in people, so be sure that the fragrance that you choose as your signature scent matches the mood that you want to set in your store. For instance, if you're selling sporting goods, an energizing fragrance such as one containing mint will inspire customers to want to exercise. If you've got a bookstore, a lavender-based fragrance will be relaxing and will tempt customers to stay and browse the shelves.

Consider the Neighboring Retailers

If you're located near a retailer that sells highly aromatic products such as cinnamon or coffee, make certain that your fragrance choice does not clash with these items or you will both lose business as a result. Choose something that complements the fragrance of surrounding retailers rather than competes. For instance, if the coffee shop next door is filling the air with the delightful fragrance of freshly brewed coffee, consider using a signature scent that contains warm notes such as vanilla, brown sugar, or spices.

Marketing Scents tips: http://www.marketing-scents.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8932856

How Digital Signage Works

Digital signage is a great marketing tool that has become an essential for many businesses. You see them every day and they constantly serve as reminder of brands, products or services. They are a clever form of advertising employed by businesses. It is used to display advertising messages electronically. They are considered to be an evolution of print messages. It is usually used as alternative form of marketing tool that is used as a supplement or replacement for traditional advertising sources. They are customizable and versatile in nature and one of the fastest growing advertising media.

What makes digital signage different?

Dynamic in nature

It is dynamic in nature. The electronic signs can deliver specific messages and its display can be changed based on the time of the day. It can be constantly updated. Unlike traditional advertising tools, It can be controlled by a central server over the internet and plays the content according to what the customers like to see at a particular time of the day. They can be changed hourly, daily or weekly.

Reach the customers

It reaches the customers wherever they are. Be it restaurants, bus stops, malls or grocery stores. They act as a reminder of your brand, a continuity of where the traditional advertisements leave you - television, newspapers, radio or even the online advertising methods. They have the ability to reach the target audience when they are out of their home or office. More importantly, they deliver advertising messages when the customers are in an environment where they can buy.

Re-purpose contents

It does not necessarily need development of new content. Your existing content of advertising can be used in this.Logos, messages and other content related to advertisements can be used for digital signage. Hence, digital signage can be up and running very soon.

How does a digital signage work?

It consists of four elements - central server, display panel, media player and software. The software allows you to operate and control the content you want to display that can be sent to the media player near the installed display using the central server.

It can be integrated in a multitude of ways into different software programs. Depending upon the need of your business, digital signage can be plugged to TV screen, bill boards, freestanding marquees or plasma or LCD monitors set in places. These software programs usually allow businesses to create customised content using computer program and can include both video and audio. Changes can be made at any time and advertising messages can be updated. The schedules can be altered and monitored from media player. When the message is updated in the central server, it can be transferred to individual media player near the display.

The display panel can have speakers attached or inbuilt that makes advertising music or talking advertisements a reality. These displays are sometimes even interactive or live feeds that promote the advertisers. All digital signage impart messages that can either promotional and/or informational.

Check out dtb! Advertising, the leading marketing & advertising agency in Sunshine Coast Australia. They offer all kids of SEO, Digital services, Brochure and Website Design in Sunshine Coast.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8936468

10 Things I Do Each Week to Attract an Endless Stream of High Paying Clients

If you don't have a stream of ideal client leads, that are happily willing to pay your rates to get the results, than running a business probably feels hard. It might seem like no one is interested in what you do, or like you can't charge what you're worth.

I'm exceptional at lead generation, because I understand what entrepreneurs need to implement to bring in ongoing leads. When you have a solid, well-oiled lead generation machine it makes it easier to fill your programs, sell your products, and ensure you get to work with a wonderful group of amazing clients.

If you struggle with getting quality leads for your business (and converting those leads into happy customers) this post is going to help you immensely.

Here are the 10 things I do every week to ensure I have a steady stream of quality leads.

1. Turn my attention to it. This sounds basic, however if you don't begin your week with a clear picture of when you will focus on generating new leads, and how you are going to generate those leads, you WILL get distracted, and get wrapped up in creation, in admin, or other tasks that are more comfortable. Begin each week by dedicating some time to charting your lead generation strategy.

2. Meet with my team. Make it clear that every person on your team is in sales and marketing. You are all responsible for generating leads. Whether it's through delivering great service, asking for up sells, or referring people to the business, get your team invested in the goal of enrolling new clients.

3. Dedicate appropriate time. In the beginning of running my business I spent 4-6 hours a day on generating new leads. Most entrepreneurs aren't spending enough time asking people to pay them money or buy their services or products. Schedule out time on your calendar to work on lead generation, and break it down by the specific high-value activities you will take.

4. Follow-up with warm leads. I have an evolving list of prospects whom I've talked with before. I follow-up, check-in, see where they are at, and ask them how I may serve them. I get sales every week from following-up with this list of contacts. When someone says "No" it usually means "not right now."

5. High technology, high touch follow-up system. I don't care if you've been in business a week or ten years, you need to have a good CRM (customer relationship management). A CRM is a database where you keep notes on previous interactions, as well as create tasks for what the next action you need to take with each lead.

You can automate follow-up steps to save time. If you're on a budget consider a free system or use an excel spreadsheet.

6. One major lead trigger. Plan on at least one big lead trigger per month, combined with smaller efforts to generate leads. This means one sponsorship, one webinar (with hundreds of registrations), one partnership, one speaking gig, one telesummit interview, one paid email blast. One event I know will get qualified prospects into a conversation.

7. Variety of smaller lead triggers. Supplement major lead triggers with a series of smaller, ongoing outreach efforts. These include a combination of using LinkedIn, email marketing, attending networking meetings, asking for referrals, up selling, and smaller partnerships and speaking gigs. The key here is you must stay consistent (and automate) week after week or you'll notice a massive roller coaster in your earnings.

8. Crystal clear goals. Know exactly how many conversations you need to have in a week in order to meet your goals. Review these goals weekly to make sure you're on track. Always know exactly where you stand, and if you need to add additional lead generation activities.

Action is the antidote to fear. 

9. Zero excuses. Before you have a list, there is more heavy lifting. This can actually be FUN! You get to refine your message, figure out what works, discover the marketing tactics that are going to make up your overall strategy, and connect with your customers. Too many people resent this step, and avoid it, because it puts you face-to-face with your fears.

Apply the same standard a successful person would apply: absolutely zero excuses. If you need to have 3-5 conversations a week to meet your goal, then you don't stop until you've created those conversations.

Getting leads needs to be something you are willing to go the extra mile for... because you if you aren't... someone else will. 

10. Referrals. There are people out there who share your mission and your vision and they are happy to refer clients to you. Creating a referral program that is fun for people to take part in is easy, and gets results quickly. Referrals are much more likely to become clients.

Take this to the next level by getting a free chapter of my book The Conscious Entrepreneur's Guide to Creating Wealth and learn how you can generate more leads, get more clients, and make more money in your business by visiting http://www.michaelmapes.org

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8933504

The Critial Error That Prevents Most Business Owners From Attracting Enough Clients

I recently spoke with a successful PR expert who told me she built her business with a simple formula, "3 hours on the business in the morning, and the rest is marketing." In one sentence, this amazing woman explained what took me years to learn! If you don't focus on bringing new energy, new prospects, and new clients into your world, you don't really have a business, instead you're just playing office.

I wish I had known this when I was building my business in the beginning. My initial "strategy" looked like, "Create a bunch of content (with no real coherence), let some people know about what I do, and hope, wish, and pray that clients find me!"

This was part born of ignorance, after all you don't know what you don't know. Part born of fear, "Who am I to charge that? Ask for business? Put myself out there? What will people say!" And part out of a resistance to sales and marketing.

Once I turned my focus to generating leads and getting sales every day, my entire business changed rapidly. I went from my best month ever of around 5 thousand in sales, to making over 10 thousand within 30 days.

Within 60 days, I had a 17 thousand dollar month, and within 90 days I was on track to hit six figures. Simply because I shifted from focus from long-term, primarily platform building strategies, to short-term lead generation strategies.

Platform building is absolutely important, but when you are building your initial client base, it's much more important to start building a lead generation system that will allow you to bring in great clients quickly.

The structure that I needed to really live my vision got built around these new clients, and I had the money to begin hiring my team, putting on a big live event, and doing many of the things I dreamed about for so long. What I'm going to say next, might shock some of you, but if you are currently generating less than 50-75K worth of revenue in your business it's essential.

You need to spend 4-6 hours every day generating new leads and prospects for your business. 

If the next question is, "What would I spend 4-6 hours doing every day?" That's a sign there's a major weakness in your lead generation funnel, and it's an indication that you aren't yet aware of the marketing activities that are going to help you get clients.

Once you find these right strategies, generating leads for your business becomes fun. It becomes exciting and joyful. And that matters! After all you have a business, instead of a job, for a reason. This doesn't mean you won't have to grow, get uncomfortable, and shift your perspective, but marketing doesn't have to be something that you dread.

Think about it from a different perspective: what kind of person do your clients want to work with? Someone who loves every aspect of their business, and can't wait to get out there because they believe so deeply in the results they get for clients? Or someone who sees marketing as something bad and to be avoided?

I believe that when we choose aligned marketing we can touch, educate, and inform people with our marketing in a way that makes a difference in their lives, even if they never say yes to working with us.

Get my essential wealth creation formula for generating an ongoing string of leads and clients in your business by visiting http://www.universalwealthformula.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8933540

What You Can Learn From Visiting the ER and Apply It to Your Business

Last year my oldest daughter Juliette, ended up not once but twice on two major E.R. units in our area, after picking up a bug when returning from a fabulous trip to Guatemala where she volunteered in a Mayan community.

Besides the treatment related drama, after 6 months what I have left, of both visits, are bills. Here is where things become interesting, both community hospitals run the same procedures, exams, services and quasi identical treatment but their bills couldn't be more different. The southern hospital billed me only $65 while the northern hospital, close to where I lived, billed me over a $1,000. Same Insurance, same deductible. What the $%^&!

Little did I know that hospitals, like businesses, can charge whatever they want because there is no regulation in their practices. That's fine IF the services provided by the Northern Hospital were 10 times better than the ones provided by Southern Hospital, but they weren't.

Charge whatever you want to charge because you can, but without providing a differentiating factor it is not only insane but a monopolistic practice. So I did what any other consumer does in 2015 I took my case online by posting on social media, forums and reviews to express my frustration and that no business will survive in the long run with practices like that. These hospitals not only survive but thrive with our hard earned tax money.

This kept me thinking about the small business owners, these big institutions with marketing departments and troops of people are not paying attention to reviews that are seriously affecting their reputations. Who will protect the small business owner from a rant review made by someone that didn't like the fact that you didn't have time to walk her poodle while you were trying to install her granite counter tops in the kitchen for the fifth time after she changed her mind on the color, because it didn't match her china?

We've all been there, those customers that make you crawl backwards and leave you a bitter after taste, and you promised yourself never again take a deal like that.

Testimonials and Reviews are important components of Word Of Mouth Marketing but nowadays are also critical to ranking your website higher on Google. If you want to do SEO, 2015 style, you can't ignore getting reviews as part of your strategy. Managing those reviews is also important, especially to stop a visceral and nasty review make its way online.

There are plenty of websites that drive traffic in and out by reviews: Yelp, Angie's List, Facebook, Google+, Foursquare, etc. There are companies that charge hundreds of dollars a month to monitor those reviews for you. This is a good investment for your business but It can become onerous and tough therefore let me share what I found.

This application can increase the number of reviews you are getting right at the Point of Sale, it collects data (emails,cell phone numbers) allowing you to follow up with those customers via email offers and newsletters and last but definitely not least it will STOP any review below your threshold ever been published.

Your customer will be able to post those reviews online on up to five different sites like Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, Google +, etc and then you receive an email to determine if you want to publish the same review on your company's social media channels. So one simple review can generate up to 10 incoming links to your website and also add those reviews to your website where it will be refreshed automatically every time a new one is posted.

That's SEO that will boost your organic traffic in Google ten times better than the blog page you have been working on for the last two months.

The first 20 customers interested in increasing their website traffic, picking up some referral sales and increasing their brand awareness around their market, I will create a customized app review for them. It will include their logo and custom questions to test it for a week, after that you tell me if this helps you or not. If you like it you can have for a small monthly fee.

My goal this year is to multiply your business opportunities, lets start by making your reviews and testimonials start working for you. Call today (941) 822-3325 or email me javier.mediaconsulting@gmail.com

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