Life is Yours to Waste
It seems about once a year, a great video shows up in my inbox and challenges me to STOP and take a moment to make sure my juevos are intact.
This video, called “This is Water” narrated by David Foster Wallace, reminded me that we all have a choice with how we perceive the world around us. The only variable is whether we have the guts to make the choice to be happy.
As a serial entrepreneur, I have learned a lot about myself and people in general over the years. The first thing I tell someone who’s interested in starting a business is DON’T! If that doesn’t deter them, I ask them WHY they want to start a business. The answers astound me sometimes.
“I want to open a sandwich shop,” a good friend said. My reply: “If you’re great at making sandwiches, then make sandwiches for your friends and family on a nice Saturday afternoon – don’t open a sandwich shop!” Owning a successful sandwich shop has VERY LITTLE to do with whether you make good sandwiches. You have to find a location, negotiate a lease, borrow money for equipment, hire and train staff (or work 18 hours per day), advertise, buy produce, deal with spoiled produce, deal with the health department, get a point of sale system…and you haven’t made a single sandwich yet!
There’s nothing wrong with working for someone else – some people get paid to taste ice cream all day! If in second grade someone asked what they wanted to be when they grow up, and the answer was “ice cream taster,” everyone would have laughed. Who got the last laugh?
My brother said it best to me, “Alex, the difference between you and most people is your capacity for pain.” It took me a minute to appreciate this compliment (at least I think it was a compliment), but he’s right. I thrive on multitasking, I love to build things. I enjoy putting ‘systems’ in place to grow a business. I not only LIKE the pain of running a business, I REQUIRE it to be happy. I know this about myself, and wouldn’t have it any other way.
Life is YOURS TO WASTE. Yes, you have a choice – and that choice should be based on what will give you joy in life, not on being afraid.
I’ve screwed up many times in my life, more than I care to admit, but even during those tough times, I took comfort in the fact that I tried my best and gave it hell. No regrets. I challenge you to do the same.
What Drives Social Media Searches and Engagement? [INFOGRAPHIC]
As it turns out, social media and search go hand-in-hand.
From Facebook and Twitter, to Pinterest and MySpace (yes, it still exists), social media users are often on the search for… something.
For marketers, understanding the searches that lead to improved engagement is critical. To that end, Azntaiji Multimedia and SocialRadius have produced a new infographic highlighting exactly what so many of us are searching for.
Article Source: http://www.mobilemarketingwatch.com/infographic-what-drives-social-media-searches-and-engagement-32547/
Using Mobile Marketing To Improve Your Business’s Visibility
Mobile marketing is a new way to reach a massive audience. Take some time to get to know more about how you can use mobile marketing by reading the pointers below.
When you consider what to include on your mobile page, remember that it’s important to say as much as you can with as little copy as possible. Mobile device screens are small, so droning on and on about a product just to get more keywords in is annoying to readers. Mobile marketing requires you to stick rigidly to the focus of the topic in a concise, yet thorough, manner.
Create a mission statement in tune to your purpose on how you can stay on track when doing social mobile marketing. If you have a clear definition of your principles, it’s easier to create a marketing plan that fits them.
You can gain an advantage by keeping an eye on what your competitors have been doing. You need to be discernible from the competition.
You need to have a home base if you are developing a mobile platform that will stand alone. You should want people to visit your webpage or keep them coming back to it. Do not ever base everything completely on a mobile marketing campaign.
Keep in mind that there can be different levels of mobile customers because of various outside influences; also note that once the entire market changes then customer base changes as well. Changes in technology can have a dramatic effect on your business, so stay up to date on all of the latest advances in technology.
Almost everyone is familiar with the idea of offering free apps, but not everyone understands just how easy it can be to develop one that meets the needs of your business. By offering visitors your own custom-made apps, you could significantly increase the success of your mobile marketing plan. There are many choices to make about app features; the possibilities are endless.
The most successful mobile marketers at some point started small, and over time implemented bigger and better strategies. This should be your strategy as well. Begin with simple texts and calls, then expand your campaign to include things like video content and social networking. Try everything you can to reach potential customers.
Although lots of people use their phones for Internet text, not all know the different kinds of abbreviations used online. If a person can’t understand your ad, you might lose a customer.
Allow message recipients to leave feedback about your mobile marketing communications. This offers an excellent opportunity to connect more effectively and interact with your customers. You may have people not being as receptive as you would like, but keep in mind that any information from a consumer should be treated as valuable input.
Cross-platform compatibility is essential in attracting more customers when taking on a mobile marketing campaign. If not, you risk losing customers due to technical problems.
Keep in mind that mobile users have a more difficult time navigating webpages. Your mobile marketing proposal should be simple, and if it is simple on a computer, those using a mobile device will have an easy time viewing it.
Split test the mobile capabilities your site. Testing is as essential to the mobile world as it is on traditional websites because this lets you see what works. The better of the two trial pages you create, as deemed by its success, should be your final choice, no matter how emotionally invested you may be in the other. Then use the one that gets the most conversions.
If texting is part of your mobile marketing plan, clearly disclose how often you intend to text your subscribers before they subscribe. It is very easy to screw up an SMS strategy because of how it notifies consumers. It can seem like you are being pushy. Therefore, make sure that only your opt-in customers receive your SMS texts, and never send more than the maximum number of messages specified in the opt-in terms. This is a great way to build up your brand loyalty.
Mobile Devices
Your mobile website should include maps and directions that are easy to use with a mobile device. There are a lot of people that rely on mobile devices for getting navigational directions. Create an easy way for your customers to reach you. Check that the maps and directions you provide display well on different mobile devices and work properly with mobile searches. Consider using an external link to a known site, like Google maps, for your customers.
As a method of enticing customers and expanding your branding, try QR codes. Your customers can use your QR codes to instantly access special promotions and discounts. All they need to use your QR codes is a cell phone. QR codes make it easier to market your products to your customers in a quick way with information they can use.
Have relevant content. It’s easy to go overboard when entering the mobile marketing arena. Be sure your messages have a purpose. Approach things from your customers’ perspective and send out messages they would judge as interesting. Fill the needs and wants of your customers to ensure that they stick with you and continue to buy your products.
Promote your new mobile marketing campaign as a means of gaining access to exclusive offers and special savings. Advertise your deals on a host of different platforms to reach a wider audience. If people truly believe that your mobile campaign will help them, there is a good chance they’ll sign up. Let them know it will be fun and they will be better informed.
You can always improve your advertising. Be sure to look at the competition and see what is proving effective for them. Use the advertising tips discussed here to gain a competitive edge in your market arena.
Article source: http://bobsmlmblog.com/index.php/using-mobile-marketing-to-improve-your-businesss-visibility-5/
Top 5 Reasons to Choose a Business
I’ve been a business owner my whole life. I owned one of the first web development firms in San Luis Obispo. I started what later became the second largest virtual tour company in the country. I sold that to what is now the second largest newspaper group in the country, and got a chance to try my hand at the newspaper business.
I grew an IT company from 15 employees to 40 in less than 2 years. And I’ve provided consulting to countless business owners over the years. Bottom line: I’ve seen a lot. People often ask me what key factors I look at when considering my involvement in a business, so here they are:
1) Risk vs. reward
What do I get for my sweat equity? Can I turn a little money – and a lot of hard work – into more money?
2) What’s the income potential?
Can this make me the kind of returns I want?
3) Recurring income
Do I have to fight for income each month, or do I build up recurring income the longer I work at it?
4) Am I excited to be a part of it?
I love technology, I love helping business owners. I want an excuse to NEED the new iPhone.
5) Freedom with my time
Do I have to open my doors each day at the same time? Can I take a vacation without the business falling apart?
Top Benefits And Tips For Mobile Marketing
Some industries absolutely must use mobile marketing to survive, but using it well can be difficult. There is so much to learn both on the marketing side and the technical side. Read on to learn how you can easily and effectively integrate mobile marketing into your business plan.
Older cellphones cannot properly display the same sites as newer smartphones or tablets, so your links need to lead to different sites for different phones. If you use a flash player on your website, only provide the cellular link.
Do not send too many offers on mobile platforms. Stick to the essential ones. With this you know that your customers will not tire from your messages and look for to see all you have to offer.
It is important to have your own dedicated short code. The price tag is higher, but this will help to protect your brand. Doing this will also protect you legally.
Every successful mobile campaign should have a home base. Your mobile presence should be about driving people to the home base, or keeping in touch with people who already visit your home base. Do not ever base everything completely on a mobile marketing campaign.
Remember who you are talking to if you are going to make phone calls, they are people whose lives you are interrupting. Realize that is an issue and act accordingly.
Mobile Web
Check to verify that your mobile web site works on every popular mobile web browser in use. It’s important that your messages work no matter what type of phone your customer is using. It’s going to be a lot easier for you to use a simplified message, rather than trying to make a custom message work across all platforms. Mobile marketing and the KISS principle work well together.
Be sure to test mobile websites and ads on multiple mobile devices. Some mobile devices use special browsers, and others have limitations based on their screen size or resolution. Your website and content might look different on each device. Your mobile marketing campaign should be tested on all popular devices, to be sure that it looks right on each one.
Creating a mobile app with lots of helpful information for your target market is a great mobile marketing strategy. Any apps that give users helpful hints or useful information are wildly popular. You can use your app as a lead-generation tool for other products, or sell the app directly for profit.
Mobile Marketing
Understanding how mobile marketing works is very important if you want to use it to help your business reach as many people as possible. The points in this article have hopefully given you a better understanding of how mobile marketing can work for your business. Use the pointers presented here as a starting point.
Article Source: http://larne-business-marketing-advertising.co.uk/mobile-service/top-benefits-and-tips-for-mobile-marketing/
The State of Mobile Content Marketing [INFOGRAPHIC]
With all the technology that is now available, content is being consumed in many different ways and on many different devices. While desktops and tablets are big players in the game, mobile devices seem to have a big influence on click through rates and browsing. In 2013, mobile content marketing will generate a large return on investment if done properly.
We gathered research from our corporate blogging platform client, Compendium, and email marketing software client, ExactTarget, to show the impact of mobile marketing over the past couple of years and what is yet to come. When all the data was put together, there were some startling findings:
- Open rates on mobile devices have increased by 300% from October 2010 to October 2012.
- Mobile email creates twice as many conversions as social activities or search.
- Mobile may not mean “on the go.” 51% of US mobile users browse, search, and purchase on mobile devices at home.
- Web visits on a mobile or tablet device are highest on Thursday at 15.7%.
- SMS marketing messaging is becoming more popular, with 31.2% of agencies using this tactic to increase click through.
What is the state of mobile content marketing? Get in the game, or lose the opportunity for click throughs, conversions, and engagement.
‘Ooohh, Shiny!’
I love new, shinny toys. I love to upgrade. I’m an early adopter, and have to have the latest and greatest…
I’ve been a business owner my whole life, and have a much larger list of what I’ve done WRONG than what I’ve done RIGHT. I’m constantly obsessing over how to grow my business; do I need more advertising, is the messaging right, will I get a higher open rate if I sent simple text emails instead of HTML, and on and on.
It’s easy to lose sight of business fundamentals as we’re approached by new opportunities to spend our money, uhem…’invest in higher ROI and more measurable small business marketing solutions.’ I’ve tried them all. Some work, some don’t…but few things have stuck around over time. When I need a good laugh, I open up the scrapbook and take a stroll down the ‘advertising/marketing’ expense column of my P&L and reminisce about all of the dollars I spent trying to grow more dollars. Nice.
Then I had lunch with a buddy of mine years ago, and when I expressed my frustration with this schizophrenic world of advertising/marketing, he looked at me with a calm grin on his face and said “Alex, the key to growing your business is relationships. You need to make more of them each day, and invest in the ones you’ve already got. Simple as that. If you stayed in touch with everyone you’ve ever done business with, what kind of impact would that have on you right now?”
There’s me: deer in headlights. So simple, and obvious…dammit! But that has little to do with the shinny gadgets and widgets I love to spend money on. Now what!?!
At the core of every successful business is a good CRM (Client Relationship Management) tool – a way to help organize and manage those relationships that are the life blood of business growth. Different industries have different solutions, but the premise is the same: know who your customers are, and treat them as an important part of your business growth by investing in a relationship with them.
This is not an easy thing to start, but once you’ve made the investment and committed to making it a part of your growth strategy, you’ll never run your business the same way again.
How Mobile Marketing Can Help Your Business
You may have seen the statistics – one study claims that more than 80% of small businesses that invest in mobile marketing see increased business as a result – but how can you go about capturing some of those gains yourself?
Small Business Computing recently looked at a few companies that are engaged in mobile marketing to find out.
Ron’s Auto Repair Center of Ames, Iowa, uses Yodle, a service that helps small businesses with mobile-optimized websites, listings on Google, Yahoo and Bing maps, and paid-search services across multiple desktop and mobile outlets. The service doesn’t require much sophistication to use. Using a unique tracking number, Ron’s Auto Repair can tell where calls come from and see how many of them are a direct result of online and mobile marketing spending. The service has so far been worth about $9,000 in new sales a month, the business estimates.
Rok Bistro of Sunnyvale, Calif., uses FanMinder to send out marketing messages to all channels, including Twitter, email, texts and Facebook. Mobile coupons have turned out to be a good marketing tool for Rok Bistro. The coupons, which are trackable through FanMinder, allow the restaurant to see how many people click on the offer and redeem it at the restaurant. When a customer shows the server a coupon on his or her mobile device, the server simply clicks a button to redeem it. In the restaurant, customers can also scan QR codes or send a text message to get an immediate discount and sign up for the Rok Bistro mailing list.
At a minimum, all businesses should have a mobile-optimized website, and make your website mobile-friendly by placing your location and contact information in a prominent place. Clarity, simplicity and speed matter most for mobile users, so make sure it’s clear what you do and how you can help customers. And monitor mentions of your business on Yelp and other sites that can influence consumers.
Adapted from Small Business Mobile Marketing Strategies That Work by Vangie Beal at Small Business Computing. Follow Small Business Computing on Twitter.
Mobile & Loyalty Programs [INFOGRAPHIC]
This infographic from Chadwick Martin Bailey illustrates the potential of loyalty programs coupled with mobile wallets.
![loyalty and mobile 5148cf5434603 Mobile & Loyalty Programs [INFOGRAPHIC]](https://i0.wp.com/thumbnails.visually.netdna-cdn.com/loyalty-and-mobile_5148cf5434603.png "Mobile & Loyalty Programs [INFOGRAPHIC]")
Article Source: http://trends.e-strategyblog.com/2013/03/20/mobile-loyalty-programs-infographic/9607
BULL$H!T! Be Authentic – My Weekend with Jeffrey Gitomer
Have you ever had the opportunity to spend time around someone who knows what they’re doing, and calls “BS” on people when they don’t? People react differently to a person like this; usually they are offended or sheepishly make themselves scarce for fear of being called out themselves.
But there are some that rise to the challenge and learn from such refreshing talent. Last weekend, the Masterminds team got to spend two days with Jeffrey Gitomer, world renowned sales coach and author, and it was a refreshing exercise of self discovery. He didn’t show up with a bag of tricks, some magic formula for success or a stack of books to sell us. He walked in the door, sat down and started building relationships.
“What’s your name, where are you from? Why are you here? Where do you see yourself in 3 years?” Jeffrey inquisitively prodded my team to learn more about them. He later commented, “I can learn a lot about the way someone will trust you based on where they’re from and some of their prior experiences.”
Where were the closing techniques? Where were the slick one-liners? “Relationships”, “Trust”…I thought we were going to talk about sales!?!
Early the next morning, Jeffrey and I walked into a bagel shop to grab a quick bite. Jeffrey bantered with the staff, running them through the paces to see if they were on their game. Visibly thrown off at first, the staff quickly became endeared to him. This was not your average walk in and go customer. I could see them thinking, “This guy is interested in what we do and how we do it.” We learned one of the cashiers is the owners’ daughter, and what their top selling bagels are. I’d bet money we could have sold them ANYTHING at that moment.
I finally got it. So simple, so obvious, once you see it in action. Sales is not about being slick, with cute PowerPoints and polished one-liners. It’s about connecting with who you’re talking to, genuinely having interest in their goals and dreams, and being a part of that plan for their success.
We talked about the ‘salesman switch’ – when you go from a normal, interesting human being to a soulless sales robot. “Mr. merchant, who currently does your advertising? What is your budget? Let’s talk ROI…” Ugh! Is ANYONE having fun in that conversation??
When asked on Monday what the greatest lesson I learned from Jeffrey was – it was to be authentic and true to myself. I love business, and I love to help people succeed. I am going to keep my “sales switch” to ‘normal Alex mode” and be myself. I challenge you to do the same.
You can learn more about my good friend Jeffrey Gitomer and some of his training courses at www.gitomer.com
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