Get More Clients Online

Recession Proof Marketing: 7 Ways to Jumpstart Your Internet Marketing That Won't Break the Bank

by Donna Gunter, The Online Biz Resource Queen (TM)

I'm not sure whether or not to pay attention to all the negative news reports about the state of the economy.  For the most part, I've discovered that virtual businesses don't quite suffer the same economic highs and lows in the same way as the rest of the country (or the world).  However, in the life span of every business, there is a "recession", or a point in which there's a downturn or a decline of income.  Typically, this recession period is short and cyclical, which puts the service business owner on an income roller coaster at times, especially if the business owner hasn't developed multiple streams of income.

In a downturn, what's the first thing to go?  The marketing budget.  Suddenly any and all marketing activity is canceled or suspended because of a fear of spending money when less money is coming in.  If you don't continue to marketing your business, even in times of recession, how will people continue to find out about you?

A recession, or a slow period, is the perfect time to ramp up your marketing efforts.  Why?  Because you'll stand out in a sea of businesses who've given in to their recession fears and reigned in all marketing efforts.  Consequently, your marketing efforts will be that much more effective.

Here are 7 inexpensive strategies you can use to jumpstart your Internet marketing even when business is slow and you've got more time than money:

1.  Comment on blogs.  Use Google Blog Search or Technorati to locate higher traffic blogs that your target market might read.  Use a blog feed reader, like Bloglines, to receive regular updates on these blogs.  Make it a part of your daily habit to read the updates each day and post thoughtful, relevant comments on those posts (not just "Hey, great post") where you have something to add.  Adding your email signature file and your call to action is a no-no when commenting on blogs, so instead, use the name field of the blog comment form to your advantage.  Instead of just entering your name, enter a quick nickname for yourself as well, such as Jane Smith Sales Diva or Holly Johns Marketing Maven.  Compel those readers who have learned from your posts to check out your website.

2.  Submit articles.  If you're not busy working with clients, get busy creating content.  Writing and submitting articles to major article directories will drive traffic to your site, establish you as an expert in your target market's eyes, and give you content to repurpose into information products. Tips-based articles, like this one, are the easiest to create, the easiest to repurpose, and are the easiest for the Internet surfer to digest.  Check out the list of the best articles directories to which to submit your articles at OnlineBizU.com, or check out the article submission service I use, GetMoreClientsArticles.com.

3.  Host teleseminars.  With the vast availability of free bridgeline services, it's quite easy to hold a teleseminar.  You can use one of your tips articles as your starting point, put together a description, list the teleseminar in various places online, and record your class.  You've engaged your audience by delivering valuable content to them (part of the like, know and trust process), have added subscribers to your list, and have a complete info product that you can sell or make available to your website visitors.

4. Embrace social networking.  No longer do you have to get dressed in your business suit, jockey for a parking spot, and pay a fee to attend networking events.  Online social networking, like on Facebook and Twitter, can now be done from the comfort of your home office, with comparable results to attending a face-to-face networking event. Determine where your target market hangs out in the social networking arena, and create accounts with those services.  Complete your profile and start making friends and connections.  Ask, questions, provide answers, be helpful, and build your business.

5.  Speak before groups.  Have you created your signature speech or teleseminar that you can present whenever you're asked to speak to a group?  If not, there's no time like the present to create one.  Research groups that contain your target market both in your geographic area and online.  Contact the meeting hosts and offer to speak to that group and provide the host with your signature speech descriptions. Make it as simple as possible for them to invite you to be the speaker.  Once you've landed the gig, strategize your best call to action for the group -- do you want participants to sign up for your email list, purchase a product, or  book a consultation?

6.  Seek out strategic alliances.  Brainstorm a list of business colleagues with whom you'd like to create some type of alliance.  Make a phone call or send an email to set up a get acquainted (or reacquainted) meeting and explore the options of what each of you can offer to the other's business.  Perhaps you can offer to interview your colleague and invite your list, or maybe you'll think of a project you can work on together.  In slow times, who you know becomes more important than what you know, so make the most of your down time and create some strategic alliances.

7.  Start a podcast or create a video.  With the download of free recording software, like Audacity, or purchasing an inexpensive video camera like the Sony Flip, you can create an audio podcast or a video quickly an inexpensively from your home office, and list it in various podcast directories, like iTunes, or in video hosting sites like YouTube.  If you're not sure what to talk about in your video or podcast, take a look at your articles and read one of those for your audience.  Don't forgot to include your call to action for your listeners/viewers.

A recession doesn't have to mean gloom and doom for the savvy business owner.  Take advantage of this slower time and ramp up your Internet marketing efforts by using strategies that won't break the bank.  You'll become better known, have content ready for information products, and become the "top of mind" expert in your industry.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it: Online Business Resource Queen (TM) and Online Business Coach Donna Gunter helps independent service professionals learn how to automate their businesses, leverage their expertise on the Internet, and get more clients online. To claim your FR*EE gift, TurboCharge Your Online Marketing Toolkit, visit her site at OnlineBizU.com. Ask Donna an Internet Marketing question at  AskDonnaGunter.com.

Change is Good

I decided to play around a bit with my newsletter formatting this week, and have added a new Marketplace section to this ezine.  This is where I'll showcase additional products and services that may relate to the article in an issue, or just something I've run across that I think you'll find useful in your own business.

I hope to be returning to podcasting in the next week or so, and then you'll be able to listen to each week's article if you so choose.

To your online success!

Donna Gunter, Online Business Resource Queen (TM) and Online Business Coach/Manager

Innovative Podcast at Craftcast Found

Today I discovered that friend and client Susan Kennedy (aka SARK) was interviewed by Craftcast.com owner and artisan Allison Lee recently.  Allison's podcast showcases artists, crafers, and creative types in a way that I would have never dreamed possible  -- via audio.  Podcasting would have been my LAST resort to showcase the art and craft world, but Allison does it -- and does it well.

Her show is innovative, fun, and witty, and I can't wait to listen to more of them.  Guess what I'll be listening to as I head to Dallas this week for the eWomenNetwork Publishing Conference?

Check out her Craftcast here.

Ask One Question to Drive Traffic to Your Website

Asking your visitor a question and strategically using the responses that you receive is a low-cost yet effective method to help you drive traffic to your site.  I have been using this strategy now for about 8 months and it has helped to sell products, develop relationships, and further establish my expertise.

The way in which I've implemented this strategy is to create a one-page website that asks my visitors a question, and they respond via an online submission form.  I receive the submission via email and take action from there.  Check out examples here at www.AskChrisKnight.com (getting subscribers to his ezine), www.askdavetaylor.com (get new ideas for articles and create a revenue stream), http://ask-leo.com/ (create an entire newsletter, site or blog comprised of questions and answers), and of course, www.AskDonnaGunter.com.

Here's what you need to do to set up this option on your own site:

1.  Pick your domain.  With your domain name, pick a name that will help you with branding or name recognition in some way, like using your name or your business name, i.e. AskJohnSmith.com or AskBugPatrol.com.  Or, you could give yourself a title and that then becomes the domain name, like AskSquidooGuru.com.  I buy the version of the domain name that incorporates the word "ask" so that I'm clear (and my visitors are clear) about my purpose of this site.

2.  Determine your question.  Typically you want to ask something like "What's the most important question you have about <topic area>" or "What's your most burning question about <topic area>" or "What's your most pressing question about <topic area>".  Make it compelling and keep it simple.  Use only one question on this form.

3.  Brainstorm how you'll use the answers.  Will you use them as a basis for ezine articles, blog postings, or podcasts?  Are you trying to determine keywords your visitors might use to find a business like yours?  Do you need to determine the challenges faced by your target market so that you can tailor your services to better meet their needs?  Are you seeking ideas for information product development to support your business?  I actually do all of these with the question that I ask.  In terms of interaction with my visitor, however, I immediately use the Q&A format as a post on my blog.

4.  Choose your form submitter. I use the  forms creation tool that comes as a part of my shopping cart program to create the submission form.  I simply go into the shopping cart, pick out the information I want to collect (name and email address, for example), and then cut and paste the HTML code into my web page.  My shopping cart permits me to link these visitors to an autoresponder if I choose, as well.  You can also create the form through a web design program or use a free service like FormDIY.com or MyContactForm.com.  Or, if you want to do some significant tracking and statistical analysis of these questions, buy the YouAskThem.com program or subscribe to AskDatabase.com.

5.  Create your thank you page and autoresponder.  If your form submission service permits you to do this, create a follow-up autoresponder to let your visitor know that you received her question and what happens at this point.  I tell the visitor that I'll respond to the question in my blog and that I'll protect her identity. Then, if permitted by your form submission service, create a thank you page to which the visitor is sent upon asking the question and use that page to make another request of the visitor.  I use my thank you page to request that they subscribe to my email newsletter.

6.  Create one page website.  For this site, I don't actually buy a separate hosting account, as that's not necessary.  I simply create a unique page within my current site and mask and point my domain name to that internal page.  So, then the visitor sees AskBugPatrol.com in the browser window rather than something like BugPatrol.com/questions/ask.html. I then just create a table with a simple graphic header that includes my photo and my name and the form to ask the question.  You can also include a simple audio or video welcome, as well.

7.  Publicize this option.  Let all of your visitors know that you will answer their questions.  Put an icon on your blog or on your website to link them to your Ask page, tell your ezine subscribers where they can ask a question, and note the URL in your email signature file.

Creating a value-added option like permitting your visitors to ask an important question is a very simple, inexpensive way to drive traffic to your site and help you sell products and services, develop relationships, and develop your expertise.

Giver's Gain as Chief Brainstorm Officer

That's the title I'm giving myself this week, as I've been quite the brainstormer.  Not for myself, you understand, but for one client and one colleague.  I'll tell you about the latter. My ebook cover designer, Heather Colman, Custom Design Covers, always does an amazing job of designing covers for both me and my clients. So, when I needed album art designed for my podcast, she was the first person I thought of.

You may be asking, "What's album art for podcasts, anyway?"  Well, she asked me the same question, having never heard the term before.  Podcast album art is a graphic representation of your podcast, kind of like an ebook cover, only smaller.  It's useful to have when you upload your podcast to various podcasting directories. If you have an iPod or other mp3 player that shows video, the podcast cover is downloaded when you download a podcast to that device and helps the user quickly identify a particular podcast on sight.

I did a bit of research on this topic, and she did some research, and suddenly a new product was born for her!  And, as a thank you for giving her that idea, she created my podcast album art as you see on the right at no charge..:).

Now, all I have to do is get back on schedule of creating my podcasts..LOL

If you'd like Heather to design for you, see her portfolio and contact her at Custom Design Covers.  Tell her Donna sent you!

7 Steps to Creating Your Own Podcast

Listening to podcasts isn't something I enjoy or take time for, quite frankly.  I'm a visual learner and prefer to read something rather than listen to it, as I find reading a much quicker way to gather the info that I need.  However, with the proliferation of audio listening devices, like the whole iPod family and other mp3 players, I have to acknowledge that I'm in the minority, I believe.  The world is listening to a wide variety of audio files, much more so than ever before in history, and I need to get on the bandwagon or be lost in the dust.

What is a podcast, anyway?  A podcast is an audio file that you create in .mp3 format that is uploaded with an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) file to your server for your target market to download on any number of programs created to receive or subscribe to your audio file so that they can listen to it at their leisure on their computer or a personal mp3 device.

Why should you create a podcast?  I think it serves as a marketing tool for the solo service professional, who might want to do one of the following:

• create an Internet radio show or talk show in which you create content-rich broadcasts for your target market
• conduct a teleclass series in which you interview experts who have solutions to problems faced by your target market
• promote a printed book, ebook, or CD/DVD series by releasing promotional snippets to a wider audience
• provide short and valuable expert tips to your target market (my Get More Clients Online podcast consists of the weekly article I write for my newsletter)

Many podcasts are about an hour in length, especially when they consist of recordings of radio shows or teleclasses.  However, I think that the listening threshold for most people is about 10 minutes.  So, that means that your podcast needs to be 10 minutes or less in length.  If it's longer, you really have to grab their attention in the first 10 minutes to keep them listening for the full amount of time. 

Good content and a good speaking voice are key to maintaining interest. Don't make your podcast one long advertisement for your services or products -- share some useful information with your target market to help them solve their problems. And, you need to have a good speaking voice.  Nothing is worse than listening to someone read a speech with a monotone delivery.  So, for maximum impact when you record your podcast (especially if you're just recording yourself), get up and walk around, smile, gesture, or do whatever you normally do when you deliver a speech.  Modulate your voice, much in the same way that you would when you have a 1:1 conversation with someone -- put feeling and emotion into your words.  I pretend like I'm talking to my best friend, and that helps me with a lively delivery.

What are the steps to creating a podcast?

1.  Listen to a few podcasts to get a feel for what others are doing.  To listen, you'll need a podcatcher (podcast reader), which permits you to subscribe to podcasts in the same way you subscribe to blogs. I favor iTunes as my podcatcher of choice, which is a free online download.  You'll also need to find podcasts, and the quickest way to do that is via podcast directories, which include the iTunes store. Podcast Alley, one of the most popular podcasting sites, has a large podcast directory, and Yahoo Podcasts has a podcast search.  To find others, simply search online for "podcast directory."

2.  Plan your podcast.  Who is your target market?  What do they want to listen to?  How will your podcast be unique from others in your industry?  What's your format (interview others, host a teleclass, or record yourself)?  How long will your podcast be?  How frequently will you deliver your podcasts?

3.  Record your podcast.  Many people choose to record their podcast with a free piece of software called Audacity.  It has an easy learning curve and advanced features for more experienced podcasters. Mac users might want to check out Garage Band.  For best recording sound, don't use the microphone that came with your computer or that is built into your laptop.  You'll want to get a more professional one, such as the ones offered at Plantronics or Radio Shack.

4.  Save and upload your podcast to your server.  Once you've created your podcast in an mp3 file, now you have to save it and upload it to a server via an FTP program (like CuteFTP) so that it's readily available.  You can upload it to your website, or use one of the many podcasting hosting services available.  The problem with uploading it to your website is that audio files are space hogs, and you can quickly exhaust all the storage capacity of your hosting account, not to mention your monthly bandwidth capacity if your podcast is popular and is downloaded frequently.  That's why I use a fee-based audio service hosting company, Audio Acrobat, which offers me generous storage and bandwidth capacity for a semi-annual fee.  Another popular podcast hosting company is Hipcast.com.

5.  Create your podcast feed.  You can create your podcast feed from scratch, but I recommend you use a feed service to do so.  If you use a podcasting hosting service, this feature is included in your service package.  For everyone else, the quickest way to create your podcast feed is through Feedburner.com.  This is the same service that creates RSS feeds for blogs.  The advantage of creating your podcast feed from this site is that you can create a browser-friendly feed, track your circulation, and enhance your feed with its SmartCast technology.

6.  Publish and promote your podcast.  If you use a podcasting hosting service, the service will publish your podcast and notify various podcast directories about the availability of your new podcast.  Or, you can enter the info directly into the major podcast directories.  You'll also want to promote the podcast on your website, blog, and in your email newsletter. One of the easiest ways to do this is to add feed subscription buttons (called chiclets) to your sites.  You'll have to cut and paste the HTML code into your templates to create the chiclets.  You can get directions on how to publish subscription buttons from the various podcasters you want to feature.  Lastly, you'll want to create "album art" for your podcast, or a graphic representation that many podcatchers upload with the mp3 file.  Album art may be from 170x170 to 300x300 pixels square at 72 dpi.  Any graphic designer can help you create this graphics file.

7.  Make money from your podcast.  Advertising on podcasts is still fairly new, but some companies like Fruitcast.com or PodcasterAds.com are places to start.  Another option is to place Google Adsense listings on all of your sites listing your podcast, or seek sponsors for your podcasts, just like you would for a radio show.

Don't let the audio world pass you by!  Podcasting is a very inexpensive way of helping you get the word out about what you do and what you offer to the world.

My First Podcast

I've been interested in podcasting for awhile, but could never figure out how to incorporate it into my regular marketing without adding another task to my already too-long to-do list. For the uninitiated, podcasting involves sending out digital audio broadcasts (mp3 files) over some type of subscription system -- an RSS feed, an iTunes subscription, or some other type of podcatcher so that you can listen to it on your mp3 player.

The brainstorm I had was to purpose the article I write weekly for this newsletter in yet another fashion--record the content of the newsletter and send it out in a podcast via my audio recording program, Audio Acrobat. Audio Acrobat makes it easy to create the podcast and submit it to various podcast directories.  All I did was create a short intro, record the article content, and then add a couple of exit sentences to promote my business, and it was done!  And, best of all, I didn't have to create another marketing tool from scratch, like another teleclass or creating an interview series with experts.

The most user-friendly podcatcher I've found is the one you can download free of charge at iTunes.  I've got an iPod Shuffle and this is how I download podcasts and other types of mp3 files.  Once you've downloaded iTunes, all you have to do to subscribe to a podcast is to go to "Advanced" on the iTunes menu, down to "Subscribe to Podcast", and fill in the URL of the podcast. If you want to subscribe to the Get More Clients Online Podcast, here's your URL:  http://dgunter.audioacrobat.com/rss/get_more_clients_online_podcast.xml