Is it time for your marketing makeover?
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The PayPal Effect!
For almost the last the decade we have offered to our clients the ability to pay via PayPal. Click and pay, it’s that easy.
Offering PayPal is just one more option the client can use to pay for services. And, the faster your business gets paid the more profits are available to grow the business.
Am I right? Of course I am!
But now PayPal is doing something even better to help grow your business, okay well, grow everyone’s business.
It’s called PayPal Local.
And, it’s Free!
All you have to do is register your business!
By registering your business with PayPal Local you have the opportunity to promote your business directly to PayPal customers in your area.
Customers will be able to find your business if it’s near them, view your location on the map, and know when your business is open. Plus, they can see if you have any deals or specials going on.
One little caveat, since PayPal Local is more designed to be viewed through your smart phone, you first need to download the PayPal app.
One thing I’ve learned in my 16 years of being an entrepreneur is that being first usually gives you an advantage. Register with PayPal Local and your business may be the first and could possibly be the only one in your service sector to be listed.
Did I mention it’s FREE!
Until Next Time,
Marketing Maniac & Social Media Genius
Helping clients achieve greater success!
The hard & fast rules of being a “Top Gun” – part 2
Discover the guarded secrets of how using social media will have your business doing ‘fly-bys’ over your competition…
This is part 2 of an article I wrote for Cleanfax Magazine…
When trying to be a Top Gun in business, beating your competition, you must consider the social media rules of engagement – for entrepreneurs.
There is a simple list for you to consider. Here it is:
1) Post about what is relevant to you.
2) Share your story, and how/why you started your business.
3) Tell about your pets, your kids, or the type of sports you like.
4) Post press releases and other accomplishments.
5) Inform your audience about your current specials or offerings.
6 ) Post testimonials, pictures and videos of your work.
7) Brag about how you solved a client’s problem… but don’t embellish.
8) Share a link, a joke or even what you watched on TV.
9) Post about a job opening (in your company or others).
10) Don’t talk negatively about competitors, clients or even your followers.
11) Keep it real.
It seems like common sense, right? You’d be surprised.
Social media has not only become mainstream, it has people posting stuff they would never say or do in the offline world. Airing dirty laundry, telling tales and posting pictures that are offensive will certainly have a negative impact and could cause your fans, followers and friends to unfriend and block you.
Let’s take the first rule… “Post what is relevant to you” … seems a bit open for interpretation, right? Yes and no. You see, people gravitate towards those who share their common interests, philosophies and personalities. The more of yourself you share with others, the bigger your fans list will be, and the fatter your wallet will become.
Here’s the kicker… you have to be social.
You can continue to do things the old way by placing ads and hoping people call you, or you can talk to people through social media outlets and instantly build credibility and respect.
Back to our Top Gun analogies: “Talk to me, Goose”, Maverick pleaded.
Your friends, fans and followers want to hear from you, and that’s exactly why they “liked your page” or subscribed to your list… they are already interested in you. If you stop posting, they will think you ditched them and will move on, maybe even to your competitor’s page.
Post often, at least three times a day, perhaps morning, noon and at night. Your morning post could be business related, whereas your noon post could be trivia, and your evening post could be something about you. Mix it up and have fun.
Follow the rules of engagement when using social media and your friends, fans and followers will treat you like the “Top Gun” in your field.
Until Next Time,
P.S. To help make you a “Top Gun”, I’m relaunching my “Be A Better Entrepreneur” coaching and seminar series. I’m in the process of planning several 1 day seminar events (on the East & West coast of the USA) and scheduling multiple on-location consulting sessions. If you would like more information on the seminar events or the coaching services, feel free to drop a line and I’d be honored to help you make your story better.
The hard & fast rules of being a “Top Gun” – part 1
Discover the guarded secrets of how using social media will have your business doing ‘fly-bys’ over your competition…
This is part 1 of an article I wrote for Cleanfax Magazine…stay tuned next week as I reveal part 2.
It’s been 25 years since the movie “Top Gun” hit theaters. Yet, it’s one of the most quoted movies of all time.
Why? Well, a few factors… it had the ability to educate, entertain and engage. The exact same qualities that every business needs to have when using social media.
“It’s just a walk in the park, Kazanky!” as Maverick explains to the other pilots.
And, it really is. Social media can be the easiest way to promote your business without all the expensive advertising we as business owners have been programmed to buy into. Consider Yellow Pages, coupons, television, newspaper and radio your targets and social media the new weapons in your fight to win the war for new customers.
Yeah, it’s a little cliché. But, it works! Some days it literally takes your breath away.
All you have to do is three simple things and it can make all the difference between standing on the deck and shoving it into overdrive: Educate, entertain and engage.
If you want to be considered the “best of the best” by your customers and even your competition you have to set the pace. Although there are no hard and fast rules to social media, those that follow the rules of engagement definitely achieve a higher status.
No need for speed
Speed is not necessarily a good thing with social media; sometimes it can lead to disaster.
Uncontrollable downward tail spins. Can you walk away or do you… crash and burn? 750 million Facebook users couldn’t be wrong, could they?
Sadly, only a small percentage of Facebook users are entrepreneurs who use the service as a means of promotion.
‘It’s a target-rich environment!’
Maverick actually was referring to the women in the bar when he said that, but social media could have the same connotation. With social media, your target environment is your friends, fans and followers and their friends, fans and followers and so on.
The key is not to have your fans think you “lost that loving feeling”. A constant supply of well-fueled posts that entertain, educate and engage will always keep them feeling that you care.
Okay, enough with the Top Gun references for a bit. It was that last quote right? Too much?
Social media can be the same way. Too many posts can have your fans, followers and friends feeling confused and somewhat abused. Sure, you want to tell the world all about how you feel, your newest gizmo that you’re selling or the red convertible you just bought… but do it over time. Just like in a normal conversation, you allow the other party to respond. You share with them and allow them to share back. One-sided conversations turn people away as do too many posts in a day.
Anything you use in the offline world can be used online to educate, entertain and engage your social media followers.
As I mentioned before, the field is wide open to what you could post, but keep in mind, the majority of your followers may not share your humor, use of harsh language or have gun racks in the back of their trucks… keep it clean and follow the rules.
Until Next Time,
P.S. To help make you a “Top Gun”, I’m relaunching my “Be A Better Entrepreneur” coaching and seminar series. I’m in the process of planning several 1 day seminar events (on the East & West coast of the USA) and scheduling multiple on-location consulting sessions. If you would like more information on the seminar events or the coaching services, feel free to drop a line and I’d be honor to help you make your story better.
Your story!
Over the weekend I watched a few movie flicks with my kids.
Although the stories were different they shared a common theme.
Embracing your story!
“Your story may not have such a happy beginning, but that doesn’t make you who you are, it is the rest of your story, who you choose to be… So, who are you?” -Kung Fu Panda 2
What makes you…well, you?
You’re story may not be interesting to you, because you live it. It’s interesting to others because they didn’t.
Don’t like how the story is written, rewrite it.
Yep, you can change your story at anytime.
Yet…
“No man can walk out on his own story!”- Rango
The chapters of your life can get better or worse as you go on…it’s your choice.
If you made choices in the past that were sketchy, there is always time to write a new chapter. That’s life. That’s your story.
I’ve known people whose story is so sad, yet they aren’t afraid to share it with someone in hopes the other person can benefit in some small way.
Your stories help you be authentic to your clients.
They can connect with you and share your pains and joys.
Last year I interviewed David Kekich for my Passions to Profits Interview Series…a brilliant storyteller and CEO of Maximum Life Foundation. David’s story goes like this…a successful businessman who while weight lifting felt a pinch in his back, that pinch was his story being rewritten. The very next day he was paralyzed from the waist down. Over the next few months, his fiance left him, and he was forced to sell his house and sports cars to pay for his medical expenses.
David didn’t like this chapter in his life and vowed to make it better. In doing so, he changed his future and became successful again.
So maybe you’re struggling in your business right now, and you don’t seem to think there is a future. Just remember, the final chapter isn’t written yet…and there is still time to write it.
Until Next Time,
“Live with Passion!”
P.S. To help make your story successful, I’m relaunching my “Be A Better Entrepreneur” coaching and seminar series. I’m in the process of planning several 1 day seminar events (on the East & West coast of the USA) and scheduling multiple on-location consulting sessions. If you would like more information on the seminar events or the coaching services, feel free to drop a line and I’d be honor to help you make your story better.
How many times is it for you now?
An old friend came up to me the other day and commented on how “together” I was and that I seemed to have a perfect business. I just shook my head and said “why yes, yes I do”…then I laughed and told him the truth.
It’s not perfect…no way…far from it!
But, I have secret…
I used to be that person who would think if it was perfect all these projects that I am working on would have been done and making me goobs of money by now.
But instead, those projects would sit on my desk waiting for me to look at them, finish them or toss them aside.
How many times is it now? I would say to myself.
That question would echo in my mind as I start to develop yet another project that may never see the light of day.
Unfinished project after another.
Oh, I keep saying to myself, I will get to it! Then that “next big thing” becomes a dust collector sitting on my shelf.
The cycle of insanity starts to mess with your head.
Then all of a sudden you are afraid to do anything for fear that you won’t finish what you started. Entrepreneurs stop being risk-takers, inventors and even marketers.
Stop fearing the unknown.
Yes, doing too many projects at once is bad. But doing nothing is worse.
It’s good to get creative, but limit your choice of projects to a minimum until you are caught up.
Here’s the secret!
Learn to say “No” to yourself! And sometimes to others as well.
What I’ve learned is that we entrepreneurs get so inundated with “stuff” that we forget what made us entrepreneurs to begin with.
Freedom!
It wasn’t the money or the fame or the great benefits…nope it was freedom!
Freedom to do what we want, when we want!
Somewhere we did a 360 flip flop and convinced ourselves busy is more important than freedom. Bullshit!
If you want to feel better, have more control and quite frankly less bullshit, then…
You need to schedule a few personal days throughout the month to give yourself freedom to do what you want, how you want.
If you want to chill out at Starbucks, or watch Oprah in your pj’s, or take in a movie or simply spend sometime doing fun stuff…now you can!
It’s hard to do!
But once you schedule those days and you stick by those days, you will actually feel better when you take them.
When you get back to your office, you will feel refreshed and ready to rock and roll. Your days will be more productive and you will end up making more money then had you worked those personal days.
Until Next Time,
P.S. Many entrepreneurs experience “burnout” before enjoying freedom…that is so messed up! Make freedom a priority so burnout never happens.
Did You Notice?
I tweaked my website a bit! Maybe, you noticed…or did you?
If you haven’t been there lately, I would like you to head over after reading this and click on the “like” button at the top of the page…okay, thanks.
It’s all about luring the big fish! You know, give a man a fish feed him for a day, teach him how to fish feed him for a lifetime stuff.
Yeah, it’s all true.
You my friend need to learn how to be a better fisherman, and when you do, you will become a better entrepreneur.
Yep, fishing will help you.
Actually fishing is the key!
Learn the proper ways to fish, where to fish and how to attract the right fish and you will become a master at the trade.
Not into the whole fishing thing? Neither was I at first, but I discovered that it’s something that is absolutely necessary for the survival of my business.
Like I said, fishing is the key.
Now click here to see what the heck I’m talking about.
Talk soon!
Until Next Time,
”Live with Passion!”
P.S. Catching fish is easy once you know the secrets.
What’s your niche?
I’m sure in the course of your entrepreneurial life someone has come up to you and asked what your niche was. And you probably looked at them a bit bewildered.
Niche?
What niche?
I thought that way too!
When I first started my cleaning business 16 years ago, I was after any customer that breathed. I just wanted someone to call me. I was gung-ho, ready and willing.
As the years progressed, I grew frustrated at certain segments of my customer base…I’ll call them the “no-money” group.
I would spend countless hours chasing after customers who I knew couldn’t afford me, yet I performed the service anyway and then complained when they didn’t pay up, pay on time, or even pay at all.
It was a vicious cycle.
So after many losing battles, countless uncollectible invoices and vowing I would never do that crap again…I fired all the problem accounts.
Then I got serious!
I knew what I didn’t want in a customer.
I just wasn’t sure who my ideal customer was.
Like a ton of bricks, it hit me!
What type of customer would allow me to have evenings & weekends off?
What type of customer is worth “X” amount to me in a year?
How many of those customers do I need to make “X” in a year?
I had created this company to fund my personal life and have more freedoms, not be a slave to a job.
I knew what I wanted and what must be done.
But I also knew that I needed to “up the ante” on my fun days, holidays, time off with the kids and personal me days.
So I figured I only had about 185 productive work days a year.
Would $1000 a day in sales work? How about $2000 or $3000 a day?
How many niched clients would I need to make a Million in sales?
Well if I did $5500 in sales a day I could easily break the million mark.
Yeah, it’s a lofty goal!
You see, that’s the true power of focusing on a niche that I really never caught on to when I first started my service company. By focusing on a niche you can easily charge more, work less and focus on a select type of client.
A buddy of mine took over his dad’s furniture restoration business about the same time I was starting my cleaning biz…we struggled together.
Then he did something that truly impressed me!
He went after just one type of client. Churches!
He figured that’s where the money was and where all his work could be. It turned out it was the biggest money bet of his life. Churches from far and wide called his company to restore their pews and chairs. He had more work than he could handle.
Learn to niche your product and service and watch your business grow and prosper.
Until Next Time,
“Live with Passion!”
Rob Anspach is a “brilliantly savvy” entrepreneur who helps frustrated business owners regain the passion they once had by showing them how to be more effective in the marketplace, how to dramatically improve their business so they enjoy coming to work again and how to win over customers regardless of price. Discover how easy it is to make money in your online or offline marketing, to attract and retain clientele and profit from your passions… visit http://www.robanspach.com today!
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