Online Marketing Resources - Who's Using Who?

Hi ..

I'm seeing it and hearing it everywhere .. and so ok, you've created your goals, formulated a vision, developed a plan .... have a website, are doing a blog and a newsletter and your are out there creating relationships on the social networks. Whew .... it gets exhausting just typing it!! It's a lot of time and work.

But, are you beginning to scratch your head and wonder "why" all of the above? You just might have good reason to scratch your head "if" while doing all of these activities you have taken your eye off the ball ... meaning, in the midst of all, are you staying focused on finding the "need" you provide a solution to? I am not seeing enough guidance "out there" for keeping this one thought in mind as you take on all these activities. I believed it is assumed you will do that ... but one should never assume .. isn't that the rule??

It all comes back to the basics. If you are using online resources for business you must remember that business, in most cases, is about developing ... new, repeat and referral clients.

Relationship building plays a huge role today In fact relationships are more important than ever today because the strength of your relationships is your competitive edge. BUT when online ...

• After initial rapport building .. are you at a loss as to what to do with it? For example, you have 5,000 followers, now what?
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• Who are you building relationships with ... targeted connections or just anyone who happens to follow, befriend. or link to you.
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• Are you using the many resources that are available to you ... or are the resources using you?

Please share with me what some of your challenges might be. Are you having a "What's it all about?" moment? If so, what specifically is bothering you?

I am beginning to think that after setting up some great strategic online "platforms" people are at a loss for "what" to say or "how" to say it! Is that you? Let me know.

If this posting hits home and you are not on my weekly email list ( different from my blog) please sign up on the right side of my blog. or click here http://www.todaysway.net/contactus.htm#join

I am going to expand on this topic in this week's mailing as I feel many businesses are not getting a good ROI on time spent online. I hope to help you fix that!

Keep your business garden growing ...
margie

Making Sense Out Of Using Twitter

Hello ...

Just found a fantastic new Twitter tool that beats out all the other exisitng tools that I know about and helps you make total sense out of using Twitter.

Tweepsearch searches via profile information throughout all of Twitter. How cool is that? They advertise it as a way to search via profession. It does that and more. You can also search for name, interests, location and more! I am so excited especially about location. Anyone with a local business should jump on this! Immediately you can reach out to a local market and introduce yourself and build a relationship. Check it out .. let me know what "you" think!

I also like this tool because it allows us to go back to the original strength of Twitter... allowing people to have "interactive" communications and build relationships. Twitter has become so popular that it has turned into a "follower" machine with nobody knowing nobody! You might want to go this mass marketing way ... I can't tell you not to. I personally believe in quality over quantity and now with tweepsearch, targeted communications can take place.

Would really like "your" input... quality or ... gather as many followers as you can? Which is your choice and why? Tweepsearch will assist either case. Please share... the blog is open!!

Keep your business garden growing ...
margie

Marketing Via Video

Hello all ...

Once again I just finished my weekly mailing. I wrapped up a 3 part series on marketing via video. If you are not on my mailing list, please go to the side of this blog and subscribe to the "weekly" mailing list and anything else you like :-)

When you stop to think about it, I guess there really isn't much that wouldn't lend itself to a good video. Just a simple introduction of yourself saves you a lot of time and gives you a ton of potential exposure. Taking it a step further ... products are great subjects. Imaging having a short series on products within a cosmetic line! You can explain what the product is, include of demontration of how it is used, even provide a web address to buy!!

Tours or "showings" are also great. If you manufacture products, take a viewer through the process, interviewing staff as your go. Or if you are just into information, a basic breakdown of an insurance policy could be very helpful. You just have to use a little bit of your imagination to gather all the possibilities.

I would love to have any one out there who has had success with video marketing share what they did! Please post here. Or even if you haven't done any marketing yet what you think might be a good idea. Post away......

Keep your business garden growing ...
margie

Making Videos - Standalone Camera or Camera Phone?

Hi everyone ...

I am continuing on with my input on using video for marketing purposes. As explained at the outset of this journey, I am just learning myself and sharing as I go.

A couple of weeks ago I put marketing ideas in your minds, the comfortable part of this for me. Hopefully you've still got some ideas going around in your mind. I will pick up on those thoughts again next week, but for now .... this posting is about choosing a camera .. stand alone or on a phone? Again, my knowledge is strictly from research, not experience so I welcome input from any of you who have experience!

I guess the "trick" to making your decision is in the "options" that come with each videoing device and it all begins with knowing that just about any phone or camera with video will be "good enough" for the internet. The question you have to ask yourself is how "good" do you want your video to be? Is just "enough" .. good enough for what you want to do?

Knowing that fact I would love input from anyone on the four "options" for recording videos - tape, flash, hard drive and/or disc. What do you prefer? It seems that flash would be pretty easy, convenient and popular ... although my research says to go with tape for the best quality.

Again, how good is "good enough?" We might want to start paying more attention to the videos we see and ask the creators what did they use? Tape is old technology and time consuming, BUT has no compression so is a better quality. The other 3 options are really easy and quick to load onto one's computer. However all three use compression which can lower the quality of one's video. Hopefully just knowing the differences will allow all of us to ask the right questions and have a better discussion with an exisiting user, sales person or even in our understanding of a Google search result!

I am also told that an external microphone jack is a must because the better audio only comes from using an external microphone, NOT the mic that comes in a camera or phone. True?? Someone knows out there .. let us know for sure!

And lastly there is the question of editing. If you really want to be creative within your video this type of software seems to be a must. As I understand it you really want to ask which editing software is compatible with the camera you choose. There may be limitations with any of the cameras so , do play it safe.

One software I can't wait to get my hands on is some screen capture software. This software allows you to "capture" what is on your computer screen in a video. There are many videos I would love to make from using my computer screen. Software demos is a major one! But gosh, which one do I buy??

So tell me readers .. standalone camera or camera phone and which of which! Video is hot right now and I for one want to jump into the arena. I welcome your input.

Next week I'll get back to my forte and talk about using the videos for marketing and making money!! Meanwhile ...

Keep your business garden growing ....
margie

Need More Blog Subscribers?

Hello all ..

Hope your 4th of July was tremendous. I had a great weekend and woke up Monday AM with vertigo! Has anyone ever had it? It is extremely challenging ... took me literally off my feet for two days.

Alas I am back at work and wanted to find out how you are gathering blog subscribers? I just did my weekly mailing and included 4 tips for getting subscribers. First put links to your email subscription box at the end of your posting, or right in the post like this .... If you find this blog interesting, you can sign up for an email subscription by clicking here!

The 2nd way I offered was to build a separate subscription page where you list the benefits, third was to encourage sharing with friends and fourth was to verbally ask people if they would be interested in subscribing ( in which case you would send them a link to both you blog and the subscription link). You can read the entire mailing here: http://www.todaysway.net/weekly/gardengrowingjuly0809.htm

I want to know if you have more ideas? OR .. what have you found doesn't work? We all have far more people reading our blogs than we are aware of ... how can we get these people to subscribe?

Please share your thoughts with me. If you have already tried any of the above did they work? As always, I look forward to your input.

Keep your business garden growing ...
margie

Are You Marketing With Video Yet?

Happy 4th of July!

I am finally getting into video and am excited! Now is certainly the time for video and I've started a study that I want to share over the summer with all who are on my weekly mailing. If you are not on that list please go to my website today and sign up! http://www.todaysway.net/contactus.htm#join

People finally seem to have the time to watch a video. The quality is improving and for some reason even I am ready to slow down and give a video time to play if I am "really" interested. That is the trick ... record only what will be "really" interesting to your viewers. This can be what you use for content, the way you made the recording and/or the way you deliver the message on the recording! Be creative BUT interesting also!

So for step #1 of my study, I want to know if you are using video for your marketing? What is good about it .. what is bad. Also, please tell me if you are using a camera or a phone or something else!! I hope to be able to guide my readers and myself to some really good products

I so look forward to your input! Thank you and Happy July 4th!

Keep your business growing ....
margie