Cat's Eye Marketing Blog

10 for 2010: Flab-Busting Marketing Tips for Busy People

It's Black Friday 2009. The beginning of the madness, the 35-day countdown to 2010.

I know it seems early, but 35 days, come on.

Each year, bloggers come out with posts in the last week of December: Be a Stunning Success in 2010 or Make Twice as Much in 2010 in Half the Time.

I hate those blog posts with the titles that promise you the world. Because if it were that easy, we'd all be living on the French Riviera with wedges of aged Camembert and glasses of fine Merlot. 

I like the simple, practical stuff. The marketing ideas that, if you put two or three of them together—and actually work them, daily—you'll see results. Not the go--golfing-and-check-your iPhone-for-the-thousands-you're-making-each-hour kind of results. Because, let's face it, that's just a lot of hype.

And since in the real world, we don't just all go golfing (or go to sleep) and watch the money roll in like a tsunami, I offer these ten tips.

The thing is, though, they'll work a whole lot better if you make time in the next 35 days to try at least one of them, hopefully more. This is the perfect day to start. That turkey stuffiness—or as my Twitter friend Sonia Simone calls, it "pie hangover"—has loosened its grip on you. And you are probably finished with the Black Friday crazies (if you even ventured out to the mall).

Here are my 10 marketing tips for 2010, from the simple to the takes-some-work-but-definitely-worth-it:

Simple

1. Create a 'smart' e-mail signature line. You have a free marketing tool to use every day—multiple times a day. Are you making the best use of it?

2. Collect results-focused testimonials for your website. Two parts here: know the most effective questions to ask and follow the right sequence of steps.

3. Write your first guest blog post. You can triple or quadruple traffic to your own site with a unique, well-written guest post. Here's how to do it.

4. Leave comments on other blogs regularly. There are many benefits to leaving comments on other blogs. Follow this simple, 5-step process.

 

A little more work

5. Grow your e-newsletter subscriber list. Maybe you have a newsletter but you'd like to have more than 27 subscribers. Because, man, it's hard work putting that quality content out each week. Grow your list and you'll grow your business.

6. Create a marketing calendar—and follow it. Map out where you want to go and how you will get therewith a simple calendar. Start with just 30 days and build from there.

7. Write (or refresh) your website's FAQ page. Your customers might have the slightest, silliest littlequestion that, if you answered it on your website's Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, you'd get a sale. Why not tackle (or rewrite) it?

 Even more work (but definitely worth it)

8. Start a blog. If you don't have one, it might be dizzying to think about, but consider starting your own blog. With WordPress, you can manage it easily.

9. Send out an e-newsletter. If you break it into pieces, it's not so hard to do. Just be sure to get permission from prospects and customers first; choose your delivery service with care; create qualitycontent; focus your formatting on readability and the needs of web scanners and skimmers; and find your unique voice.

10. Redesign your website. Take a look at your current site. Is it clean and easy-to-navigate? Doesit really reflect all the cool things you are doing now? Watch for signs that you may need a makeover. If you're thinking maybe so, here are some website design trends for 2010. 

If these tips were helpful, you can get ideas like this delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning when you sign up for Marketing Hotspots, our free weekly e-tip. 

What Connects Us in Social Media: On Puppets, Davenports and Other Stuff

I had a strange memory return today.

On twitter (you know that micro-blogging thing where everyone talks at once?), a writer friend I follow, @copylicious, was having a bad day.

You see, the Bay Bridge from San Francisco to Oakland was closed. So she couldn't get home.

And the only word was that they would be sending "updates on when people might get the next update."

And, on top of it, it was her birthday!

And she had not one, but four writing deadlines staring her in the face.

So you see, she really was having a bad day, when she blurted (tweeted):

"Why don't they allow puppets in high-level meetings?"

Well, that started people talking.

"Yeah, why don't they allow puppets, anyway?" said @wildheartqueen.

"Did somebody say a meeting with puppets?" said @starshyne, "Sign me up!"

And so it started. Our puppet stories. Now, with twitter names like @copylicious, @wildheartqueen, @starshyne, and @CatsEyeWriter (that's me), you'd kind of expect it, right?

 

But wait. Why don't they allow puppets in high-level meetings?

My puppet story was begging to be told. So I told it. On twitter. The condensed story, that is.

Here's the slightly longer version:

Several years ago I was manager of writing resources for an international nonprofit that had 5,000+ life-saving relief and development projects in 126 countries around the world. Projects to bring clean water to villages. Health care. Agricultural tools. Schools and classrooms.

I worked from the headquarters in L.A.

It was a high-stress job. Tense deadlines. 14-hour days. I traveled to West Africa to film a documentary and got malaria. Survived 130-degree days and a sandstorm in a village chief's hut in the Sahara Desert.

When I returned, I was a changed person. And exhausted. And really needing a "normal" job again.

Of course, I was afraid to tell my boss, especially after having just returned from this month-long trip, which was my class in International Development 101.

Then I remembered. Bob and I had just been to a silly small-town carnival, where he won an adorable purple furry hand puppet for tossing a ring that landed on milk bottle lid. You know that carnival game. The one it's almost impossible to win? Oh, wait. Every game at a carnival is impossible to win.

We named him Pépe.

I didn't have the nerve to quit my job just like that. But I had a feeling I could get Pépe to do it for me.

We went to a restaurant by the Santa Anita racetrack called The Brown Derby. Just the three of us. Me, my boss Dori and Pépe, who I kept in my purse through lunch. After the meal, when the coffee had arrived, I pulled him out and he managed to say, in a high-pitched, squeaky voice, "I'm so sorry but I think it's time to leave this job."

Moment of silence. Okay, huge moment of silence.

Then Dori burst out laughing.

Pépe had broken the tension so we could have a conversation. I talked about how honored I was to have been selected from more than 200 applicants for the job. How much I had learned about myself and the world. How I would love to stay involved as a consultant (which ended up happening).

We connected, even though I had just quit my job.

 

How social media connects us

Yesterday on twitter, I found a way to connect. Over puppets. Again.

I found like-minded people who also loved puppets and weren't afraid to use them. Other weird people. Like me.

Plus, I recently connected with another twitter friend. The uber-talented and very cool @sparkyfirepants. He's a designer and illustrator who lives in the mountains of Oregon and raises alpacas.

I wrote an article for Biznik called FAQ Page Lessons from the Encyclopedia Man. It was all about overcoming objections in the Q & As on your website's FAQ page, so you can move prospects farther along the path to purchase.

@sparkyfirepants read the article and sent this message (publicly) to me on twitter:

@CatsEyeWriter: Enjoying your article. One of my favorite words is "davenport."

I had started my article with a scene from my childhood, where the door-to-door salesman was trying his best to sell my mom a new set of Encyclopedia Britannicas. I used the word "davenport" because that's what we called our couch.

I explained that to @sparkyfirepants (Don't you just love his name?).

He tweeted back:

@CatsEyeWriter: No, really, I love it. I have a story to tell you when we meet sometime. A funny davenport story.

 Another connection.

Now, mind you, I've known Sparky Firepants (real name, David Billings) for almost two years, but we've never met in person.

But I feel like I know him. We can talk about business, family and weird words like "davenport." How cool is that?

So much is written today about being authentic. Don't hide your uniqueness. Don't be afraid to show the real you.

But if the real you is someone who likes to make puppets talk, is that okay?

If you like to form bonds and connections with people by making them laugh, is that okay?

Once we started talking about puppets on Twitter, there was a separation. The people who definitely believe in puppets and story and magic. And the people who think it's a little weird.

We puppet people actually attracted each other.

What do you think? Do you attract people like you—on your blog, on Twitter, on LinkedIn? And if so, is that a good thing or a bad thing?

How has social media connected you with others? Do you sometimes connect over things that have nothing to do with business. 

Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section.