Linkedin can be a very effective source for new leads for virtually any business - for free. I have created an effective process to develop leads which I've outlined below in 9 steps that'll take only an hour or two a week. It is the result of much experimentation. My only request is that you follow this sequence exactly for a month before you decide it doesn't work. Follow this step-by-step … [Read more...]
The DIY Social Media Audit
Social media can be an effective tool that helps your business grow - or it can be a waste of both time and money. Do you wonder whether you or an employee are spending too much time on Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin? Do you question whether you should be paying anyone to "do social media?" Do you worry about whether you should be using different social media than you are? Are you concerned that … [Read more...]
Failure is always an option – do it anyway.
I can't count on my fingers and toes the number of people I know who have written a novel and are: working on it editing it revising it re-doing it thinking about it sitting on it, or sending it to agents It's awesome. Everybody's got a novel. And with modern internet publishing through Amazon and similar services, they could be published and selling books in a matter of … [Read more...]
Merry Christmas
As a non-Christian, why do I celebrate Christmas? Is it the opportunity for lavish gifts and unmitigated weight gain? I'll admit, it's very easy for me to slip into frantic hustle and bustle. It's fun buying presents for people I like and my children are among the people I like most. However, I'd like to think that Christmas can be more than that. Jesus for a non-Christian I've heard … [Read more...]
The Inigo Montoya marketing method
It is unavoidable. I say "Inigo Montoya," and you say, "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." Whatever else he said in The Princess Bride, we all remember those 13 words. He said them over and over - when he met the 6-fingered man, as he raced through the halls of the castle and even after being stabbed by a sword. "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You … [Read more...]
Is your website a pimply teenager?
How many times have you had the pimply teenager version of customer service? "Welcometomcdonaldsmayitakeyourorder?" What about pimply teenager sales technique? "That'llbe4.47pleasepullforward" The pimply upsell? "Wouldyouliketoaddapieforonly99cents?" There's a lot of websites out there that are pimply teenagers. They're order takers or worse - they can't even take an order. The … [Read more...]
Small business websites: cheap improvements and better results
If you're a small business owner, you've most likely been overwhelmed by offers to help you with your SEO. These services are expensive and since they are limited to only a certain number of keywords, they can be hit or miss. For example, if you're a dentist and you've chosen to rank for "best dentist in St. Louis," you should be prepared to spend a lot of money to rank for this term, since … [Read more...]
Riding a bike, remembering a friend
"Anything worth doing is worth doing badly." - G.K. Chesterton After 20 years of no exercise and 2 packs a day, I coasted east on Delmar, letting gravity do the work. My first serious trial was over a mile away and I was blissfully unaware of the pain that lay ahead. For now, I enjoyed the sensation of speed as wind brushed my face and I kept pace with the traffic on the gentle downhill run … [Read more...]
Improving Small Business Marketing Results: Be a Math Geek
Effective marketing doesn't have to be cheap, but it does have to be viable. Viability can be determined by comparing the cost of the marketing against the income it generates. If income is greater than marketing expense + overhead, then the small business has a perpetual money machine: the more money that is poured into marketing, the more money will be generated. This is the goal. It can … [Read more...]
Marketing a Chiropractic Practice, Summarized in 4 Words
Wear a lab coat. To understand why these are the most important 4 words for successfully marketing a chiropractic practice, I want to briefly cover what positioning is. Positioning is aligning what is known with what is unknown in the mind of the consumer. It is a way to achieve instant familiarity and to be recognized by someone who hasn't heard of you before. When I tell you that my … [Read more...]