More Than WE Know

Recently Shama Hyder looked into her crystal ball and made her top 3 marketing predictions for 2008. In sum, she is predicting the increased need for small businesses to have both an online and an offline presence.

I couldn’t agree more with her predictions. I believe all businesses should have a strategy for marketing their products and services in both an online and an offline arena. Ideally each aspect of your strategy should complement the other.
This does not need to be as intimidating or as expensive as it sounds.

There are several relatively simple, low-budget ways to develop a stronger online presence.

1) Write a blog that is associated with a topic related to your business. This can be as simple as creating top ten lists or writing a tip of the day. It doesn’t have to be intimidating - just start building a relationship with your customer and give them a reason to keep coming back to you. (hint: set up a free blog in 5 minutes at www.wordpress.com)

2) Post in forums related to your business. The key is to find forums in which your potential customers hang out. Offer advice and ask questions. Don’t hardsell. If they like you, they will link back to your website for more info. (hint: search google for forums and a word related to your business)

3) Create a linkedin profile. Ask questions and answer questions. Use the opportunity to network with potential customers and referral partners. Again, no hard selling.

Marketing on the internet is inexpensive, effective and fun. Don’t let this powerful phenomenon pass you by because you are intimidated or don’t see the value.

Start thinking now about your internet strategy for 2008.

And if you have questions about what an online presence can do for your business let me know in the comments below or by sending an email to liz (at) morethanweknow (dot) com.

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This week’s carnival ride ties in with the annual tradition of setting New Year’s Resolutions.

Here are mine for 2008: Be bold, get organized, appreciate yourself and take a risk!

1) Be Bold

This resolution finds support at the E3 Carnival of Success Principles Lorraine Cohen presents Letting Yourself Have Outrageous Success and Personal Happiness posted at Powerfull Living, saying, “How often do you say no to the people and things that would increase your business success and personal happiness? Learn key tips to change your nos to YES!”

2) Get Organized

This resolution finds tons of support at the Working at Home Blog Carnival in which Sagar presents Be Your Own Virtual Assistant: 100 Tools to Keep Yourself Accountable and Organized posted at Bootstrapper. I can’t wait to dig through these tools and find a few time-saving tricks!

3) Appreciate Yourself

This resolution found support at the All Women Blogging Carnival. I found this absolutely charming article written by Akemi. She makes you realize that what you view as your imperfections may be the very same traits that others value most about you. How to Love your Imperfections posted at Gratitude Magic is a reassuring article that I’m going to keep close at hand in 2007!

4) Take a Risk!

This resolution found support at the Carnival of the Capitalists hosted this week at the Journal Blog . Can You Really Make Money Showing People “How To”?, posted at KentonNewby.com assumes that there is an abundance of opportunity for both you and for your competitors. So much so, that it’s even okay to turn your customers into your competitors by teaching them how you succeed.

I love this idea that by sharing the secrets of our success, we all grow stronger. At first it sounds like taking a risk, but in reality we risk much more when we cut ourselves off from others due to fear.

That’s the carnival for this week - hope you found some inspiration and support for some New Year’s Resolutions of your own!!

If you’re still debating on resolutions for the New Year, here’s one you might want to consider:

• avoid identity theft

I’ve written before about the risks of online phishing schemes. But don’t overlook the offline opportunities that thieves have of obtaining your personal information:

• stealing your mail
• digging in your garbage
• skimming your credit card magnetic stripe
• overhearing your account information

I recently took a quiz at LifeLock.com and discovered I was at medium risk (59%) for identity theft. There are several things I need to do to improve my personal security practices to make it more difficult for thieves to get my information.

If they do get my information, I am also considering protecting myself with LifeLock.

LifeLock is America’s #1 Identity Theft Prevention Program. Their service:

• puts a fraud alert on my account at each of the three credit bureaus
• orders an annual copy of my credit report from each bureau
• keeps track of all my credit card information in case they are lost or stolen

With an alert on my account, I should be notified any time someone tries to get credit in my name. If it isn’t me, I can refuse to authorize it.

LifeLock is so confident in their service that they back it with a $1 million guarantee.

In reviewing the services, I can see that there isn’t really anything that LifeLock is doing that I couldn’t do myself. I can order an annual credit report and put fraud alerts on my account every 90 days.

But the question is, would I?

And the answer if I’m being honest with myself is, no.

I have enough trouble remembering to balance my checkbook - I wouldn’t remember to renew a fraud alert every three months.

The next question is, is it worth it to me to pay LifeLock to do it for me?

Identity theft is not as common as the media would have you believe. On the other hand, when it does occur it can cause a lot of aggravation and frustration. Victims have had their credit scores damaged, their tax refunds withheld, their power turned off and even been arrested for outstanding warrants for crimes they didn’t commit. They’ve had to spend considerable time clearing their names and getting the mess all straightened out.

That’s definitely aggravation I would prefer to avoid.

LifeLock’s full price is $10 per month or $110 for the full year. Because children are also at risk of having their social security information stolen and mis-used, they also cover children for $2.50 per month. However, the links in this post provide you with a special promotional discount.

There are a few other companies that offer services similar to LifeLock’s. You can compare them side by side at this link: Lifelock Promotion Code

If identity theft is causing you to lose your peace of mind, then you may want to look into using the services at Lifelock.

At the least, take their informative quiz to find out your current risk.

(sponsored review)

I have a question for you.

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According to Peggy Collins, author of Help Is Not a Four Letter Word many women find it much easier to give help to others than to ask for it themselves. She calls this the “self-sufficiency syndrome”.

As a Business Development Specialist for Women Entrepreneurs, this tendency disturbs me. Failing to ask for help can lead to unsustainable business practices. Ask many Women Entrepreneurs and they will tell you that they are “a one-woman show” or a “jack of all trades”. They take pride in their ability to run and manage a business, a family and other responsibilities all on their own.

While WE should be proud of our accomplishments and progress - WE must be careful not to get caught in a trap of our own making.

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A recent survey of over 3000 Women Entrepreneurs conducted by ewomennetwork found that the biggest challenges facing businesswomen at this moment were sales and marketing.

This aligns with what Women Entrepreneurs consistently tell me - marketing is their least favorite aspect of running their own business.

They don’t like selling or networking. They feel like it forces them to be pushy, insincere and even rude. They’ve heard that adage that they should be selling to everyone within 5 feet of them. Those that are following it, feel uncomfortable and those that aren’t, feel guilty.

Frankly, this type of selling doesn’t fit well with most Women Entrepreneurs. And according to Shama Hyder, Founder and Chief Marketing Consultant of After the Launch, a Dallas based marketing firm, this traditional type of marketing no longer fits at all with today’s marketplace.

Shama says that traditional marketing was characterized by being loud, pushy, and focused on selling to everyone you met. Today’s marketing techniques are clear, consistent, and focused on educating selected individuals who have a real need for your services.

Shama founded After the Launch in August with clients from around the world. Since then she and her global team of SEO experts, web developers, copy writers and virtual assistants have helped numerous service providers obtain more clients, gain more media exposure and achieve more profits.

Here is her story.

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