Marketing

January
19 2016

“Brand” New Year!

New Year. New BrandAt the start of every new year there is a feeling of change in the air, many people decide they want to do better, or be better in the new year, so they make new year’s resolutions or set new goals.

In a way, it’s almost like a new beginning, or a new chapter, for some reason, the change from one year to the next allows us to feel ready to do something different.

You may have taken time out at the end of last year or the beginning of this year to look back and reflect on the prior year, and also look forward and envision what you would like to happen in your business for the new year.

I took the time at the end of last year to reflect on my brand, NadineMullings.com, and to envision how I wanted to grow my business in 2016, and I decided that I wanted to do a brand refresh this year. 

The brand refresh includes four changes.  The first two changes are visual brand changes, while the last two are more vision changes. 

  1. New Logo

    All brands need to refresh their logo ever so often, so with that said, I have updated the look and feel of my logo to reflect more of my current style.NM Logo

  2. New Images

    It’s also important to update your images.  I realized that many of the pics on my website were taken over 3 years ago, so it’s time to update the look and feel of my website by also updating the images.  Hope you like the new pics!New Pic Collage

  3. New Vision

    The goal of “Marketing Essentials by Nadine Mullings” has been to provide independent business owners with Marketing tips, tools and techniques, specifically using four core areas of marketing: blogging, email marketing, social media and text message marketing.The goal has not changed, but my focus is now specifically on women who are coaches or consultants:  health coaches, business coaches, life coaches, executive coaches, business consultants, beauty consultants, etc. who are looking to not only transform their clients, but to make a larger impact, influence, and income.

     

  4. New Name

    As a personal brand, it’s important to reflect yourself in your business, and I feel I haven’t been doing such a good job with making my personal brand “personal”, so I have updated the name from “Marketing Essentials by Nadine Mullings” to simply “Nadine Mullings“.  With this name change comes my willingness to show more sides of me as a woman of faith, business owner, and entrepreneur.

I hope you will enjoy the brand new NadineMullings.com and will join me on the journey to help coaches and consultants make a bigger impact, income, and influence in the world!

In what ways have you made updates to your brand?  Or are you planning to make any brand changes this year?  Be sure to share your comments below:

Also, be sure to sign-up for free updates via email which gives you more insight and inspiration to stay motivated, move your business forward, and make the difference you were born to make.  Receive updates right in your inbox!

 

Posted by Nadine Mullings  |  Comments Off on “Brand” New Year!  |  in Marketing, Marketing for Coaches, Marketing for Consultants
December
22 2015

The 3 C’s of Successful Text Message Marketing

The 3 C’s of Successful Text Message Marketing
Text Marketing can be a powerful marketing tool when done correctly.  The problem is so few companies are attempting text marketing, and some of the ones who are using text message marketing, are not using it effectively.

In this post, I will cover the 3 C’s of Successful Text Message Marketing, you can check out the video below or read the post:

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  1.  Convenience
    One of the main reasons why Text Marketing can be so effective is the convenience of this marketing channel, so many people have smart phones now a days, and most people have their phones close by at all times, so this makes text message marketing a convenient and easy way to reach someone.  Some people actually prefer text messages even more so than a phone call, and it’s definitely faster than an email, so this makes text marketing convenient for the marketer and convenient for the person who has opted-in to receive text messages from your company.
  2. Communication
    Communicating via text message can be an easy way to quickly reach your audience.  Giving your clients or prospects the option to be reached via text message is a great opportunity to connect in a way that is most effective for you and for your clients or prospects. 
  3.  Content
    Even though it is convenient to communicate via text message to your clients and prospects, it is important that you are providing relevant and timely content in your text. Some examples of content that works well via text message include coupons, appointment reminders, notifications, etc.  As long as you content is valuable, your audience will want to receive text messages from you. 
  4. Bonus C-  Cost
    Text message marketing can be one of the most affordable and cost effective ways to reach your customers, so if you’re not using text message marketing, you might want to think about adding it to your marketing mix.

Are you using text marketing in your marketing mix?  If so, what do you think makes your text message marketing successful?  Be sure to comment below.

 

Posted by Nadine Mullings  |  Comments Off on The 3 C’s of Successful Text Message Marketing  |  in Business, Business Development, Marketing, Text Marketing, Uncategorized
December
16 2015

Top 3 Super Simple and Easy Text Marketing Services

Top 3 Super Simple and Easy Text Marketing Services
Are you considering using text message marketing in your marketing mix?  If so, check out the top three text marketing tools that I recently researched.

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All three options do not require contracts or set-up fees, the systems are super easy to use and they offer the following standard features:

  • Group Texting–  Allows you to send a text to a large list of individuals at one time
  • Keyword and Shortcode–  Each company offers you a Keyword-  a word people can use to text your company ( i.e. “Text”), and a shortcode-  a 5-6 digit number that your customers or prospects can text your keyword to (i.e. 515155)
  • Scheduling Ability–  Ability to schedule a specific day and time for your text message to be sent
  • Auto Replies–  Automatic messages that can be setup to respond to incoming text requests
  • Multimedia Message Service (MMS)–  The ability to send pics, video, or audio via text
  • Inbox/One-on-One Conversations–  An inbox that also allows you to respond to individual text received by clients or customers
  • Drip Campaigns/Autoresponders–  the ability to schedule a series of text messages in advance and automatically send to your customers and clients over a period of time.
  • Upload a Permission-based list-  the ability to upload into the system a list of mobile phone numbers of individuals who have opted in to receive text messages.
  • Text-to-Join/Text-to-Win–  the ability for people to join your mobile list by texting your keyword to a shortcode.
  • Reports- The ability to track and see the analytics of your text messages
  • Social Media Integration–  Ability to send text messages and post messages to Facebook.
  • Website Sign-up Widget–  Allowing your prospects to sign-up for your mobile list via your website
  • Link shortening–  allows you the ability to shorten any of your links within your text message.

Now here is how they differ:

SlickText

SlickText offers the following additional features:

  • Email address collection–  If you want to also build your email list and collect email addresses, SlickText offers an email capture feature. 
  • Double opt-in–  If you want a double opt-in requiring individuals to confirm that they are opting in to your mobile list, SlickText offers a double opt-in feature.
  • Unique Coupon Codes–  If you offer coupons, and you want the ability to track each coupon individually, SlickText offers unique coupon codes.
  • Dynamic Expiration Date on Coupons–  If you would like to automatically add an expiration date to your text coupon, SlickText allows you to dynamically add expiration dates to your coupons.
  • Send your texts directly from your phone, no need to send from your desktop
  • Create flyers to promote your text message campaign
  • Create QR Codes to help promote joining your mobile list
  • Link Tracking–  the ability to track the links people click on in your text message
  • Free Rollover Text for paid accounts
  • List Segmentation-  segment contacts into unlimited Groups. Then, choose to send your messages to one group or multiple groups. 
  • Email Marketing Integration with MailChimp and Constant Contact

SlickText Price-  A forever FREE option is available, then prices start as low as $29/month

SimpleTexting

SimpleTexting offers the following additional features:

  • Schedule automatic appointment reminders
  • Text-to-vote–  Poll your audience with the text to vote ability
  • Schedule messages on Twitter
  • Link Tracking–  the ability to track the links people click on in your text message

SimpleTexting PRICE–  FREE 14-Day Trial, then prices start as low as $45/month

EzTexting

EzTexting offers the following additional features:

  • List Segmentation-  segment contacts into unlimited Groups. Then, choose to send your messages to one group or multiple groups.
  • Recurring Messages-  allow you to compose a text message that will be sent out on a regular basis – daily, weekly or monthly, with all sorts of scheduling options. 
  • Personalization-  First and last name fields can be automatically merged into your mass text messages for a personal touch.
  • Message Templates-  Allows you to save your favorite text messages for future use.
  • Voice Broadcast-  you can send out thousands of calls within minutes. 
  • Text-to-vote–  Poll your audience with the text to vote ability
  • Schedule messages on Twitter
  • Email Marketing Integration with MailChimp, Constant Contact, and AWeber
  • Send your texts directly from your phone, no need to send from your desktop
  • Create QR Codes to help promote joining your mobile list

PRICE-  FREE Option available, then prices start as low as $49/month

Are you using a Text Marketing Service?  If so, which Text Marketing Service do you prefer and why?  Be sure to post your comment below:

Posted by Nadine Mullings  |  Comments Off on Top 3 Super Simple and Easy Text Marketing Services  |  in Business, Marketing, Text Marketing
December
08 2015

The Secret to Successful Text Message Marketing

The Secret to Successful Text Message Marketing
As a business owner, coach, or consultant, you may not be taking advantage of one of the best marketing platforms out there, Text Message Marketing.  Many people avoid text message marketing because they are unsure how to use it, how to not be intrusive, and how to get results.  However, it’s not as complicated as people make it out to be.

The secret to successful text message marketing is really four-fold:

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  1. Build an engaged audience of people who are interested in hearing from you via text message.  This is the first step and the most important step.  You have to build a permission-based list of individuals who have agreed to receive text messages from you.  Without a permission-based list you will not be able to succeed with Text Message Marketing.  Similar to email marketing, your list is going to be the core of your success.  For tips on how to build your Text Message Marketing list, be sure to check out the post How to Build a Powerful Text Message Marketing List
  2. Once you build an awesome permission-based Text Message Marketing list, the next step is to provide valuable content.  Discounts and promotions work really well with text message marketing. Offering some type of coupon or discount code for your product or service via text message has a high response rate because the majority of people will see your message, and those are interested in your promotion will usually take action.  However, text message marketing is not limited to just coupons and promotions, they are also good for announcements, notifications, and reminders.  For more ideas on how you can use text message marketing in your business, be sure to check out the post How to Use Text Message Marketing in Your Business
  3. Be sure to consistently reach out to your audience via text message.  You have to be very careful to make sure that you respect your access to someone’s text messages, and you don’t want to be an annoyance, so it is important to gauge how often you will be sending out text messages to your list.  It even helps to establish frequency up front so people will be more comfortable opting in to receive information from you via text.  Saying something like “We respect you and will only send you text messages two times a month”.  Establishing it upfront and sticking with what you promised will help establish trust.
  4. Lastly, it is important to always offer a way to opt out of receiving text messages from you.  This is a requirement, and if you are using a text message marketing provider this option can automatically be added to your text messages.  You want people to be able to easily opt out if they are no longer interested.

If you follow all four steps, then you will have the secret to successfully using text message marketing in your business.  Are you using text message marketing in your business?  If so, what have you found makes your text message marketing successful?  Be sure to leave a comment below.

Posted by Nadine Mullings  |  Comments Off on The Secret to Successful Text Message Marketing  |  in Business, Marketing, Marketing for Coaches, Marketing for Consultants, Text Marketing
November
03 2015

5 Types of Content that Creates Engagement on Social Media

social media marketing

Social Media has become a part of every day life for most people.  From checking Facebook to see what your friends, family, and associates are up to, to checking LinkedIn to stay connected with your professional network, to checking Twitter to join the conversation about the latest show, event, or major topic, or browsing Pinterest for the latest recipes or fashion trends,  social media and checking in to a social network has become a way of life.

Many smart business owners, coaches and consultants have also seen the importance of including social media in their marketing mix, so they can reach their target audience where they are already hanging out on these social networks. 

However, getting results from your social media marketing can be difficult.  Especially if your audience doesn’t seem to be engaging with your content, so in this post, I will go over five types of content you can post on social media that gets the most engagement. 

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  1. Inspirational Quotes
    There’s so much negativity in the traditional media channels that people are craving positivity and inspiration, so being the light of inspiration in someones day by posting an inspirational quote can really increase engagement.  Inspirational quotes are appreciated on almost every social network.  When you post an inspirational quote picture on Facebook  you can get engagement, when you post an inspirational quote on Twitter you can get engagement, when you post on inspiration quote graphic on Pinterest you can get engagement, etc., so no matter what type of business you have, or what social network you are on, posting inspirational quotes can help to increase your engagement.
  2. Ask Questions
    People like to be helpful and to express their opinions, so asking questions can be a really good way to increase engagement.  This can work for the social networks that are more conversational like Twitter and Facebook.  It’s not necessarily as effective on image or video sites like Pinterest, Instagram, or YouTube.  However, posting insightful questions can help to increase engagement, in fact social media is a great way to conduct market research.  If you are wondering how your target audience will feel about a particular topic, product, program, etc., ask them on social media and see what they say.
  3. Show Behind the Scenes
    Social media is supposed to be “social”, so having posts that show behind the scenes at the office or behind the scene of an event can really increase engagement.  This works really well when you are posting behind the scene pictures or videos on  social networks like Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.  Think about what would be interesting to your audience.  Would they like to see pics of behind the scenes of a company event?  Would they like to see pics of what happens in the office on a busy day?  Think about interesting behind the scenes pictures or videos that you can post to your social networks.
  4. Post Pictures
    Whether your posting inspirational quote pictures, or behind the scenes pictures, pictures always increase engagement on most social media platforms.  #TBT on Facebook is a great way to use pictures.  Post pictures from around the office or staff that was from back in the days, because social media is “social”, you need to include some social elements in your social media marketing including the use of various types of pictures.  What types of pictures can you use for your social media marketing?
  5. Post Videos
    The saying goes that a picture is worth a thousand words, well a video is worth a thousand pictures, so including posting videos on your social networks is important.  There are many types of videos you can post on social media (i.e. spontaneous videos shot on your smart phone,  professional videos produced by a professional video company, etc.).  Whatever type of video you choose to post on your social networks, be sure that it is the type of video that reflects your brand.  If you choose to post a spontaneous video shot on your iPhone, be sure that the camera angle is right, the lighting is right, that it still looks somewhat professional, because the video is a reflection of your brand.  You can also use a professional to shoot the video for you.  I prefer the professional videos, I feel it’s a better look for your brand.  I have used Captured in Time Productions to produce some of my latest videos.

These are just five types of content you can post to get more engagement on social media.    What other types of content have you posted that creates engagement on social media? Be sure to comment below.

Also, don’t forget to download the Marketing Essentials Checklist 21 Things You Must do in Order to Get Amazing Results from Your Social Media Marketing .

 

Posted by Nadine Mullings  |  Comments Off on 5 Types of Content that Creates Engagement on Social Media  |  in Business, Marketing, Marketing for Coaches, Marketing for Consultants, Social Media, Uncategorized
October
27 2015

How to be Consistent with Your Email Marketing

How to be Consistent with Your Email Marketing

Email Marketing can be a great marketing strategy to grow your business, and is one of the main online marketing strategies that I promote.  In fact, in my last post I talked about the ONE thing you can do to get awesome email marketing results.

However, your email marketing will never work unless your email marketing efforts are consistent, and this is an area that a lot of independent business owners, coaches and consultants struggle with staying consistent with their email marketing.

In this post, I will be sharing two key ways you can stay consistent with your email marketing.

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  1. Create Autoresponders–  An Autoresponder is a series of emails that are automatically sent over a period of time.  Autoresponders are great because they  help you to automate your email marketing.  The hardest part is mapping out the flow of the email sequence, then creating the initial emails, but once they are created, they will pretty much run on autopilot, so this will help you to stay consistent with your email marketing.  There are two types of Autoresponders-  Time-based Autoresponders and Action-based Autoresponders:
    1. Time-based Autoresponders–  Are a series of emails sent out over a period of time.  A time-based autoresponder series could look like this, someone signs up for an ebook, webinar, checklist, email list, etc.  The person receives an email immediately, then in 3 days, then 7 days, then 10 days, then 20 days etc.  A series of relevant emails are sent over a period of time, hence the name “time-based autoresponders”.
    2. Action-based Autoresponders–  Are a series of emails sent based on actions taken by the subscriber.  An action-based autoresponder series could look like this, person subscribes, downloads, or requests an ebook, webinar, checklist, etc.  Person opens email and clicks link.  The action of clicking the link prompts the next email in the series, the person opens the next email, this prompts another email, etc.  This autoresponder is based on the actions the individual is taking, hence the name “action-based autoresponder”

Whether you choose Time-based Autoresponders or Action-based Autoresponders, or a combination of the two, Autoresponders are a great way to stay consistent with your email marketing.

2. Publish a Company Enewsletter/Ezine–  Autoresponders are great because they run in the background.  However, most of the time the Autoresponder series ends, so you don’t want to rely just on the Autoresponders, you want to make sure that you are also sending out consistent and timely information to your lists, so having consistent frequent emails in the form of a newsletter is a great way to stay consistent with your email marketing.You will have to decide how often you would like to publish your newsletter (i.e. daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc.).  Once you decide how often you will be publishing a company newsletter it is important to stick to that schedule. Since the beginning of this year, I have decided to publish my company newsletter the 2nd Wednesday of every month, and I have consistently published it that day every month this year (no exception).  Sticking to a schedule helps keep you accountable to when your information needs to go out, it shows your audience that you are professional, and it helps to keep your company top of mind.

These are just two main ways that you can be consistent with your email marketing.  What other ways have you been consistent with your email marketing?   Be sure to comment below.

Also, don’t forget to download the Marketing Essentials Checklist of 21 Things You Must do in Order to Get Amazing Results from Your Email Marketing.

Posted by Nadine Mullings  |  Comments Off on How to be Consistent with Your Email Marketing  |  in Email Marketing, Email Results, Marketing, Marketing for Coaches, Marketing for Consultants
October
20 2015

This ONE Thing Can Get You AWESOME Email Marketing Results

This One Thing Can Get You AWESOME Email Marketing Results
Email Marketing can be a great strategy for your business if done correctly!  In fact, in my last post I talked about 5 Types of Email Content that Get You Awesome Results.

However, the problem is that many business owners, coaches, and consultants are missing a key element in their email marketing strategy, and this one thing is almost guaranteed to get you better results from your email marketing.

So in this post, I will be sharing the ONE thing you can do to get AWESOME Email Marketing Results.

[Tweet “The ONE thing you can do to get AWESOME Email Marketing Results. #MarketingEssentials #EmailMarketing”]

The one thing that is proven to get you better results on your email marketing effort is segmentation.  If you are not practicing segmenting your list, you are missing out on a huge potential to get better results.

So why is segmentation important?  When your lists are segmented into key groups then you can create targeted messages designed specifically for that key group of individuals, and you get better results from targeted messages rather than general and generic messages.

So here are some steps to segmenting your email lists:

  1. Create Main Lists (i.e. Customers, Clients, Prospects, Email Subscribers, etc.)
  2. Within your main list, segment the list into smaller groups (i.e. One-Time Customers, Repeat Customers, Loyal Clients, Prospects for Product A, Prospects for Product B, Subscribers from Website, Subscribers from Blog Post, etc.)
  3. You can segment it even smaller if you have other types of information available (i.e. Age, Gender, Location, etc.)
  4. Once you have created a segment, your goal is to create a campaign specifically for that particular segment (i.e. special offer for repeat customers who live in a particular area, invitation to prospects who expressed an interest in service A to trial service A, etc.)
  5. Your results will be much better because the message is tailored and directed to a very specific group, so the message will be more targeted and more than likely will resonate more with that particular audience.

So here is an example of an effective segmentation:

  1. Main List-  Prospects
  2. Segmentation-  Realtors
  3. Additional Segmentation-  Women Realtors
  4. Offer-  Invitation for women Realtors to attend a women’s luncheon in which real estate tips will be shared.

Because the list and the offer are so targeted, you will more likely get better results from this email marketing campaign compared to:

  1. Main List-  Prospects
  2. No segmentation-  sent to the entire prospect list
  3. Offer-  Invitation to a business networking luncheon

You may get a response from this type of email, but you will get a much better response from the first example that is more targeted with a segmented list and a targeted offer specifically for that segment.

So if you’re looking to get better results from your email marketing, try segmenting your list and offering specific promotions for each segment.

Are you segmenting your email list?  If so, do you find that you get better results from a segmented list and a targeted email campaign?  Be sure to comment below.

Also, don’t forget to download the Marketing Essentials Checklist of 21 Things You Must do in Order to Get Amazing Results from Your Email Marketing.

 

 

Posted by Nadine Mullings  |  Comments Off on This ONE Thing Can Get You AWESOME Email Marketing Results  |  in Email Marketing, Email Results, Marketing, Marketing for Coaches, Marketing for Consultants
October
13 2015

5 Types of Email Content that Get You Awesome Results

5 Types of Email Content that Get You Awesome Results

Email Marketing can be a great way to grow your business, stay top of mind, and nurture your leads, but getting real results from your email marketing can be difficult. 

After sending many emails and working with companies in different industries, I have noticed that there are five types of email content that get you the best results.

[Tweet “Five types of email content that get you the best results. #MarketingEssentials #EmailMarketing”]

  1. Video

    Video by far always gets the most engagement in email.  When sending emails to prospects or clients,  be sure to include a relevant video that will resonate with your audience.

    The key to a successful video is to Keep It Super Short (KISS).  The most effective videos are less than 5 minutes.  People are busy and don’t necessarily have the time to watch long videos, so it’s better to keep it short and sweet.

    When I placed this short (less than 2-minutes)  video, the 3 C’s of Email Marketing, in my monthly email newsletter, it received the most engagement.  Check it out:

  2. Blog Posts

    Informative blog posts always get high engagement in your email, and email is a great way to remarket your blog posts to your email list.

    Pick your top performing blog posts, and include it in your emails when it is relevant to the theme of the email.

    The key is to peak your audience’s interest by including the first few lines of your blog post in your email, and then linking them to the entire blog post on your website.

    Some people include the entire blog post in the email, but I think a better strategy is to include the first few lines, and then have them click to read more.

    I prefer this method because it allows you to track how many people were interested in reading more, you can measure what topics get the most engagement in your email, and it shortens the length of your email (the longer your email the less likely people will read the entire email).

  3. Images

    Most people are very visual, so including relevant images in your emails can help to increase your engagement.

    Information Graphics (Infographics) are great images to create and include in your emails.

    Most Infographics are very long, so including the beginning of an infographic and encouraging your audience to click to see the entire infographic is a great strategy.

    Even if you don’t create the infographic yourself, if it will resonate with your audience, there is no harm in including it in your email and giving credit to the source and linking to the source of the infographic.

    Linking to the infographics for companies who complement what you do, or even affiliate companies can be very useful for your audience.

  4. Audio

    In addition to the items listed above, audio also receives high engagement in your email, so if you don’t have a video to share with your audience, try including links to audio.

    Not everyone loves to read information, so when you offer information in various formats including audio, you are able to get the attention of individuals who prefer to listen to your content instead of having to read or watch it.

    This is why Podcasts are so popular and are a great medium for coaches and consultants.

  5. Special Offers

    Providing great content in your email like videos, blog posts, images, and audio is always a good idea, but having a compelling offer that resonates with your audience is even better, because that is where you make your sales.

    So be sure to send out emails that include relevant special offers or promotions.  If the offer is something that resonates with your audience you will see engagement with offer, which leads to more business for you.

Are you using any of these types of content in your email?  If so, what content works well with your audience.  Be sure to comment below.

Also, don’t forget to download the the Marketing Essentials Checklist of 21 Things You Must do in Order to Get Amazing Results from Your Email Marketing.

 

Posted by Nadine Mullings  |  Comments Off on 5 Types of Email Content that Get You Awesome Results  |  in Email Marketing, Email Results, Marketing, Marketing for Coaches, Marketing for Consultants, Uncategorized
October
06 2015

7 Surefire Ways to Build an Awesome Email List

7 Surefire Ways to Build an Awesome Email List

As an independent business owner, coach or consultant, if you want to build your business online, then email marketing should be a part of your marketing mix.  If you already use email marketing, you know the importance of continuously growing your email list with interested and engaged prospects, but building an email list can be a difficult task.

In this blog post, I will share 7 Surefire Organic Ways to Build an Awesome Email List:

[Tweet “7 Surefire Organic Ways to Build an Awesome Email List. #MarketingEssentials #EmailMarketing “]

  1. Send an email invitation to your current database of contacts–  You probably have a database of contacts with e-mail addresses. This is a great starting point to CREATE or GROW your opt-in e-mail list. Send an invitation to your ENTIRE database of email contacts INVITING them to opt-in to receive your e-mails. Be sure to let them know the valuable information you will be providing them so they will WANT to opt-in to receive your emails. One mistake I see a lot of people make is they just add their contacts to their e-mail list, don’t do this! Make sure they have opted in (you don’t want to be a spammer- someone who consistently sends e-mails to individuals who did not request it!)
  2. Offer an AWESOME incentive for joining your email list (i.e. FREE report, e-Book, white paper, checklist, etc.). Everyone likes to get something for FREE, so provide information that will be VALUABLE to your contacts and use that as an incentive for them to opt-in to your e-mail list.  Some people refer to this as your “lead magnet” because the right offer can act as a magnet for leads for your business.
  3. Add a sign-up box on your website and on social media–  A great tool that will help you grow your e-mail list is to have an e-mail sign-up form and place it on your website, blog, social networks, etc. You can use the same offer that you created in #2 as an incentive to sign-up for your e-mail list in these various places!  Most email service providers offer an option and provide support on how to add an email sign-up box to your website, social media and your blog.  Check with your email service provider to learn more about adding this function to your platforms.  My email service provider is Constant Contact, they easily integrate with my website and blog with a simple WordPress plugin, and I’m able to connect my sign-up form with Facebook with a simple Facebook App.
  4. Consistently promote joining your email list on all of your platforms–  You have to promote joining your e-mail list on your social networks, e-mail, website, blog, etc.  Create posts that will encourage individuals to sign-up to join your list. You can’t rely just on your initial list of contacts and the sign-up forms you have online, you have to continuously promote joining your e-mail list.
  5. Promote joining your email list offline–  The promotion of joining your e-mail list is not limited to just online; you can promote joining your e-mail list by including a QR Code (Quick Response Code) that links to your e-mail sign up form.  The QR Code can be placed on your business card, brochures, flyers, etc.  Check out my QR Code below:
    Sign-Up FormScan to join my email list!
    You can also promote joining your list w    hen you host events or have a booth or table at an event, be sure to have an email sign-up form at your table and ask people to join your email list.  You can always use the item you created in #2 as an incentive to get people to join your email list offline too.
  6. Use Text Message Marketing to promote joining your email list–  Another way to promote joining your e-mail list offline is to offer a text to join feature. Make it easy to join your e-mail list by texting a special code to a shortcode, which will then allow them to sign-up via text. Most Email Marketing Service Providers offer this option to their customers.  To see how it works, Text “JOINME” to “42828” to join my email list.
  7. Add a pop-up box to your website–  As annoying as pop-up boxes may be, they do work, so consider adding a pop-up box to your website.  There are many different types of pop-up boxes.  Some appear immediately once you land on someone’s website, others show up when you scroll down the page, and others appear when you are exiting the website.  Whatever option you choose, pop-up boxes really work.  There are several pop-up box tools available, but I use and recommend SumoMe.  SumoMe has a free basic option that works well and has lot of other tools you can use to help to build your email list.

Are you growing your email list?  If so, what methods are you using to grow your email list?  Be sure to let us know by commenting below. 

Need some help with your email marketing?  Be sure to check out the Marketing Essentials Checklist of 21 Things You Must do in Order to Get Amazing Results from Your Email Marketing.

Posted by Nadine Mullings  |  2 Comments  |  in Business, Email Marketing, Marketing, Marketing for Coaches, Marketing for Consultants
September
22 2015

How Often Should You Post on Your Business Blog

How Often Should You Post on Your Business Blog

One of the questions I get when its comes to blogging for business is how often should I post on my business blog?

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Some people would say it’s important to blog every day, or it’s important to blog at least three times a week.  This may be a good strategy for a professional blogger, but your business is not blogging,  you should be blogging for business as a part of your marketing mix, so you should take a different approach to how often you blog.

I feel the answer to that question differs for each business.  If blogging is part of your marketing mix, you have to decide how much time you or someone on your team can dedicate to consistently posting on the business blog.

Depending on the decision that you come up with for your business, this will determine how often you should blog.  However, as a rule of thumb, I would say you should try to put new content on your blog at the very least twice a month.

New content on your blog is important for various reasons:

  1.  It keeps your blog from getting stale–  Nobody wants to visit a blog and the last post was from 3 months ago, so to make sure that your content stays fresh it would be important to post at least every two weeks.
  2.  You rank higher in the search engines when you have newer content. Search engines like to provide browsers with more recent information, so the more updated your blog is, and the newer the content on your blog, the more likely you are to rank higher in the search engines.
  3. Promoting your new content helps to bring consistent traffic to your website.  Having a business blog and promoting your blog posts is a great way to get traffic to your website.  The more you post the more traffic you will get.
  4. When done correctly, your new content can also help to create new leads for your company, so the more content you put out, the more leads you can expect to get for your company.

However, it’s not just important to have new content on your business blog, but it’s just as important if not more important, to promote the older content you have on your blog, so in addition to creating new content for your blog, you should also have a plan to promote the older content that you have on your blog.

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For example, if you decide to post on your business blog at least twice a month, then after just one year of posting at least twice a month, you will have at least 24 pieces of content that you can repurpose and share on your social media networks, your email list, etc. 

So no matter how often you post on your business blog, it is important to have fresh content (at least twice a month), and it’s important to promote both your new and old content in order to get more traffic and get more leads for your business.

Do you have a business blog?  If so, how often do you post on your business blog?

 

 

Posted by Nadine Mullings  |  Comments Off on How Often Should You Post on Your Business Blog  |  in Blog, Business, Business Development, Marketing, Marketing for Coaches, Marketing for Consultants, Uncategorized