Blog Marketing writing

6 Steps to Crack Your Email Addiction

Tue, 08 May 2012 19:12:05 +0100

What is it about email? Is it the instant gratification of knowing that someone is thinking about you? Or is it the obsessive need to be needed? Regardless of your reasons for being addicted to email, the fact is that if you let it, email can cause you more harm than good. I am no stranger to this issue. I spent much of the last two years as a project manager juggling dozens of projects at any given moment. Unfortunately, one of the clients I served had many ‘last minute’ and ‘urgent’ pr...

Content Evolution: Articles to Apps

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:44:05 +0100

When I first started my writing business, the majority of projects I worked on were articles for print publication. At that time, there was a lot of need for print materials in marketing communication so I produced copy for several brochures and newsletters as well. In my spare time (ha ha, 3 little kids = not much spare time), I worked away on a novel hoping to one day be ‘discovered’ and revered for the magnificent stories I told. Over the past ten years I’ve learned that in order to a...

4 Steps on How to Manage Leads

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:26:11 +0100

Once you've established your blog or newsletter, your readership will begin to grow. What do you do with the leads that have trusted you with their contact information? Manage Leads in 4 Easy Steps 1) Capture - Initially someone will have downloaded your free report or signed up for your newsletter in exchange for providing their name and email address. You will receive an email notification of this or your database will be automatically updated with the contact information. ...

8 Steps to Writing an eBook

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:20:39 +0100

Ebooks are publications in digital form that consist of text, images, or both and are created, published and read on an electronic device or computer. Ebooks have been popular for years (as the quantity of pdfs in my download folder illustrates) but their value seems to have magnified since the onset of the mobile technology craze. E-readers such as Kobo or Kindle are a wonderful way to read your digital documents on the go. Tablets have made ebooks even more accessible to the masses. I�...

Small Business Week

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:25:46 +0100

This is ‘Small Business Week’ where all across the country we are celebrating Canadian entrepreneurs. The theme for this year’s Small Business Week is ‘Power up your Business. Invest. Innovate. Grow’. I didn’t realize until today that Small Business Week has been going on for 32 years (and the term is actually trademarked!) and it was started in recognition of the contributions and achievements of Canada’s entrepreneurs. Events are being planned all over the country. Check out...

Experiments in Marketing

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:45:54 +0100

Small business owners are accustomed to wearing many hats, one of which is marketing. The art of marketing is essentially raising awareness of your brand and what products and services you offer while inviting and enticing people to call, inquire and purchase. So how does one go about marketing a small business? The tools and techniques are varied, but here are a few that have helped me. Some I’ve been doing for a while and some are currently under development for the very first time. ...

Collaboration for Small Business Success

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 16:38:32 +0100

Small business success depends on so many factors. First of all, I think we each have our own definition of what ‘success’ is. For some, it is the independence of being their own boss. For others it’s the flexibility of determining their own work hours and environment. For many, success is measured in dollars. Regardless of how you define it, finding success, and maintaining it, takes constant consideration. A successful entrepreneur looks at new and interesting ways to develop his busin...

What Phone for my Small Business?

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 20:30:57 +0100

There are certain tools that every small business needs. A computer and mobile phone are two of the most critical for my writing business. Since I spend most of my time online either doing research, checking email, engaging in social media or just writing content for websites, articles or newsletters, I have both a laptop and a desktop so that should anything happen to one, I can continue working on the other. To connect with clients, associates and suppliers I need a phone. Since I want to be...

Networking Your Small Business

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 13:36:46 +0100

As a small business owner, one of the ongoing challenges you may face is getting your brand out there in the physical world. Sure, you’ve set up a pretty good website and you’re likely involved in two or three different social media platforms, but you spend a lot of time on your computer or on your phone to either do business or drum up new customers. How much time is spent face-to-face? Joining a local group targeted to your industry whose members are similar or complimentary in what they o...

Mind Mapping for Marketing

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 13:44:09 +0100

Brainstorming is a tried and true method that marketers have used for years to come up with new and innovative ways to reach potential customers. Rather than solely relying on the intuition or experience of a few select individuals, however, making use of a mind mapping tool with collaboration features might be a good addition to the mix. There are a few options online to help organize your ideas and collaborate with colleagues. I think Mindmeister looks like the one to try In addition to ...

How are You Using QR Codes?

Mon, 09 May 2011 17:41:57 +0100

I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about mobile or QR codes so asked the question of some colleagues in the Halton Peel Communications Association (www.hpcaonline.org). Offering an interesting cross-section of opinions, some had been using it recently in print materials for clients, others commented on how it had been used on products they encountered in everyday living. There are different apps suggested by the group including Scan for iPhone and ScanLife. It was interesting to get another v...

EMail Management

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 16:50:58 +0100

We are all using email as a part of daily business. It is unavoidable. Email can be an efficient means of communicating updates, tasks, requests or just keeping people in the loop of a conversation. But we do way too much of it or at least there are ways we can improve how we manage it. I was reading a great article on brasstackthinking.com where the author talked about a simple four step strategy to handling your email. It's called Do, Delegate, Defer, Delete. Here's what she suggests:...

Newsletter writing

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 00:59:07 +0100

Newsletters are a useful marketing tool that can help increase your business by raising awareness and promoting your brand. To be effective, there are a few considerations when putting together your newsletter...

Press Release writing

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 00:59:07 +0100

The web is riddled with press release sites and how to tips. With so much information it’s hard to know the best way to present your release.