Have you set up your Google Alerts yet?

Do you want to keep up to date with what people are saying about you, your industry, your competitors – daily – without having to sift through the mountains of information there is out there on the web?

Set up Google Alerts!  It's a great notification tool.  It monitors words/names/titles chosen by you and emails you a summary of the latest stories when you want them straight into your inbox. 

So, how can it help you?

• ·         Keep track of the latest news in your industry
• ·         Monitor what people are saying about you and your business
• ·         Know when your product name or service is mentioned
• ·         Monitor your customers, keep informed
• ·         Monitor the title of your latest press release - see where it goes
• ·         Monitor your competitors – see what they are up to

It's a no-brainer and it’s simple to set up:

·       Click here:  Google.com/Alerts

 Make a list of names and words that you want to monitor.

When you enter your search term it will give you an example of what of you will receive, this helps you judge if you are being specific enough with your search.

When finished hit ‘create alert’, you will receive a notification by email to verify and away you go!

I need more 'likes'!

So, you’ve set up your Facebook business page and now you are waiting for people to come and ‘like’ it. 

Do you think they will?  Yes!  But you need to tell people - just setting up a page and waiting will not work.  You need to tell people wherever and whenever you can and there are more places where you can display your Facebook name than you think...

Have you got your page name on your business cards?

I am amazed at the amount of business owners who do not have their social platforms listed on their business cards; this is now one of the first things that people look for when they are handed a card.  On a recent survey that I conducted I found that 65% found it easier to communicate using Facebook and Twitter, so this is a must!

Have you got a link to the page on your email signature?

Add your social platforms to your email signature, activate the links so that the person receiving your email can click straight through. Make it easy for them!

Have you put the Facebook icon on your website with a clickable link?

Make sure your Facebook icon is on every page of your website, the reader may not want to buy from you now but they have opportunity to follow you and join your community. You can then keep the contact warm until they are ready to buy!

Don’t forget all your other online places and profiles:

• ·       LinkedIn/Google+ – advertise your page regularly; tell people why they would benefit from liking your page.  You can link your LinkedIn and Google+ profile through to your Facebook page!
• ·       Twitter – again, advertise your page regularly, tell people why they would benefit from liking your page.  Don’t be afraid to ask for a cheeky RT!
• ·       YouTube Channel – they give you the opportunity to enter all your external links so include your Facebook link here!
• ·      Pinterest – if you are on it (every business should be!) advertise your Facebook page!

What about all the things that you produce?

• ·         Your blog
• ·         Your on-line newsletter
• ·         Your ‘thank you for registering’ emails
• ·         Your on-line/printed brochures
• ·         Your leaflets
• ·         Your pop-up event stands
• ·         Your event signage
• ·         Your business presentations
• ·         Your menus
• ·         Your shop window
• ·         Your vehicle
• ·         Your letterhead
• ·         Your compliment slips
• ·         Your invoices

…..and the list goes on.

Tell everyone you meet.  Ask them to stop by and like your page.  It’s a proven lead generation tool that I can guarantee will get you new business if used correctly!

So, come and like my Facebook page, tag your business name and I'll like you back...that's a guaranteed like for you! 8-)

Blog Neglect

I'm so busy building content for my clients and looking after their marketing and social media that I tend to neglect my blog!  So, I'm dusting it off and setting myself a blog challenge!
We all know that we have to write blogs regularly in order to provide new content on our website to help our SEO, build on our community and complete the social media circle.

But it's true - most organisations/business owners don't have the time or expertise to create content regularly - but without content (the most crucial ingredient of a marketing campaign) marketing as a whole can fail.

So, why should we Blog?

1. To Express Your Thoughts, Opinions and News

If you have something to say to your audience a blog provides a place to say it and be heard. They are a great way to share your thoughts or your view on something or it may be that you want to educate your readers and show that you’re informed.

2. To Help People,  Market or Promote Something

Blogging is a great way to help market or promote yourself or your business, product or service. Remember to try and give advice..people liked to be helped and you will be seen as adding some value to your readers.  Many blogs are written to help people who may be going through similar situations that you have experienced. 

3. To Establish Yourself as an Expert

Blogs are wonderful tools to help you establish yourself as an expert in a field or topic.  If you show that you’re an authority on a particular subject, people will keep coming back to read what you have to say.  Blogging can help legitimise your expertise and expand your online presence.

4. To Connect with People Like You

Blogging brings like-minded people together. Starting a blog can help you find those people and starts your community building.

5. To bring in business

By allowing comments on your blog you can encourage conversation and gain a level of trust with your audience.  People buy from people - from people that they like and trust.  It's hard to build trust though a computer screen so a blog allows you to show your expertise in a more relaxed way.  You can bring your personality to a blog, your can't necessarily on a website!

It's possible to offset the cost of the time spent on blogging against the business it could generate.  If you are writing regular high quality content then you'll have visitors, visitors joining your community, visitors that come back to read what you have to say, visitors who will write about your blog, visitors who will share your blog - suddenly you have a blog that behaves like viral marketing!!  You'll then have people coming to you for business advice, advice that will turn into business!

6. Support your SEO

Websites with blogs get an average of 55% more visitors than those without them.   If you didn’t know that then you need to build a blog into your site now!  If you keep the blogging regular it helps your SEO and your Page Rank. Search engines, such as Google, love fresh content so by posting regularly it helps keep your brand visible.

As always the one rule of blogging, as with any online marketing tactic, make it relevant to your audience and participate in the conversation!

Anyway, my blog is now up and running again...wish me luck for my blog challenge!

Are you guilty of blog neglect? Set yourself a goal and start writing today....!

What is a Virtual Assistant and what do they actually do?

When I’m asked what I do, I say ‘I’m a Virtual Assistant that gives Business Support’.  The next question that always follows...’What does a Virtual Assistant actually do?’  So I thought it would be a good idea to raise the awareness of VA’s...

A Virtual Assistant (VA) is someone who is self-employed that works for you, giving you business support when you or your company needs it.  They provide a cost effective solution when there is no budget or the facilities to recruit someone full-time or part-time.  They can work from any location; your office, your home or virtually from their own office.  They have their own PC, printer and phone so there is no set-up cost.  The only cost to you is their hourly rate, which is never rounded up – you only pay for the time that is worked.  No sick pay, no holiday pay, no NI contributions to pay, no tax to pay – you can’t go wrong!

A qualified VA will have worked for over 15 years in a corporate background, across different departments, where they have gained the experience needed to support business owners, managers and board level executives across the board.  They are able to work under pressure, within tight timescales and budgets, using their own initiative.

A VA will work with you, not for you.  They fully understand the value and importance of your business as they are business owners too.  Your success means their success.  VA’s thrive on supporting other business owners as without you they cannot achieve their business goals.
If you want to take on more work, or a larger client but lack some of necessary resources to expand then you should consider using the expertise of a VA.  Using the right VA will give you more time to focus on the things that you should be doing to grow your business.  It will also give you your weekend back!

So, what does a VA do?
 
Office Admin
They can assist you with a wide range of traditional PA administration tasks, such as; diary and email management, meeting arrangements and travel co-ordination.  They can take all your receipts and manage your expenses, answer your calls and run your errands, produce your presentations...anything you need!

Marketing/Social Media
Whether it’s producing copy for your website, producing collateral, arranging an event or pushing out your message through marketing tactics such as Blogs, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, a VA with a marketing background can work with you to help grow your business.
These are just some of the things a VA can do.  Remember, it isn’t all about time.  If as task is out of your comfort zone it will take you longer to start, longer to complete and may not be an enjoyable experience for you.

Why don’t you take one aspect of your business that you need help with and recruit a VA, it will be the best business decision you have made.
Soon, the questions won’t be ‘What does a Virtual Assistant do?’ It will be ‘Who is your Virtual Assistant?'  8-)

When you know it's time to find some support for you and your business...

I interviewed one of my clients recently to try and establish at what point she realised that she needed some extra support for her business. The most interesting point she made was the decision time it took her to actually take the plunge and bring someone on board.

She had been running her own business and, like all of us, wanted to be in control of every aspect.  When you have put all your time, effort and energy into something you are passionate about, it’s hard to start handing some of your responsibilities to someone you don’t know or trust.

 ‘What if that person makes a visible mistake and puts a client project at risk?’

It’s also hard to find the time to decide what aspect of the business to handover and to give the relevant training; time that you do not have in the first place!

For my client it was easier to carry on doing everything herself, at least she knew it would get done...eventually, even if other things had to suffer.

But, if you carry on running the business the same way you are now, trying to do everything yourself, it could be you that puts the client project at risk!

So, at what point do you realise that you need to find someone to help you? 

·         You are working in the evenings doing admin tasks

·         You have no time for any business development to help grow your business

·         Your personal to do list is increasing

·         Your work life is taking over your personal life

·         You don’t have time to negotiate with suppliers so you just accept their first proposal

·         Your expenses are high as there is no time to research cheaper options

·         You don’t have the time to do invoicing, which starts to affect your cash flow

·         You are putting non fee earning but important tasks to the bottom of the pile

To start, focus on one part of your business that needs support instead of trying to hand over a number of things.

For my client it was to produce a social media plan, deliver it and monitor it on a daily basis, which she felt was critical for the growth of her business. By delegating, she immediately reduced her ‘to do list’ and supported her business development plan at the same time.

Knowing there is someone capable to help you and once you’ve established a good working relationship, you will feel a sense of relief and will have the confidence to delegate the next task.

   

And you never know – you, like my client, could have 20% of your working week back to focus on what really matters...generating new business and moving your business forward!

Remember, business support is flexible.  You only use the support when the business requires it. You do not have to worry about keeping someone busy because they are on the payroll - you only pay for the time they work!  

Find out what we could do for you...