Idea Generator

How a fellow shower thinker got my attention on Twitter

We had a great call on Tuesday, called How to Find, Feed and Fill Your Ideas Catchers So You Never Have Article Writer's Block Again!

Thanks again to my co-host, Laurie Foley of Intuitioneering, and please stay tuned to the Idea Generator update emails on Tuesdays to hear about future calls and other resources.

One of the topics we covered was how to keep your idea catchers perpetually full, when I shared what I've noticed about the creative power of water. Next thing you know, I got a tweet from Alex Carter, the Non-Profit Coach (Alex was featured in October's IAC VOICE), about a friend who keeps an erasable marker handy to capture shower ideas - ingenious!

It was great to hear from Alex and to continue to conversation we started on the call, but what was ever cooler was the tweet that came next.

You see the good folks at the Calmar Consulting Corporation, a husband and wife team of self-confessed shower thinkers, must have a Twitter search set up to find just such topics, and they were quick to "re-tweet" the message (forward it to their own followers).

And because I'm alerted when my name is mentioned, all of a sudden they were on my radar so I could discover them and write about them here. Pretty savvy use of Twitter, don't you think? If you have a look at their Twitter stream you can see examples of other little gems they've picked up on Twitter that are a perfect match for their product.

And what is their product?

Why, AquaNotes, of course - a waterproof pencil and paper set for the shower!! I just placed my order, and I'll definitely let you know what I think of them!

This website makeover's got legs!

Chyna's greyhound rescue group, Greyhounds in Need of Adoption (GiNA for short), just got an incredible website makeover. I can't say that I had anything to do with it (unfortunately), but I am very impressed.

Here's what I love about the new site:

First off, it's fun and interactive. While I don't generally have much patience for websites I have to wait for (while they load), in this case it was definitely worth it.

Secondly, the site immediately engages the visitor in a relationship with "the product" - as soon as you arrive at the site you will be greeted immediately by a greyhound ambassador.

Finally, the website leads the visitor on a logical path to learn exactly what they need to know in order to take action, and gives them plenty of opportunities along the way to take a short cut to their next step.

Are you ready to see the site? Wait, first I want to show you the old GiNA site at www.saveagrey.com. While it was enough to hook ME, I was already pretty sold on the idea of a greyhound and really just needed the instructions for how to proceed.

Here's what the new GiNA website looks like at www.meetgina.ca.

Way to go GiNA (and Proximity Canada)!

So what do you think of this website makeover? More importantly, what do you think of these amazing dogs? (OK, I am a little bit biased.)

Top 5 mistakes to avoid on your article directory profile page

In addition to providing a space for an author resource box they will display with your article, many article directory websites such as EzineArticles and Coach Spotlight* also give their visitors the opportunity to read a more detailed profile of each author.

Here are five mistakes you will want to avoid so that you can really shine in this spotlight:

Mistake #5: Too much, too soon

What does the reader need to know about you to feel confident enough to take the next step (which ideally is to visit your website and sign up for your pink spoon)? Tell them this much, and then stop! Don't feel that you have to use your full word count to describe your coaching process or your service options. Just show them that you have the training, experience and/or knowledge to help them solve their particular problem.

Mistake #4: Too polite

Are you worried it will seem rude or pushy to ask your reader to take an action or visit your website? On the contrary. If you don't tell them about what you have available, how can you help them? And since your motive is to help, not to sell (isn't it?), how can that be rude? It's actually the kindest thing you could do. Since you sometimes can't put an actual link into your profile text, just invite the person to visit your website. They will find the link displayed elsewhere in your profile.

Mistake #3: Too formal

People want to do business with those they know, like and trust. If you use formal language in your profile you put a gap between you and your reader and it is harder for them to feel a connection with you.  

Mistake #2: Too generic

Be sure to include specific details about what you do and how you help people. Just don't go too far here and use jargon words that are so specific to your area of expertise that someone who is new to it - like the reader who needs your help - will not understand the terminology. 

And the #1 Mistake: Too careless

If your profile - or any of your writing - contains errors in spelling, spacing, punctuation or grammar, it is a poor reflection on you as a professional. Your readers are going to assume that how you do anything is how you do everything. If you don't take the care to review your profile for errors, how can a prospective client trust that you will take care of them? It is not about being perfect (I always appreciate the readers who point out the occasional typos in my own work), it is about investing in the quality of your writing.

So make the most of your article directory profile – it is the beginning of what could be a long-term relationship with a new reader and potential client.

*Coach Spotlight is a relatively new article directory site specifically for coaches, and I've just started working with them to provide writing tips and resources to their members. Bob Simpson and his team have been working really hard to increase their traffic and in only three months have had impressive results from their efforts. A basic membership is free, and it's all you need to get noticed by members of your target market who are already searching online for the exact solutions that you provide.

WHY grow your list? Linda Claire Puig explains...

This is a guest post by Linda Claire Puig, my co-counselor for the Pink Spoon Telecamp:

WHY Grow Your List? (Count the Many Ways)

by Linda Claire Puig, president, Claire Communications

List-building tips are all over the Internet these days. You can learn for free (including my Momentum articles from June 30, 2008, and July 10, 2009), you can buy e-books on the topic or you can take high-priced courses.

But are you really clear on WHY it's important to continually focus on growing your list?

When you understand what's possible with a bigger list--not just a bigger list, but a bigger relevant list--you open to new potential...for your business, for your life.

It's easiest to explain with an example. Let's say you have a list of 200 people that you keep in touch with on a regular basis. (You are sending a newsletter, aren't you?) You decide to run a $350 group program and announce it to your list by sending a promotional email. Seven people sign up and earn you a total of $2,450.

In marketing circles, those seven new clients represent a very good "conversion rate" of 3.5%. Conversion rate is the ratio of people who purchase to the total number of people on your list.

Now let's say your list grows to 3,000 (still a relatively modest list size), and you offer the same $350 group program. If your 3.5% conversion rate remains the same, you will now sign up 105 new members for your group, for a total earnings of $36,750. You may have to run concurrent groups to accommodate all the new business, a nice problem to have!

But even if your conversion rate dropped to 2%, you'd still sign up 60 new members for your group, for a total of $21,000 in earnings.

So $2,450 vs. $21,000...FOR THE SAME AMOUNT OF PROMOTIONAL EFFORT!

Three important mentions here:

1) It's NOT all about a having a HUGE list. Smaller lists can be more responsive than their bigger counterparts. So decide on your income goals, determine your conversion rate history and let that help you determine how big you want to grow your list.

2) Don't forget that while you may attach numbers to your goals, building your list is ultimately NOT a numbers game. It's about building relationships with people who you would like the opportunity to serve. If you approach it this way, you will have a growing list that is always a relevant list.

3) Your list will not grow just because you wish it so. You may set a list-building goal for your year, but you won't meet it unless you take specific, focused action toward that goal. The very FIRST place to start is to have a great pink spoon...something that addresses a pressing need for your audience that you can give away in exchange for their contact information.

There are other reasons to grow your list that go way beyond numbers and dollars. Tell me, how do you help people? What are your gifts? With a larger list, your influence and your ability to help more people also grows.

Bottom line: No one is served by your list (or you!) remaining small.

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To learn more about what makes a great pink spoon, how to use it to grow your list and generate more business -- and to create your own pink spoon under the guidance of two marketing communications experts -- please register here for the Pink Spoon Telecamp.

Pink Spoon Telecamp - Pack your bags, registration is open!

I'm so pleased that over 1,200 people have already subscribed to listen to "Help! My Website's Not Working!" - the free teleclass that I presented last week with Linda Claire Puig.

The recording and handouts are still available to you and they're free! Just sign up at www.pinkspoontelecamp.com/pinkspooncall.html and confirm your request so that you can gain access to this great information.

In the meantime, we've thrown open the gates on the Pink Spoon Telecamp, a brand new program that we put together to help you turn your website into the successful business-generating tool it needs to be.

You'll find all of the information on this page:  Pink Spoon Telecamp.

Please act quickly, because there is a payment plan that will disappear on August 18th, and a bonus offer that is only available to a limited number of campers. See you there!

Why article marketing takes the prize

There are so many ways to get attention and attract new clients for your service-based business.  So how do you know which is the right one for you? As you've guessed from the title of this article, I'm already quite biased about the answer.

Ads, cold calling and speaking, oh my!

Radio and television ads are usually too expensive for small service-based businesses to even consider.

Google pay-per-click ads or other forms of Internet advertising can be highly targeted, but can also get expensive and complicated to manage. As well, they do nothing to develop a personalized relationship with a prospective client.

Cold calling offers a chance to connect, but can be quite intimidating and puts the service-based business owner in the position of having to sell their service. Most of us need a lot of help with our telephone sales skills.

Networking is also wonderful for building relationships, but works best if you give before you receive. Service-based business owners who don't want to give away their services (nor should they), often get stuck in the follow-up phase, because they don't have anything valuable to pass along to their new contacts.

Speaking, if you like it and learn to do it well, is an excellent strategy for gaining visibility and credibility, but until you build up the platform to earn large speaker fees, also requires follow-up to stay in touch with people and inform them about your other products and services.

The fortune is in the follow-up

And that's where article marketing comes in. Whether you're cold-calling, networking or speaking, if you have valuable content that solves a problem for your target market, you can now follow up with confidence. Instead of selling, you're giving. Instead of creating pressure or urgency, you're building a trusting relationship. 

And if you're not out there making the calls, meeting people, or speaking, article marketing can pick up the slack and find the prospects for you! That's because unlike advertisements or cold calls, people are on the Internet every day actively seeking exactly what you're giving - information.

Other benefits and applications of article marketing

Service-based business owners with a storefront business can apply exactly the same strategies, and augment by publishing a column in a community newspaper right in their neighborhood. Or enhance your article a bit for submission to a trade journal, newsletter or magazine that's targeted to your specific audience.

Writing original content based on the very same solutions you have created to solve the problems of your target market can also help you to systemize how you deliver your services. More importantly, it gives people access to your solutions who cannot or will not ever hire you personally.

There are plenty of helpful ways to market your business, and you will be naturally more skilled at some than others. As you find the mix that works for you, please include some article marketing!

If you feel like you're lacking the discipline, skill or structure that you need to apply the power of article marketing to grow your business, please check out my latest offer - let's work some Article Magic!

Starting from scratch? A beginning strategy for article marketing magic

If you're just getting started with marketing your business online, I believe that the most effective strategy is a combination of blogging, email, and article marketing. In a nutshell:

• Blogging will get your content published quickly so that it is immediately available to people (prospective clients) who are online and searching for information about your areas of expertise and the topics you care about. 


• Weekly (at best) or monthly (at least) emails to your contact list will help you follow up with people who have visited your site and are already interested in you.


• Article marketing will draw more traffic to your website and/or blog, where people can join your mailing list, learn more about you and continue to stay in touch.

Here is how to put it all together:

1. Get a Typepad account - I have a Pro account for $14.95 per month, but you can choose the one that best suits your needs. Consider whether you'll want to use your own domain name (you'll need at least the Plus account, $8.95) or customize the design (you'll need at least the Pro account).

2. Get an AWeber account (starts at $19 per month) and set up the blog broadcast feature to send out new posts from your blog as soon as you publish them.

3. Create an editorial schedule of one topic per month. Piggyback onto the holiday times that people are sure to be discussing or looking for help with. You can also be strategic here and plot out possible chapters for a book.

4. Set up four separate idea catchers (e.g., draft posts in your blogging program, or four pages in a notebook) to collect your thoughts about these four types of blog posts:

• A full-length article exploring the whats and whys of the topic (e.g., what is the problem/solution/strategy/issue, what is the impact, why is it important)

• A tips list exploring the hows of the topic (e.g., how to apply the solution, how to practice the new strategy, how to explore the problem further with coaching questions)

• A list of related resources (online and offline)

• Case studies, stories or examples from your own life

5. Every week, flesh out one of those blog posts and publish it on your blog. As soon as you do, AWeber will send them out by email to your mailing list.

6. At the end of the month, compile content from some or all of the blog posts into an article and submit it to EzineArticles, searched by 1,000s of visitors every month, including newsletter publishers, consumers and the media - at the end of each article will be your bio and a link back to your website or blog.

Using this combination of strategy, planning and automation, you'll be on your way to generating an information empire in no time!

Of course, if any of this is going to result in new clients and customers for you, your website had better be working! Stay tuned for an announcement about a free class that Linda Claire Puig are offering called, "Help! My website's not working!" In the meantime, check out my website manifesto.

Do you have the patience to make article marketing magic?

I'm really saddened when I hear people say that they don't write articles and publish them online because they tried it and it didn't work for them.

Did you know that since I opened my own account with Ezine Articles, back when I was promoting my self-care coaching business, my three most popular articles have been viewed a combined total of 72,235 times? Check out the latest report that EzineArticles just sent me: http://snipr.com/article-report. 

Did I get all of those page views in the first month? No. In the first year? Nope. It's been four years since I posted these articles (you can tell by all of the Style Guide violations!!).

So please have a little patience with your article marketing. Be consistent. Submit clearly written and creative articles that speak to your target audience. And while you keep doing the things that make you great at what you do, your articles can be working magic in the background.

Article marketing isn't the only part of being a small business owner that requires patience. Idea Generator reader Gale Denning Mailloux sent these thoughts last week:

"Patience, oh patience....by staying in the moment to observe and be informed, and knowing it is NOT all about me, but the context...I have been able to generate creative ideas on how to continue to do what I love as a therapist even when economic realities have impacted my practice. I did not leap into the solution-only mode, but with patience, am able to co-create my practice with my clients, and enhance what I do. THAT is how  patience has helped my marketing!"

Then I polled my new friends from the Twitter chat group #sbbuzz about patience. Here is a transcript summary of that part of the discussion, courtesy of the #sbbuzz website:

sbbuzz: Q1 from @lindadessau for tonight’s sbbuzz chat: How has having patience paid off when growing your small business? #sbbuzz

• BeckyMcCray: Patience pays off when it takes a dozen years to be an overnight success. You never know when it will come. #sbbuzz
• rongraham1: On Q1, it… ummm… hasn’t quite paid off yet. But it will. Probably starting middle of next month. LOL #sbbuzz
• bradfordshimp: Q1 – Hmm, sometimes I think I am being too patient (or maybe that is just procrastinating). #sbbuzz
• soclmediacoach: Q1: Slow and steady wins the race. I’ve seen my competition burn out and grow too quickly. We learned from that. #sbbuzz
• toddschnick: @sbbuzz need patience to be disciplined and dedicated to sustained effort #sbbuzz
• pardiman: Q1 I’m the overnight success (taken almost six years to get there) I originally had a five year plan, and then I was moving on #sbbuzz
• Whistletree: We often over-estimate what we can do in 1 yr. and under-estimate what we can do in 5. Keeping perspective is key. #sbbuzz
• rongraham1: @soclmediacoach, sometimes we just have that tendency to grow a lot when we know we can grow a little. I’ve seen that too. #sbbuzz
• adarowski: @sbbuzz Q1 We’re kind of in a crowded market, so patience was needed to allow the world to see why we’re different and awesome. #sbbuzz
• mattharrell: Q1: It’s taken a long time to land some customers…but when they came on our product was much better…and ready for them. #sbbuzz
• mattgillooly: @sbbuzz – Q1 – Waiting until 5 or 6 to crack a beer… Some days that takes a lot of patience! #sbbuzz
• pardiman: Q1 Now I introduce myself and people say I’ve heard of you. Build the brand one brick at a time. #sbbuzz
• JoGolden: Q1 Perseverence is just as vital as patience and perspective–all 3= a triple threat to the competition #sbbuzz
• rongraham1: On Q1, those first few customers are really precious, because we want ‘em to become our champions. #sbbuzz
• pmohara: Q1 – I liked @mikemcderment’s #sbbuzz answer that the cover of Entrepreneur mag came from “stringing together 1000 tiny victories”
• RPamela: Q1 Patience=Results. Only a few are truly overnight successes. Relationships, trust and loyalty take time. #sbbuzz
• chelpixie: Q1 Patience I think came from hard work. I was too busy to notice I was being patient too. #sbbuzz
• Timberry: Q1: in my case, owning the business outright, without investors, would have been impossible without patience. #sbbuzz
• merylkevans: Q1 When I left corporate America for full-time freelancing, I had a full load. I worked both jobs for 5 years before switching. #sbbuzz
• mattgillooly: @sbbuzz – Q1 – on the flip side, I’ve been really glad on a few occasions that I stopped having patience for a bad idea. #sbbuzz
• bradfordshimp: I would add the caveat – patience on the right things – you can be patient but be doing the wrong things and hoping they will work. #sbbuzz
• Whistletree: Sometimes patience can also turn into overthinking. There is a time to push a little, too. #sbbuzz
• rzazueta: #sbbuzz Q1: Patience = sanity. Sadly, the world is not on your schedule. You need to actively push, but you need to demonstrate patience.
• Timberry: Q1: Great concept from @trunkclubjlv: for startups, don’t wait until all the lights are green. Patience isn’t everything. #sbbuzz
• wvpmc: Hi everyone – sorry I’m late tonight – Q1 patience essential to weather economic cycles #sbbuzz

Free do-it-yourself websites

Earlier this week I received an email invitation from Tom Buford of Charge What You Deserve (check out his site for an example of a VERY tasteful squeeze page). And while the offer itself was plenty compelling,  it was the website vehicle that really got my attention.

It's another free do-it-yourself website tool, to add to the list of sites I've been hearing about and trying out lately.

You can see Tom's pick here, from a company called BlinkWeb. I'm impressed by the tool, though I must say that so far I'm unimpressed with the customer service. I responded to one of their follow-up messages on Wednesday morning with a question about the service and I haven't heard back yet.

And last month in her 6 Figure Membership Site Workshop Series, Kim Nishida told us about Weebly and Google Sites. I'm really enjoying using Google Sites, both with clients (I can choose exactly who to share each site with), and for my own planning (which I keep private or share just with my team).

The best feature is that it's accessible with one click from the top of my screen no matter which Google App I'm working in, i.e., my email or my calendar, and there are also cool ways to pull in Google Docs.

Create your own Google site now at http://sites.google.com.

Structure: The last (or first) piece of the article marketing puzzle

Have you ever noticed how boundaries and structures that seem limiting at first actually give us more freedom?

We think we don't want to be fenced in, we think we don't want to be controlled, but then we realize that boundaries give us freedom FROM and freedom TO.

For example:

• Limiting the number of cups of coffee you drink frees you FROM the harmful effects of too much caffeine
• Letting calls to your business line go straight to voicemail on evenings and weekends frees you TO cultivate your personal relationships and practice self-care

When it comes to article writing and article marketing, I know you probably have no shortage of ideas for how to help the members of your target market solve their most pressing problems.

Are you blocked by your thoughts? Start with structure.

But sometimes your ideas get blocked behind your thoughts (like "I'm not a writer," or "No one will want to read what I have to say," or "Who do I think I am, some kind of expert?"). You feel disheartened, discouraged and defeated, and you end up with no words and no article.

Writing structures like editorial schedules, generators and templates free you FROM hurtful self-talk, and FROM clutter and overwhelm. Writing structures free you TO write consistently and strategically, and TO let your creativity flow.

When you're blocked, I suggest you START WITH STRUCTURE:

• Begin with a simple affirmation that will shut down your inner critic and unleash your creativity, e.g., I have a message that someone needs to hear and that person is only tuned in to hear it from my unique voice.
• Create an editorial schedule with potential ideas for future articles or blog posts. It's much easier to start with an outline (or even a title) than a blank page.
• Use a generator like the Top 10 Article Generator. People use formulas for a reason - they work! Or create a template based on an article that got a lot of attention from your audience.

Are you bogged down by your ideas? Finish with structure.

Other times, your ideas flow out so quickly that you feel overwhelmed, scattered and confused. You end up with words everywhere but still no article.

In this earlier blog post, Writing structures - friend or foe? I told you to walk away from structure when you're bubbling over with ideas, suggesting instead that you capture your ideas as they flow instead of trying to box them into any kind of format.

I'm not contradicting that advice here, but I'm broadening my definition of structures to include idea catchers like journals, mind maps, voice recorders or a session with a ghostwriter.

When you're buzzing with ideas, I suggest you FINISH WITH STRUCTURE:

• Begin by giving yourself the time and space to let all of your ideas out with the help of an idea catcher.
• Use a readability checklist to hone in on the one main point you are trying to make.
• Refer to your editorial schedule or content strategy to make sure you're being consistent with the message and brand you are delivering.

So I invite you to free yourself with the boundary of a writing structure. You will be giving a gift to everyone who is waiting to hear your unique message. 

If you feel like you're lacking the discipline, skill or structure that you need to apply the power of article marketing to grow your business, please check out my latest offer - let's work some Article Magic!