Rev Your Marketing Engine.
Inspiration
The Small Business Financing Crisis
Aug 25th
It is not east to start an internet marketing business – even if that is simply setting up an internet form of your existing business. There is more involved that just throwing up a website (if you know how) and advertising it with some PPC ads such as Google Adwords (and they can cost a fortune!).
Here are some of the factors you must take into consideration when deciding to sell your products or services online and start up your own online business:
The Website
The internet marketing business website is your online store. When people click to visit your website it is the same as when they enter your offline store. The same components should be present as are in your store, but you have the advantage of being able to offer a lot more online than you could in a mall or neighborhood store. In order to start a website you will need a web host: a firm that offers you the web space and filing system that allows you run a website.
There is a lot involved in a website, and for any functionality at all you will have to learn how to handle graphics, HTML and CSS text formatting, maintain databases, particularly MySQL databases and a lot more.
You will also need a domain name for your internet marketing business that suits the product, and believe me, the good ones are long gone and those that own them hold them like glue. In fact, you never own a domain name – you simply hire it on a yearly basis though you can pay for a number of years at a time. You then have to register the domain name through the DNS service so that everybody knows it is yours and cannot use it themselves.
Email Systems
Before you can start an internet marketing business you will also need an email system attached to your business. If your website is, for example, golfstores.com, you won’t look very professional with bob@hotmail.com or a Yahoo email address. You will need something like sales@golfstores.com and for that you will need a pop email attached to your website.
You will not want to spend all your time answering emails and taking orders sending invoices, receipts etc, so you will also require an autoresponder system. An autoresponder carries out all the routine emailing tasks, and can even be programmed to accept payments and provide receipts for online purchases of products that can be delivered online, such as software and eBooks.
Shopping Carts and Payment Processors
You won’t get far with your internet marketing business if your customers cannot choose products to buy and a means of paying for them. Shopping carts and merchant payment systems can be very expensive, although if you know where to look you can find those that are suitable for most online purposes without costing the earth. Many payment processors require a lump sum to set up the system for you, and that can range from a few dollars to several hundred.
Without extending this too far, it should be obvious now that in order to start an internet marketing business you need either a lot of knowhow or a lot of help. Few beginners have the knowledge to be successful with an online business which is 99% fail – the majority in the first few months. You need help, but more than that – you need the tools to enable you to run your website without it taking up all your time.
How would a regular business look if the boss spent all his or her time sending emails, writing receipts and managing the office? That is precisely what you could find yourself doing with an internet marketing business if you do not get properly organized. You don’t have the time to learn about websites, HTML and autoresponders. You don’t have the time to apply them even if you did know about them, so what is the answer?
Automation! If everything was automated so that even your website design was dome by templates and modules, then consider how easy it would be. Relative newcomers to online marketing could runs a successful internet marketing business with practically no training and knowledge to start with, and could be making money in a few short days.
Automation is the way to start an internet marketing business, and the way to continue to let it run itself. Automation and a module-based system is what you need, with text blocks, link blocks, graphics blocks and so on put together to produce a professional website without any coding knowledge whatsoever. Such systems are available online – they just take a bit of finding, but for those seeking to start an internet marketing business from scratch, then that approach is probable their best bet.
Bloggers that are searching for information about the niche of web traffic, make sure to go to the site which is mentioned right in this paragraph.
The only thing you have to fear…
Jun 14th
Fear is a great motivator. Come with me on a little journey as we explore our own fears – and how to manage them.
Close your eyes. (Well, close them once you’ve read this paragraph.) Take a couple of deep cleansing breaths. Calm your mind.
What are you afraid of in your business? Thanks to Beliefnet for the photo.
Now imagine you are face to face with your greatest fear. A 10 foot boa constrictor is twisting around your leg. Or you are walking around the unguarded perimeter of the roof – on a 15-story building. You are standing on stage in front of 5,000 people preparing to deliver a keynote speech. Insert your biggest fear here for just a moment.
Finally, take a moment to feel what fear does to your body. Is your heart racing? Does your stomach feel jittery? Are you sweating? That, my friend, is your body saying “let’s go!” It is your natural response to fear.
For most of us, when we’re afraid, we contract, hold back, tighten up. We try to get a grip on ourselves, rather than deal with the fear.
But the real antidote to fear is simple – GO! When you listen to what your body is telling you about fear and move into action, the fear dissipates. Your body relaxes. Your mind slows. And everything seems impossibly better.
Could it really be that simple? You conquer fear with action.
Lately in my business I’ve been trying to conquer my own fears with action. When I’m trying something new or reaching out to people in a different way, I can feel fearful. What if they don’t want what I’m offering? What if clients don’t think this is helpful? What if – GASP – they don’t like me!?!
When I’m feeling those physical indicators of fear that spring from any doubts about where I’m headed with my business, I take a couple of breaths and just keep moving forward. My own irrational fears about my business don’t matter nearly as much as the benefit I can provide for my clients. And that thought keeps me moving forward. Boa constrictors or not.
What do you do when you’re faced with fear in your business?
Follow-up Is the Momentum Building (and Trust Building) Power Tool
Apr 9th
This happens all too often these days. You call someone and are interested in what they do or are selling. You have a great conversation, and then they agree to get back to you. Then you never hear from them again. In these times of digital marketing, auto-responders, Twitter, Facebook and the like there really is no excuse for not following up with someone, even if it’s to tell them you can’t help them. Following up builds trust and maintains a connection with someone, because life is LONG, and you never know when that person will return to your life.
Follow-up is a mindset that must pervade every process and touch every constituent group in your business. Consistent communication by virtue of relevant follow-up is more of a way of life than a tactic.
Check out the full story on at Duct Tape Marketing.
What Mr. Rogers knew about Social Marketing – That you might not
Mar 23rd
Mr. Rogers - thanks to enquirer.com for the photo
Won’t you be my neighbor? Each episode, Fred Rogers opened his show with a little ditty welcoming all the viewers at home into his world, into his neighborhood, and ultimately into his imagination. He made a safe and fun place for kids to come and connect and learn. He welcomed in strangers who became neighbors. But then miraculously, those neighbors became friends, and ultimately grew into life-long fans.
Mr. Rogers was a pioneer of social marketing. He knew how to connect with people and offer them something of substance, gifting a little piece of himself in each segment. And you can do that too with your business. Here are a few sure-fire ways to get started off right:
-Get comfortable with who you are: At the beginning of each episode, Mr. Rogers welcomed viewers to the neighborhood while he slipped into his now-famous cardigan sweater and sneakers. He was comfortable with himself and his message. Mr. Rogers was there to make a difference in the lives of children, and that is what he did week after week for decades.
“You rarely have time for everything you want in this life, so you need to make choices,” said Rogers. “And hopefully your choices can come from a deep sense of who you are.” Your clients and customers don’t want a sanitized, plastic version of you. They want the real you. The sooner you are comfortable sharing your true self with the world, the better off everyone in the neighborhood will be.
- Use examples to illustrate your point: At least once each episode in between segments, Mr. Rogers would travel via trolley to the Neighborhood of Make Believe, a fictional kingdom inhabited by hand puppets. Lots of things happened in the Neighborhood of Make Believe, but they always illustrated some facet of what was happening back in the real neighborhood. Those make believe stories resonated with viewers, driving home points that Mr. Rogers felt compelled to share. Using examples and anecdotes will work in your social marketing as well, helping customers or prospects connect to your message.
- Speak directly to the audience: Mr. Rogers Neighborhood was not just a show where kids watched what was happening on screen. Mr. Rogers addressed his audience directly, talking to the children, asking them questions, and taking them on tours. He loved what he was doing and the viewer was completely engaged in the experience.
That experience of engagement is what you want to create for your clients. What do they want? What do they need? How can you use your special talents to help? Find out and give it to them in a straight-forward manner, that’s what social marketing is all about. And best of all, if you’re doing it right, you all get to have fun a lot of fun in the process.
In honor of Mr. Rogers’ birthday this past weekend, why don’t you try some of his social marketing skills in your own neighborhood this week?
Only 170 Days until Football Season; Is your digital marketing plan ready?
Mar 17th
There’s a lot of blood, sweat, and guts between dreams and success. -Paul “Bear” Bryant
My house is chock full of football fanaticism. For us 2009 was a banner year highlighted by three super finishes. In my 6-year-old son’s inaugural foray into tackle football with Pop Warner, his team Tiny Mite Warriors White was undefeated. My beloved Crimson Tide drove their undefeated season to a BCS National Championship, taking the top spot in college football for the first time since before I met my husband and now business partner (that’s a long time). And the New Orleans Saints, from Roman’s home town, took home their first Super Bowl victory. Needless to say, I was hoarse for most of the fall with all that yelling and cheering.
Practice makes perfect - in football and marketing.
And while those championship teams made winning look easy, I – and any member of a team – know that there is a lot of effort and toil and dedication that goes into building success. My son’s Tiny Mite team started practice in the summer, five days a week, in 90 degree heat. Near the end of the season, parents were lining up their cars and turning on headlights so the little guys could keep practicing after sundown (sun sets early in a Pacific NW autumn). It is that day-to-day dedication to learning your craft that allows you to execute and succeed when it matters most.
That same dedication and effort are necessary for your digital marketing program to be successful. Great results come from planning, practice, and perseverance – just ask those championship coaches. If you want to be the best and take your business to the top, think about teaming up with VSixteen. We can step in as marketing coach for your business, providing strategy, drills, and schedules for you to use in developing your business’ marketing engine. It takes commitment, drive, and know-how, but together we can move your marketing toward championship results. Are you ready to have a winning season? Then let’s get to work.
VSixteen Communications? Who dat?
Mar 14th
For quite some time now, the principles at VSixteen have been quietly working away, doing the things we love and do well. We’ve passed the time developing content, structuring user-friendly web architecture, and strategizing digital marketing for a select few clients.
Kimberly Schauer, VSixteen, co-owner and marketing communications consultant.
During the past year, we’ve seen how the down economy has affected not only our business, but our clients’ businesses as well. Everyone has seen a decline in sales, admissions, or inquiries. But we have also seen that those business leaders who remained committed to their marketing programs have not experienced such low lows. Their pipelines have continued to produce leads which are resulting in business-boosting sales. In short, our Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA clients have been happy with the results they are getting with VSixteen.
Roman Schauer, VSixteen, owner and digital content and technology consultant.
Make Something Happen
But it took some inspiration from Seth Godin to really kick VSixteen into high gear. In Linchpin, Godin describes the artist within each person, what it takes to set that artist free, and the necessity of sharing your particular gifts with the world. He says one of the most important things you can do as a human is go out and MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN.
That struck a chord with me. I realized that while we were serving our clients dutifully and professionally, we had a lot more to give. More ideas, more creativity, more success. And in this economy, more business owners than ever really needed these gifts to help their businesses succeed.
So we embarked on a process to reengineer our business, invigorate our clients, and truly share our gifts.
Rev It
To showcase our reengineered business, we’re launching a new website and blog that highlight who we are (West Coast marketing professionals with deep roots in the South) and what we’re working on. We’ve also begun developing an array of products that will make it easy for any business owner to fine tune their marketing. With a range of price points for everything from a free monthly newsletter to guidebooks to personal consulting, VSixteen has something to meet your business’ budget and help rev your marketing engine.
If you are looking for ways to make something happen for your business, to keep abreast of trends in digital marketing, or to share your gifts with the world, come hang out with us at VSixteen. We’re revved up and ready to get started.