2009 December | TimeSavers Virtual Solutions

Archive for December, 2009

Dec

Plan Your Success Contest Winners

Posted by: Crystal Parrett | Comments (1)

Thank you to everyone who entered the contest. I had some people who entered by email, some who posted comments, and some who tweeted their entry. I was excited to see so many people wanting to start out the new year with a great plan to market their business.

So – here are the winners!

I said there would be 3, but I decided to give away 4 planning sessions. Congratulations to you all!

Cicilia Silinger

John Durso – johndurso.com

Robin Coons – robincoons.com

Cynthia Boris – mothersclick.com
Again, congratulations to each one of you, and I’ll be in contact to set up our free planning session. I’m excited to talk to each one of you!

Categories : Contest

Comments (1)

Dec

Using Social Networking to Increase Your Business – Step 2

Posted by: Crystal Parrett | Comments (1)

In today’s post, I’m going to talk about the second step to take towards building your business using online marketing techniques.

Step 2 – Actively increasing your list by promoting yourself online.

I’m going to briefly touch on 5 strategies you can use online.

Strategy 1 – Using your website

This is usually the most overlooked strategy, but it’s really one of the most important ones in order to get more people onto your list. If you’re getting people to your website, but your website isn’t doing anything to get people to give you their contact info, you’re wasting your time. Your website needs to convince people who visit it to give you their email address, to get on your list. One way you can do this is by offering a free gift in exchange for their contact info.

Strategy 2 – Social Media/Social Networking

Social networking works as both a long-term and short-term method of getting people onto your list. Update your networks about newsletters, blog posts, your activity in your business. Don’t try to sell yourself, social networking is about building relationships, working on getting people to “know, like and trust” you. You want to be a source of information, a resource, and you want to get people back to your website – where you can capture their information.

Strategy 3 – Offering free teleseminars and events

This is another great way to grow your list, because everyone who signs up for your teleseminar will give you their email address. To get people to sign up for your teleseminar, you need to find an interesting topic that is relevant to your target market’s pain or struggle. Once you have a topic picked out, promote your teleseminar. Social networking sites are a great way to promote your call.

Strategy 4 – Using article marketing

If you’re going to be using article marketing to build your list, you have to remember that you are writing these articles in order for your target market to read them, go to your website, and give you their email address in exchange for your newsletter and/or your free gift. Write an informative article that is of interest to your target market. Offer your free gift in the resource box, and then submit the article to article directories.

Strategy 5 – Using your blog.

Make sure your blog actively promotes your newsletter subscription and your free gift. Promote your blog on your social networking sites. Comment on blog posts on other blogs. All of these will increase the visitors to your blog, and if you’re promoting your free gift once they get there – it should also increase the number of people on your list.

Try out some of these strategies yourself. If you have some other strategies that have worked out for you, please share them.

Have a great day!

Categories : Blogs, Increasing business, Marketing tips, Social media, Success tips, online marketing

Comments (1)

Dec

Using Social Networking to Get More Business – Step 1

Posted by: Crystal Parrett | Comments Comments Off

My last post was about your list, what a list is, and why you should work on building yours. So, now let’s talk about the first of 3 steps to take to start expanding your list.

Step 1 – Getting clear on your goals and intentions for your online marketing efforts.

If you don’t have an overall map laid out of where you want to be, how are you going to know where you’re going or when you’ve arrived there? So start by asking yourself these 3 questions:

What are your goals regarding social networking?

What results are you hoping to achieve?

Who are you looking to connect with?

#1- What goals have you set for your online marketing and how will you know when you’ve reached those goals? Get real clear on that before you start your online campaign. You’re ultimate goal might be to get new clients, but you shouldn’t be trying to convert people into clients the first time you make contact with them when you’re marketing through online media. So make sure your goals take that into account.

#2 – What results are you looking for? Your answer depends on what you’re trying to accomplish with your online marketing. You might start out with expecting increased traffic to your website, or maybe you want to get more people to subscribe to your newsletter. Take some time and just like your goals, get very clear on what results you want and how you’ll know when you’ve reached them.

#3 – Who do you want to connect with? One answer might be that you want to connect with your ideal client. So again, take some time and figure out who that perfect client or customer is for you, and then take some time to research where the best places would be to find that perfect client.

After spending some time and figuring out your answers to these 3 questions, you can start using some different strategies to build your list. We’ll touch on a few of those strategies in the next post.

If you want to get some additional marketing strategies to increase your contact list, be sure to sign up for my 7 Part Email Course.

Also, if you want some free help putting together your marketing plan and figuring out the best way to implement some of these strategies, today is the final day to enter my “Plan Your Success” contest.

Have a great day!

Categories : Increasing business, Social media, Success tips, online marketing

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Dec

Using Social Networking to Get More Business

Posted by: Crystal Parrett | Comments Comments Off

Today I’m going to talk a little bit about how to increase your business using social networking to build your list.

What is a list and why is it so important? A list is the people who have expressed interest in your website, your blog, your products, your services. Something you’ve produced has captured their interest and they have given you some sort of contact information because of that interest.

Your list is important, because first of all these people are familiar with you and your services. We all know that people like to do business with those they know, like and trust. People on your list are more likely to know, like and trust you, because they have regular contact with you and what you offer.

With online marketing, your list is even more important, because it can be very hard to turn your social networking contacts into clients right away. It’s much easier to add them to your list through your newsletter, your free gift, a free teleseminar, and then eventually into clients as you take the time to build a relationship with them.

Also, by adding someone to your list, vs. just being a contact on a social networking site, you don’t lose that contact if they leave the site.

Finally, the larger your list is, the more people you have to contact, so you can fill up your teleseminars, sell more of your products, and get more clients just by reaching out to this list. So hopefully now you can see why a list is so important and why you need to build it up.

Who do you want on your list? Potential customers, what is usually called your target market. Basically, it’s people who want or need your services or products, and who can also afford to pay for them.

In my next few posts I’ll be taking you through 3 steps you can use to start expanding your list. So stay tuned…

If you want to get some marketing strategies to increase your contact list, be sure to sign up for my 7 Part Email Course.

Also, if you want some free help putting together your marketing plan and figuring out the best way to implement some of these strategies, enter our “Plan Your Success” contest.

Have a great day!

Categories : Increasing business, Social media, online marketing

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Dec

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

Posted by: Crystal Parrett | Comments Comments Off

5b585d_merry-christmas-blue-style I won’t be around for a couple of days, so an early Merry Christmas to you. Have a great time with your friends and family!

Categories : Uncategorized

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Dec

Plan Your Way to Make More Money

Posted by: Crystal Parrett | Comments (2)

Do you struggle with setting up your marketing plan? Are you so stuck being busy that you don’t ever seem to have the time to sit down and work on the important things, the stuff that’s going to really make your business successful?

A lot of small business owners have this same problem. I know I struggle constantly with being “busy,” but at the end of the day still feeling like I never actually tackled any of the big stuff – what’s going to actually help me grow my business.

If you’re headed towards another new year, without any idea of how you’re going to make 2010 different, I’d like to offer you some help to start working on those “big” ideas that will actually make a huge difference in your business.

I work with several entrepreneurs, who all operate different kinds of businesses, service-oriented, product-oriented. Whatever it is that they do, I hear so often that they’re having a hard time figuring out how to get to where they want to be from where they are now.

I can help out those I’m actively working with, but I know there are so many other business owners out there who don’t know where to turn to get answers. So here’s my offer to you:

The “Plan Your Success” Strategy Session

I’m offering 3 free strategy sessions (no cost and no sales pitch, I promise), to help you get very focused and clear on where you are now, where you want to be, and a plan on how to get from here to there. We’ll work together for an hour, and by the time we’re done, you’ll have figured out:

Where your business is now and what’s been keeping you from moving forward
What your goals are for your business in 2010
A complete, personalized online marketing strategy to help you attain those goals

You’ll leave our session not only inspired and motivated, but you’ll have a written plan you can follow to turn your business into a highly profitable, income-generating machine you’ve always hoped for.

Why am I doing this? Two reasons. I believe in complete honesty – so here they are.

#1 – I really do love helping other small business owners, and showing them some marketing techniques and strategies they can use to be successful. And if I can help someone out who might not have the money right now to invest in some assistance, then why not?

#2 – If you like the session we have, love the ideas you leave with, and use the marketing plan to increase your income - then maybe next time someone you know is talking about struggling with marketing, or getting more clients, you’ll think of our session. And maybe you’ll even feel like giving me a great testimonial I can use in my marketing.

That’s it. The two reasons. So if you want some free help figuring out exactly how to use all of this online marketing to your advantage, and seeing which way is going to work best for your company, enter the contest. Here’s how:

How To Win:

Post a short comment after this post about your biggest challenge when it comes to your social/online marketing efforts. Once you’ve added your comment, please let me know by posting on Twitter to @crystalparrett and using #plansuccess . Also post a link to this page. Or you can email me at plan@timesaversvirtualsolutions.com letting me know you made a comment.

Contest Rules:

3 winners will be chosen at random on December 29, 2009. You’ll be contacted by me to schedule your session, so you can start out your new year with a marketing plan all ready to go.

Good luck!!

Categories : Contest, Goal setting, Increasing business, Marketing tips, Setting up systems, Social media, Success tips

Comments (2)

Dec

Using Systems to Save Time in Your Business

Posted by: Crystal Parrett | Comments Comments Off

I know, I post a lot about saving time and following systems in your business. That’s because I know from personal experience, that if you let your business run you instead of you running your business, it’s not going to be a fun experience.

So today, I’m going to walk you through the 3 steps for creating a system. I know that if you can set up a system for all of the tasks you do on a regular basis for your business, you are going to see a dramatic change in your business. And don’t think that a system has to be this huge involved project, because it can be as simple as just a checklist.

Ok, the 3 steps for creating a system:

Step 1 – What am I doing? Figure out what you need or want to create systems for. Usually if stuff is falling through the cracks, you need a system. Start with one thing that you know is a mess, it just isn’t working for you right now.

Step 2 – Where am I going? Now figure out what outcome you are looking for. Your end destination, so you know when you’ve arrived. Focus on one task at a time. Don’t try to multi-task, you’ll just feel overwhelmed and probably give up. Take one task at a time. Some examples of outcomes – to book a sales meeting, to close the deal, to get an email address.

Step 3 – Create the steps to get there. There are so many ways you can actually handle this part. Find one that works for you.You can use a flow chart. A checklist. Mind mapping – on paper or using software on your computer.

So now I’ll walk you through an example of the above process. Let’s say you decide you want to set up a system for sales calls, so your assistant can take them over if you’re out. That’s “what am I doing?” And your desired outcome is to set a meeting – “where am I going?”

Now create the steps. Get 2 colors of sticky notes. With the first color, write down each step on it’s own sticky note. So if step 1 is – convey the 3 most important things about my program – then write that down and write the 3 points down also. Then stick the note on the wall. Say the 2nd step is that you check availability of appointments on the calendar. Write that on the 2nd sticky note and stick it on the wall. Continue until you have all of the steps on the wall.

Now using the 2nd color of sticky notes, turn those on the side to make a diamond. These are now your “decision diamonds.” Forks in the road. So if a person answers the phone or you get an answer machine, for example. So if a step is “make the call” the first diamond would be “Do they answer?” If yes, one set of notes will say – go through 3 points, book meeting, put in calendar, etc.. If no, another set of notes might say – leave message, make note in calendar to call back, send an email, etc.

Once you have it all laid out in front of you, turn it into a system that your assistant or anyone else can easily follow. Because obviously you can’t just have all of your systems up on the wall.

Then do this again for each task you perform in your business. Take it one at a time, and before you know it you’ll have a complete operations manual. And you’ll no longer be the one who has to handle every little detail of your business. Freedom!

Categories : Delegation, Saving time, Setting up systems, Success tips

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Dec

5 Twitter Tools To Help You Tweet Faster

Posted by: Crystal Parrett | Comments (7)

As I find myself having to coordinate multiple Twitter accounts every day, I have compiled a list of Twitter tools that keep me from having to be on Twitter 24/7. Here’s the list of tools I use almost every day to keep Twitter from taking over my life.

1. Hootsuite - My absolute favorite Twitter tool! This website allows you to type in your update once, and it will populate your Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook account all at the same time. You can also have multiple accounts of each kind, so for example, I can have all of my clients’ accounts set up one place. Not only can you post to your personal Facebook profile, but also fan pages. You can pick which account you want which update to be posted on. And you can pre-schedule your updates, if you have some ideas planned out and don’t want to forget them, but maybe you don’t want to post them right now. Of course, it shortens your links for you, and you can track how many clicks you get on a link. A great tool to use.

2. Twitterfeed. This website makes it easy to update Twitter and Facebook with your latest blog posts. Just put in your RSS feed, and every time you publish a new post, it will automatically send out a Tweet or Facebook update.

3. SocialOomph. Another great website. There’s a free and a paid version. I’ve never used the paid version, so I’m only addressing what you get with the free setup. I personally use SocialOomph mostly for the keyword alerts. You can put in keywords you want to keep track of, and any time there’s a tweet with that keyword, you’ll get an email letting you know about it. If nothing else, set up an alert for your name and your company name. You can also use it to automatically follow people or set up an automated welcome message to new followers, if that’s how you use your account.

4. Refollow. A great way to manage and track your followers. Log in using your twitter username and password, and you’ll be able to see all of your followers and everyone your following. You can sort them multiple ways. For example, you can see who’s following you that you aren’t following. Or people you follow who aren’t following you back. You can sort by people who have @mentioned you. You can follow and unfollow from here too.

5. Qwitter. I just found this one. Qwitter emails you when someone unfollows you, and tells you what tweet you posted when they unfollowed you.

These are the tools I use, and they have definitely made my life much easier. So take some time, try them out, and see how they work for you. Then come on back, and let me know if you liked them as much as I do. Or maybe you have your own tools you use that I didn’t mention. If so, let us know about them.

Also, if you want some free help putting together your marketing plan and how to implement some of these tools, enter our “Plan Your Success” contest.

You can also receive a free copy of my new ebook I’m working on – How to Make More Money By Promoting Your Business Online – by taking my online survey.

Have a great day!

Categories : Setting up systems, Twitter, online marketing

Comments (7)

Dec

Online Marketing Survey

Posted by: Crystal Parrett | Comments Comments Off

images I’m in the process of turning the systems and strategies I use every day into an inexpensive manual, so that other small business owners can easily set up their own online marketing campaign.

Now, I know what problems and difficulties I had when trying to learn the best way to use sites like Facebook and Twitter, and strategies like blogging, article marketing. But that doesn’t mean that other entrepreneurs have the same concerns, problems, difficulties that I did.

So, today I’m making you an offer. Help me make sure I’m actually going to be addressing your concerns, and giving you concrete, usable advice. Take my Online Marketing Survey, and as soon as my manual is finished (my target date is January 15th) you will get a free copy emailed to you.

It’s only 4 short questions, and should just take a couple of minutes.

If you’re interested in getting something free for giving me just a few minutes of your time, and a peek into your thoughts, Click here to take my survey.

Thanks, and I look forward to reading your answers!

Categories : Contest, Setting up systems, online marketing

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Dec

Increase Your Web Traffic Using SEO

Posted by: Crystal Parrett | Comments (1)

Too much web traffic? Never!

So, you have a blog or a website. You have your product or service ready to go. Now you just need customers. So how do you find them online? Well, a good start would be to get them to your website to see what you’re offering. And a great way to increase your web traffic is by using SEO to get your website in front of potential clients or customers.

Here’s some tips on just how to do that:

Start with good keywords. Do some research up front. You can use tools like Wordtracker or Google Adwords to see which keywords are going to result in the most traffic to your website. Then use these keywords in your website content, blog posts, articles, etc.

Now that you have your keywords and are using them on your website, start creating content on your site. Try to add at least 2-3 new blog posts a week, and if you can commit to it, add a new post on a daily basis. By consistently creating new content, you’ll keep the spiders coming back to your site and constantly indexing your site.

You’ve created content, so now promote that content. Every time you put up a new blog post, talk about it. Send it to your Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn account. Talk about it on any other networking sites/forums/groups you belong to. Bookmark it on the bookmarking sites you belong to.

Interact in the social networking community. Build relationships with peers, mentors, prospects. Be a resource of information. Comment on other blog posts, with meaningful comments that add to the conversation going on or to the original post.

Finally, submit articles. Write one article a week, remembering to integrate your keywords. Submit that article to article directories.

All of the above will lead to increased web traffic to your site/blog, increased subscriptions to your newsletter or free offer, and ultimately increased sales and increased income!

If you want some free help putting together your marketing plan on how to implement some of these tips, enter our “Plan Your Success” contest.

Categories : Article marketing, Increasing business, LinkedIn, Marketing tips, Social media, Twitter, online marketing

Comments (1)

Archive for December, 2009

Plan Your Success Contest Winners

So – here are the winners!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

Using Systems to Save Time in Your Business

5 Twitter Tools To Help You Tweet Faster

Online Marketing Survey

Free Social Media Success Webinar

Join Me On Twitter

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