Traci Swims with the Fishes (and Squids…)

June 4, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment

Those of you that have been reading this blog (or any of my writing, for that matter) know that I often make reference to my husband being the brains in this dynamic duo.

I tend to get a creative notion in my head, and the wheels start turning — often with more consideration being given to the creative side of the equation than the actual mechanical side. When it comes to fancy scripting, programming or the like, I tend to turn the reins over to John. Being married to an engineer does have it’s perks, folks.

Now that I’ve set the stage, allow me to share some recent history with you.

My most recent projects have been centered around Squidoo. I am working toward the goal of landing “Giant Squid” status by the June 30th deadline. You can learn more about the Giant Squids, and why you’d possibly want to be one by visiting this link.

One of the things that has impressed me most about working with Squidoo is the incredible community of lensmasters. Over the years I’ve worked with lots of groups, corporations, niches and individuals — and I can honestly say that my fellow lensmasters are some of the most helpful, genuine and interesting folks you’d ever meet. And, lest you think I am being overly-saccharine with you, I would encourage you to spend 15 minutes or so on the SquidU discussion forum, and you’ll quickly see exactly what I mean.

Those that tend to be more creative than technical will breathe a sigh of relief when you check out the easy-to-use Squidoo page modules. The point-and-click interface is simple and fun to use. Once you’ve mastered the basics, there is no shortage of bells and whistles, and creative coding that can be added to spice up your lens. Guess who is sharing these pearls of wisdom with you? Why, it’s the veteran lensmasters, of course!

Spreading my wings (or would it be tentacles?) at Squidoo has been a great confidence booster for me in all things technical. I’ve read and studied lots of great materials, and even spent some time doing some trial-and-error coding of my own.

While Microsoft and Apple won’t soon be knocking on my door, I can give my sweet, long-suffering husband a much-deserved breather — at least for a little while.

In fact, I’ve discovered so much during this whole experience that I’ve been working on a book to share them all with you. And, in the spirit of the Squidoo community, I cordially invite all of my fellow lensmasters to send me their best tips and tricks for possible inclusion in the book. In addition to my heartfelt thanks and adoration, I will be happy to give you a plug in the book — either to your own website, or perhaps a lens you’d like to promote.

Speaking of promoting, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention some of the great resources that have helped me as I was learning the lay of the land over at Squidoo. Hopefully you’ll find some time in your own busy schedule to check them out, and discover for yourself why swimming with the fishes (and the squids) can actually be to your benefit.

* Building Social Influence on Squidoo
* Discover BIG Squidoo Profits
* Easy Content Creation Strategies
* One Week Action Plan – see post about this item here
* The Hinge Marketing Method
* The Secret Squidoo Underground
* The Squidoo Bible
* The Squidoo Queen
* Unlimited Affiliate Profits with Squidoo
* Discover the Secrets of Squidoo
* SquidUtils
* Calamari: The Official Squidoo How-To
* The Joy of Squidoo: The Official Recipe Guide

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Filed under HOW-TO, RESOURCES · Tagged with HOW-TO, learning squidoo, marketing, squidoo, using squidoo

Looking for Big Opportunities? Think Small

March 16, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment

Smart businesses are turning to the small screen of a mobile phone to mine for big opportunities.

There have been a great many changes since the first bulky mobile phone debuted in 1984. The device has become increasingly user-friendly and Americans have responded, using it to meet both personal and business needs.

But the new breed of mobile phone users isn’t just making calls. They’re going online–and that gives small businesses a new way to market themselves.

Already, 38.9 percent of U.S. mobile phone users are on the Web, according to New Jersey-based researchers the Kelsey Group. “And that number is rising,” said Amy Mischler. She’s vice president of Mobile Marketing Evangelism at dotMobi, the organization behind the .mobi Web address for mobile sites.

Said Mischler, “Mobile phones help us manage our daily lives. Mobile phones are always with us, so they’re convenient and easy to use. Mobile phones are quickly becoming our ‘go to tool’ for Web use.

“Real estate agents tend to be ahead of the curve,” Mischler added. “They know that buyers can immediately look them up when they spot a house from the road, review key property details and contact someone to begin negotiations.”

Using the mobile Web can be cost-effective in marketing a small business, since costs to put together a mobile site are low. In fact, experts say mobile Web sites increase sales, improve marketing projects and provide a new channel for customer interaction.

Here are some tips to help you decide if your business is ready to go mobile:

Assess whether your potential customers will benefit from having your contact information and directions right in their hands at all times.

Remember that each device is different–phones from Nokia, Apple, RIM and LG have different screens and different features, and that content should work for all models. dotMobi has a host of resources available for development agencies to build content for you as well as tools for developing content yourself.

A mobile Web site should have content appropriate for people on the go. Be prudent. Know what your audience will need and provide links to your PC Web site for larger content if they need it.

To learn more, visit http://mobithinking.com/SMB.

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Filed under SMALL BUSINESS NEWS · Tagged with marketing, mobile web, promotional tools, small business

Think Outside the Box Thursday: Tacos and Twitter

March 12, 2009 by admin · 1 Comment

It’s no secret that I love the Springwise newsletter — in fact, I often talk about it on my blogs. It is one of the few newsletters that I truly look forward to receiving.

Todays’s issue was chock-full of some really interesting gems, but the one I’d like to focus on today combines a “meals on wheels” theme, with a 21st century twist. Launched last fall, Kogi Korean BBQ takes the taste of Korean barbecue and “melds it with the portability of Mexican tacos and burritos for a whole new category of delectable food.”

Kogi’s signature Korean short ribs taco, for example, combines marinated short rib trimmings with sesame-chili salsa roja, lettuce and cabbage tossed in Korean chili-soy vinaigrette, and cilantro-green onion-lime relish.

The two Kogi trucks are always in motion, so if you want to know where they’re going to show up next, you’ll need to follow them on Twitter. For those who may prefer a more traditional dining experience, Kogi’s also has a location in the Alibi Room in Culver City.

Kogi’s concept isn’t the only thing that is innovative — they are kind on the wallet as well. At just $2 per taco, they won’t leave a bad taste in your mouth.

Have you tracked Kogi’s down on Twitter? Drop me a note and share your experience.

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Filed under MARKETING & PROMOTION · Tagged with innovation, marketing, marketing with twitter, promotion

Friday File: Do You Squidoo?

February 13, 2009 by admin · 1 Comment

What the Heck is Squidoo?
Squidoo is a hand-built collection of nearly 900,000 pages built by everyday folks like you and I — on topics that range from how to grow a perfect bonsai, to how to crochet a tea cozy.

Squidoo is the creation of the brilliant mind of marketing guru Seth Godin, author of Meatball Sundae, among other titles.

Squidoo is just another example of how you can harness the power of social media and use it as a tool to promote and grow your business.

Sites like Squidoo offer particularly good news for small business owners that may be struggling during these tough economic times — when you have more time than money, it makes good sense to focus your energy (and your creativity) on the resources that are available to you. If you aren’t using Squidoo, you’re leaving money on the table.

But What Am I Going to Do With this Lens?
Redirect a parked domain to your newly designed Squidoo lens. If you are less than impressed with some of the alternatives for parked domains, give this some careful consideration. Perhaps you purchased a few extra domains when you set up your main site — whether that purchase was simply to protect the names or part of a project on your never-ending “to do” list — these names are perfect candidates to redirect to your Squidoo lens.

Use your lens as a tool to boost your main site’s ranking.

Create well-ranked pages in Google that can bring in even more traffic;
Position yourself, your business or blog as an expert, and direct qualified traffic your way;
Use your lens to promote news items that provide a tie-in to your business;
Post original articles that illustrate the need for your product or service;
Provide technical information or alternative uses for your products.

Use Squidoo lenses for cheap market research. Your only investment in Squidoo lenses is your time — so this is a great way to conduct a bit of research to see if there is enough interest to launch a full-blown site. You can test out niches to see how they’ll perform – with minimal investment and effort.

Promote collateral affiliate products and services. Squidoo offers an assortment of monetization methods to its lensmasters, and, as long as you adhere to their terms of service, you can certainly incorporate your own as well. Whether you choose to embed text links within the body of relevant articles or showcase an assortment of Amazon products — these are just a few of the options available. The key is to use your creativity to strike a balance between providing solid content and making a bit of coin in the bargain.

Earn money for your favorite charity. This last point may be a bit of a surprise, so let me explain. Squidoo encourages folks to designate a portion (or even all) of their earnings from their lenses, and donate them to charity. This isn’t mandatory, but Squidoo reports that over 50% of their lensmasters current donate some portion of their earnings. If you elect to donate a portion of your earnings to a particular charity, this is something that you could cross-promote on your main website, and get your current customer base involved in. In fact, launching a lens (or series of lenses) in support of a particular charity could be the basis for an entire promotional campaign — with press releases, promotional videos, flyers, sales, and other activities.

Not All Lenses Are Created Equally: The Importance of Rank
It isn’t enough just to get your page up on Squidoo — you want your page to actually be found. In order to do that, you must have solid content, good titles, and strong keywords. With over 900,000 pages, that is no small feat, but it is possible.

For example, the selection of lenses I listed below are are well below the 100,000 rank. What makes this interesting is the fact that it was achieved in just a few days. Not too shabby.

Ready to Make a Splash on Squidoo?
By now, your head is spinning with the possibilities, as well it should be. But if, for some reason, you have more ideas than time, don’t get your tentacles in a bunch. Instead, check out the offer from your friendly neighborhood “squidiva.”

Example Lenses:

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Filed under MARKETING & PROMOTION · Tagged with low-cost promotion, marketing, SOCIAL MEDIA, squidoo

Desperately Seeking Madonna

August 25, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment

The “Material Girl” herself, Madonna, recently celebrated her fiftieth (YES, 50th!) birthday–a fact which was not lost on me. Like many of our readers (you know who you are), it seems like only yesterday that I was all decked out in my best 80s wear, complete with jelly bracelets.

Other than keeping you awake at night with that mental picture, what’s my point?

If Madonna is looking for a new gig as she kicks off the next 50 years, she might want to consider a career in marketing consulting. The other obvious options as Red Hat Society® member or AARP spokeswoman would certainly pale by comparison, don’tcha think?

Over the years, Madonna has grown adept at reinventing herself. She has blazed her own trail, and played by her own set of rules. Love her or hate her, you have to respect her market savvy. Long before Paris, Britney and LiLo were making headlines, Madonna had us in the palm of her hand…and she made it look effortless. These days, that kind of longevity is hard to come by. In a market that is eternally plugged-in, one-hit wonders are not exactly in short supply.

Madonna-as-Marketer would be both compelling and engaging. One can almost imagine what her tales-from-the-trenches seminars might be like…complete with large screens, a kick-butt soundtrack, and multiple costume changes. Rather than the cliche concert t-shirt, she could hawk her own line of motivational books, CDs and DVDs. And, can you imagine the impact if she were to venture into the coaching game? Somewhere in California, Tony Robbins just got a chill down his spine…

Yes, I think that it is about time that Madonna accepted her “True Blue” calling–and imparted some of those golden nuggets to the rest of us. But until that day comes, we still need to find a way to keep our businesses fresh, relevant, and at the forefront. Whether you are hosting online webinars, posting short promotional videos, or “leaking” information on your newest launch, a little creative thinking can have you well on your way.

Looking for more creative inspiration? Pick up a copy of the September issue of Create the Dream!® Magazine. We find it is best enjoyed with your favorite 80s tunes playing softly in the background.

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Filed under MARKETING & PROMOTION · Tagged with 80s music, business coaching, Create the Dream! Magazine, Madonna, marketing, Material Girl, seminars, September issue

Eagles and Branches and Latin, Oh My!

August 23, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment

Bad case of insomnia this evening (technically morning, now…but I digress).

I see that the announcement of Obama’s running mate should be announced later today. I am curious whether or not they will continue with the new logo once the announcement is made, or if it will go through another change. The second logo (launched in June) is startlingly similar to the actual seal of the President. CNN’s story breaks it down:

“The seal includes the same bald eagle as the actual presidential seal clutching an olive branch and arrows in its talons, but instead of a shield covering the center of the eagle’s body, the Obama version displays the campaign’s trademark “O.” Unlike the Presidential seal, which includes the words “Seal of the President of the United States” around the circumference, “Obama for America” and “www.barackobama.com” grace the top and bottom of Obama’s.

Finally, just above the eagle, in Latin, are the words – “vero possumus” – which translates to “yes we can,” the oft-heard chant at Obama rallies.”

Take a look at the comparison of the two logos – love him or hate him, from a marketing standpoint, it really was a genius move. While it did spark some momentary headlines and a bit of buzz, this was really no more than a blip on the political race radar. Admittedly, there are more important issues to focus on, but I was intrigued by the change, from a purely marketing perspective. Waxing psychological on the presumptive Democratic nominee’s logo is not exactly show-stopping news…alas, Wolf Blitzer, your job is still safe. For now…

Still, this logo reminded me of all of the textbook examples of subliminal advertising that they showed us in college. Who knows, maybe someday this logo will be used as an example (either of effective marketing, or as a monumental mistake). Only time will tell.