Clarity of Vision

When starting this discussion with my clients, the first question they ask is, “Why spend so much time on a vision? Why can’t we just get to the strategy?”

First, let me make this next reality perfectly clear: 10% of the success of a business is the actual product or service; 90% is a result of your strategy for getting it to your marketplace. You have to start thinking about the total strategy if you want to have a successful product. That’s why the dream, the vision, and the strategy are all extremely important.

Having a focused, compelling vision is like being on a freeway. The people who have a clear destination are those in the left lane. The people in the right lane aren’t sure of where they are going and spend a lot of time getting off the highway at each exit to check what’s possible for them. They might get to a destination that suits them, or they might spend a lifetime looking for it. Meanwhile, those in the fast lane are getting there and enjoying the result.

Another critical reason for a vision statement is called the Law of Attraction, a universal law described in books such as Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, and more recently, the movie, The Secret. When you are very clear about what you want and how you see yourself manifesting it, the universe will respond with the tools, people, and ideas to make that happen. The energy you put out to the universe will attract what you need. I’ve seen it happen time and again. Once you have a clear, compelling vision statement, things start moving in the direction you want to go.

A recent conversation reminded me that nothing in social media is really “new”. Networking sites, bookmarking, and using different mediums for your message have all been around for some time. Forums used to be called message boards, blogs have been used for a better means of interactivity than websites for years, and we’ve been connecting on the Internet since it appeared on our radar.

True, the sophistication, automation, and applications are all moving ahead at light speed, but the tools have been here for awhile.

What we also don’t realize in the rush to jump on the wagon with social media is that despite the seemingly rapid movement of the web, to be successful in a web-based business is no different than any other business—it takes more than just a few days or weeks.

Yes, there are those who have struck it rich fast, some with one-hit wonders, others who have made it seem like it’s an overnight phenomenon. However, if you ask any of the big Internet Marketers how they built their positions, my guess is that they’ll tell you it took them time. The average off-line business takes 2-3 years to become established. The web might be a little quicker, but in my experience, not by much.

One of the biggest mistakes I made and see others making is to jump in without a plan. In fact, most don’t even know who their niche market is! They make the same mistake I did—falling in love with what I had to offer, instead of finding out who wanted it, if they even did.

In the next few posts, I’ll give you a start on what to think about as you build your plan, how to find your niche market, and then how to speak to them using the tools of the web, no matter what you call them. Social media, the idea of using the viral nature of the connectivity of the web can be powerful, but only when you know how to harness what it offers. Here’s what’s coming up:

1. What is your vision for your product/service/business and why does it exist (purpose)?

2. Who is the niche market you plan to target?

3. What does that niche market need?

4. Can you fill that need?

5. What keywords would your niche market use to find what you have to offer?

6. What medium are they using to connect and find what they are looking for?

7. What 1 or 2 strategies can you focus on that will target your niche at the same time you are following your vision/purpose?

With all of the questions above answered, you can now establish your mission objectives (goals) to help you accomplish your vision. Getting answers to each will take some brainstorming and time. So, take a breath, get focused, and stay tuned!

If you haven’t already subscribed to the RSS feed, now is a good time. When you do, you’ll be notified every time I post!

An article I read in the Oregonian reveals that our local mega-business, Nike, is using the 80-million-member social networking site, Facebook, to “link basketball players with pick-up games, leagues, one another, and the Swoosh”. “Ballers Network“, still in test mode, is an example of big companies moving their advertising dollars from standard advertising in magazines, newspapers, and tv/radio to the interactive marketing of the web.

Nike’s main competitor, Adidas, launched their own Facebook application, “Celebrate Originality” in March, as a place to share writing, photos, ringtones, and artwork. Both companies recognize the viral marketing potential of Facebook.

What’s interesting is that their strategies take a different approach when marketing with social media versus traditional advertising. According to Nike’s global director of digital media services, Stefan Olander, the sports company sees that the Web is viewed more as a place to provide a service, rather than being used as a marketing tool. What he’s really saying is that on the web, there’s a different type of branding going on.

On television and in print, the marketing is around image and repetition of a specific message. With social media, the emphasis is on being of service and providing a way to help people connect. Doing that helps build trust and credibility.

Although it may take longer for someone without brand recognition (unlike Nike) to get it using social media, the rewards are greater for everyone because visitors connect with like-minded groups and the businesses that serve them.

Eventually, when a need arises, they will look to their groups and other online connections for advice and referrals. Continuing to place yourself in front of your market using social media provides ever spiraling opportunities for people to find you. Although it might take longer to establish your brand, the loyalty of your customers and their willingness to share their experiences will likely be much stronger.

People are spending less time on the television and more time on their computer and Blackberrys (look at Twitter’s phenomenal rise in popularity). Nike clearly hopes to use their Facebook application to lure consumers to their websites by building preferences for their products by providing a service-minded application.

One thing all of this points to… people want connection and social networking provides that. Nike sees the writing on the wall. Marketing on the Internet as we’ve known it is shifting in subtle, yet significant ways.

Write On!

Marilyn

A few months ago, I discovered an online group called the International Association of Web Entrepreneurs (www.aweconnect.com), what I saw as a perfect way to learn new information, as well as connect with other business people who make their living online. The expert advice, and the benefits offered, were well worth the investment.

The connections have grown, and last month I was invited to become a Founding Partner and Social Media Expert for the association. Along with my co-founding partners, Sheri McConnell, CEO; Lisa Manyon, Copywriting Expert; and Susan Daffron, Web Development Expert we are pleased to announce the re-launch of the website, with even more information and benefits for members.

And now I’m inviting you to check out the new look and benefits. You can join for two full months for free to see if it’s a fit for you. Here are just some of the benefits:

1. You are eligible to call into a weekly Q & A session where you will receive weekly laser coaching and to have an opportunity to joint venture with other members. You also receive a printed copy of the AWE Newsletter every month.

2. You receive a live teleseminar every month with one of our AWE Experts (includes downloadable audio). CDs of the monthly teleseminars are sent every month in the mail.

3. You receive immediate access to our AWE Resource Rolodex: links to over 100 of the best companies on the web in over 50 categories.

4. You have access to thousands of dollars’ worth of educational products and services from our AWE experts such as

• You receive our CD program, Striking Internet Gold, with Penny Sansevieri.
• The Five Massive Mistakes That Can Put You Out of Business…And How to Avoid Them Special Report, Business Assessment, and Audio Program with Melanie Benson-Strick. PLUS 24 must-have success tips to catapult your revenue into six and seven figures.
• You receive 52 Different Kinds of Information Products eReport by Terry Robert.
• You receive the eReport, Poynter’s 112 Secret List of Book Promotion Contacts by Dan Poynter.
• You receive Raleigh Pinskey’s eReport, 101 Tips on How to Promote Your Books and InfoProducts on the Internet and her audio on Promoting.
• You receive the eReport, Online Business Essentials: The 5 Keys To Make the Internet Work For You by Tina Forsyth and Andrea J. Lee.
• You receive Email Promotions That Sell (audio and transcript) by Alexandria Brown (The E-Zine Queen).
• You receive the audio program, How to Get on Radio and TV Today by Penny Sansevieri.
• You receive the eReport, How a Virtual Assistant (VA) Can Help You Increase Your Profits by Andrea J. Lee. You also receive a FREE hour of VA service when you buy 10 VA hours.

5. You have access to our global network through our online Facebook group–receive support, expert advice, and industry resources.

6. You receive up to 20% off Wyndham Hotel Reservations when you travel. At most locations this is a savings of $25 a night!

7. You receive thousands of dollars’ worth of discounts on web-related services and products you need to build and promote a successful online business like

Free merchant account set-up–you save the $49 set-up fee at Practice Pay Solutions (PPS) when you open a merchant account. Through our partnership, your set-up fee is completely waived.

Discounted shopping cart technician–Practice Pay Solutions (PPS) will set up and customize your shopping cart for you too! The rate for non-PPS clients is $50/hour. Through our partnership, you only pay $30/hour. And most carts can be built in a couple of hours!

Website design (save over $100) on our 5 page web/blogsite design packages.

To read more about AWE, go to www.aweconnect.com.

In the meantime, when you visit the site, you can get a copy of the free downloadable audio and report, “10 Mindsets Web Entrepreneurs Must Have to Succeed”. Just visit the home page and you’ll see the e-book in the right column.

Enjoy!

Marilyn

One of the hottest topics in business, whether online or offline, is how to increase your list, the most valuable asset of your business. To do that online, you have to get people to find you. That involves driving traffic to your site, whether it’s a blog or website. The concept seems simple, but why aren’t people flooding to your site?

What I hear often from my clients is that they don’t know what to focus on first. There are so many options in social media, there’s a lot to consider. Since traffic doesn’t come from just one source, where do you start?

Here’s my tip: Create a strategic plan!

What does that involve? Here’s a quick overview of how to get started…

1. Remind yourself about the purpose of writing for social media (no it’s not to drive traffic; that will be the result, but the purpose is to build credibility and trust!).

2. Know your target market so you can write in their language.

3. Niche your market to its narrowest target. For example, targeting “writers” is too broad. Targeting online writers is still broad. Social Media Writers is better. Social Media Marketing Writers is much more specific.

4. Once you zero in on your target market, make sure they exist! Compile a list of 50 - 100 keywords. Use Google Alerts to test the frequency of those keywords, and what sites come up when searched. You’ll see if anyone is actually searching for what you offer. (Doing this will also give you information on who is talking to the same audience, so bookmark those blogs for commenting on later.)

5. If your target market is alive and searching, find the social media they are using (blogs, networking sites, etc.).

6. Focus on one to begin. There are more things to think about and do in your overall strategy, so focusing on one in the beginning will help you avoid overwhelm. Having a target market also alleviates this overwhelm. You’ll know where to place your energy.

7. Start commenting on other blogs. Even without a blog, you can utilize this method to start to drive people to your website. Once your blog is up, you can exchange links with those blogs and build your expert status.

That’s a good start. I’ll be sharing more in future posts.

For now, Write On!

Marilyn