Work Better, Not Harder

Years ago I read a magazine article that was an interview with a well-known Canadian male (although I can't remember who). What I do remember was the message, which went something like this... The subject of the interview was being referred to as extremely lucky. He adamantly claimed that he wasn't lucky - he was prepared. He was prepared to take advantage of opportunities that arose. Not only that, he was also constantly vigilant, so he wouldn't miss those opportunities. I'm pretty sure that was the same year I started my business. The message has stuck with me. For me, being prepared is about getting all my ‘ducks in a row’ when it comes to capacity and commitments. Being vigilant means networking and being social. Those things set me up for success. When those golden opportunities come along, I want to be found alert and prepared to take them on. In other words, I'm ready to get lucky... in business, that is. photo by Roadsidepictures / Flickr

If you want to make a personal connection with your readers, and be remembered, you'll want to include a photo of yourself in your newsletter. Here are some of the things to keep in mind, especially if you are planning to have new photos taken. Your headshot should look like you now , not 5 years ago. Wear similar clothes to what your ideal customer would wear. The direction you're facing in the photo generally dictates where the sidebar will go in your newsletter. You don't want to be looking off the page. For newsletters, a right sidebar is more desirable, so a left-facing or front-facing photo is preferable. Of course, this is the opposite of how you want to be facing for LinkedIn and Facebook avatars. Wide banner-like panorama photos are popular now across the top of website pages. An example might be someone standing on a beach with their head in the foreground and a slightly blurred background of the water and beach behind them. These panorama photos are

Aside from your traditional newsletters and promotional messages, you can also use your bulk email application to automate some other processes. You might not think of iContact (or whatever app you use) as a productivity tool, but it can be. Here are a couple of examples. Patient/client reminders You’re familiar with those postcards we get in the mail reminding us it’s time to book our appointment with the dentist, or optometrist, or pedorthist. If that is a standard practice for your business, consider sending these reminders by email, automated to go at appropriate intervals. One of our clients claimed this is saved her money every month. Certificates If you use a mail merge to create certificates in Word for course attendees, you can do the same in iContact and send them out by email at the same time. You can use merge fields for the name, date, and any other info that you want inserted into the certificate. We recently sent Certificates of Completion to several hundred

Admittedly, these are sort of trick questions. Here’s what we'll tell you if you ask us. When is the best time to send my newsletter? Wrong answer: It doesn't matter. Our advice: The fact is there is no magic answer. Reading ' When to Send ' will help you figure out what might work best for your newsletter. Should I buy mailing lists? Wrong answer: Sure, why not? Our advice: Absolutely, positively no! Unless you want to waste your money and look like a fool, that is. Read ' Why NOT Buy Mailing Lists? ' to understand why this is a bad idea. What’s the best free app to use? Wrong answer: Any response that isn’t “Don’t use a free app.” Our advice: Free is free for a reason, or even several reasons. Your fans deserve better than that . Do I need a sign-up form? Wrong answer: No. Our advice: Your sign-up form is where you get new subscribers and also demonstrates that you seek permission. Read ' Make it Obvious ' for our advice about placement

A friend recently mentioned that she still gets frustrated when people unsubscribe. Her disappointment stems from the confidence that her information is relevant and useful to those who opted out. There are many reasons for someone to unsubscribe from a regular emailing – promotional or informational . You need only to think of your own reasons and habits as you process your incoming email. Even if you are doing everything right, you will still lose subscribers over time.  (The average churn rate is 30% per year.) Here’s why: People’s interests change. If your readers are business people, they will be changing jobs and moving around and getting promoted. If your readers are consumers, likewise their personal situations change, as well as their hobbies and interests. People are inundated with too much information . We've all felt that way. Not everyone has developed systems to deal with the overload, so they disconnect in the moment yielding to stress. I know several p

Mom and I at her first networking event spring 2014 (photo credit Kate MacLeod, Halifax Headshots Photography) I learned about the 'Mom test' years ago. It's another one of those early small business lessons that stuck with me. Explaining my work to my mother is difficult, so the challenge is always worth the learning experience. Mom is 83, has never used a computer, and has no context for understanding what I do. Recently I was telling her that my blog had been featured on another blog in an article called  Top 10 Canadian Marketing Blogs Worth Checking Out . I had to explain what a blog is before she could grasp why it was a good thing. (I will also have to print this blog post for her to read!) Telling my Mom about what I do forces me to get outside all the details and get down to basics. It helps me rethink my marketing messages from a completely different perspective. With my Mom, this also has another benefit because she's out and about socializing,

Were you reading my blog on December 26, 2013? Maybe not but someone was because I had over 800 pageviews that day. Up to that point, it was the most pageviews I'd ever had in one day. In fact, it was 10% of the monthly total - significant for one day. graph of blog pageviews by month Those of you who take time off from online marketing on the holidays are leaving ripe pickings for those of us who don't. You might think there aren't as many business people online on days such as New Year's or Easter, and you'd be right. But those who are online are there to browse;  they read more deeply . That means they might read your whole blog post instead of scanning it. They might click on embedded links and read several blog posts.  They might tweet about it.  They might even respond to one of  your calls to action . Thanksgiving is coming soon. Go ahead, disappear. I'll be quite happy to pick up the slack. Click to Tweet this Article