Five Tips to Make the Most of Your Business Cards

Business cards are an affordable way to keep your business "top of mind" when meeting new people. Here are some ways to make sure your business card stands out from the rest:

1) Have it professionally designed. An attractive, well-designed business card speaks volumes about you and your business. So does a cheaply-made online template version.

2) Your card's look should be consistent with your other print materials. As an extension of your brand, or your business's personality, your business card should include your logo, your colors and any other common elements that visually depict what your company is about.

3) Spend the extra money to have a glossy coating put on the card. Some companies offer this at no extra charge, but even if it costs you a few extra bucks, the smooth finish is worth it. It adds a professional touch you won't find on everyone's card.

4) Use the back of the card. When I redid my cards earlier this year, I added a list of my services to the back of the card. That way when I meet someone knew, he or she doesn't have to remember what I do. They can refer to the back of the card for some of my more popular services.

5) Give everyone two copies of your card, one to keep and one to share with a friend or colleague.

Use these five tips when creating your next business card to ensure that your card is one that gets saved!

Virtually Yourz,
Dana Neuts

Follow me on Twitter: VirtuallyYourz
Find me on Facebook, Biznik and LinkedIn

Albert Einstein on Imagination

“Imagination is more powerful than knowledge.”

~ Albert Einstein

Newsletter Basics: How to Create an Effective Newsletter

So you've finally decided to give email marketing a try, and you've chosen a service like Constant Contact or Your Mailing List Provider to send out mo nthly newsletters. Where will you begin? What will you write about? What elements should an effective newsletter have? Here are some ways to create an effective newsletter.

1. First, decide if you want to send one topic or more each month. It depends on your audience and how much time you want to devote to your newsletter each month. For a one-topic newsletter, I recommend talking about a particular product or service that you'd like to highlight. For example, you could announce a new product line that you are carrying, a new service that you're offering or an upcoming event you are participating in.

For multiple topics, I have an ideas folder that I tuck notes into as they come to me. Maybe I've run across a great new website that I like or I have a snippet of info. or a cool quote I want to share. It goes into the folder which I review for ideas when I'm developing my next newsletter.

2. The goal of each newsletter should be to increase your customers' awareness of your business. Each time they hear or see your name, the more likely they are to remember your business the next time they need what you offer. To keep your name "top of mind," make sure you: a) Include your business name in the From: portion of the email; b) use a compelling headline to draw readers in (July 2009 Specials: 20% off any spa service this month only); and c) offer them something (a discount, a coupon, free information) so they agree it is worth their time to read each newsletter.

3. Write the newsletter in a conversational tone so that it flows smoothly and it is easy to read. I like to open mine with a brief paragraph about something topical whether it is a note about the weather, the economy, or a news item that has affected us all. This helps my readers relate to me.

4. Include topics of interest to your readers. The newsletter is for them, so include topics they care about. For example, if you own an accessories shop, you could include an item about how to choose the right purse for a casual outfit or 10 ways to tie a scarf. If you are financial planner, you might include a list of useful websites where they can track their investments or monitor retirement savings.

5. Make it as interactive as possible. Engage your readers by asking them to submit topic ideas, Q&A items, a list of their favorite products and services, or testimonials. This lets your readers know what others are thinking and it helps to involve them in the process. The newsletter is not about you as much as it is about them, so create a forum for them to provide feedback.

With these tips in mind, you can create an email newsletter that readers will look forward to seeing in their inbox each month. Give it a try - I think you'll pleased with the results!

Virtually Yourz,
Dana Neuts

Follow me on Twitter: VirtuallyYourz
Find me on Facebook, Biznik and LinkedIn

Blogger vs. Word Press: Which is better?

Blogger and WordPress are two of the most popular blogger programs. They are both free, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Here is a quick analysis to help you figure out which one to use:

1. Blogger is EASY to set-up, learn and use. This is a great starter blog program for someone who isn't comfortable with technology or who is short on time and patience.

2. Word Press is not as easy as blogger to set-up but it is fairly simple. It requires a little more time and effort to get going. For a truly robust site, you'll want to use the self-hosted version of Word Press, rather than the version hosted by WordPress.com.

3. Blogger offers a handful of templates from which to choose and colors, fonts, etc. are fairly easy to edit. Graphics are also easy to upload.

4. The WordPress.com version of Word Press has five pages of templates from which to choose. Most of these designs are simple and streamlined, but editing them and adding widgets to the blog takes a little more time.

5. Blogger blogs often look like other Blogger blogs. You can customize them, of course, but they are still remarkably similar. Word Press, however, has more options, particularly if you move to the WordPress.org versions.

My vote is for a Word Press blog. I like its versatility, the ability to have multiple pages (not just blog posts one page) and it seems more search engine-friendly. Whatever you choose, make sure it meets your needs and know that if you start with Blogger for its ease of use, you can import it into Word Press later. Good luck!

Virtually Yourz,
Dana Neuts

Follow me on Twitter: VirtuallyYourz
Find me on Facebook, Biznik and LinkedIn

Five Low Cost Ways to Market Your Small Business

As the recession continues into the summer, businesses struggle to stay afloat, particularly newer, smaller businesses. It is times like these that the SBA advises business owners to maintain or step up their marketing...not to cut back. Here are some low cost ways for businesses to reach out to their customers without breaking the bank:

1. Issue a press release. Have news about your business - maybe a business anniversary, a key hire, new product or service? If so, shout it out to relevant media as well as online. Even if your story doesn't get picked up, the online exposure will boost your search engine ranking.

2. Start a blog. If you haven't jumped on the online bandwagon, you are behind schedule. It isn't too late to get started though. Create a free blog using Blogger or WordPress to tell people about your business, offer advice, advertise product and service specials, etc.

3. Embrace social media. If you are not already on Facebook, start a personal account and a business or organization page now. You can tie it directly to your blog, so when you post new info. to the blog, it automatically updates your Facebook page. Are you tweeting? If not, you need to be. Twitter is growing faster than anyone predicted. Get a free account today, find followers, post tweets, etc.

4. Host an event. If you have a brick-and-mortar location (retail store, office, etc.), get customers in the door with a special sale, promotion, anniversary, open house or fundraiser for a popular charity. Anything that brings people in the door is worth the effort, so make sure you publicize the event to current and potential customers to get the biggest bang for your marketing buck.

5. Email marketing. This is one of the easiest, most affordable ways to stay in front of current customers. Starting with a contact list of your present customers, create an email database and start a regular email newsletter or promotional campaign using a service like Constant Contact or Your Mailing List Provider (my favorite). I recommend emails once a month to stay in touch with your customers without being intrusive.

By adding one or more of these items to an existing marketing plan, small businesses can increase their marketing presence during these challenging economic times without a lot of cash. To your success!

Virtually Yourz,
Dana Neuts

Follow me on Twitter: VirtuallyYourz
Find me on Facebook, Biznik and LinkedIn

Twitter Tools to Improve Productivity

Now that I have multiple accounts on Twitter (for different audiences), it has become difficult to maintain them. Here are some tools I discovered to make using Twitter a bit easier.

TweetLater: Helps you manage your different Twitter accounts, including automatically following those who follow you - a big time saver

WeFollow.com: A searchable directory for top Twitter users by category

TweetDeck: A customizable dashboard/browser to maximize your Twitter experience

Twitterberry: A mobile application for using Twitter on your Blackberry

[Note: I'm just scratching the surface here. If you've found a Twitter tool that you just love, post a comment. I'd love to hear about it!]

Virtually Yourz,
Dana Neuts

Follow me on Twitter: VirtuallyYourz, iloveKentWA, SPJWash
Find me on Facebook, Biznik and LinkedIn

How to Plan Your Next Event

Event planning isn't rocket science, but it can easily be overwhelming if you've never done it before or if you are in charge of a large event. I've found that event planning can be easier to manage if you break it down into bite-size chunks. For example:

- Clearly define the event
- Where will the event be?
- Who will attend the event and why?
- What's the purpose of the event?
- When will it be? How much time do you have to plan it?

- Outline a budget and funding sources. Is it for-profit or not-for-profit? What is your break-even point?

- Identify key functions - marketing, promotion, fundraising (if needed), planning, logistics, refreshments, volunteers, etc.

- Calculate timing. Start with the event date and work backward to see when things need to be done. If you have an event six months away, what needs to be done the week before? the month before? three months before, etc.?

- Create a committee or core group of volunteers to help iron out the details. Let each person take a role that suits their skills, talent and availability. Meet regularly but make each meeting productive with clearly defined goals.

- After the event, host a fun "recap meeting" to get input from the parties involved. What worked well? What could be improved upon next time? Did you achieve your goals?

Good luck - it isn't as hard as it seems when you break it down into manageable tasks.

Virtually Yourz,
Dana Neuts

Follow me on Twitter: VirtuallyYourz
Find me on Facebook, Biznik and LinkedIn

Are you doing a quarterly marketing review?

Are you monitoring your marketing efforts on a quarterly basis? If not, you should be, particularly in this economy. Why? You need to know what's working and what's not, so you can figure out what shifts need to be made.

For example, where are your advertising dollars going? Are you doing it regularly? If not, you may be wasting your money. If you are advertising consistently, are you choosing the best media (online, radio, TV, print, other) for your business?

Also, consider your current and new customers. Are you getting the kinds of customers you want - your dream customer, for example? If not, what do you need to do differently? It could involve creating a new brand, adding new products or services, or simply advertising in places where you will get "face time" with your prospects.

What tools are you using to market your products? Are you taking advantage of social media tools like blogging, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Biznik, Plaxo, Digg and other sites? Could your business benefit from one or more of these tools?

No matter what you're doing, you want to be sure to review it quarterly and to try to measure it if possible.

If you aren't sure where to begin, talk to fellow business owners, ask a marketing consultant or discuss your options with your local small business development center, branch of SBA or SCORE. Marketing doesn't have to be expensive, time-consuming or overwhelming. It is a question of considering your options and what works for you and your customers. Then track it, evaluate it, and change it as needed.

Virtually Yourz,
Dana Neuts

Follow me on Twitter: VirtuallyYourz
Find me on Facebook, Biznik and LinkedIn

Seven Free Ways to Promote Your Blog

So you've finally started that blog you've always wanted. You have the occasional reader, but not the type of traffic you'd hoped for. There's a quick fix for that - promote your blog. Here are seven free ways to do that with little or no cost to you except for, of course, your time.

1. Twitter - Tweet your latest blog posting on Twitter.

2. Facebook - Link to your latest blog posting on Facebook or, better yet, create a business page and automatically link it to Facebook so it updates whenever your blog does.

3. Linked In - If you have a profile on Linked In, you can also have your profile automatically updated with your latest blog postings.

4. Biznik.com - Add your blog address to your Biznik profile.

5. E-mail signature - Add your blog address to your e-mail signature.

6. Marketing materials - The next time you update your marketing materials (biz cards, letterhead, brochure, etc.), be sure to include your blog address.

7. Encourage comments - On one of my blogs (http://www.ilovekent.net), I offer a monthly drawing for three $10 Kent Station gift cards for qualifying posts. Winners are chosen randomly from those who post each month.


Virtually Yourz,
Dana Neuts

Follow me on Twitter: VirtuallyYourz
Find me on Facebook, Biznik and LinkedIn

Free High Definition Wallpapers

This Digg post won't boost your business, but it may increase your productivity. Here are some great, free wallpapers to try for your HD monitor. There are some beautiful selections here. Just be sure to do a virus scan before you install them. I chose "Age is Beauty" and one of the crayon wallpapers (you're never too old to color!)

Virtually Yourz,
Dana Neuts

Follow me on Twitter: VirtuallyYourz
Find me on Facebook: Dana Neuts
Connect with me on LinkedIn and Biznik