|
By: Carol M. Aldridge As a business owner, some of your top marketing priorities should include growing your audience and increasing your visibility. Although there are several ways to go about this, these three key strategies, work hand-in-hand: Blogging, Email Marketing, and Lead Capture Systems
- Write quality content that appeals to your audience and addresses their needs. - Edit, Edit, Edit. Then proofread and edit again. Whenever possible, have another qualified professional edit your text as well. - Use compelling images to grab your readers’ attention. - Be sure to include a powerful title. Our friends at CopyBlogger have written a comprehensive series that will be sure to help you craft compelling headline titles. - Include social media share buttons on each post. - Include a resource box at the end of each post with more info about your business and a link to your opt-in landing page. - Format your paragraphs for quick reading, including bold subheadings and bullet points. - Use quality keywords to maximize SEO. - Whenever possible, link to other pages and blog posts on your website. Be sure all links are set to open in a new tab or window. Well, that’s a good start, but I have so much more information to share with you. Soon we’ll take a look at several proven ways to promote your content beyond your subscribers’ inbox, driving even more traffic to your website…so stay tuned. Carol Aldridge is an Administrative Consultant and Support Specialist serving the equine industry for over 25 years. Her clients across the United States enjoy customized administrative services designed to relieve workload pressure, streamline office procedures and maximize marketing results. Learn more at www.EquineOfficeSolutions.com.
If you haven’t yet subscribed, you can do so HERE. You’ll also receive our Zero-Budget Marketing Plan For Equine Business Owners. And please, feel free to share your thoughts and ideas by emailing me or commenting below - we can all help each other succeed!
0 Comments
Equine Office Solutions Partners with Randi Thompson of "How To Market Your Horse Business"8/1/2014  We're so pleased to welcome Randi Thompson of How To Market Your Horse Business as a new collaborative partner with Equine Office Solutions. Randi has been a trusted colleague for several years, and we're thrilled to have this opportunity to come together to form a unique, comprehensive marketing resource designed to meet the needs of today's equine industry. READ MORE
In just four short years, Equine Office Solutions has emerged as a leader in business support and consulting services for the equine industry. The company was originally founded by owner, Carol Aldridge in 2010 as Progressive Business Solutions serving general small business owners, and quickly refocused its mission to serving the equine industry in particular. “Although it’s true, business is business, my expertise lies within the equine industry, so the shift made perfect sense,” says Aldridge. Equine Office Solutions has quickly grown from a local business provider to a renowned industry leader serving prominent equine professionals from New York to California and from Texas to Canada. And, there’s an even brighter future ahead for the Company, as plans are in place for some exciting, ground-breaking events including several new, collaborative partnerships with other well-known industry experts. Watch for more news announcements to be released soon on this progressive, young company. Carol Aldridge is an Administrative Consultant and Support Specialist serving the equine industry for over 25 years. Her clients across the United States enjoy customized administrative services designed to relieve workload pressure, streamline office procedures and maximize marketing results. Learn more at www.EquineOfficeSolutions.com and SIGN-UP to receive the New "Zero Budget Marketing Plan for Equine Business Owners".
By: Carol M. Aldridge Let’s face it, marketing can be a time consuming and expensive endeavor. So, you might as well do what you can to make sure that you get the most ‘bang for your buck’! Creating a basic marketing calendar is not only a smart business practice, but if used correctly, it will yield enhanced, measurable results. STEP 1: CHOOSE YOUR PREFERRED CALENDAR TOOL I recommend using Google Calendar (or a similar digital, interactive calendar). Alternately, some prefer to use a simple Excel spreadsheet. However, the information included in your calendar will be changing frequently, and an interactive, digital format will allow for ease of updates while providing a comprehensive overview of each month. It will even send you reminders of important deadlines to keep you on track. STEP 2: FILL IN ALL KNOWN DATES such as your vacations, major holidays, pop culture happenings, national news items, etc. These dates will help establish the beginnings of a timetable and schedule of topics that you can follow in the weeks and months to come. STEP 3: BRAINSTORM TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES Take some time to think about what types of advertising and marketing strategies would benefit your business at specific times of the year. For example, networking activities, relationship building correspondence, blog posts, conferences, press releases and news items, direct mail promotions, contests, special sales, etc. These will change as your schedule and needs fluctuate, but the point is to make this step as inclusive as possible. STEP 4: PLAN YOUR BASIC SOCIAL MEDIA POST TOPICS Take a look at the events you have entered each week and come up with a few corresponding topics that would work well as posts. Then use a social media management tool such as Bufferapp or Hootsuite to schedule a full week of posts to all your social media accounts at one time. STEP 5: TRACK, MEASURE, RINSE & REPEAT Plan time each month to review the success of your marketing efforts. Select specific promotions, then use Google Analytics to track your increase in website traffic. This works best for the posts and promotions that include a link back to your website. Also, review the administrative data reports for each of your social media accounts to note the number of likes and shares for specific posts. (More details on measuring your marketing success coming soon). Now that you have details on the activity spurred by each marketing tactic you’ve implemented, take a look at the months ahead and adjust your planned promotions accordingly. Once you start using your marketing calendar regularly, you will quickly begin to realize its numerous benefits, as your planned promotions tactics fall into a rhythm and you become more aware of what’s working and what’s not. Take some time to set this system up right, and you’ll soon wonder how you managed to get by at all without it. Image courtesy of cafepress.com If you like this post, stay tuned - upcoming articles will cover how a marketing calendar fits into your overall marketing plan, detailed step-by-step tips on how to measure the success of your marketing efforts, how blogging, backlinks and social media work together, how to make social media work for your business, determining your target market and more. These articles will be sent out by email, so be sure you are subscribed. You’ll receive the new Zero Budget Marketing Plan for Equine Business Owners, and you’ll be sure to receive each future article.  Equine Office Solutions, was established in 2010 by owner, Carol Aldridge to meet the unique business needs of the busy equine professional. Through a combination of professional consultation and personalized support services, Carol designs effective business systems producing streamlined administrative processes and enhanced marketing results.
By: Carol M. Aldridge In this final volume of our latest series, we’ll take a look at the benefits and process involved in establishing collaborative partnerships with other equine industry professionals. If you have been actively building business relationships for a while, you will have most likely identified a group of like-minded business owners with whom you’ve established a mutual sense of trust and shared values, and the proven ability for support and exchange. For example, I’ve formed strong relationships with other equine entrepreneurs through mastermind groups, social media groups and member networking groups just to name a few. These are the places that have facilitated the kind of in depth sharing of ideas and knowledge that lead to trust and respect. “Business collaboration is the act of pooling knowledge, resources and relationships for the sake of pursuing shared goals.” The main benefit of collaboration is the possibility for enhanced marketing to a wider audience. If done right, you have the potential to expand your services offered while perhaps doubling or tripling your reach by promoting to both of your business contact lists. Several important steps to consider when building collaborative partnerships: - Identify Individuals with whom you have a solid relationship and who provide complementary services or products. - Offer to schedule a discovery session, and prepare key questions and topics for discussion. - Sample each others’ products and services. - Brainstorm to outline how you will join your services and products. - Identify your target market and craft your promotions. - Create a contractual agreement outlining expectations, systems, schedule, goals, etc. Be clear and detailed. - Throughout the process, work to proactively address conflicts and issues. Types of collaborative ventures: Host a teleconference or webinar Create an ebook together Cross-promote services/products through mailed letters, email and social media Provide reciprocal guest blogging Share a booth at a trade show Work together on a social media contest The possibilities are endless and so are the benefits. Remember, some collaborative ventures will be long-term, and some will be temporary. Whatever the goals and lifespan of the venture, always keep the lines of communication open. Expect to revise your agreement regularly as situations arise that you may not have anticipated. And finally, be creative and bold - and enjoy the exciting new marketing options, visibility and business that will come your way! Of course, this is just the beginning. In the future, we'll cover even more detailed information on networking, list building, effective marketing strategies and general business productivity geared specifically for equine business owners and managers. If you're not currently subscribed to our email list, SIGN-UP HERE to assure you don't miss out on any of our upcoming articles. Thank you for reading!
MORE FROM EQUINE OFFICE SOLUTIONS BUILDING BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS - PART 1: HOW TO CONNECT WITH TOP EQUINE INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS BUILDING BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS - PART 2: THE ART OF FOLLOW-UP - STRENGTHENING CONNECTIONS WITH EQUINE INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS Equine Businesses Receive Massive Marketing Success With Pinterest 45 of the Best Marketing & Business Resources from Around the Web Equine Office Solutions provides online administrative & marketing support services for busy equine business professionals. Clients enjoy partnering with an experienced professional who takes an interest in their business, providing consistent, quality results. Contact Carol Aldridge for a complimentary consultation and learn how Equine Office Solutions can help streamline your business, increase efficiency and free up more time so you can get out of the office and back in the saddle! Join me Sunday, April 27th at 2pm ET as I speak with Pam Salem of Horses Teaching & Healing on "Social Media Networking for Equine-Based Businesses". This teleconference is hosted by the Equine Experiential Education Association (E3A) and will include best practices for using each of the major networks. We'll also discuss: how to track and measure your return on investment; determining which platform is best for you; why you should be using hashtags, creating an editorial calendar and more. Those registered will also receive several valuable resources for your extended learning. For more information on this valuable conference, and to register, visit: the Equine Experiential Education Association website.
Take a good long look at how you establish connections with other equine business professionals. Are you networking, or are you truly building relationships? "Networking + Follow-up = Relationship Building" In Part 1 of this series, we discussed examples of how you might approach other equine industry professionals to establish a connection. For example - you go to a networking event or meet a new acquaintance online. What are the next steps you should take to build a genuine business relationship with that person? CRM - Your Secret Success Tool Let me first say, the value of a good CRM system (contact relationship management) can make all the difference between building your business and simply wasting your networking time. It not only allows you to record general contact information, but also includes the ability to enter and track notes about previous conversations, set reminders, attach files and emails and designate multiple categories or tags for each contact. And finally, it can alert you when a follow-up is due and remind you about your relationship and previous conversations with that person. So, if you perceive value in a new contact and the chance for a mutually beneficial relationship, first gather their contact information via their email signature, business card, website, etc, and enter it in your CRM system. Then jot a basic note about how you met, the correspondence you had and how/when to follow-up. Then enter a reminder so you don’t forget (this step is critical). Stay in Contact and Be Helpful and Sincere Send your new contact an email or message them on social media to let them know that you want to support their successes as well. Consider offering them something of value - for nothing. Even something as small as a great recipe, or a helpful website or business application they might find useful. Then, perhaps suggest that you subscribe to each other’s blog and offer to cross promote content through social networks. Be genuine and sincere, always. Connect Connections Looking back throughout my career as a business owner, associates occasionally took the time to introduce me to other professionals simply because there was a chance that we might benefit from each other’s expertise. Sometimes nothing came of it, sometimes it was not a good fit business-wise and sometimes it lead to an awesome new opportunity. Regardless, I appreciate these introductions immensely, and will forever be grateful to them for taking that extra, selfless step in an effort to be helpful. Be in it For The Long Haul Relationship building takes time. Often months or longer depending on the situation. If you’re looking for instant gratification, don’t waste your time. But if you truly want to grow your business, attract long-lasting business associates and develop a solid referral base, then resolve to do it right. Put in the time, with genuine intentions, and your efforts will reward you many times over. ON TO PART 3 (BACK TO PART 1) If you enjoyed this post, SUBSCRIBE to receive all of our upcoming articles on business and marketing topics that you can put to work right away to grow and streamline your equine business. And then, don't miss the next installment: Part 3 in this series: Establishing Collaborative Partnerships with Equine Business Associates
MORE FROM EQUINE OFFICE SOLUTIONS BUILDING BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS - PART 1: HOW TO CONNECT WITH TOP EQUINE INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS Equine Office Solutions Launches New Website Equine Businesses Receive Massive Marketing Success With Pinterest 45 of the Best Marketing & Business Resources from Around the Web Equine Office Solutions provides personalized, online administrative & marketing support services for busy equine business professionals. Clients enjoy partnering with an experienced professional who takes an interest in their business, providing consistent, quality results. Contact Carol Aldridge for a complimentary consultation and learn how Equine Office Solutions can help streamline your business, increase efficiency and free up more time so you can get out of the office and back in the saddle! BUILDING BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS - PART 1: HOW TO CONNECT WITH TOP EQUINE INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS3/1/2014 Business owners today have a wide range of marketing channels to choose from, including social media, publications, blogs and articles, email, seo, direct mail, pcp campaigns and even guerrilla marketing tactics. These can all take a considerable amount of time and money.
But do you know the #1 marketing strategy for advancing your business? Relationships. Period. Relationships are the driving force behind all other efforts you put into your marketing strategies. Build your professional network Your professional network includes your peers, other business owners, your customers, prospective customers, outside business professionals, suppliers, service providers, etc. Reach out to these people on social networks and in person when possible. Make personal connections first and professional relationships will follow. Each and every contact you make with others inside and outside of your industry is important. And remember to always make every effort to be pleasant, professional, helpful and kind. You are building your reputation with each interaction. “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou How to connect with top influencers Here’s an example of how you can make connections with top influencers: You read an article stating that a well known industry professional has won an award. Reach out to them by sending an email and congratulate them. Mention what it is that you enjoy and admire about their business. Keep it fairly brief and always use a signature line that includes your basic contact info and links to your website and professional social media pages. You should receive a reply. A few days later, connect with them on LinkedIn or Twitter or follow their business page on Facebook. Sign up for their blog. Then, find a way to join in the conversation online either by posting helpful, positive comments on their blog, or in Facebook or LinkedIn group posts, etc. Soon you’ll be on your way to establishing a solid relationship with the top movers and shakers. They’ll know who you are and what you do, and will be likely to mention you when the need to your product or service arises. What are some other ways you can think of to establish meaningful business relationships? Let me know! Read Part Two of the Series: Building Business Relationships - Part Two: The Art of Follow-Up - Strengthening the Connection References: What Is Business Networking Anyway? -Entrepreneur.com Six Ways To Strengthen Your Professional and Personal Network -Inc.com MORE FROM EQUINE OFFICE SOLUTIONS Industry Experts Join Forces to Provide Unmatched eBook Services Equine Office Solutions Launches New Website Equine Businesses Receive Massive Marketing Success With Pinterest 45 of the Best Marketing & Business Resources from Around the Web Carol Upton of Dreams Aloud Promotions and Carol Aldridge of Equine Office Solutions have collaborated to form the equine industry’s premier source of eBook publication and promotion services.
“This collaboration represents the first of its kind in North America,” states Carol Aldridge. “We’re thrilled to have this opportunity to combine our experience and expertise to provide this all-in-one service resource for industry professionals.” There are three main components to producing a successful eBook: quality content, professional publication and widespread promotion. This team provides it all! Carol Upton says, “The popularity of eBooks provides an affordable way to market your equine business. Effective promotion can be challenging, but it no longer needs to be. Our goal is to make your life easier by helping you link your business dreams to the world.” --- Carol Upton is a Writer-Editor, Workshop Facilitator, Publicist, and Co-Founder of The Sunshine Coast School of Writing. Through Dreams Aloud Promotions she helps clients identify goals, build marketing plans, create professional content, develop targeted media lists, book speaking engagements and create maximum exposure for their publications. Carol Aldridge is an administrative consultant and support specialist for the equine industry. Through Equine Office Solutions, she provides expert eBook publication services, research and copy writing services, social media and email marketing support, and a range of other business support services. We're so pleased to have launched our new website, dedicated specifically to serving the equine industry, and are looking forward to providing timely articles each month that will help you grow and enhance your business.
Several of our past articles include: Equine Businesses Receive Massive Marketing Success with Pinterest and 45 of the Best Marketing and Business Resources from 2013. Please also visit our sister site to read our past articles at: www.ProgressiveBusinessSolutions.net |
CategoriesArchives
August 2023
|
RSS Feed