Brandon Koon Blog

If you remember that curiosity killed the cat, you should also realize that cats have nine lives.  Sounds a little silly but it does apply to your brand when trying to rebound from a dry spell or giving your image a little oomph.  Being nosy and taking time out to observe and make notations can make a huge difference in your profits.

You know that cats tend to be very quiet, sneaky and are serious observers.  In fact, you may have a funny story about a cat walking up on you when it was the least expected.  Maybe you were caught cheating on your diet, your mate or just up to no good.  And you probably were very happy that the cat couldn’t tell others about what was witnessed, that’s where the similarities end.  The more words you use to communicate, the better.

Getting Up is Half the Fun

If you are a person that runs from a challenge, let me tell you that you may want to invest in some fight gear now – gloves, shoes and maybe a raw steak – because you will have to make some decisions that could make you or break you.  That is unless you take the time to work out the kinks.  But you can look forward to getting knocked down at least once while running your online business.

Start with the Basics

Using a keyword tool will help you a great deal, especially if you have a blog or e-zine that is online.  A great one can found at Google (Go to Products>Adwords>Tools and Analysis>Keyword Tool), Word Tracker and others.  Most of these are free though paid options are available but for now, you just want to find keywords relevant to your brand.

For instance, if a person were to call their business “Fancy Feline Footwear”, it may get some attention with the right marketing but very few people are looking for ‘feline’.  Most users want something for their ‘cat’, so this is a term you will want to make part of your search engine strategy.

Wander into Opportunities

You will have times when all of your orders have been fulfilled, you’ve blogged and maybe done some article marketing or bookkeeping and now you’re surfing around the net.  What are you looking for? Recipes?  Celebrity gossip?  How about looking for opportunities that will help you make money? 

If you believe that you have the perfect e-book in mind,  the discipline to teach an online class or just want to look into work-for-hire (WFH) opportunities such as writing sponsored posts for other companies or participating in marketing opportunities where you will be given a product to review and write about.  You can also find out how Pinterest can work for your business,  since it is the new social media craze.  Look directly into these opportunities and begin to do research on those companies that will allow you to make money while you retain your rights.

Your podcast can be converted into a video and uploaded to several video sharing services and if you haven’t sent your podcast to Podcast Alley or other podcast directories, get on it now.

Same goes for your social media accounts.  If you have not created a Facebook page or Twitter account for your business, get started and use the keywords found, update it with fresh (and relevant) content so you can become eligible for marketing opportunities in your industry.

If you’re still using offline marketing tactics to market your business, I got some news for you.

Because many post offices across the U.S. are cutting back on staff and slowly removing postal boxes from the streets, your flyers, self-mailers and other promotional materials may not reach your customers.  Or worse, they could reach them at a much later date.

And when it comes to clearance sales or any opportunity for a shopper to save money, there is nothing more disappointing than knowing that they missed out on a great buy.

So what’s a business to do? Get a new direct marketing campaign, of course.  One promotional strategy that can’t be over looked by an overworked and under-appreciated postal employee is the one that should be figured into your marketing plan upgrade.

But before you invest money on a new mailing list, here are some things you can do that will actually save you money first.

• Update current list by making note of any returned mailings or people you know who have moved out of the area.  It is tedious and maybe you can get a friend or associate to help you, cutting the time by as much as half.
• Renovate your flyer by using these guidelines.

1. Make sure your headline is in bold letters and has some level of engagement.  This may be in the form of a question your customers can relate to.
2. The body copy is to the point with the proposition or answer to the customer’s possible problem.
3. A graphic or photo may be used but not at the top of flyer
4. Add coupons to the bottom along with your contact information.  If your business accepts mail orders, include mailing address along with the forms of payment accepted.

• If your list is more than a couple of years old, then you can contact customers by phone, possibly during the day with a brief greeting and the reason for your call. Since you may be speaking to an answering machine, make it brief or less than 30 seconds, if possible.  You can also ask if they could leave …an email address.  Yes! No postal stamps needed!

However, due to people leaving their jobs for various reasons, try getting a personal email address instead of one belonging to a company.  Though your mailings may be harmless, they may be blocked by the company before reaching recipient just because they are not related to work.

Using Microsoft Office or similar office suite software is also helpful in this process.  If you get the professional version that contains Access, you can enter information and send to Outlook for emailing or import to Word for the Mail Merge function (which is excellent for large groups of addresses).  If not, you can use Excel or similar spreadsheet that can be updated and sorted as needed.  For instance, you may want to separate frequent or steady customers from prospective customers or those who seldom buy.  Once you get the information entered, sorted and grouped on the spreadsheet, you can copy and paste to a label print application.

Once you gauge the response, you can decide whether it is wise to buy a mailing list.

If your jewelry, crafts or marketing online businesses could use a boost in sales, then consider downsizing to something more narrow that is not likely to get lost in a search.

Many new online business owners enter the market with the thought that everybody can use what they have to offer.  Even if this is actually true, it may not be practical.

For instance, you may go with an angle that your mobile maid service is not just for the rich as everyone needs to have a clean home.  While this may be true, many are downsizing their home in this economy.  So if the prospect resides in something smaller than a one-bedroom apartment, it may not be practical for them to have a professional cleaning service.  And you may even lose money trying to accommodate this person’s anticipated “needs”.

However, all hope is not lost.  Let’s say you live in an area where there are a lot of multi-unit buildings and the majority of the tenants are working long days to stay ahead financially.  There are two opportunities here.

1. Many people that are fortunate to be employed are either working longer hours or telecommuting to another area (sometimes a different county).  This can take a physical toll on them and housework can be their last priority.  If you think about some of the things that the average person would do that can be time-consuming, such as walking the dog, shopping or laundry duties, you may want to add this to your online promotion.
2. The second is the fact that not everyone can work overtime or commute long distances for a period of time so they may relocate to another area, leaving an empty unit.  In some areas, this happens so rapidly that landlords have a time keeping up if they were responsible for post-move cleaning prior.  By finding out what other tasks are common so that the unit is ready to be leased or rented, you can also add and advertise to landlords owners who want clean units soon.

With the above scenario, it may be beneficial to this business person to add light carpentry to their services, or green cleaning as industrial-strength fumes are dangerous to inhale and it takes time for it to leave a home.

Now, if you feel this may limit your services, not necessarily so.  Not only will it grow your business in time but it can help to make you an expert in the field.

Two people have same amount of basic financial knowledge when it comes to filing taxes, budgeting and keeping banking transaction records.  However, one may have affiliations with local non-profits and church groups in the area. These places are looking to start programs to help people get back on their feet.  Instead of just telling prospective clients that they possess certain knowledge to keep accurate financial records, they could target individuals looking to re-establish credit and pay off past-due debts.  With the right presentation, this could make for a wonderful union and help those affected by the recession.

Also, if your recall how content articles can help generate passive income, having a specialty can make your words stand out more.

Even if you sell chocolate-covered gourmet pickles, books about being bored or diamond tiaras for cats online, you do have competition. They may not be visible and they may not have gotten their operation off the ground yet but you still need to treat all of your customers like they are your last customers.

Saying Thank You
If you have PayPal or other e-merchant to process your payments, leave a note on the e-receipt thanking them for their purchase, even it’s a digital and not physical item. When sending a physical item, it adds a personal touch to sign the invoice/receipt with a short thank you note.

Giving Away Freebies
Hopefully, you have enough promotional materials to spare for networking events and other occasions where the opportunity may lie to generate business. Many people this may stop at business cards but with the use of any office suite or publishing application you can easily create the following –

• Bookmarks
• Calendars
• Magnets (or better, business card magnets which can be found at most office supply stores)
• Newsletter

Or, if you’re not confident about your skills in this area, do a mock-up of what you want to reflect your business and give to a local printer to duplicate. Both way, these promotional materials cost little and you can have the finished product in your hands in a matter of hours or a couple of days. This way, if you hear about an event on Monday that is taking place on Thursday, you will be prepared.
Rewarding the Loyal Customers
Even if you work with an e-merchant like eBay or Etsy to sell your wares, they both have marketing tools that will let you create coupons. While you may have one coupon for half-off a future purchase, you can create one that gives a better reward to those who buy consistently. Or just give away an item to the persons that have brought you the best sales.
This method, however, should be done with caution. While everyone loves the convenience of digital documents, physical items can be a challenge. For one, you don’t want to spend profits or a lot of time in packing and shipping, which can get expensive for fragile or heavy items. By gauging items that can handle being shipped via the U.S. Post Office by media, parcel or the least expensive method, you can save yourself some headache.
Using Buying Habits to Your Advantage
If you are not doing a simple research of your customers’ buying habits, now is the time to start. Many brands love SurveyMonkey for creating and  submitting questionnaires to customers, you can create a data sheet that records what items your customers buy the most often. Not only will this help in choosing a free gift they can use but it will help in creating an effective online marketing campaign.

While many online business uncomfortable inundating their customers with excessive communication, you want to make sure that 1) It’s something they can use; and 2)That your communication does not contain verbiage and gets to the point.

Running a business effectively can force you think in ways that your employer may have never challenged you to do.  While thinking outside of the box may be great for promotional materials or in writing articles to market your brand, you also have to think about what to do when you come from behind the computer.

How you treat networking opportunities will reflect on your brand greatly.  Think in terms of getting their attention in 30 seconds or less.  While you don’t want to bombard anyone with materials or by shooting off your pitch after saying hello, you don’t want for too much dead space to take place before they move on physically or mentally.

Before you head to the event, go over this checklist to make sure that your online reputation can hold up during the process.

• If you have a way to show educational or entertaining videos, take the time to set up a spare laptop, television with DVD player.  This is much more effective than telling people where they can find your video online.  For one, when traffic stops and you have their attention, you can promote your online wares or give out your business card.

• Make sure that your business card describes your service or product.  I have seen many cards with intricate or clever artwork or text and not known what the business was about.  Though I like nice visuals, others will just bury and discard whenever they get around to cleaning.  If there are many services to name, then invest in folding business cards.  This will stand out and if you use the extra space to list a discount on your product or services, you are more likely to get positive feedback.

• Create a promotional newsletter.  These days, all types of businesses are getting extra-competitive and the one that shines the brightest is the one that gets the call.  You can create newsletters easily on any word processing program.  If you have a blog, copy and paste your most popular posts.  Supplement this with interesting artwork, resources or trivia that relate to your industry that consumers may find interesting.  You can either design these as a self-mailer (tri-fold), magazine style or flat using fairly sturdy paper (40-60 weight as 20-weight may be flimsy on its own).

• Practice your presentation.  While it may not be effective to shake the hand of each attendee, it helps to have a strategy beyond hello.  Keeping your presentation short at first meeting is best.  Only if there is an interest should you give the entire history of your business or go into detail as to what you can do for a prospect.  Once, I had a small business finance networking session to attend and I found a way to give the details of my business in less than 10 seconds.  The template I followed was name, purpose of business, how long in business and reason for my attendance.  From there, I was able to answer questions from loan officers and account specialists that had the resources to help me grow.  Even if your reason is to just mingle, it’s better than having people ask you.

The purpose of getting from behind the computer is to meet others, look into ways to expand your audience and learn about new ways to make your online business better.

You got an idea to sell something online and found a way to bring your ideas to fruition. Whether sales are fair or nonexistent, make it easier for people to buy from you.
Can They See You?
There is a well-known educational institute that has the worst web layout for their bookstore. The link to buy books is almost aligned with the web page header. Also, the average reader would have no way of knowing whether it’s a verbal command to ‘buy books’ or an actual link because the fonts are small, not underlined or bold. However, announcements, store hours and other miscellaneous information contain animated text, blinking banners and other attention-getting techniques.
This is one key component of communication. If someone asks you where the nearest place is to get a quart of milk, you are not going to list every store in the county. In this case, placing the objective of the site in its own space is best, preferably as close to the middle of the page as possible. Sometimes, people like to place the link to their wares or shopping cart to the extreme right but if you have your affiliate or link exchange ads in the right column, this may not be a great idea.
Think in terms of people reading from left to right and find a space that will help your text link or image stand out the most.
Can They Find You?
For a new online business, having your own shopping cart may not be the best idea right away. Taking shortcuts is fine for the beginning stages but if you can spare $10/month (average) for your own cart, then go for it.
Using e-merchant sites like eBay, Etsy and some smaller ones is great because it takes little or no money to get started, you can practice search engine techniques and there is a forum to socialize with like-minded persons who can give tips.
Because these sites are easy to join, many have jumped on the bandwagon and though your brand of glow-in-the-dark costume jewelry may have had some success in the past, you will have to step up your promotion game for better traffic. Think social media, articles, videos and anything else that you can do on a consistent basis.
Tell Them What They Are Really Getting
Etsy has a feature that prevents the use of words like ‘diamond’ in the product description. Most likely because the majority of the products sold are low-to-moderately priced. So if you come up with a line of jewelry that resembles a diamond, you have to describe it as an acrylic rhinestone or whatever material it really is.
Some people obviously do not operate this way. While we know that there are no certified (or legal) diamonds that are sold for $29/carat, there are such products advertised and unfortunately, a willing buyer with a valid credit card.
Telling the truth the first time around is important to your reputation but when describing a product or service, don’t be shy with the details. Materials used, color, approximate size and weight. Keep in mind that depending on the merchant or the host of your shopping cart may give a limited amount of space for the description. Also, for SEO purposes don’t start your description with clever or cute sayings.
Show Them Where to Put the Money
One mistake people make is placing their PayPal or Google Checkout badge amongst clutter like ads, banner links and other things that are just a distraction. If you have a limited amount of space, then place your payment link, badge or banner as close to the top of the page without it being close to the header. Remember that people read from left to right, starting from the top and downward from there.

Writer’s block is real and very frustrating. Some people take some time away from the monitor. Others may use writing aids such as a thesauri or my favorite, the Synonym Finder.

Then again, you can just “steal” it.
Many businesspeople from all walks of life will admit that their brand was “inspired” by another person’s works, especially those in the media.
Let’s see for ourselves.

• The majority of the Food Network shows are based on a program by the late Julia Childs.
• The artistry of Justin Bieber was inspired by everyone from the Beatles (funny hairdo upon debut), David Cassidy/Donny Osmond (singing style) and Usher (his mentor and fellow pop musician).

Even the vehicles we drive are inspired by another manufacturer that is known for a more luxurious product.

Truth is, can you blame these people for copying a winning formula? Well, when publishing online, Copyscape can flag you for infringement and should the originator of your words discover you, they can send a cease-and-desist letter via their attorney. And you’re back to square one with your block.

Getting the Goods
Most people become “inspired” by watching their favorites. While seeing them on TV or movies, hearing their music or reading their works, many get ideas they can use in their online brand.
For example, gloves can make a statement. Some may use them as part of their business logo, they transfer easily. If you’ve ever heard of the white glove treatment (impeccably clean) or even “the gloved one” (the late, great Michael Jackson) and even opera gloves are considered a sign or elegance as most women wear them to formal events and high-end performances (though they do make an occasional appearance at a male-oriented rock concert) then you realize that using a glove can be in a class by itself.
Be a Copy Cat
In marketing, a swipe file is a collection of promotions that can be used to create an entirely different product. In laymen’s terms, it can also be called a mash-up of ideas. So while you are watching your favorite medium, you can note little things that get attention.

If you are an aspiring recording artist, you might find MJ’s glove, David Lee Roth’s karate-style dance moves and Eminem’s play on words interesting enough to integrate into a brand that’s sure to separate you from the competition.
Same goes for writing content for your online brand, you can be inspired by campaigns or words from the past but don’t copy them word-for-word. You will lose credibility, may be named in a lawsuit and you have to ask yourself, does this really represent you?
Example – You are the maker of the best vegan food products ever. Everyone who has tried your creations says they are so good that they can’t tell the difference between your veggie patties and an all-beef hamburger patty.
Though using “Where’s the beef?” in your marketing campaign may be fitting, the truth is that unless you want to be known for being named in a lawsuit by the Wendy’s burger chain, don’t do it.

Article Marketing Companies are Watching Too
If you are a person who utilizes content management systems (CMS) as a way to market your brand, it’s best to take your time and write something original instead of copy someone else – even if that someone else is YOU. In recent, a growing number of content companies that pay via Google Adsense are using Copyscape and other content duplication software to find out if your article on the ‘benefits of organic goat milk for skin care’ can be found elsewhere. Even if you change a few words around, you may not be able to publish it elsewhere. If you do, don’t be surprised if it’s a place that doesn’t have a monetary compensation program.
This is why it’s important to be aware and get plenty of rest, so that your thoughts and ideas will be fresh most of the time.

There are no secrets. You don’t have to pay some company you know nothing about. There are no tricks.
Every year many people start an online business with a good idea as to what type of product or service they represent, who their target audience is and where they want to be seen. How they will go about that may be a work in progress as well as why getting a high Google ranking is important.
And very necessary.

According to search optimization expert Don Kaufmann, here are the top five ways for your blog or website to get a higher rank on the number one search engine.

1. Add fresh content often. This can be information about your industry, something entertaining that your audience can relate to or you can hire a ghost blogger to fill when you are unavailable. Even if all you can only post weekly, it is better than bi-weekly, monthly or whenever you feel like it.
2. Post videos. If you do not have a Google or YouTube account, get one now! YouTube is the number one video-sharing and it is for this reason they have been acquired by Google in recent. Though there are many uploaded videos, you can share videos that are related to your industry. Even if all you have is a short podcast, use Movie Maker to import some interesting visuals. Once you edit, upload and tag it with the appropriate search terms, link to your Google Adsense account and begin generating revenue.
3. Use longer copy. This can be debatable to some, especially if your blog or web page uses smaller (12 or less) fonts. You can either break long text (more than 400 words) into separate posts or use fonts larger than 14 and/or make your text bold.
4. List you blog or website with the top online directories and sub-directories in your industry. Though many experts stress submitting your site to the Open Directory Project as the first step in promoting it, there are still many directories that will be of use as well. Search engines like Yahoo and Google, as well as specialized search sites like Eco-living, sports or any niche industry.
5. Use badges and icons from credible organizations. Are you a member of a professional organization? Or a long-time member of the Better Business Bureau? Even if it’s a small online group, having an affiliation with a similar or known organization will get people more acquainted with what your brand is about.

So you see, this is nothing that some person overseas can do without knowing anything about your brand or what you’re about. While you can pay an outside contractor to do some of these tasks, you may find it easier to do this yourself and save a few dollars, especially if you’re just getting started or have limited resources.
Finally, being easily found and high ranking will also make it easier to participate in revenue marketing campaigns. Once you find a couple of companies to work with, then you can have an easy side income.

If you’ve ever heard the expression, ‘Keep your friends close but your enemies closer’, that holds true, even if the competition are your actual friends.
It happens and many who have been in business for a while find ways to remain successful while maintaining healthy relationships with others in a similar business.
Find Them and Memorize Them
Some new online business owners may feel that their concept is really unique and stands out from the competition, especially those businesses that deal with visuals as their product. Chances are very strong that they are more wrong that leather in the summer.

One popular online business is retail, and yes, there is competition. In some cases, heavy competition as getting the initial inventory and necessary paperwork may cost little to nothing and unlike real estate; there is no required license to start a legitimate business.

So while it takes a special person to successfully sell a property, setting up an online shop can be done in as little as half an hour. While you may have an excellent promotional strategy, visitors may know about someone that offers the same thing but with perks.

Here are some places you can locate the competition –

• Better Business Bureau
• Clients
• Industry periodicals
• Libraries
• Networking
• Online forums
• Search engines
• Trade shows
• Websites
• Yellow pages

Staying Ahead of the Enemy
Not quite like the schoolyard bully as you don’t want to avoid the competition entirely. Here’s a great example below –
Sarah and Kelsey have been best friends since grade school. They both went to fashion design school in hopes of opening a boutique in an industrial district (cheap rent and this area was slowly becoming the “in” place for their target). Once they graduated, they found that their styles were like oil and water, so they opened smaller e-stores that were similar in design and selection.
Though the individual stores made decent sales on their own, the truth was that they sold the same items – only the colors may have been different. They even noticed newer grads from their alma mater as well as career-changers that were getting in the boutique biz. Sarah had an idea.
She would contact a DJ friend of hers to come in during peak periods to spin a few records and sell his mixtape, which sold fairly well. On the website, she set up a music player that would play samples of the mixtape. After a couple of requests from out-of-town clients, she placed it on the shopping cart page. After a while, she was able to make this arrangement for aspiring DJs in the area and she was able to hold fashion and art show.
Two years after their separation, Sarah was able to buy Kelsey’s shop as a second store. And though some of the newer stores tried the same idea, their execution was not as cost-effective as they did not use a barter system and used strangers that demanded pay.

___

Once you note what the competition does – that you could possibly do better without losing money – or, does not do that may be an added feature, find the least expensive ways to make this part of your image.

Slander in the Name of Love
In all communication, keep things professional. Never speak ill of the competition (though it’s more than OK to emphasize what you DON’T do) unless you know for sure that they are retiring from e-commerce altogether in the near future.

One person who started a successful blog some years ago, found herself in pretty hot water as she described, in great detail, the inner workings of the publishing industry. She had no shame in naming names and describing incidents in full detail. Even those who could care less about the industry, loved to hear the dirt. While she used a pseudonym, it was still easy for others to find her via IP address. So when it came time to lay off staff, she was one of the first to go and there were initially no job prospects in the industry.

Surprisingly, she promoted her blog, networked with others and landed some freelance work before deciding on law school.

While forum posters can say what you allow to be posted, take the upper hand and use more energy promoting what you can bring to your demographic.

You read it right…

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Imagine what would happen to your business if you
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To Your Massive Success,

Brandon Koon
Online Business & Marketing Coach
Direct: 801.987.0070