I dreaded math in junior high school.
Walking into algebra class was like entering some dark scary dungeon of fire, terrified I wouldn’t come out alive. Luckily, I survived and only my eyebrows got a little singed.
But simple arithmetic? That’s my style!
Remember doing the “times tables” in elementary school? I loved the “tens”. All you had to do was add a zero to get the correct answer.
Ahh … the beauty of simplicity.
Why talk about arithmetic today? Specifically, marketing arithmetic?
Simple. The Numbers Whisperer® is turning 40.
No, silly. Not the website. The owner!
Nicole Fende graciously invited me to her blog party to share a post surrounding the number “40” to celebrate the occasion. Thanks for inviting me, Nicole. Will there be party favors? A glass of wine would be nice, too.
From Nicole: To help my readers face their fear of numbers, and replace it with appreciation, I’ve asked some accomplished bloggers to share their thoughts about the number 40. Anything about the number 40 in any way, shape or form, to show how to embrace a scary number. Now excuse me while I go search for party favors and a good Pinot Noir….
When a party invitation states, “No gifts, please”, I ignore that request. I never go to a party empty-handed. Mum raised me with good manners.
So to celebrate Nicole’s 40th birthday, I’d like to gift YOU with:
10 Simple Activities You Can Do 4 Times a Month to Market Smart
- Set up a LinkedIn group for your niche and/or target market and update your group/s four times a month. (Specific topics for discussion? Burning questions from group members? Social media marketing tips? Currated content? A puzzle to solve? Pet peeves? Latest trends? Video clips? You get the idea.)
- Record short podcasts and publish them to a page on your blog and to iTunes. This free software and a little time is all you need!
- Invite guest authors to post on your blog. Gives you a pleasant (and maybe much-needed) break from writing plus provides fresh content for your blog four times a month. Find guest bloggers at Blogger Link Up, My Blog Guest, and Business 2 Blogger.
- Visit Pinterest four times a month to find new pinners (others in your niche or those in your target audience) and boards to follow. Pinterest is growing like a bad weed! And that’s a good thing. Use your Pinfluence as a marketing strategy.
- Gather up some marketing inspiration! Hang out in The Inspiration Room four times a month and share your inspirational finds with your peers, fans, followers, clients, joint venture partners, and mastermind group members.
- Send free digital greeting cards to your loyal customers/clients, your favorite peeps, your biggest fans, your trusty colleagues, or your top blog commenters. A personal message goes a long way and means a lot. Don’t forget the “human” side of business.
- Look for opportunities to be interviewed. Subscribe to Reporter Connection and Help Out A Reporter. Just one juicy interview can put you on the map and get your marketing messages out to the masses!
- Reciprocity rules! Focus on something you can do to promote the awesomeness of others four times a month. Most people will be happy to reciprocate. Re-Tweet a Tweet, share the announcement of an upcoming event; the link to a blog post or article; an infographic; a new profile photo; a contest or giveaway; a newly released book; a spiffy new product or service. Put the people you respect and admire in the spotlight. And do it unconditionally.
- I bet you know “how to” do things others don’t. Create four how-to’s every month in a format you’re comfortable with — blog post, video tutorial/tips (no camera needed), Google+ hangout , Slideshare or Slide Rocket, Skype, eHow, Squidoo, Hub Pages, Power Point, Podcast — whatever suits your fancy. Think about how many times you’ve gone to your search bar and typed in “How to ….” Your potential customers or clients are doing the same.
- Don’t ever underestimate the power of humor in your marketing and the healing properties of laughter. A smile can chase away the (small biz marketing) blues and lift people’s biz-building spirits. What can you do four times a month to incorporate humor into your marketing efforts? I’m leaving this one up to you. Put your ideas below in Nicole’s comment box. 🙂
Doing ten simple marketing activities four times a month can boost your bottom line.
Talking about your “bottom line”, want to do something really cool for Nicole’s birthday? And, in turn, do something cool for yourself?
Don’t buy her a birthday gift. That’s apt to cost you some big bucks. Instead, spend just a few bucks and purchase a copy of her book, “How to be a Finance Rock Star — The Small Business Owner’s Ticket to Multi-Platinum Profits”.
Happy Big 4-0, Nicole! (You don’t look a day over 30. I demand to know what kind of night cream you’re using.)
About Melanie Kissell, Founder of Solo Mompreneur
I’m not growing a business. I’m raising a blog. I survived the terrible two’s and the incessant “why” questions of the pre-school years. I’m currently tangling with a five-year-old who’s reaching out for her independence and learning unique ways to stand out in the crowded blogosphere.
Melanie – for the party favors can I send you the ingredients for my custom drink “The Money Honey”?
Thanks for saying I don’t look a day over 40. It’s not a special night cream (I’m allergic to almost all lotion, so I use Cetaphil). I give credit to three things:
1. Genetic Lottery – My mom was always thought to be a decade younger than her actual age.
2. My Internal Energy – Generally I’m happy and positive. That energy is equated with youth.
3. HD Makeup – The brand is Make-Up Forever, use the base primer cream, foundation and finishing powder. It’s not cheap but looks great on film / video. Even though I admit the picture above had a little finishing, my unedited stuff doesn’t look all that different.
Thanks again for sharing your wisdom!
Ooo-Wee!! I would love “The Money Honey”, Nicole — THANK YOU! 🙂
Congrats on winning the genetic lottery. Both my parents were totally gray before age 30. I followed in their genetic footsteps. Thank goodness for D.I.Y. hair color treatments. Nuf said. LOL!
You’ve piqued my curiosity about HD make-up. Sounds like it’s well worth the price! I recently had the pleasure and the awesome privilege of meeting a professional make-up artist, educator, and corrective make-up specialist in one of my Lamaze classes (Yeah, that’s my other gig. Been working with expectant couples for the past three decades and I love it!) Shanna introduced me to the “Cinema Secrets” line of cosmetics and they’re fab. I know you and your loyal readers are super busy, but I’d like to nudge you to check out Shanna’s website and learn about the exciting work she does: !about
Your internal energy is ever apparent, Nicole! I can always sense the fire and zest you have for life and for your work. I don’t believe those embers will ever burn out! 🙂
Many thanks for inviting me to take the seat of honor on The Numbers Whisperer.
Hugs!
Melanie
I love this, Melanie – and thanks for the link to Business2Blogger – I’ve been looking for an alternative to the other two sites. Some excellent tips here – I have no excuse for not using Slideshare now. 🙂
Thanks for catching my guest post, Sharon. Great to see you here!
Get busy, girlfriend, and get yourself over to Slideshare — pronto!! 🙂
It always makes me feel so good inside when someone I admire and respect and love finds value in a resource I share. Enjoy scouting around Business2Blogger. I have a hunch you’ll like what you see.
Those are some fabulous tips, Melanie. You always do such a good job of sharing ideas and making it fun at the same time.
This B’Day (facing the fear of numbers) party wouldn’t be complete without you, Tea. So glad you made it! 🙂
Your encouraging words and kudos always lift me into the clouds. Thanks a heap!
Love how you broke this down into manageable tasks, Melanie. I have just started using SlideShare more and am working on strategy surrounding it. And, in fact, have a series of “how-to coming up. 🙂
I love the idea of e-greetings. I used them all the time and never thought about sending one to a client. Head slap.
Great tips, Melanie. Thanks!
Hi Cathy and welcome to the party!
I’ve done that palm to the noggin slap many times. LOL!
Happy to hear you’re a Slideshare fan. It’s a fantastic and versatile marketing platform. I’ve seen lots of users turn their articles and blog posts into Slideshare presentations — what a great way to repurpose content! I’ll be heading over there in a jiffy pop to hit the “follow” tab on your profile. 🙂
Thanks for dropping in and joining the conversation.
Happy Marketing! (Keep it simple and stress-free)
It’s officially a done deal! I’m now following you on Slideshare, Cathy, and you, too, Sharon! 🙂
OK, well now I’d better put some fresh stuff up there, Melanie!
This is such a great list of idea’s but I don’t have enough of a following to really do much of these yet. Once I’ve got the followers and visitors up I will definitely be implementing some of these. thanks
Hi Rosy and thanks for catching my guest post.
We all started with a “small following” so don’t let that deter you from marketing up a storm! When you really think about it, marketing messages should be created as if you were speaking to just “one” person … your ideal customer or client. 🙂
To acquire more fans, followers, or subscribers …
Have you considered joining any blog challenges? Participating in a blog challenge is a GREAT way get lots of eyes on your blog, meet new fellow bloggers, and gain a new audience of loyal readers. If you’re interested, my friend, Michelle Shaeffer, hosts a challenge called the U.B.C. (Ultimate Blog Challenge). Look her up online to find out more.
Hello Melanie
I noticed in your site that you’re looking for guest authors. I would like to contribute some quality content for your site. As well as being passionate about web hosting related posts and its benefits.
I recognize the need for well written content, and pride myself on producing guest posts that are well formatted, and really go the extra mile. I’d love to propose finance posts if you were interested.
Looking forward to hearing back from you,
Thank you,
Rosy