Getting More Site Visitors Just Got Easier!

Let’s be honest…traffic generation can be a little scary.

If you’re not well versed in traffic-speak, you can get a bit lost amongst the pay-per-click, SEO and other traffic generating tactics (and lingo) out there.

It’s enough to make a gal want to rip out her hair.

Well…help is on the way!

I recently met a fellow named Jack Humphrey.  Jack interviewed me to discuss personal branding and we had a fine post-interview discussion.  Suffice to say, I give Jack high ranks as an ethical internet marketer with a heart for helping others succeed.  He’s a true gem.

Recently, Jack invited me to help spread the word about an incredible system that will take a lot of the guess work and intimidation (admit it..it’s intimidating at times!) out of getting more visitors to your blog.

Jack has a system that will help you to get fast, easy, high-quality posts done for your blog. It is the exact system he uses to run his personal blog, the Friday Traffic Report, that got over 1 million visits this past year – can you believe it!

His marketing system is called the 60-Day Plan and puts you on the fast track for success with your blog.  Members have seen a solid 500-1000+ unique visitors per day in their first MONTH by using this plan.

Nothing is left to chance and there’s no theory involved in his training or tactics.  It all comes from real-world experience and proven models that bloggers you know and love have developed for their powerful blogs.  And now, so  can you!

So check out Jack’s info here and give your blog a boost and your scalp a rest ;D

I plan to ‘work’ Jack’s 60-day plan…how about you?

Here’s to hassle-free blogging!

Love and thanks,

Liz

Awaken the Female Mogul in You

You know I’ve written plenty about living an authentic expression of your best via your brand.

You also know I’m a champion for women and empowering women to step into their greatest potential by embracing their voice.

And you know I believe strongly that if you aint having fun, what’s it all for?

Well, I’m delighted to share a SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT direct from one of my favorite cities, Manhattan, and from one of my favorite MavHERick™ sisters.

Check out this short video today from my special friend Maria Gamb and mark your calendar for February 2009.

A new president isn’t the only history changing event you’ll experience next year…get ready for:

“The Untapped Power of the Female Mogul:
Awaken Your Divine Feminine and Discover
More Abundance, Harmony and Healing
for your Soul, your Success … and the World!”

Get more details about this ground breaking event at www.MariaGamb.com/nycevent.

I’ll be there…will you?

Lesson from the Campaign Trail…

Well, it’s officially done.  Obama won and our country has been turned on it’s ear.

While there’s plenty to say about what this election means and will mean to the history of this country there is one observation I’ve made about the marketing brilliance of Obama.

As a MavHERick marketer, you can bet I was watching the campaign trail from a branding and marketing perspective and noted a few intriguing strategies and lessons you may wish to model:

1.    No more hype! How refreshing to follow a campaign that didn’t air out dirty laundry, finger point or jump on any opportunity to make an opponent look bad.  When asked how he felt about Sarah Palin’s young pregnant daughter, Obama merely commented, “My mother was 18 when she had me..”  That short and honest statement was enough to make even the toughest reporter blush in shame.

2.    Don’t confuse your market: While a simple website, he kept is message concise and focused with only one call to action (make a donation).  It’s great to want to offer lots of value to your market but there is a fine line between value and overwhelm.  Keep your offer ‘clean’ and lead your market to make only one choice.  Like Obama, who raised more funds than his opponent, you’ll find your audience more apt to take action.  Remember…a confused mind, does nothing.

3.    Be consistent: It’s difficult to elicit trust when you say one thing and do another.  This is one of the biggest brand offenses you can commit.  You can say you are conservative and wish to breathe life back into the economy but taking in excess of $100k to clothe a candidate seems a conflict of message, not to mention questionable judgment.  On the other hand, if you claim you are conservative and believe in investing wisely then proclaiming that you shop conservatively, like Target for instance, supports that statement.  While you may think no one is watching, true brand loyalty is in the fine details.

No matter your political preferences, when you look at the execution of the Obama campaign with your brand and marketing goggles on, you have to admit…his approach was fresh, and unexpected.

Is a return to honest, consistent marketing with integrity profitable?  Well, the country voted and numbers don’t lie.

Until next time…
Love and thanks,

Liz

The Online Trick or Treator

As I make my way through the mound of mini-snickers wrappers (who said they’re ‘safe to eat’ just because they’re small?!), I’m reminded it is Halloween and I’ll have little goblins, ghouls and a few princesses knocking at my door soon.

My hope is that I won’t run into that same kid as last year.  He was dressed as…well, I’m not exactly sure what his costume was supposed to be.  Suffice to say he work black, orange and carried a rather large troft for his Halloween loot.

What was most memorable about this young trick or treater is that he was quite adamant about what he wanted and didn’t want in his bag of goodies.

When I grabbed a handful of yummy treats and tossed them into his bag, he looked inside then, looked back up at me and said “what brand is that?”

You can imagine my delight at the prospect of having a brand conversation with this young tike but as it turned out, he was turning his nose up at what he thought was generic candy.

My explanation that it was actually imported (I know, I know, why was I giving out the good stuff!) meant nothing to him.  I’m surprised he didn’t yank it out of his bag and return it!

Why am I telling you this tale?

Just as my young candy connoisseur turned his nose up at imported candy – much better than a snickers any day – you too will have visitors at the door of your website looking for all sorts of loot.  That is after all how we’ve been conditioned…and from a very young age I might add.

And when they feel you’ve offered them something different than what they are accustomed to receiving (even if what you’re offering has a quality stamp that is bar none) they may opt out of your list.

The thing is, you can’t take it personally.

Believe me, standing at the door of my home with a line full of kids (and a few parents) I wasn’t keen on being given the third degree about my candy choices by an eight year old.

And yet, that’s exactly what happens when someone comes to your website looking for your great bonus or other free offer.

Some you win and some you lose.  That is one of the tricks (or treats) of the Internet Marketing game.

In order to continue growing, thriving and loving what you do all personal bets must be taken off the table.

While you may think this is easier said than done, it is a skill, talent (call it what you want) that you’ve got to acquire in order to succeed in business…any business.

Because for every person that decides your best isn’t their cup of tea, there are plenty of others that are just waiting for your unique brand of humor, knowledge and passion.  Shake it off, know that it just wasn’t a good fit, and stay open to the flow of possibilities.

For every person that opts out of your world, know from the depths of your Jimmy Choos that you’re making room for true, and lasting fans.  And they are better than any amount of imported chocolate ;D

Until next time…

Love and thanks,

Liz

How to Leverage a Crisis Negative into a Cash Positive

I wrote the following article exclusively for my How She Does It ezine subscribers a couple of weeks ago.  It received such a raving response, I wanted to also share it on my blog…

*****************

The market was soft and we were raising our rates…

Every sales person on our team was, well…freaking out!  “How could we possibly go into the market place with rates higher than our closest (and even peripheral) competitor?”  They feared the kiss of their professional death and it didn’t feel good.

We were in tumultuous times.  Budgets were slashed.  Advertisers were cutting back and in response, our competitor was offering a 2 for 1 sale! The smell of fear was in the air and everyone was in reactive mode…except me.

All around us, professionally speaking, chaos ensued.  And I had a choice…

I could follow the same strategy as my colleagues and the market in general, and view the climate as a negative.  Or, I could reach in, grab hold of my inner ‘she’ and shake up the status quo by posturing differently.

As you can imagine, I chose the latter.

Not only did we raise rates during a time when businesses feared they’d have to shut their doors forever, we also landed accounts that would never talk to us in better times.

And here’s why…

The people you serve (your target market) will always have a need for what you offer, no mater the circumstances, if you have:

•    A detailed understanding of their greatest need
•    Made100% clear what you offer
•    Proven that what you offer benefits them, particularly in times of crisis

At the time, fear of lost business (lost clients, revenues, staff, etc.) was on everyone’s mind.   We strengthened our position by lasering in on all the ways our service would help businesses KEEP what they had.

The strategy I chose back in my corporate days is a strategy that still works.  And the key to strengthening your business, your brand and experiencing growth instead of loss is in how you value what you offer.  If you don’t value it (and slashing rates is evidence you may not), neither will anyone else.

So before you consider dropping your rates, offering a ‘coach 2 for the price of 1’ option or any of the other creative crisis crunch strategies being presented to you consider this…

Drill down into the heart of your offer and connect the outcome of using your incredible service (or product) with the biggest concerns your market has today.

Make a compelling, honest case and you’ll be leveraging what appears as a negative into a revenue generating positive.

Is this a bold approach?  It sure is, but the power of ‘she’ is not negotiable.

©copyright 2008, Liz P. Communications.  All rights reserved.

This article (nor any posts made on this blog) may not be reproduced without permission by Liz P. Communications.

To receive weekly strategies, insights and tips to help you strengthen your brand, market more powerfully to the feminine, and help you slip comfortably into bigger shoes, register for your subscription to How She Does It at www.LizPabon.com.  The only online publication dedicated to the way She creates success.

Most Wanted Tool: Google Alerts

Recently, I was asked what my most wanted online tool or application is – my ‘can’t live without’ favorite.

I had to give this some thought because I can live without a lot of things ;D

But when it comes to monitoring what is happening in the markets I want to follow, hands down Google Alerts is right up there on my list of must have tools.

If you aren’t using Google Alerts, or aren’t familiar with what it is let me give you a quick brief.  Google Alerts is a free tool that updates you with information you wish to track or monitor online.  Updates are sent directly to your email box as frequently as you request.

Here are the top 3 ways I use this nifty tool in my business:

1.    Monitor news (press releases, event announcements, etc.) in any industry you wish to follow.  If you ever wonder what to write about in your blog or ezine, monitoring a news story or industry trend and sharing your point of view about it will do the trick!

2.    Track how often and where your name or business name is mentioned online.  This gives you great fuel for follow-up articles or interview opportunities you can present and give your personal brand a powerful boost.

3.    Track any news or other mentions of a competitor, company you’d like to do business with, or existing clients.  For new business development, this is an especially powerful resource.

There is something to be said for having the right information at your fingertips.  But like anything else, it’s what you do with what you know that makes all the difference.

Happy hunting!

Until next time…

Love and thanks,

Liz

What a Grumpy, No B.S., Direct Marketing Icon Can Teach You About Influence…

One by one they went around the table introducing themselves and why they made the decision to learn from the master.

“He lit a fire under me”

“His philosophy is so innovative”

“I was attracted to his unique approach…it’s so different from what everyone else is doing in my industry”

With each introduction it occurred to me that Dan Kennedy, legendary direct sales and copywriting guru, wears the triple crown of influence…and slightly cocked to the left.

Only 2 people in this room of 20 entrepreneurs from all walks of life had ever met him.  To the rest, he was revered as living legend.

Their businesses changed.

Their perspectives changed.

Their capacity to succeed changed.

And all it took was one mans incredible, bigger than life influence.

In certain circles, the Dan Kennedy brand is as well known, and respected (maybe even a little feared) as Donald Trump!

While you may not have icon status in your field (yet), there’s no reason why you too can’t learn the secrets of influence from one of the best.

Walk Softly and Carry a Big Stick
All good brands are clear about what they stand for. While Dan has been known to snub his nose at all this branding “stuff,” he has in fact created a distinct (and authentic) brand persona; direct, no nonsense, straight shooter, and unwavering.

Create a Currency of Exchange
The most influential brands are those that posses a “who can I help” attitude.  Dan is very clear about the audiences he best helps and does so by providing information rich value based on his understanding of their needs – he gives, they buy.  It’s not only smart marketing, it’s smart branding.

Develop Peer Power
Whether you’re undergoing a brand makeover or launching a new brand, getting a strong consensus (buy-in) from others is vital.  One of the most universally successful influences on behavior is creating what’s known as “social proof.”  Niche markets and hiring officers alike feel a sense of ease when “people like me” share their vote of confidence in you.

Position Yourself as an Expert
There’s a level of confidence you instill in others when you stake a claim in one core area and position yourself as an Expert.  In the beginning, Dan made his mark as the king of copy.  Although he is still known as a copywriting guru, he is now an authority figure in a variety of areas.  His bread and butter however, originally came from positioning himself as an expert copy man.

Create Demand
Let’s face it even the most accessible brands must create demand. Dan has not only highlighted the unique and targeted benefits of his coveted insider information (he is a copy master after all) but he makes it well known that working with him privately is an exclusive proposition.

The Kennedy brand is not known as accessible but even the Rachel Ray’s of the world (a brand designed around accessibility) understand their audience will want more of them, if they can’t access them easily.
Until next time…

Love and thanks

Liz

©Copyright Liz Pabon.  All rights reserved.

The Shape and Drape of Marketing

A good friend and I were gabbing about marketing the other day.

We came to the conclusion that like fashion, marketing ideas, methods and formulas are merely recycled and repackaged from years gone by, into something that feels fresh and new.

It therefore is a bit disappointing (for some) when you hear of a ‘new’ approach only to dig a little deeper and find out it’s not new at all and is instead, an old idea in a different dress.

So why can’t anyone make the true ‘this is unique’ claim?

Because the truth is we haven’t changed…

Marketing is in part the emotional and psychological arm of your business.  While branding is the emotional and relationship building center of your business, marketing takes that emotion, wraps a little psychology around it with the intention of getting people into action.  I won’t even go into the BIG problem of marketing when the element of branding is left out of the equation!

And because we are still motivated by many of the same things: the need for more money, more time, more problems to solve, more love, more fame, etc., the ‘game’ of marketing (and the steps of the game) is as old as the Levis brand.

In order for marketing to change, what we desire needs to change.  Until then, it is a matter of looking at the new lines, shape and drape of marketing and choosing a path that is your ‘best fit.’

Some things to consider as you go through the marketing ‘racks’:

1.    Does the method honor the integrity of your personal and/or business brand?

2.    Does the teacher and their philosophy honor the integrity of your personal and/or business brand?  Would you be proud to state, “I am a student of….”?

3.    Can the method grow with you as you grow?

4.    Will you need to hire an entire crew to execute the method because of its technical or advanced nature?  Delegating is wonderful (you don’t want to be a technician in your business if you don’t have to!) but if you can’t implement even the first part of the model without some help…give it some serious thought or consider hiring a Marketing Manager instead.

Until  next time…

Love and thanks,

Liz

Get ‘Real’ or Go Home!

The other day I got an interesting email from a pretty well know Internet marketer who shall go nameless in this post.

What made this email interesting was the subject line.  Now we all know that without a powerful, compelling, make ‘em drool subject line your message may just go unopened but honestly, this was a little over the top…even for me ;D

The subject line (and you may recognize it if you are on this distribution list) simply said “Put on a Diaper.”

Yes, I opened it.  In fact, I read it a few times because something about it well…bugged me.  And I’m not just singling this message or the marketer out either.  There are plenty of messages like this one that bug me just as much.

I sat with this for a few days trying to figure out why I was so irked.

The tone was friendly enough so that wasn’t the problem.  And to be perfectly frank some of the dialogue (although it could be construed as rude by some) I would not only say myself in conversation but would email to a girlfriend, so that wasn’t the problem.

And then I realized what it was…

You see, I get nothing but promotional emails from this marketer.  Every message has a sales pitch woven into it and because of that, I have not formed a relationship with this marketer.  Therefore, their messages feel like that of someone trying to chum up to you before they’ve earned the right to do so.

Now hear me out, the copy on many of these messages are all well written and intended to elicit those know me, trust me feelings but the truth is, they don’t.  They don’t make me feel like I know anything about the marketer and because of that the trust factor just isn’t there!  And their cash registers do not ring with my sale.

It really comes down to your definition of establishing a relationship.  When was the last time you went out of your way to make a new friend?  And I don’t mean making a new friend as a result of your business either.  I mean having no other intention but to befriend someone new.

Wouldn’t it be interesting if we shifted our focus from this:

To this:

In other words, lead with the promise of a new and lasting relationship and then introduce your wares as though you were recommending something to someone you really care about versus someone you hope to ‘get’ something from…

Scream and shout brands are fading fast folks.  And those that are cleverly trying to hide their pitch amidst words that appear friendly are only fooling themselves.  Sure, they’re raking in the dough now, but at some point they’ll have to get ‘real’ or go home.

What do you think?

Until next time…

Love and thanks,
Liz

Do You Have The Freedom Formula?

As I get this Friday’s issue of How She Does It ready for you, I wanted to alert you to something big that’s happening today.

Because it is so big, you are likely to hear lots of people talking about it, blogging about it and emailing about it.

Today, August 13, my good friend Christine Kloser has gathered together 75 leading authors and experts to show you new ways to transform your life by putting more soul in your business and money in your bank (we really can have it all!).

You can go here now to find out what’s going on.  Otherwise, let me explain…

www.freedomformulabook.com

Christine isn’t someone who just talks about a soul-based business. She truly walks her talk, which is why I wanted to tell you about her ‘How She Does It’ story…

After her early struggles as an entrepreneur that was near bankrupt, she faced a cross roads.  Because of her courage and perseverance, we now get to benefit from her incredible journey.

What I especially appreciate about her formula, is that it allows you to leap frog your success by avoiding the pitfalls so many of us step into when we just don’t know better.

So today, I’m excited to announce that she’s put her formula into her newest book The Freedom Formula, How to Put Soul in Your Business and Money in Your Bank. I’ve read the book myself and can tell you the principles apply to conscious business owners in general and women in business specifically.

And because Christine embraces one of the key How She Does It principles (collaboration), she’s joined forces with 75 luminaries from around the globe who are each offering you a special gift.

(Wait until you hear who’s involved…)

You have the opportunity to learn from a powerful line-up of “conscious”entrepreneurs including the wonderful Marianne Williamson, Guy Finley, Marci Shimoff, Liz Pabon (hey, that’s me!), Wayne Dyer and others who are here to help you make profits as an entrepreneur by integrating your spiritual wisdom with proven business strategies.

You can go here now to get all the details:

www.freedomformulabook.com

If you are a conscious entrepreneur or want to know how to become one, then this is your chance to learn EXACTLY how, and get 75 free bonus gifts too!

If not, no problem.  As I learn about other resources that can help you discover and claim your best both in and out of your business, I’ll send those along.

Until next time…

Love and thanks,

Liz Pabon

p.s. Christine guarantees you will be delighted with the book – if for any reason in the next 90 days you don’t like it, you keep the book and she will refund your entire investment.

p.p.s.  I’ve got an EXCITING inaugural editionof How She Does It for you this Friday so be on the look out for it in your email box! If you aren’t already a subscriber, I’m happy to gift you a subscription.  Just go here now to register in the big laptop: www.LizPabon.com