Like Writers, Graphic Design, Keyword Research, Back-linking, Facebook, Twitter, Submission Services, Programmers or Traffic Generation. And the list goes on.

The fact is if you ever plan on growing your business and don’t want to be stuck at your desk all day then you really need to outsource certain tasks.

Quick question . . . can you do everything yourself? And if you can, do you want to?

I can’t do everything and you probably can’t either.  In fact, most business can’t and if you can you are extremely skilled.

Even if you could, the question is should you do everything yourself? You may know how to repair your own car, but as a busy entrepreneur, it it really the best use of your time?  The answer is resoundingly NO, unless auto repair is your business. And even then, you know the old saying about the mechanic whose car is always in need of repair – he’s so busy working on other people’s cars, he has no time to repair his own.

The point is that often other people can perform certain tasks better, faster and with more accurate results than we can.  Just watch one episode of Undercover Boss on TV and you’ll see CEO’s flopping left and right.  They make big bucks running the company, but cannot do some of the everyday tasks to save their lives. Yet these tasks must be completed, or else the business will fall apart.

No worries though, you aren’t expected to do it all.

When you do need tasks performed though, since we are coming out of one of the worst economies this country has ever known, wouldn’t it be nice to get them done for $5 each?

You bet it would!  I am talking about tasks that normal employees would cost much more to perform the same tasks. Or, tasks that you only need done once in a while. Tasks that hiring someone to do in-house would be a waste of money, because you don’t need it done often enough to justify another employee on the payroll.I found this nifty site http://www.Fiverr.com a little over one year ago.  And the money I have saved you can’t even count anymore.  There are so many people with great skill sets on FIVERR that are willing to perform tasks for $5 that you could not get anywhere else.

And it will make your business life so much easier.  Get over there today and get those tasks done that you have been putting off for so long.  Enjoy!

And, don’t forget that AAA Phone On Hold will make a QR code for your business for only $5 each.  You can then use your QR code on all of your printed advertising so that anyone with a smart phone can scan it and be immediately directed to a page on your website, or automatically dial your phone number, or view a special text message, or any number of options. All this for only $5!

With resources like Fiverr and AAA Phone On Hold, $5 goes a lot further than you might have thought it would before.

They are called QR codes.  QR stands for “Quick Response.”

Do you know the size of the mobile phone world now?  It is BIG and growing with no end in sight.

And most of these mobile phones have the capability of installing scanner apps on them.  The app connects to the camera on your phone and allows you to take a picture of the QR code.  The app then processes the image and based on what the marketing company wanted you to see, it will take you to a website, give you information on a product, take you to the company Facebook page or a number of other possibilities.

Below is a copy of one of our QR codes.  Give it a try:

Just the other day I saw a QR code on a car wrap as part of the message.  What a clever idea.  While the car is parked, anyone can walk up to it and scan the QR code into their app.  And BAM, you have instant information.

I have seen QR codes on products in the grocery store, which makes sense.  I can get information on ingredients quickly.  No more guessing.

You’ll even see QR codes at the movie theater on movie posters.  While you are waiting in the lobby you can see movie trailers right on your phone.

If it seems like too much hassle to create your own QR codes, we can help! We will create your QR codes starting at only $5.00 each – even less if you order more than one. We’ll size it for you, convert it to a number of print formats, and even create it in a variety of colors!

In fact, we’ll create a FREE QR code for you, if you are our client!  It’s just one more value added service we’re happy to provide for our clients!

Additionally, QR codes work for photos, video, databases, and social sharing.

We can even set up QR codes to call your business when scanned.  And to that end, make sure you have a good message on hold for your business phone.  Make your phone system work for you instead of you working for it.

QR codes are a great automatic response for your company.  Put one to work for you today!

When a visitor lands on your business website, your next question should be, “What now?”

Think about this for a moment . . . let’s use YOU as an example. Other than search engines like Google or other search websites that you will go back to over and over again, statistically you will not go back to 98.7% of other websites you visit. You’ll go there one time and not ever return. That is a statistical and scientific fact, by the way.

Let’s dissect a little further as to WHY that is the case.

Think back to the days of when we used the Yellow Pages more than we did the Internet or even before the Internet as we know it.

Let’s say you needed legal counsel and you looked that category up in the Yellow Pages. Many of them will be full page ads. And you know what, they are all me too ads. They all say the same thing. And usually it is all about them, hours of operation, how they are the best etc. But, notice they ALL look the same. So how are you supposed to know from those ads who you should consult with?

Stay with me here because this will be one of the most valuable changes you could make to your website or any other type of marketing.

Take those legal Yellow Page ads or websites that all look the same, then all of a sudden you run into one that offers a FREE report titled: “DISCOVER The 5 Critical Things You Need To Do First . . . (you could finish the title).”

And all you had to do was fill in a short form with your email to get instant information. You would probably do that right? I know I would. That stands out from any other website or ad you saw. This ALWAYS WINS over “me too” ads.

You have a pressing problem and you want information NOW.

Here’s the thing . . . all of those websites you visited and left . . . the website owners have NO CLUE you were there. They are waiting for you to call. If you don’t call, then they have lost not only your business, but their marketing dollars are going you know where.

When you offer a solution to your visitor’s problem in the way of a report that they easily opt-in for, now you have the visitor’s attention.

And guess what? Now the website owner knows that you were there because when you opt-in they are notified. The whole process is non-obtrusive for both parties. Can you see why a website visitor would choose your site if you offered a report that sounded like a solution to their problem and what they can do about it? Especially if your competitors did not do this. You stand above the crowd of “me too’s.”

Think about it. If you went to 10 websites looking for a solution and ONLY one had this free report, what would you do? What is your instant reaction?

Potential customers follow the path of least resistance to their problem or challenge.

And not only does your opt-in form capture your potential customers name and email, but you can easily set an email autoresponder system up with follow up messages that are prewritten that are sent on a schedule that you choose all automatically.

Always remember this statement:

“To Convert I Must Capture”

Repeat that again. Repeat it seven times or more. Never forget this.

Repeat it every day.

Even if you are not running a campaign to drive new visitors to your website currently, you will find setting this up that your frequent visitors to your website will opt-in. As a result, you now have given your marketing efforts much more horsepower, and can even cut your traditional advertising expenses by 50% or more.

Why you say? Because simply having this type of system in place with automated email follow up will increase your frequency of visits and transaction amounts will rise. It really can be magical.

It is widely known in the marketing world that your message must be seen or heard at a minimum of five to seven times before a potential customer will take action.

Once this system is set up, it won’t matter if you are in the south of France. It is the best employee you will have ever had because it will never ask for a break, and it will work 24 hours around the clock all 365 days of the year.

Remember you don’t work for your website, but rather it should work for you.

And don’t forget you can make your message on hold work for you too. It is not just about branding or your hours of operation etc. Give your callers on hold a call to action. For example a free report like we have talked about just for visiting your website. Simple to do and if it resulted in just one more transaction a month from that customer . . . well do you see how those revenues go right to the bottom line of profits. Some simple tweaking and you can see gains of 30% more per year just by setting this system up.

By the way probably two of the best email opt-in auto-responder systems in existence today are http://www.aweber.com (my favorite and most affordable), and http://www.officeautopilot.com (great system with lots of bells and whistles).

So tell me again, “How’s Your Back End Doing? Is It Working For You Instead Of You Working For It?”

It seems that even though Google Places has been around for a while now but for some reason not every small business owner has claimed their listing.  It is FREE to do so and very simple to do as you will note in the video.

If you have a conventional Brick and Mortar store, would you put the ‘closed’ sign up whenever a potential customer approached?  Of course not!

Read on below to DISCOVER three ways you’re missing out on targeted customers searching for your type of business by not claiming your Google Places listing.

Missing out on sales

From the customer point of view they are saying:  “If I can’t find you, I can’t call you.”

Google Places is free – who wouldn’t want to drive laser focused customers?

Can you think of any other ways to advertise your company to thousands of people a year without paying any fees?

Directing traffic to your COMPETITORS

Your lack of visibility on Google Places will not only result in less business; it will also drive more traffic to your competitors. Depending on your type of business and location, there may only be a handful of businesses on Google Places in your niche, so don’t let them grab all the traffic and potential sales.

Not making customers aware of promotions

You can add specials and coupons to your Google Places listing which can be very useful to run seasonal sales or introductory offers for new customers.  You have complete control over your promotions so can run them for any period of time you choose.

And since these potential mobile customers will be calling your business, it is probably a great reason to have a custom message on hold that explains your products and services in finer detail.  Which vastly improves the image of your business.

You’ve tried everything when it comes to marketing your business – ads in the local paper, yellow page ads, postcards, telemarketing, etc. but did you know that if you incorporate social media into your marketing campaign you can help your business soar? Once you know your demographic, you can better determine where to target your social media strategy. Using social media could be as simple as placing buttons on your website that let your customers know they can find you on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. In addition to simply letting those buttons sit passively on your site, you need to market your business through those social sites.

When it comes to social media, it can be defined in myriad ways depending on who you talk with. A general definition is that social media is any form of online presence that allows users to engage in a multi-directional conversation in which they can share ideas, information and current events.

Social media – the platform itself – includes “>Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, blogging and more. The main portion of social media is the interaction you have with your customers and potential customers. Businesses sometimes refer to social media as CGM (consumer-generated media), but it’s more than that – it’s a dialogue you are having with those who visit your site or your page.

You may have heard about Search Engine Optimization or heard the term SEO, but may not really understand what it all means. SEO is about using relevant keywords in all of your published content. That is one of the most important things a small business owner can do is research relevant keywords for your business. Which ultimately creates optimized search engine results and higher rankings. It’s all about content and keywords. Take a few moments to view the video below to get an idea about how easy it can be to hone in on the best keywords to be using in your business.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

To get to Google’s keyword research tool you see in the video, go here:

http://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

Not only do you need your content about your business on your website, you also need that content updated often. The best and easiest way to do that is adding BLOG to your site. In fact, the best platform (it’s free) to set up your own BLOG is at WordPress.org . Once set up, you simply post content and articles to that section of your site. And, don’t forget back links from other sites linking to your BLOG or your website. And you can get back links in as little as one hour here: OneHourBackLinks.Com . Also, link to other content on your site so that you can keep readers on your site.

Whether you write them or you use content providers (contract writers) it’s important to have content added at least one time per week. The search engines will not give you much notice if you only post once per month or longer. It does need to be something relevant to your business.

Keywords are just as important. Your keywords need to be words that people will use in a search. Use keywords that mean something to your business, your products and services. You don’t have to use a ton of keywords for each content article or blog you post, but you do need to mix them up and use about 4 to 6 for each post. That way you have a few, and it won’t look like you are spamming trying to get the attention of the search engines. Utilizing several keywords will drive people to your site from different parts of the Internet.

Keeping your on hold message up-to-date is also just as important as consistent blogging and relevent keywords. Your on hold message works in synergy with your other advertising. Keeping it updated at least 2 to 4 times per year (or more, depending on your type of business) keeps callers informed of where your business is today. The more callers know, the more quickly and easily they can make buying decisions.

These are very simple concepts that anyone can do. It just takes a little time and effort and everyone knows that it takes time and effort to run a small business in the first place. Enjoy!

Not only should you spend time being a consumer of your products and services, you should also be a consumer of your own marketing which in today’s digital world includes Social Media and its giant sister Mobile Phones. Think of your marketing efforts as another service offering. Is your social media content and offerings really a valuable service itself? Is it being offered to the right audience? Are you measuring it? If not, you should.

Social Media is not about whether you do it or not. Instead it is about how well you do it. It will make the difference of whether you are still in business a couple of years from now. It has that much impact. Think Social Media is a fad? Check out SocialMediaPays.Com to find out.

How often do you go back to check your own offerings or content for something you posted in the past? If you do, it is a good indication that you have actually posted valuable information. If you never go back to reference your own content yourself, it probably is not valuable for your readership, customers or clients either.

The same is true for your Social Media network accounts. How often do you check your posts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Google+? If the answer is “never”, then maybe the content you are sharing isn’t as valuable as you think it is. In other words, be your own customer.

Lots of Fortune 500 companies utilize influence scores (Klout.Com), re-tweet or like/share metrics, but the easiest measurement of metrics is to look at your own behavior. If you never go back to look at your own content (i.e., you find no value in what you offer or publish), chances are that no one else does either. You can begin improving your Social Media marketing by publishing things that are of value to you. Do that and you’ll automatically begin sharing information and offers that are of value to your clients, customers and readership.

If you want to track what is being said about you or your company try out one of the best Social Media monitoring tools at Trackur.Com and take advantage of a generous FREE trial (no credit card required). It is so valuable to KNOW what your fans, clients and customers are saying that you could put it like this: “It Doesn’t Cost – It Pays!”

Written by Nate Riggs

1. Pick The Right Team – Make sure to select people from your company that enjoy using social media tools. You will need to choose people as booth staff who are comfortable using real-time tools (like Twitter) to follow show hashtags and connect with other attendees. Also remember that you will want someone as a remote admin to help you pull everything together and stay engaged with social networks and pages while you are busy on the floor.

2. Tune Into the Proper Stations – It’s important to do your homework and find the official social stations that the show will be using. Oftentimes, these stations can be found on Twitter hashtags, open Facebook Groups and Pages. Make it a point to set up and staff a listening practice for each of the different show channels.

3. Collect Your Audience – With social media as a tool base, we all have the power to be curators of humans. Find the humans that are relevant to your exhibiting strategy, and use things like Facebook Groups and Pages, LinkedIn Groups or even group texting sites to collect them in one spot making it easier to stay in constant communication at your event.

4. Choose the Right Weapons - A big part of creating media is choosing the right tools. Just about everyone is familiar with the popular Flip Video cameras, but there’s a whole world of equipment beyond the Flip that can make a big difference in your content production abilities for photo and video. Go here to see the weapons list for Team Cbus to get some ideas.

5. Build Your Stage – If your trade show efforts – booth, staff and sponsorships – are part of a brand production, then your production needs an online stage. Blogs make a great stage for showing and sharing content, whereas networks like Facebook are excellent at building dialog within a community. The question is this: what does your company already have in place that you can use in your trade show efforts?

6. Tell Interesting Stories – Know what? Your product and services are just not that interesting. Sorry. Even in an environment like a trade show (that’s designed to market your stuff), simply marketing your stuff will not break through the noise on social media. When using a blog or Facebook to build an audience for your show, try introducing your people and sharing information about them. You’d be surprised what a little introduction will do in terms of building new relationships.

7. Quit Selling Stuff - Really. Please quit trying to sell your stuff on social media sites. I promise, we will tune you out completely. You know as well as I do that a trade show is not really the place to sell your stuff either. Trade shows and social media are about building relationships. Sales happen in boardrooms and on the phones. Take that to heart.

8. Buy More Face Time – The web has been inhabited by human beings, and markets are now conversations. Use social media to find interesting people who might also make good customers for your business. Then invite them to meet you IRL (in real life). You might be surprised just how easy it is to make new friends when you’ve spent some time tweeting or Facebooking with them first.

9. Always Be Mobile – Laptops are a pain in the butt in a trade show booth. Yes, there are things we need them for, but using social media at trade shows is much more friendly on a mobile device. Make sure that your team first has internet-ready smartphones or tablets that are set up with the right applications for social media use. You might even want apps that mirror what’s on your desktop. HootSuite, TweetDeck and Seesmic are good for that.

10. Don’t Be a Robot – While automating content distribution on social networks, so that it’s spread evenly over the day is a good practice, but be sparing with using automation at trade shows. Trade shows are live events with things happening on the floor in real time. To be the most relevant, pay attention to your surroundings and share content (both your own and that of other exhibitors) as it happens on the floor.

Steal My Content – Go ahead. Use my original slide presentation about this to present to your boss. Use it online wherever you want. The only thing I ask in return is that you drop a link back to this post if you use it. And if you’d like to hire me to come in for a brainstorm or present to your team on how you can use social media at your next trade show, you can contact Nate Riggs HERE.

Your clients come to you with an idea in mind of what they’ll be getting, right? They go the dentist and know what they’re getting, they come to a marketing firm with an idea of what you can do for them. They walk into a clothing store – it’s clothing; you’re an accountant, they expect to have their facts and figures taken care of and be on their way.

If you make good on the “promise” of delivering a product or service, your customer is happy. But, what if you over-deliver on your promise? Imagine the word of mouth and goodwill that will generate for your company. Is there any reason your company can’t? You may not want to offer promises outright, but it’s good for your employees to know that the promise is unspoken but is a company philosophy; offer more than your customer expects.

• You’re transparent in your dealings with your customers. Make certain they understand the process, how long it takes and what they’re paying for.
• You’re consistent. Explain your firm’s procedures and treat all customers equal. While loyal customers may subconsciously have a higher priority you don’t want to make exceptions or create expectations.
• You’re honest. If something goes wrong, own up to it.