Click here for the audio version of this post.

Welcome to this edition of Weekly VA Marketing Tip! This series is specifically designed to help virtual assistants avoid marketing insanity. Every Monday, my posts will prompt you to accomplish one specific marketing action to promote, brand or position your professional virtual business.

Implement these tips each week and I guarantee you’ll sustain your marketing momentum, increase credibility and visibility in your field, build stronger relationships, boost your ‘know, like and trust factor,’ get more ideal clients looking for you, and have a consistent marketing game plan for your virtual assistant business.

You might even start to like marketing!

Create a Small Report

In order to be perceived as an expert Virtual Assistant, you must consistently provide information that your target market craves.

One of the best ways to do this is by creating information products.

Information products take many forms:

• Teleclasses, Workshops, Webinars
• Audio education
• Video training
• Ebooks, special reports, white papers, guidebooks
• Membership sites
• Ecourses
• Tutorials
• Programs
• Live or recorded training events
• etc…

The possibilities are endless.

This week, I’d like you to create an information product — a small report — no more than 10 pages, as the free offering for joining your mailing list.

If you already have a free (or pink spoon) offering, turn it into a paid product.

The key to creating a successful info product is to provide valuable, relevant, educational content! You do this by addressing a very specific burning issue for a very focused audience.

Remember the survey you conducted last week? What issue, pain, problem or challenge came up consistently? Which one will you choose as the topic for your small report?

Once you’ve decided on the topic, you’re ready for the next steps in creating your info product:

1. Choose a title.
2. Brain dump everything you know about the issues, pain, problem or challenge.
3. Break everything you came up with in step 2 down into 4-5 main headings.
4. Write 2-4 paragraph under each heading.
5. Put it aside (keep it close).

As you go through each work day helping clients this week, think of ideas, tips, shortcuts, solutions, answers, examples or case studies to support and illustrate your points. Add them to your document.

At the end of the week, you’ll have most of your information product done, or have, at the very least, a solid foundation to work from.

You could then hire a professional copywriter to add what’s missing (I personally love Jaime Lee Mann!).

Or you can add the finishing touches yourself (I’ve had great success using Small Reports Fortune tool for myself and past VA clients — you’ll love the 7-day checklist to complete your report in just one week).

Aim for completion, not perfection.

Set it up in your email follow-up program then share it with the world!

Place the “get my free report” contact form prominently on your website and blog.

If this is a paid product, set it up in your shopping cart and start promoting it.

From this one small information product, you can spin off other products and programs to fill your marketing funnel. But we’ll work on that another time!

Have an awesome week and please let us know what topic you decide on!

The Top 4 No-Brainer Shortcuts to Achieving Expert Status, Fast!

Independent service professionals often ask me how they can become a sought-after expert in their field, especially if they are just starting out. The secret lies in getting others to perceive you as an expert in your field. To achieve this, you must BE (and believe you are) an expert. After all, if you don’t believe you are an expert, how can you convince your audience that you are?

Done over and over again, the following four shortcuts will help cement your expertise in the eyes of your target market and potential clients, and keep you on their minds whenever they think of the topic that you specialize in.

1. Writing. There is no status-building strategy as effective and as cost-efficient as writing. Don’t let the common excuse of, “I’m not a good writer,” stop you from tapping into this credibility-boosting opportunity. I’m not necessarily the best writer, but I know that the more I write, the better I get. I also know that my audience cares more about content than about proper writing protocol. There are many different writing avenues that will get your name out there, such as:
   • Blog. This is my favorite form of writing, because I’m the kind of person who writes the way I speak. Blogs allow me to take a fun, conversational tone and to attract people who appreciate this approach. Write at least one longer post per week about the topic that you specialize in, that you can use as an article.
   • Article marketing. Submit your articles to online submission sites (like ezinearticles.com) to attract traffic back to your website.
   • Newsletter. Capitalize on your hard work by sending your articles to your mailing list as a newsletter. Many email broadcasting services are free when you have a small list, and are affordable as your list grows.
   • Other options. Write press releases about your new products and services, e-books that solve a problem your target market deals with; write a printed book, white paper or special report; contribute as a guest author on someone else’s blog.

   The key to using this status-building shortcut effectively is VALUABLE CONTENT. Avoid being overly general or blatantly promoting yourself; instead, inform and educate your readers, and be laser focused on their needs and concerns.

2. Speaking. Being a speaker instantly supercharges your status as an expert; it boosts your visibility and credibility and you become a sought-after and skilled professional. It is another highly effective and inexpensive strategy, and it’s another time to let go of the excuse that you’re not good enough to do it. Speaking does not need to mean giving a 45-minute keynote address in front of 500 people. Here are some simpler and less intimidating ways for you to gain expert status by speaking:
   • Volunteer to give a 5-minute presentation at local networking venues like Chambers of Commerce and Rotary Clubs.
   • Apply to be a speaker at online trade shows or expos.
   • Accept opportunities to be interviewed on radio shows or podcasts.
   • Teach a class at your local library.
   • Host a monthly teleclass.
   • Record 10-minute audios and post them to your blog, send them to your mailing list or submit them as a podcast.

If there are no events for you to speak at, create your own speaking opportunities:

The key to using speaking effectively is (can you guess?) VALUABLE CONTENT. Make sure you provide your audience with informative and educational content about a topic that they are interested in.

3. Information Products. In order to be perceived as an expert, you must consistently provide the information that your target market is searching for. Information products are the best way to give your audience this information without you having to actually “be” there.
   • Ebooks
   • Audio recordings
   • Membership sites that offer exclusive access to a variety of products
   • Special reports
   • Guidebooks
   • Ecourses
   • Tutorials
   • Teleclasses
   • Live training events
   • Coaching programs

Information products may include:

The possibilities are endless. While VALUABLE CONTENT is also the key to this strategy’s effectiveness, you will want to offer products in a wide range of price points (from free all the way to your big-ticket item).

4. Accessibility. This shortcut may not seem obvious, but as soon as you make yourself available, visible and accessible to your target market, you gain respect and people will seek out your advice. This doesn’t mean spending your day giving away your expertise on the phone or in emails. Instead, tap into the social networking scene. Let your “followers,” “friends” or “fans” know what you’re up to by updating your status. Post surveys. Answer questions relating to your field. Join groups where your target audience hangs out.

Showing up, in real time, and participating in these interactive forums will not only remind your audience that you are an expert in your area, but will also help you to gain the “know, like and trust” factor that is needed to cement your expert status.

Remember that the first key to gaining expert status in the eyes of your target market is to believe in your own expertise. Use these four strategies to share your knowledge in your own unique way, and you’ll be the first one your audience thinks of when they’re looking for an expert in your area.

© 2008 Cristina Favreau. All rights reserved.

ABOUT CRISTINA
Cristina Favreau specializes in teaching independent service professionals who struggle with marketing, so they get more visibility, build their credibility and increase their self-confidence. Get her complimentary “12 Mistakes To Avoid in Your 30-Second Intro” ecourse at http://www.cristinafavreau.com/index.htm

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You’re welcome to “reprint” this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered, including the “ABOUT CRISTINA” info above. Please send a copy of your reprint to web (at) cristinafavreau (dot) com.

I have 2 kids that are home sick today, so I have to make this a quick one.

I just wanted to share with you a new resource I found yesterday. I’ve been searching long and hard, high and low for a shopping cart solution that works with PayPal and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg… and I think I found it!!

Introducing my newest find, E-junkie (still testing the system, using the free trial)! Here’s their pitch:

E-junkie provides shopping cart and buy now buttons to let you sell downloads and tangible goods on your website, eBay, MySpace, Google Base, CraigsList and other websites using PayPal, Google Checkout, Authorize.Net, TrialPay, 2CheckOut and ClickBank.

For merchants selling downloads, we automate and secure the digital delivery of files and codes. If you are selling tangible goods, we automate the shipping calculation and inventory management. Our shopping cart has a built in sales tax, VAT, packaging and shipping cost calculator.

You can sell ebooks, sell mp3 tracks and albums, sell software, icons, fonts, artwork, phone cards, event tickets, cds, posters, books, t-shirts and almost everything else you want to sell.

E-junkie has no transaction limit, no bandwidth limit, no setup fee and no transaction fee.

It’s super affordable — pricing is per month and not a per transaction, which I LOVE. The tiered pricing structure is no nonsense — if you’re selling up to 10 items it’s $5 a month, up to 20 items for $10, etc.

I’m not technical and under 24 hours I’ve listed 3 items. A few people are testing the process for me to make sure I got it all right.

What’s missing? Hmmm, well, I’ve only been using it for a day, but here’s my 2-part wish list:

1. I wish there was a testing feature (where I can go through the process and see exactly what my clients see).
2. I wish it was a little more intuitive (read: idiot-proof it for people like me), like when adding a new product, the optional settings are not clearly explained. For example, you can choose what Thank You message clients receive after their purchase — either the generic message or you can customize your own. But nowhere could I find WHAT the generic message looks like. I would love to know what it says first, THEN decide if I want to create my own.

These are just 2 small things and I’m sure as I get more comfortable using it, I’ll be adding items more quickly.

This is all part and parcel of my continuing efforts to automate my business — and a HUGE part of my Office Organization Venture: Step 2 – Contact Management. I’m really pleased with how things are working out (even though I’m still only on Step 2). I guess staying up until 2am setting up systems is finally paying off.

Who out there is using E-jukie? How is it working for you? As I continue using it, I’ll give you a more detailed review.

If you’d like to give it a try, hop on over and take advantage of their no-strings-attached 7-day trial (I should SO go back to doing sales…. NOT!).

Sounds like my daughter just woke up, so I’m over and out.

Do you want to get out there and market yourself in more public ways, like leading teleclasses or accepting speaking invitations?

Do you have a bunch of topics you’d someday like to develop, but aren’t sure which one to pick first?

If so, Alicia Forest’s Client Abundance blog article, Pick a Topic, Pick a Date, is a must-read.

I’ve personally used this ‘formula’, yielding incredible results. It’s also the approach I took for tomorrow’s IVAA presentation.

It’s a phenomenal strategy to help break you out of procrastination as well as a nifty immersion therapy technique.

I’m biased, but I think my guidebook, Designing a Compelling 30-second Intro, is kick-ass. (Then again, what would it tell you if I didn’t think that?)

It came about from a few workshops I gave last year. I wanted to leverage those presentations by turning my script into a guidebook. However, I didn’t want it to be a simple transcription of my presentation — I wanted it to be professionally written, laid out, designed and formated so my readers would know they’ve just received a carefully thought out, high quality product. I make no money from this guidebook (it’s my free, “pink spoon” offering when signing up for my newsletter), but I was not willing to skimp on quality and content just to say I had an information product out there.

Converting my script into a high caliber written product wasn’t the job for me, so I researched different writers who could do the job. I was immediately sold when visiting Linda Dessau‘s site, so I hired her on the spot. She did an amazing job of taking what I had written (which was in my informal speech format) and turned it into something I’m extremely proud of.

Why am I telling you this?

I recently purchased an information product on how to create and leverage teleseminars. It’s a 90-minute audio/40-page ebook bundle with extra resources for $97. I have to preface this by saying, the information was complete and I received exactly what was promised — the content was great, the steps were easy to understand and the additional resources were very useful. BUT, the ebook is practically a word-for-word transcription of the audio — it’s written the way the author speaks… Plus, the ebook is riddled with errors. It wasn’t edited and “optimized” for a written product.

OK, so it was only $97 — I can’t expect to have the same quality as a $500 product… but this person claims to be a 6-figure entrepreneur. You’d think she’d have no problem paying the couple of hundred bucks to have her ebook professionally rewritten, edited and proofed; besides she would have made that money back in no time.

Speaking of more expensive products, I found the same thing in a $497 12-week self-study program. A few spelling mistakes (like “fine-tine your project”) and unclear instructions is all it takes to make me feel like I’ve been gypped.

So what I’m trying to say is, if you’re into leveraging your knowledge as much as I am by creating informational products, don’t take shortcuts, and don’t skimp on quality and content just to quickly turn something out. If you do, you’re going to pay in loss of credibility and maybe even refund requests.

What do you think? Am I being too harsh? Am I being too pretentious or overly self-righteous? Are you as sick and tired of hyped up web copy turning out low-quality (or too quickly produced) information products as me?

mike movies myersfucking movies mommom sex moviescelebrities nude moviemovie humpsmaker movie downloadmovie sex scene clips1999 movies in released Map

I’ve been reading Mark O’Neill’s article Selling Your Services on eBay: Bring Your Own Beer and wondered if this trend has really caught on in North America… If so, is it working?

So I decided to do some detective work – Cristina-style. I started searching for “coaching” on eBay. Most listings were for coaching products — ebooks, courses, DVD/CDs, books, etc… Then, I fell on someone’s listing for a free professional life coaching session; but he’s located in the UK — he didn’t count. Finally, I saw this guy’s listing and wondered how many bids he actually gets for his coaching. I went to look at his feedback to see what his most recent selling transactions were. I could only go as far back as June 24th, and found out he sells a TON of motivational CDs, but I didn’t find one single person who left feedback for a coaching session.

UPDATE
The link above probably won’t work, since the listing is expired. It was an eBay listing entitled Actual Coaching Session with David Ren Jenkins Himself by David Ren Jenkins, self-proclaimed Six Million Dollar Coach.

So I’m wondering:

• What does this do for his credibility?
• Does this guy have so much money that he can spend it on Insertion, Final Value and Buy It Now Fees (as a self-proclaimed millionaire, I guess he can)?
• If he really is “The Six Million Dollar Coach” he says he is, why does he NEED to market his services on eBay?
• Does this form of marketing actually generate business for him?

Then I searched Google for his name… Of 296 English pages, there was nothing much but eBay sites… His actual website was listed 3rd to last (which is under construction… Hello??? Why doesn’t he spend all those eBay listing dollars and use it to build a half-decent website???).

Ok, so maybe I’m being a little hard on this guy. Maybe this is all part of his branding and marketing plan… Maybe he WANTS to be branded as a successful eBay seller of his coaching products. Maybe he WANTS his name, visibility and credibility to be attached to the eBay name… Maybe his target clients ARE eBay shoppers. He probably gets coaching clients who want to hire him without going through the eBay bidding process. Maybe he’s just testing the system to see how much business eBay generates. Who am I to criticize? You’ll have to excuse my skepticism (it’s in my nature); I’m not picking on the guy… I just want to know.

After reading O’Neill’s article I thought “Cool! I should try that!” but on further investigation, I have decided not to. I think it would hurt my credibility and hamper the work I’m doing to get good search engine ratings… Maybe once I start selling my products I’ll consider it.

If eBay’s working for your service, please let me know! I’d love to hear your story!!

raoof abdur mp3abdelkader chaou mp3abbott mp3 costelloninja 21emon mp3abingdonboys shool mp3aboab arthur mp3 planeteabdurahim green mp3meskoud mp3 abdelmadjid Map

abid baig mp3trombones 76 mp3abradab mp3 lubie dobremp3 abscent lookmagical mp3 arcade shopping abenobashibullay abida mp3abdussamed mp3 abdulbasitzune 80gb mp3 Map