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!

Turn It Into An Article

Ask anyone who consistently implements article writing to promote their services and they’ll tell you it’s one of the most powerful marketing tools they use to establish themselves as an expert in their field. You can too, whether you’re an experienced virtual professional or new to the VA industry.

This week I’ll show you how by simply turning one of your speaking topics into a Top 5… or How To… article.

If you haven’t already developed speaking topics, stop reading now and take a few minutes to list 2 or 3 of the most challenging issues your current or potential clients face — you know, the ones that keep them up at night, the ones you have solutions for.

Remember, this marketing series is all about differentiating yourself from all the other independent virtual professionals out there. Don’t waste this credibility-boosting opportunity by writing ineffectual articles like Top 5 Ways To Delegate To a Virtual Assistant or How to Use a Virtual Assistant To Increase Your Productivity.

Like I said before, it’s been done to death. This cop out approach certainly won’t make you stand out. And because it doesn’t communicate a solution to the pain your audience is feeling, your article won’t get a second glance. The math is simple: They don’t read your article = You don’t get known, liked or trusted = You don’t clients.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Focus on a specific audience — even if you haven’t yet claimed your target market (this is key to leveraging; I’ll explain why and how in future issues of Weekly VA Marketing Tip).
2. Pack your article with useful, practical, and relevant content (offer concrete solutions).
3. Come up with a compelling title (highlight the key benefit).

Here are 2 article heading examples:

• How Real Estate Agents Can Use Social Media To Get Known Locally
• Top 5 Ways Real Estate Professionals Can Use Twitter To Get More Listings

OK, so I’m no article title expert, but I hope it demonstrates the importance of narrowing your focus (real estate agents), delivering a solution (how to use social media), and stating a clear benefit (to get known locally or to get more listings).

If you’re not in the habit of writing articles or if writing isn’t your strong point, don’t let this stop you. The key to article marketing success is simplicity :

1. Write a short introduction.
2. Expand each of your main points in a few sentences.
3. End with a short ‘n sweet concluding paragraph.

Write as if you’re helping a current client overcome the challenge you’re writing about.

Credibility Tip: Tangible solutions showcase your knowledge, abilities and experience. NEVER make the focus of your article about signing the reader up as a client.

Attention procrastinators: Aim for completion, not perfection.

Here are some resources to help you succeed at article writing:

• How to Get Free Traffic with Ezine Articles by Jimmy D. Brown
• How to write an article in 20 minutes by Copyblogger
• Write Smarter – 3 Strategies for Content Development by Linda Dessau
• How to stop knocking on client’s doors, and get them to call you instead! by Psychotactics
• Article Writing: Seven Mistakes To Avoid by Men With Pens

(I’ll add to this list as I find more.)

Once your article is written, get it proofread and ask someone for constructive feedback (use me for feedback if you have no one else).

Now you’re ready to show it to the world. Here are some ways to get your article out there:

• Send it to your mailing list as a newsletter.
• Print your article and mail it to past clients.
• Hand it out at your next networking event.
• Offer it as a guest article for someone’s newsletter who’s mailing list consists of your target audience.
• Present it as a guest post on someone else’s blog (a blog where your target market hangs out).
• Submit it on a few of the top article submission sites (choose from Top 25 Article Directories and Free Content Sites).

Notice I didn’t say anything about posting it on your blog? That’s because we’re going to cover that next time.

Don’t put off completing this cost-effective marketing tip! Have fun with it!

Have an awesome week!!

What a pleasant surprise when, looking at my Google Alerts today, I found The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur included my marketing tip to his list of 115 Marketing Strategies For Small Business — check out #17 for my no-cost marketing suggestion! (thankfully I created an alert for the common misspelling of my name!)

OK, so 115 marketing strategies is a lot, so choose just 2 or 3 of your favorite strategies and start implementing them in your VA business this week.

More internet surfing this very early morning has resulted in another find I thought you’d enjoy — Best Reflections Marketing: Marketing the KLT Factor for Sucess.

I was just browsing the internet, as I often do in the wee hours, and found a great blog, Kirk’s Blog, all about marketing for professional types, like accountants, lawyers, engineers, etc. Even if you don’t fall under this category, you should check it out, since the information it contains applies to anyone wanting to generate offline recognition.

Enjoy.

Rick Spence wrote an article in the Financial Post today entitled Why nailing your elevator speech is crucial.

I love this sentence the most:

“Networking is your key to new contacts, referrals and customers – and most people are so bad at working a room that anyone who even tries to do it well will stand out like a pro.”

Click here to read the entire article.

If you want to do more than just ‘try doing it well’ you’ll want to get your hands on my new guidebook Designing a Compelling 30-Second Intro, which was officially released today!

Check out http://www.30secondintro.com for all the juicy details.

8 Steps to a Profitable Teleconference
By Kathleen Gage

Teleseminars are likely one of the most effective methods for promoting a product or service, building an opt-in subscriber list, increase credibility and establish your expert status.

However, to achieve optimum results you must have your systems in place. It takes more than simply hosting a call to make this work.

Countless individuals have attempted teleseminars as a route to business success, yet failed miserably when they have attempted to make money from teleconferences. Often it is because they have not been trained in how to position the call, create enough of a market demand for what they are selling, there is no call to action, nor do they have a solid follow-up plan.

With the right vision, planning and action steps, you can do extremely well with teleconferences. Here are a few of the steps involved in successful teleseminars.

1. Decide on the purpose and topic of the call. Is it to inform, educate, motivate, inspire or promote?

A simple way to determine the topic (and purpose) of the call is to address a problem your market needs a solution to. Ask your market using an online survey or even by sending a fax or letter to a portion of your market to receive great input.

2. Pick a suitable date and time based on your market. For some markets, daytime works best. For others, evenings. Find a time that works best for your audience.

3. Secure a bridge line. A bridge line enables callers to dial a single phone number and hear each other as if they were in the same room. There are numerous services available ranging from free to very high fee. I use Instant Teleseminars for my primary service.

4. Market the session. How you do this will be determined on whether or not the call is open to the public or only a select group of your current clients are invited.

5. Host the call.

6. Develop support materials. You may want to consider providing a handout or learning guide for the call. This allows listeners to easily follow along, write down points that are especially important to them and refer back to the notes long after the call is over.

Additionally, you can use the learning guide as a promotion piece for other products and services you have available.

7. Record the session. There are software programs available that allow you to record from your phone and computer. Some experts prefer this method while others prefer to outsource all the recording, editing and distribution of the audio file and call transcripts.

8. Follow-up. After the call you should have a definite plan of when and how you will follow-up with those who were on the call and those who were unable to make it. If you are selling a product or service, sales are often made hours, or even days, after the call is over.

Access the FREE report, The Truth About Making Money with Teleseminars.

Clients often lament to me, “I’ve tried everything to get clients, Cristina, and nothing works!” And that’s the problem, right there.

First of all, with the plethora of marketing strategies available, there’s no way they have tried everything. And if they’re even coming close, it means they’re doing too much.

Second of all, they often don’t truly know what is and isn’t working; when they do get new leads or new business, they have no way of knowing where it came from.

Lastly, their focus has been to get clients, rather than on encouraging their readers and prospects to take a simple, straightforward call to action that triggers a well-planned marketing process.

Here is what I suggest they do instead:

1. Pick a handful of marketing strategies and do them consistently for one month. Don’t make matters worse by spreading yourself all over the marketing map. Choose 7-10 marketing strategies that you’ll engage in on a daily or weekly basis for at least one full month and see what kind of results you get. It’s just not reasonable to expect results after just one week of marketing. Some of my favorite strategies are: article writing, speaking, networking events, blogging, sending an email newsletter, podcasting, personal emails, letters and phone calls.
   The trick, at first, is to use strategies that you enjoy and that come naturally to you. As time goes by, you will gain the confidence to stretch yourself a little more, come out of your comfort zone and try something new.
2. Track where people are coming from. You need to know which strategies are making the most impact and attracting the most attention. The easiest way to find out is to ask. If someone mentions that they heard about you, ask them from where. Or add a ‘referred by’ box to your sign-up form.
   If you’re a little more tech-savvy, you can use Google Analytics to see where your website traffic is coming from, and you can usually also track which links people click on in your email campaigns. Pay attention to these numbers. When networking (online or offline), test out just one group at a time, e.g., for one month. Once you know what’s working, you can replicate your success to other groups and to other marketing strategies.
3. Choose one measurable call to action. Without a clearly defined, simple and free request, your audience won’t know what to do next and will move on to something else. A compelling call to action like, “Want more tips about marketing? Grab your free copy of my special report,” gives your readers a reason to stick around. The best calls to action are to sign up for your mailing list, to register for a free event or to request your free information product.
   When you have one specific call to action as the focus of all of your marketing efforts, you’ll have clear evidence about: (1) whether your marketing strategy is working to attract people to your website and (2) whether your call to action is compelling enough for them to take action once they’ve arrived. You can tweak either of these as needed.

Don’t get bogged down by the latest must-try marketing strategy or by what everybody else is doing. Be clear, consistent and targeted and keep track of your results. Eventually, you’ll see a pattern emerge and then you’ll know exactly where to spend your precious marketing time, energy and money.

© 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.

Colleague and public speaking expert, Suzannah Baum president of Ideal Communications, wrote this article for WomenEntrepreneur.com.

You’ll find great tips to help you get started public speaking (including a few quotes from yours truly!). Enjoy.

Speak Better: 5 Tips for Polished Presentations by Suzannah Baum
Public speaking is a marketing tool that keeps on giving, so get past your fear and nail every speech every time.

Most successful entrepreneurs agree that good public speaking skills are among the core techniques they need to propel their business forward. A well-delivered presentation can result in getting some extra funding, securing a new distribution channel, locking into a new referral stream or gaining new customers.

Read the entire article here.

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’m so excited! A few months ago, I was approached by HP Logoworks to write an article for their newsletter, Inside Small Business - Small Business & Home Business Newsletter — an invitation I gladly (and nervously) accepted.

This week, my article got published. You can read the article here: Enough is Enough

Hope you enjoy it!