If you’re not a member of my Marketing Momentum Program for VAs, you missed an awesome call last week on how to market your VA business using press releases with Teresa H. Berger founder of Innovate Services. She’s a master at public relations and expert copyeditor.

She did, however, give me permission to share with you her free special offer. (Did I say it was free?)

Here’s the scoop:
Sign up for her free KISS (Keep It Super Simple) Public Relations and Editorial Tips by May 31st and you’ll also get her Top Buzz Worthy Press Release Ideas report with tons of PR ideas you can start using to market your virtual assistance business right away.

I also highly recommend you visit Teresa’s blog for free advice on getting media attention for your virtual assistance services.

If you’re not using press releases to market your VA business (or if you’re not doing it properly), you’re missing out on a HUGE opportunity to get media attention, as well as gain credibility and visibility.

Click here to listen to the final 3 minutes of our call. Along with her offer, Teresa offers a final public relation tip.

Enjoy!

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.

For the first time, I posted a question on LinkedIn, not really knowing what kind of response I’d get. I don’t know what’s taken me so long to discover the Q&A feature on LinkedIn (thanks to Lara for the suggestion), but I’m sure glad I did.

My question was a simple one: Do you have a 30-second intro? So far, I have not been disappointed with the replies.

My friend and colleague, David Cohen, started the conversation this way:

30 seconds? No way…that’s far too long…how about something short and sweet and catchy so you don’t drone on and on like everyone else at a networking event. Like, I help business owners grow their businesses by over 10 per cent…if this is a result you’d like in your business then let’s talk…

30 seconds is way too long…if you catch me doing that shoot me!

Most people who have answered agree with David — the shorter the better. I agree, although, to be honest, it’s something I struggle with.

So that got me wondering: What’s your take on your own 30-second intro? Are you consistently reworking it to be shorter, or do you find yourself trying to cram in as much information as you can in 30 seconds?

Here’s an article my long-time colleague, Tracey Lawton, wrote last year which generated good feedback. She re-published it in her ezine today, so I thought I’d pass it along to you. By the way (she doesn’t even know I’m telling you this), I highly recommend you take a look at Tracey’s Complete Article Tracking Toolkit manual and workbook (it’s worth a whole lot more than the selling price of $47). Enjoy!

3 Simple and Low-Cost Marketing Strategies to Create Visibility
by Tracey Lawton

Marketing your business is one of the biggest challenges for any solopreneur – it’s a task we all find quite daunting, and are simply overwhelmed by all the information that’s available. Below I have put together some information on 3 simple and low-cost marketing strategies, which you can easily implement right away to create more visibility for your and your business. They all work well for me!

To help you decide which is the best strategy (or strategies) for you, I have listed the pros and cons of each one.

Create a Blog
Pros

• You can really show off your expertise by posting on a regular basis.
• Blog posts don’t need to be very long – approx. 200-350 words.
• If you have some important information to share, you can instantly create a post – no waiting for your next newsletter to make your announcement!
• If you use a blogging platform such as WordPress, this is hosted on your website. Each time you post to your blog you are creating fresh content for your website, which the search engines love!

Cons

• You need to post regularly – at least once a week – in order for this to be an effective marketing strategy.
• You need to feel confident that you will be able to write fresh content regularly.
• It can be difficult to build a direct relationship with your reader.

Publish an Ezine
Pros

• Unlike a blog, readers sign up to receive your newsletter so you already have a connection with them.
• You can build a relationship with your newsletter reader and encourage one-on-one communication.
• You can go into more depth in your newsletter article than you can with your blog posts.
• Your clients/target audience can get to know you through your newsletter.

Cons

• You have to make a commitment to publish on a regular basis, otherwise your subscribers will see you as unreliable, and may even forget about you!
• There is more work involved in putting together a newsletter than writing a simple blog post.
• You will need to subscribe to one of the ezine distribution services – I strongly recommend you do this and not send your ezine via your email client!

Article Marketing
Pros

• If you are already blogging or publishing a newsletter, you have your articles written.
• It is highly likely that once you submit your article to one of the article submission sites, it will be picked up and published on other article submission sites.
• Regularly submitting your articles will elevate you to ‘expert’ status within your field/niche.

Cons

• You have to write the articles if you’re not publishing a newsletter or posting to a blog.
• It takes time to manually research suitable article submission sites and submit articles.
• In order for this strategy to be effective, you have to submit your articles regularly – at least once a month.

Conclusion: You can just pick one strategy to focus on, or you can do all three! Whichever one you choose make sure it’s the right one for you. The key is to be consistent in your approach. If you decide to go with a blog make sure you have the time and motivation to add new posts regularly – at least once a week. Don’t start a newsletter if you know you won’t be able to keep to a regular publishing schedule! And for article marketing to be effective you need to submit articles on a regular basis.

WANT TO READ MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE?
Visit Tracey’s Article Library

© 2007 Tracey Lawton

Online Business Manager & Virtual Assistant Tracey Lawton, has been helping professional speakers, coaches, and authors operate an efficient, organized, and profitable business. Learn how to create an efficient and organized office in 7 EASY steps, and receive free how-to articles at www.VirtualSolutionsEzine.com

A few weeks ago my step-dad told me he wants to start a business selling log homes in Canada as an authorized dealer for a US company. The coach, entrepreneur and Devil’s Advocate in me perked up and started asking tough questions about how he plans to execute his marketing plan — is there even a marketing plan?

In no time, I brought up the target market factor because it’s an important one. My step-dad reasoned that, because the log home company doesn’t have Canadian dealers, the whole of Canada would be an open market and orders would come flooding in from all over the country.

Can you guess what he answered when I asked “Who is your target market?” You guessed it… “Everyone!” Amateurs (sorry, Kim).

I hated to burst his bubble (not really), but I had to lay it out for him. If you’re swimming in the great big ole Everyones-a-prospect Ocean, one of 3 things will happen:

1. You’ll get eaten by a bigger fish. (aka: Being acquired, outsmarted, eclipsed, or squashed by the competition.)
2. You’ll swim around aimlessly for hours, days, months hoping to find a fish — any fish — who wants what you’re offering — and frankly you’d settle for any aquatic vertebrate at this point… after all, you really need the business. (aka: spreading your time, energy, money and efforts so wide that you burn out, or give up from discouragement. “Nothing works. I’ve tried everything. What am I doing wrong?“)
3. Join a school of fish, because it’s just too hard being all alone in this great big sea. (aka:Throwing in the towel and (re)joining Corporate America, ’cause owning a business is just too hard and too much work.)

I told him it’s much better to be the big fish in a small pond, because you’ll stand out from the crowd. There are 2 main reasons for this:

1. You’ll have little to no direct competition.
2. Your target audience will see your business as more closely suited to their particular needs.

So how do you become the big fish? 2 ways:

1. Narrow down your niche and become the expert.
2. Share your expertise in any way possible.

He wasn’t entirely sold on the idea (“But I don’t want to exclude anyone.“), but I think I started getting through to him on the matter.

So, who are you swimming with?

Wendy Piersall (I love reading both her blogs) shares with us how being completely honest and transparent on her blog actually helped build her business and credibility when overcoming technical issues and her own mistakes.

I particularly liked this illustration:

Probably the best analogy is one in a [marriage] – if you owed an apology to your spouse, what do you think would be the best approach: to ignore the problem and sweep it under the rug, or to offer an [apology] and work to solve the problem?

Read the entire article here: How Transparent Should You Be With Your Business Mistakes?

I don’t mind self-disclosing, but I find that sometimes I hesitate to do so as freely as I could. Transparency and honesty are 2 elements I’m striving to incorporate more of in my blog. Please let me know how I’m doing and how I can improve.

How has being honest and transparent in your marketing helped build your business? Do you hesitate being brutally honest for fear of seeming unprofessional? Share!!

Being a speaker instantly supercharges your status as an expert; it boosts your visibility and credibility; you become a sought-after skilled professional. So how do you get started?

It’s different for everyone.

For service professionals, one of the best ways is by authoring a decent number of quality articles (online or print). Once you do, you’ll start receiving speaking invitations — some right out of the blue. For example, someone left me a message a few weeks ago, saying he read some of my articles, saw my newsletter and looked at my blog. He was impressed with what he read and wanted to know if I’d be interested in being interviewed. All this from an organization I never heard of before. I thought that was pretty cool!

Next, make a list of topics you’re passionate about and can talk about for hours. Don’t worry about having your presentation prepared; this step is just to help get your wheels turning.

Finally, you just need to dive in.

If you don’t get speaking invitations as quickly as you’d like, you need to get out there, look for and jump on speaking opportunities (as I did!). Here are some places to start:

• Podcasters seeking interesting, informative and engaging guests
• Networking/membership organizations looking for outgoing, interactive and educational guests
• TV or radio show hosts
• Local and online events
• Local business groups and marketing associations
• Companies hiring speakers for client and employee events
• Trade shows
• Conference hosts
• and more… (I can’t think of them all right now, feel free to add more in the Comments section)

In addition, you’ll want to create your own opportunities to speak. One of the easiest ways is by hosting a regularly scheduled teleclass, Skypecast, etc. You can also start your own podcast.

When speaking, choose topics that are shock-full of useful information. Prepare subjects that have an educational value. Avoid shameless self-promotion. As with writing, no one wants to listen to a sales pitch. Share your knowledge. Offer guidance. Make sure your listeners come away with something useful.

It’s worth coming out of your comfort zone for this one. It’s one of those things that you just need to get over, jump in and learn as you go. Plus, the more you do it, the more you’ll like it, the better you’ll get, the more you’ll get known and the more invitations you’ll receive.

Public speaking makes many nervous; I’ve noticed during my Get Clients Now!(TM) programs, many entrepreneurs are unwilling to even CONSIDER implementing public speaking in their marketing plan. It makes me sad to hear, because I feel they’re missing out on incredible visibility and credibility boosting opportunities.

There’s a ton of information available to teach you how to become an effective public speaker, so I won’t discuss that here. Public speaking is a skill that I feel all entrepreneurs must master, because everyone in business is both a presenter and a salesperson (read: communicator). Public speaking will help you be more successful.

Read Peter Fogel‘s article “4 Compelling Reasons To Use Public Speaking To Get Clients.”

Check out “Marketing by Public Speaking: Steps to Getting Started” where you’ll discover the steps I took, launching me into public speaking for my business.

How can reading improve your status as an expert (listening fits under this category as well)? In 2 ways, reading helps you to be:

1. Reactive: Keeping up-to-the minute with what’s been and is being said in your field keeps you fresh. Then you can readily prepare, participate and communicate (react) to what’s happening as it’s developing.
2. Proactive: Reading will help you identify what has NOT yet been said on a subject. If you find a subject, issue, challenge, comment or anything else that has yet to be broached (maybe because it’s controversial or sensitive, or maybe no one’s thought of it yet), set yourself apart by being the first to start the discussion, using the methods I suggest in the Achieving Expert Status series.

To be an expert, you must read to remain up-to-date on everything concerning your field, target market, clients and competition. You need to know (and use) names, events, tools and terms (including the lingo) circulating in your field of expertise.

Imagine how quickly your reputation as an expert would increase by consistently being the first to inform your audience of recent and upcoming developments in your field. Simply put, you need to know what’s being discussed in your field, and you need to find ways of either (a) being one of the first to know, or (b) being the first to come up with an answer, solution, tool, method, event, etc.

Reading is a natural component of continuing your education and keeps you ‘in the know’. You must stay current and competitive; as such, you must read, learn, study, examine and research regularly.

The internet is a great tool to help you get started. Check up on your competition, visit the blogs and message boards your target market visits, subscribe to newsletters that relate to you service. Don’t limit yourself to just the internet. Buy magazines and books that pertain to your field.

Read what the experts in your field are writing. Get your hands — er, eyes — on whatever your target market’s reading. I’m not saying you must agree or subscribe to everything you read, but you do need to know the different schools of thoughts that are out there in order to distinguish yourself from the pack.

Reading serves another very important purpose — it provides you with inspiration, discussion topics and ammunition for writing your articles, newsletters, blog entries, and anything else. Don’t keep the information to yourself. Agree, disagree, review, comment on, submit a case study… use what you read as substance for your communication strategies.

Be reasonable; don’t be an information junkie. There’s only so much you can read, so much you can take in and so much you can do with the information.

Reading alone won’t automatically give you expert status. Seek unique and practical marketing strategies, connecting what you read with the services you offer.

Basically you want to read as much as you need, in order to stay current, to know what you’re talking about (and what’s being talked about) and to generate new ideas.

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I’m discussing writing as an effective method to gaining expert status first, since it’s one of the fastest ways of getting the word out. It’s strange but true: Your expert status will immediately increase when people see your name published.

Most writing venues cost little to nothing. Some of these venues are:

• articles
• newsletters
• press releases
• blogs
• ebooks and other informational products
• books
• white papers

Keep these points in mind when writing with the goal of getting known as an expert in your field:

• Don’t confuse this method with copy or advertising; refrain from blatantly selling or promoting your services.
• Don’t be stingy. Generously impart useful and practical information.
• Content is key. Avoid being overly general. Be laser focused and write with the needs of your target market in mind.
• Spell check and get someone to proofread.
• For more ‘formal’ pieces (like press releases, articles, products), hire a professional to write for you.
• Let readers know how to find out more about you (that’s the point, right?). When appropriate, include a bio and link to your site.
• Persevere. You won’t become an expert overnight, but don’t give up. The fruits of your labor WILL eventually manifest.

At first, you may think it’s counterintuitive to not promote your business when writing. The truth is, if you mask your piece as a business ad or promotion, you’ll actually hinder your chances of achieving expert status — you’ll be seen as someone only interested in making a sale with nothing valuable to offer. No one wants to be sold. People will quickly stop reading anything you publish and your reputation will be tarnished. Not only that, you’ll be removed from online article submission sites, editors won’t print your work, people will stop reading your blog and newsletters and no one will buy your products.

When writing, you sell yourself by giving valuable information and sharing what you know. Again, this may not make sense to you at first, but believe me, it’s the only way.

If you share your knowledge and expertise with your readers, they’ll think, “If I’m getting all this practical, high quality information for free, imagine how much more I’ll get if I hire him/her!” I’m not suggesting you give EVERYTHING away. Keep your “trade secrets,” programs, processes, etc. for paying clients. You want to give away just enough so your audience feels like they’re getting new and useful information.

Only WHEN your readers feel they know, like and trust you enough as an expert, will they be incited to find out more about your services — THEN your copy and promotional text comes in the picture.

I can talk so much more about this. There’s tons of information written on this subject; I won’t repeat what’s already been said.

If writing is not yet part of your marketing strategy, I HIGHLY recommend you start implementing it right away. Search the internet for more information. Brainstorm. Hire a coach. Start journaling. Do ANYTHING that will help you get started. You don’t have to be a great writer (I certainly am not), you just have to know what you’re talking about. Be transparent, honest, passionate. Have an opinion. Let YOU — your personality — come through. The more you write, the better you’ll get and the more you’ll like it.

Boost your visibility and credibility, and earn your status as an expert in your field by writing. When you see the positive results, you’ll ask why you didn’t start sooner.

I am often asked this questions during a coaching session. Do you make one (or all) of these common mistakes when determining your fee:

• Not knowing how much you’re worth, you charge what your competition charges.
• You charge below what you’re worth.
• You are embarrassed or hesitant when discussing your fees with potential clients.

The first thing to do is, don’t talk about your fees until you know whether your service meets their needs.

However, you may (and will most likely) be asked to justify your fee if your benefits are not clear to your listener. How do you ‘defend’ the fact that you charge a higher fee than your competition? Here are some suggestions:

• Highlight your skills: Do you have business, technical, communication, etc… skills? Be specific and flaunt ‘em!
• Get recognition (aka visibility): Get published, quoted or interviewed. Become the guru of your field. Get the press to notice you. Any form of free publicity that gets you in front of your target clients is a GOOD thing. If you are recognized in some way, again, flaunt it!! Send it to your past and present clients, post it on your website, add it to your marketing kit, get the word out that you are a recognized expert in your field!
• Credentials: This may not be applicable to entrepreneurs in all fields, and you don’t want to go overboard. Does your industry have standards that you must be kept up to date with? Is there additional training that is available to your industry but not mandatory? If it’ll give you the edge, go for it.
• Get experience: If you are new to your field, this is a MUST. Volunteer if you have to. Offer a free session, complimentary hour, test-try, a sample… anything. But do this with moderation. Have your ‘one-time offer’ and do so in exchange for a testimonial.
• Look busy: Someone once said “The harder you are to hire, the harder they’ll try to hire you.” That’s why (in my own opinion) I think cold-calling doesn’t work. While cold-calling has it’s place and it works for some, I think it screams “I’m SO not busy that I have to call complete strangers to see if they’ll hire me.” The trick, don’t act desperate, even if you are.

Personally, if someone says my fees are too high, either they are not a serious prospect and they clearly haven’t done their homework OR they don’t really know what they want OR they are price shoppers and I don’t want them for clients anyways. So, I don’t spend too much time defending myself.

So, what’s your strategy?

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