How to post advice – There’s tweetiquette, the latest post by Lisa Barone offers a concise list that’s practical and full of common sense.

Business Building Advice -  There are marketing consultants saying that you have to build a huge following to be effective on Twitter.

There are those that say you have to be consistent and tweet so many times a day.

Now, really, twitter is done when you have time to do it. If you are permanently on twitter then perhaps you could do with looking at how you manage your time and whether twitter is bringing in the business.

A Personal View

I’ve been using Twitter since July 2008, and that seems an age in social media terms.

I’ve had business from it.

But, the most important thing is that I have connected with people who I may never of otherwise. I’ve connected with people on Twitter who are also friends on other sites. And, because of that, I don’t forward my twitter stream to other sites, the reason being that people want to know about what I tweet about.

And if it was the same as in Facebook, Linkedin or other forums, they wouldn’t bother.

Twitter is just one aspect of your marketing and just how important it is depends upon whether your market is on twitter and that they buy.

Tell me how you experience Twitter because there are as many ways as there are people!

But, in the world where time is at a premium, marketing smarter than harder is required.

Enter:  Lead Magnets

A lead magnet is material produced by you giving information that your market is currently searching for. It sits on a web page and people can download whenever it suits them. So you see, with a lead magnet your business is open all the time! Even when you’re asleep, out with your partner or having a much needed break!

There are three stages to attracting more prospects and are shown in the diagram below:

Lead Magnet Creation

The formats available are document (PDF), audio, video or a combination. Your choice depends upon your market and the sort of services you offer.  For example:

• A law firm would use text and audio than video unless it is showing people how to fill in a particular form
• A photographer may be better to have a document and video rather than audio
• A recruitment agency may have multiple magnets according to whether they are attracting candidates or clients. For clients, they may find audio better than text. While for candidates, it may be both audio and video. But, this really does depend upon the topics shared.

The one format that builds intimacy faster is audio for the simple reason that people can hear you, your passion, your commitment and that builds the like, know and trust faster.

On the other hand, reports and videos enable you to explain complex topics. The length of each depends upon your topic but keeping it short so people can consume and want more.

Publishing – Which Web page?

You can have your magnet on several pages:

• Homepage
• A special page showing more information. Something like a sales page
• Added to specific pages as a supplement to the content

The purpose is to expose everyone visiting that page to your content and magnet.

You ask people for their email address, and more if that’s appropriate for your market, in exchange for the material. Yes, they can immediately unsubscribe once they have your information, and accept that there are some people who take all that’s on offer.  But, they may come back later when it’s right for them!

It’s having their email address that enables you to foster a relationship. It enables you to send them your newsletter, invite them to seminars or forward items that supplement the magnet information. Lead Magnets are integral to marketing your service business.

So we have two activities completed – creation and publish. Now, let’s look at the third element – Promotion.

Promotion

Even though you’ve created the material you know is wanted by your market, you still have to tell them it exists. And, this needn’t be difficult; it can just be a change in the way you promote your services now.

Add details onto your business card, email signature and forums and groups etc. This gives you an opportunity to offer value without being service led; without having to be there to deliver. Now you are open all hours and your promotions are geared to people having the material rather than making the sale.

Be clear before you promote your magnet, even before you create, just what you want to achieve and how you plan to do it. Then, it will be easy to follow up with people, building your reputation and making many more sales along the way.

Why Lead Magnets

This post opened with the market being tough but it is also part of the changing marketing landscape where the buyers search for independent, value-centred information prior to buying. They are less likely to accept sales oriented material as acceptable.

Lead Magnets make the intangible tangible. People are able to experience your approach, your thinking before having to risk paying for a service that doesn’t deliver or delivers with high costs attached.

By having lead magnets, you offer a no risk way for people to learn more about your services, your approach while enhancing your position as an authority.

To find out more, register for the F R E E Lead Magnet Seminar on 10^th February 2010 at 7pm GMT 2pm EST

Now, there is chatter about 2011 and 2012!

If you are just making it through 2009, can you make it through 2011 as well. Sure, there is an upturn forecast in 2010 but will this be enough to recover from 2009 and save for the next downturn?

Small businesses operate on cash – so there has to be a positive cash flow. Without it, the business is dead. The way through any downturn is to make sure your marketing effort is focused to bring results.  Here are 5 things to structure your business to ensure you have cash:

1. Payment in advance
   Restructure your terms of business so you receive payments in advance. This means you won’t be chasing payments when your customers hold onto their cash.
2. Review your client base
   How recession proof are your existing clients? If they are feeling the impact of the recession now, focus your attention on more affluent groups. They will be more likely to have money to spend.
3. Develop new offerings
   If you offer bespoke services on a one to one basis, you can reactivate your current customer base by offering group services where costs are shared. They still receive help, support and results on a budget. The way this is done will depend upon whet you do and what the market wants.
4. Create additional revenue streams
   This is more easy for those who are able to package elements of their services as standalone information products. These can be used independently or an as adjunct to any of your group service offerings.
5. Promotional Partners
   Approach companies who are also serving your market to arrange for cross promotional activity. There is a win-win to this approach – both partners can gain sales and, well potentially much more.

Now, some of these will be instant while others will take time to implement. You’ve got a year before the next downturn starts – that can be enough time. Act now! Subscribe to karenpurves.com to get more about how to turn the downturn into business growth.

Take a look at what happens:

• People look for a new job
• More businesses are started in January than at any other time
• More Relationships breakdown at this time than at any other time
• More People question whether they want to live the life they have now
• More people seek relief from stress
• More people start diets
• Then, there’s the new year resolutions that may never last more than a few days

January is about change.

If you are in the business as a catalyst for change or helping others through change, then Janauary is a hot month for you.

Being October, you have time to make sure your marketing and promotional activity is ready and hits the spot.

Here’s a checklist of the eight steps to maximise your January Sales

1. Review what went well in January 2009
   By taking all the positive stuff, you will get ideas on how it could be improved further. If you’ve changed your offering since January, then concentrate on the service aspect and how well the lead generation aspects went.
2. Ask your clients and prospects now
   Contact these people and ask them what’s happening for them now, their plans for 2010, about things getting them down that they know action is required soon. Some people may not know exactly but by having a conversation you will be able to illicit topics that really required action in the next couple of months but can wait till Christmas is over!
3. Tailor your offering
   Using the information from item 2,  make your offering for January really pertinent to those conversations. Use the words they used when talking to you in the copy.
4. Create your Promotional campaign
   This campaign should run for 28 days or more and will have a mix of  information sharing, teleseminar or preview seminars both on and off line. Making the most of your presence on Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook and specialist sites to raise the profile of what you’re sharing and subsequently offering
5. Schedule the Seminars
   The timing will depend upon your market  and whether pre- or post-  Christmas or all in January. You could play around with the sequence and dates noting which and when works better.
6. Be prepared to deliver
   Know what you can deliver and how many. Prepare all the emails, the information packs and post service follow-up material before you start on the campaign. Doing this now means you will think of things that you can incorporate into your overall plan. It not only increases the cohesiveness of your promotion but its also a boost to your confidence that January will be great!
7. Have a contingency Plan
   Work out what you will do if you have swamped with people wanting your services. Identify other people who could work with you. Be clear how this will be done.  You have done all the marketing and preparation so make sure your expenditure is t least covered and at best, you retain the client in the future
8. Planning for Action brings Activity
   Whatever happens, you will be sure that having done all this thinking and activity that sales will happen. Make sure you record what goes well and not so well to help you next time!

These steps are achievable for you to make the most of the January surge!