Forgive me, but I get a little hot under the collar when talking about email signatures. Email signatures are simply the information that automatically posts at the bottom of your emails, below your messages. Just this week alone I received two emails from business contacts asking me to call them to discuss work-related opportunities, yet neither one made use of an email signature, which forced me to try to track down their number like a professional investigator. Did I enjoy that? No I did not.
Everyone who uses email really needs to make use of an email signature. Otherwise you are inconveniencing the people you communicate with when it comes time for them to call you, visit your website or mail you something. Do you really want to force them to track down your business card from months ago, or go on an online search for how to reach you?
If you are already using an email signature, congrats! But you're still not off the hook with me. Is your email signature comprehensive, easy to read, attractive and does it have a message that gets across your unique service proposition?
In addition to having your complete mailing information and contact phone numbers, your email signature could also include a graphic of your logo, your tagline, a line of type sharing some cool new news about your company as well as a link to your website and social media pages. Use a font and colors that align with your overall brand to keep things consistent.
Email signatures are simple to set up, free to use and they offer a wide variety of options that can enhance the branding of any business. Take a moment today to look at your email signature with fresh eyes. When it's comprehensive, attractive and clearly shares something positive about what you do you're using it to its best advantage.
© 2011 Barbara Wayman, APR, BlueTree Media, all rights reserved
This article may be reprinted when the copyright and author bio are included. ©2010 Barbara Wayman, BlueTree Media, LLC.
Barbara Wayman, APR, president of BlueTree Media, LLC, publishes The Stand Out Newsletter, a free monthly ezine for people who want to know how to leverage the power of marketing and public relations. Get your free subscription today at http://BlueTreeMedia.com/ezine.html
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Throw Sunshine On Their Parade
Has this ever happened to you? You get a new idea. You're all excited. You share your idea with someone near and dear to you and you hear, "Oh, that will never work," or "I knew someone who tried that once and it was a complete disaster."
People are often ready to rain on others' parades, especially those they love the most. I don't know if it stems from a desire to protect from failure or just a projection of their own fears, but people often tamp out others' enthusiasm and think it's a favor.
Recently I've taken a different approach. When someone comes to me with a new idea, I don't rain on their parade. I throw sunshine on it. I look for the good in their idea and how it can help people. I encourage them to pursue it, knowing that they're likely to grow from the experience regardless of the outcome. After all, it's often through mistakes and failures that we learn the most.
Consider this - a system of support is a major determinant of success for people trying to make a major change like lose weight or start their own business. Success is a social activity. While you think you might be protecting someone by pointing out the things that could go wrong with their endeavor, you are probably overlooking all the things that could go wrong if they fail to make a necessary change.
The next time someone approaches you with the beginnings of an idea, notice what is right about their idea and if it isn't dangerous, immoral or illegal, encourage them to give it a go. You never know where their idea could lead. Throw some sunshine around and see what happens.
Barbara Wayman, APR, president of BlueTree Media, LLC, publishes The Stand Out Newsletter, a free monthly ezine for people who want to know how to leverage the power of marketing and public relations. Get your free subscription today at http://BlueTreeMedia.com
© 2011 Barbara Wayman, APR, BlueTree Media, all rights reserved
People are often ready to rain on others' parades, especially those they love the most. I don't know if it stems from a desire to protect from failure or just a projection of their own fears, but people often tamp out others' enthusiasm and think it's a favor.
Recently I've taken a different approach. When someone comes to me with a new idea, I don't rain on their parade. I throw sunshine on it. I look for the good in their idea and how it can help people. I encourage them to pursue it, knowing that they're likely to grow from the experience regardless of the outcome. After all, it's often through mistakes and failures that we learn the most.
Consider this - a system of support is a major determinant of success for people trying to make a major change like lose weight or start their own business. Success is a social activity. While you think you might be protecting someone by pointing out the things that could go wrong with their endeavor, you are probably overlooking all the things that could go wrong if they fail to make a necessary change.
The next time someone approaches you with the beginnings of an idea, notice what is right about their idea and if it isn't dangerous, immoral or illegal, encourage them to give it a go. You never know where their idea could lead. Throw some sunshine around and see what happens.
Barbara Wayman, APR, president of BlueTree Media, LLC, publishes The Stand Out Newsletter, a free monthly ezine for people who want to know how to leverage the power of marketing and public relations. Get your free subscription today at http://BlueTreeMedia.com
© 2011 Barbara Wayman, APR, BlueTree Media, all rights reserved
Sunday, April 10, 2011
10 Ways to Promote Your Facebook Page
Is your business using a Facebook Fan page? With over 300 million active users, many companies have found fan pages vital to their marketing efforts. But how to get your fan page going? Here are some simple suggestions.
1. Create your own URL - the URLs for Facebook pages often are long and ugly. Register a separate domain name for your page and forward it to your Facebook page. If you already have a website you can use a subdomain, like yourwebsite.facebookfanpage.com.
2. Create an incentive to join. Give people a reason to become a fan. Offer a discount to an upcoming event, or make special announcements to your page before you do it elsewhere. Bribe your list with something they want. Run a monthly or weekly prize drawing just for your fans where you draw a fan's name at random for a special prize, ideally connected with your product or service.
3. Create content just for Fans - Offer stuff they can't get anywhere else such as videos, tips, special gifts, coupons and discussion threads.
4. Talk about your page on Twitter - Not just "check out my Facebook Fan page" but something more enticing like, "This video from our costume/anniversary party is going to crack you up," or "Last day to join our FB fan page and receive a free ebook."
5. Promote regular contests - Have fans upload videos and give a prize for the best one. Or let other fans vote. Engage fans with simple things they can do to win. Celebrity Chef Hubert Keller asks trivia questions in exchange for dinner for two or passes to a special event.
6. Acknowledge fans - This is a big one. Please no one tell me they can't get fans to participate when they've never even welcomed fans who join their page. That's like saying you're lonely when you haven't invited anyone over for dinner in six months. When a new fan joins your group or writes on your page wall, respond by writing back on their profile wall. This help create visibility for you and them. Click "like" on their posts. Also, look for your fans on Twitter and send them an @ message. Remind them there are actual people behind your brand and you're interested in them.
7. Provide a place for interaction - Start a thread on your discussion board that allows your fans to promote and/or network with one another. For example, invite your fans to submit their own and their favorite blogs. Ask them what part of your common industry they find the most challenging. Ask their tips. The fact that they're your fans means they already have something in common with other fans.
8. Send email broadcasts - Send an email blast to your regular opt-in list inviting them to join your new Fan Club. Offer an incentive to do so. Show them what's in it for them. Also include an invitation to join your club on your email signature line.
9. Keep your page fresh - Don't neglect it. Set up a regular time in your calendar to focus on your Facebook page. Don't forget the viral nature of Facebook. When someone interacts on your page it may appear on that person's Facebook feed, promoting your page to their friends.
10. Put a button on your website - Grab a button and flaunt it on your website, your blog, your YouTube channel, your ezine. A button is a graphic link that goes directly to your Facebook page. Once people click on it they're on your page exploring and hopefully connecting. With these tips your Facebook fan page should be off and running in no time.
Barbara Wayman, president of BlueTree Media, LLC, publishes The Stand Out Newsletter, an award-winning ezine for people who want to know how to leverage the power of marketing and public relations. Get your free subscription today at http://www.bluetreemedia.com
This article may be reprinted when the copyright and author bio are included.
©2010 Barbara Wayman, BlueTree Media, LLC.
1. Create your own URL - the URLs for Facebook pages often are long and ugly. Register a separate domain name for your page and forward it to your Facebook page. If you already have a website you can use a subdomain, like yourwebsite.facebookfanpage.com.
2. Create an incentive to join. Give people a reason to become a fan. Offer a discount to an upcoming event, or make special announcements to your page before you do it elsewhere. Bribe your list with something they want. Run a monthly or weekly prize drawing just for your fans where you draw a fan's name at random for a special prize, ideally connected with your product or service.
3. Create content just for Fans - Offer stuff they can't get anywhere else such as videos, tips, special gifts, coupons and discussion threads.
4. Talk about your page on Twitter - Not just "check out my Facebook Fan page" but something more enticing like, "This video from our costume/anniversary party is going to crack you up," or "Last day to join our FB fan page and receive a free ebook."
5. Promote regular contests - Have fans upload videos and give a prize for the best one. Or let other fans vote. Engage fans with simple things they can do to win. Celebrity Chef Hubert Keller asks trivia questions in exchange for dinner for two or passes to a special event.
6. Acknowledge fans - This is a big one. Please no one tell me they can't get fans to participate when they've never even welcomed fans who join their page. That's like saying you're lonely when you haven't invited anyone over for dinner in six months. When a new fan joins your group or writes on your page wall, respond by writing back on their profile wall. This help create visibility for you and them. Click "like" on their posts. Also, look for your fans on Twitter and send them an @ message. Remind them there are actual people behind your brand and you're interested in them.
7. Provide a place for interaction - Start a thread on your discussion board that allows your fans to promote and/or network with one another. For example, invite your fans to submit their own and their favorite blogs. Ask them what part of your common industry they find the most challenging. Ask their tips. The fact that they're your fans means they already have something in common with other fans.
8. Send email broadcasts - Send an email blast to your regular opt-in list inviting them to join your new Fan Club. Offer an incentive to do so. Show them what's in it for them. Also include an invitation to join your club on your email signature line.
9. Keep your page fresh - Don't neglect it. Set up a regular time in your calendar to focus on your Facebook page. Don't forget the viral nature of Facebook. When someone interacts on your page it may appear on that person's Facebook feed, promoting your page to their friends.
10. Put a button on your website - Grab a button and flaunt it on your website, your blog, your YouTube channel, your ezine. A button is a graphic link that goes directly to your Facebook page. Once people click on it they're on your page exploring and hopefully connecting. With these tips your Facebook fan page should be off and running in no time.
Barbara Wayman, president of BlueTree Media, LLC, publishes The Stand Out Newsletter, an award-winning ezine for people who want to know how to leverage the power of marketing and public relations. Get your free subscription today at http://www.bluetreemedia.com
This article may be reprinted when the copyright and author bio are included.
©2010 Barbara Wayman, BlueTree Media, LLC.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
The F Word
No, not that one. I’m talking about a different “f-word” – failure. Our culture shies away from the failure label. Some folks even refuse to use it, preferring euphemisms like “challenge” or “issue.” There’s something even more powerful than pretending failure doesn’t exist. That is embracing it as evidence of growth and a crucial pathway to success.
After all, failure and success are two sides of the same coin. You often must persevere past setbacks before you reach your goal. Most high achievers will tell you they’ve failed plenty of times. What set them apart is they didn’t let it stop them.
To take the sting out of this f-word, try looking at it head on – “That approach was a failure.” “I failed at producing that result using that method.” Big deal. Now you know something you didn’t know before – namely one approach that doesn’t work.
There’s a story that when a reporter asked Thomas Edison how it felt to fail 10,000 times in trying to invent the light bulb, he replied, “I have successfully found 10,000 ways it will not work.” But the question gave him a light bulb moment. He realized that to succeed he was going to need to fail faster, so he hired assistants and got busy attempting even more approaches until he finally hit on the one the did the trick.
Maybe it’s time to reframe failure. Instead of seeing it as a painful and embarrassing calamity, view it as an inevitable part of the success process and even cause for celebration. Failure means you put something out there. You tried, you learned and you probably got further than 80% of others. That’s nothing to be ashamed of. You might even set a goal to fail even bigger and faster, knowing that bigger success awaits you on the other side.
© 2011 Barbara Wayman, APR, BlueTree Media, all rights reserved
Barbara Wayman, APR, president of BlueTree Media, LLC, publishes The Stand Out Newsletter, an award-winning monthly ezine for people who want to know how to leverage the power of marketing and public relations. Get your free subscription today at http://BlueTreeMedia.com
After all, failure and success are two sides of the same coin. You often must persevere past setbacks before you reach your goal. Most high achievers will tell you they’ve failed plenty of times. What set them apart is they didn’t let it stop them.
To take the sting out of this f-word, try looking at it head on – “That approach was a failure.” “I failed at producing that result using that method.” Big deal. Now you know something you didn’t know before – namely one approach that doesn’t work.
There’s a story that when a reporter asked Thomas Edison how it felt to fail 10,000 times in trying to invent the light bulb, he replied, “I have successfully found 10,000 ways it will not work.” But the question gave him a light bulb moment. He realized that to succeed he was going to need to fail faster, so he hired assistants and got busy attempting even more approaches until he finally hit on the one the did the trick.
Maybe it’s time to reframe failure. Instead of seeing it as a painful and embarrassing calamity, view it as an inevitable part of the success process and even cause for celebration. Failure means you put something out there. You tried, you learned and you probably got further than 80% of others. That’s nothing to be ashamed of. You might even set a goal to fail even bigger and faster, knowing that bigger success awaits you on the other side.
© 2011 Barbara Wayman, APR, BlueTree Media, all rights reserved
Barbara Wayman, APR, president of BlueTree Media, LLC, publishes The Stand Out Newsletter, an award-winning monthly ezine for people who want to know how to leverage the power of marketing and public relations. Get your free subscription today at http://BlueTreeMedia.com
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Big Rocks Revisited
Have you heard that story about the teacher who showed his students how to get a sizable amount of big rocks, little rocks, sand and water into a jar, as long as they put the big rocks in first? The analogy was that the big rocks are your most important relationships and they deserve your first consideration.
With the pace of life today and the demands of both the online and offline worlds, how many of us can really be certain we're giving our most important relationships priority? Typically we're hounded on the phone, email, mail and social media by people who are either strangers or far from our inner circle. Yet these folks can easily consume a lot of our daily attention.
Social science suggests we can only have around ten close personal relationships at a time. This matches what I learned at a recent conference: on average only 10 people will cry at your funeral. And of those who attend, 50% will look to the weather to decide if they go out to the cemetery afterwards. Can you even identify the top ten relationships in your life right now? Are you guilty of letting people who don't matter matter?
Last year I made it a habit to write down the names of the people who are most key for my happiness and success. Then I took it a step further. I kept that list on my desk and cross referenced it to my monthly calendar. This step can be a shock if you've never done it before. You may find the way you spend your time is totally out of alignment with who is most important to you. If this is the case, seeing things in black and white can help you fix that.
TIP: This quarter, why not identify your top ten relationships and periodically see if your calendar reflects your priorities. And look for ways to make yourself less available to the others. Let some calls go to voicemail. Don't answer every email, just click delete. Take a social media fast every now and then. Trust me, you will miss very little of importance. Put the energy into your big rocks instead and let me know what happens.
Barbara Wayman, president of BlueTree Media, LLC, publishes The Stand Out Newsletter, an award-winning ezine for people who want to know how to leverage the power of marketing and public relations. Get your free subscription today at http://www.bluetreemedia.com
This article may be reprinted when the copyright and author bio are included.
©2010 Barbara Wayman, BlueTree Media, LLC.
With the pace of life today and the demands of both the online and offline worlds, how many of us can really be certain we're giving our most important relationships priority? Typically we're hounded on the phone, email, mail and social media by people who are either strangers or far from our inner circle. Yet these folks can easily consume a lot of our daily attention.
Social science suggests we can only have around ten close personal relationships at a time. This matches what I learned at a recent conference: on average only 10 people will cry at your funeral. And of those who attend, 50% will look to the weather to decide if they go out to the cemetery afterwards. Can you even identify the top ten relationships in your life right now? Are you guilty of letting people who don't matter matter?
Last year I made it a habit to write down the names of the people who are most key for my happiness and success. Then I took it a step further. I kept that list on my desk and cross referenced it to my monthly calendar. This step can be a shock if you've never done it before. You may find the way you spend your time is totally out of alignment with who is most important to you. If this is the case, seeing things in black and white can help you fix that.
TIP: This quarter, why not identify your top ten relationships and periodically see if your calendar reflects your priorities. And look for ways to make yourself less available to the others. Let some calls go to voicemail. Don't answer every email, just click delete. Take a social media fast every now and then. Trust me, you will miss very little of importance. Put the energy into your big rocks instead and let me know what happens.
Barbara Wayman, president of BlueTree Media, LLC, publishes The Stand Out Newsletter, an award-winning ezine for people who want to know how to leverage the power of marketing and public relations. Get your free subscription today at http://www.bluetreemedia.com
This article may be reprinted when the copyright and author bio are included.
©2010 Barbara Wayman, BlueTree Media, LLC.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Okay I'm On Twitter - Now What?
The logic of connecting more closely with your target audience has attracted many businesses to Twitter, but once they're there they can be unsure of best practices or what to do next. Here are some tips to help expand your reach in the Twitterverse.
1. Follow more of your followers. I would think at least 40% of your followers are in areas where it makes sense for you to get their updates. Look carefully through your followers and make your selections. If you're worried that your treatstream will get clogged up with stuff you don't care about, make lists by category so you can easily access your favorite tweets.
2. Print out a list of all your clients and prospects, and then use the Find People tab to see if they're on Twitter. It is a good idea to follow all your clients so that you can keep tabs on what's going on with them. Reading their tweets will keep you in the loop and might give you the heads up on new opportunities. If you don't want competitors to access your client lists, set them to Private and no one but you will be able to see them.
3. List yourself on Twitter directories so that people who don't yet know you but are interested in the topics you cover can find you. You can sign up at twellow.com, twibs.com, wefollow.com, whoshouldfollow.com, twubble.com twitterlinkup.com and tweetertags.com.
4. Always be thinking of bringing your website content to your Twitter feed. Many more people will see it on Twitter than just on your website. When you update your blog or website make sure to tweet about it. Sites like twitterfeed.com can automate this process.
5. Post periodic visuals using twitpic.com, to give your visually-minded followers the chance to engage with you in a new way.
6. Get in the habit of regularly following people as you go through your work week - if you read a great book, see if the author is on Twitter and follow him/her. When you get a new client, add them to your lists. Create a system internally so that everyone in the company can do this on a regular basis.
With these tips you should be able to more than double the number of quality followers you have in a short time, which will widen your sphere of influence. If you want to track your progress, I like twittercounter.com. It can show you exactly how you're growing.
© 2011 Barbara Wayman, APR, BlueTree Media, all rights reserved
Barbara Wayman, president of BlueTree Media, LLC, publishes The Stand Out Newsletter, an award-winning ezine for people who want to know how to leverage the power of marketing and public relations. Get your free subscription today at http://www.bluetreemedia.com
This article may be reprinted when the copyright and author bio are included.
1. Follow more of your followers. I would think at least 40% of your followers are in areas where it makes sense for you to get their updates. Look carefully through your followers and make your selections. If you're worried that your treatstream will get clogged up with stuff you don't care about, make lists by category so you can easily access your favorite tweets.
2. Print out a list of all your clients and prospects, and then use the Find People tab to see if they're on Twitter. It is a good idea to follow all your clients so that you can keep tabs on what's going on with them. Reading their tweets will keep you in the loop and might give you the heads up on new opportunities. If you don't want competitors to access your client lists, set them to Private and no one but you will be able to see them.
3. List yourself on Twitter directories so that people who don't yet know you but are interested in the topics you cover can find you. You can sign up at twellow.com, twibs.com, wefollow.com, whoshouldfollow.com, twubble.com twitterlinkup.com and tweetertags.com.
4. Always be thinking of bringing your website content to your Twitter feed. Many more people will see it on Twitter than just on your website. When you update your blog or website make sure to tweet about it. Sites like twitterfeed.com can automate this process.
5. Post periodic visuals using twitpic.com, to give your visually-minded followers the chance to engage with you in a new way.
6. Get in the habit of regularly following people as you go through your work week - if you read a great book, see if the author is on Twitter and follow him/her. When you get a new client, add them to your lists. Create a system internally so that everyone in the company can do this on a regular basis.
With these tips you should be able to more than double the number of quality followers you have in a short time, which will widen your sphere of influence. If you want to track your progress, I like twittercounter.com. It can show you exactly how you're growing.
© 2011 Barbara Wayman, APR, BlueTree Media, all rights reserved
Barbara Wayman, president of BlueTree Media, LLC, publishes The Stand Out Newsletter, an award-winning ezine for people who want to know how to leverage the power of marketing and public relations. Get your free subscription today at http://www.bluetreemedia.com
This article may be reprinted when the copyright and author bio are included.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Baby Steps
If you’re going to move forward you can take big leaps, regular steps or baby steps. It’s fun to focus on the big leaps because that seems like the fastest, most direct way to go. I used to think that and was always percolating on what big leaps I could take and then something happened to change my point of view.
It was last year when I decided to stretch myself by entering a beauty pageant. I had never entered a beauty pageant in my life, so I had a lot to learn. One of the areas of my attention was fitness, since there was a swimsuit competition that was 25% of my scores.
For two years, I regularly attended a weightlifting class twice a week. When I decided to enter this pageant I knew I needed to step it up but I wasn’t sure how so I asked my teacher what to do. She gave me the most amazing tip. She said I should use two bars. On the first bar put my usual amount of weight, and on the second bar put that amount plus a little more. Then she advised me to start with the heavier bar and stick with it for as long as possible, switching back to the lighter bar when it got to be too much.
I followed her advice and in a very short amount of time I was able to do the whole class with the heavier bar. Going to that higher weight helped to sculpt my muscles, which combined with watching my diet gave me a defined, strong, physique so that I rocked that swimsuit competition and took home the fitness award.
The coolest part though, was that it all happened not from a Big Leap, like grabbing some huge heavy weight and trying to pump that. That would have just given me injuries and set me back. No, it was the baby step of adding just a bit more weight and then just a bit more after that that did the trick.
The older I get the more I see the incredible power in baby steps and I think it's because they are so sneaky. They're so easy and do-able that it's hard for our minds to get involved and start talking us out of things. Baby steps build on what is already happening in a way that's so subtle we hardly notice. Baby steps are like a cute little toy you want to play with. They're non-threatening and fun, yet the results they can produce are astonishing.
TIP: The next time you’re brainstorming action, start small with questions like, “What baby step can I take to move me closer to my goal today?”, or “What one small thing can I do right now that will be the very best use of my time?” Notice what you come up with, and what results it produces.
© 2010 Barbara Wayman, APR, BlueTree Media, all rights reserved
Barbara Wayman, APR, president of BlueTree Media, LLC, publishes The Stand Out Newsletter, an award-winning monthly ezine for people who want to know how to leverage the power of marketing and public relations. Get your free subscription today at http://BlueTreeMedia.com
It was last year when I decided to stretch myself by entering a beauty pageant. I had never entered a beauty pageant in my life, so I had a lot to learn. One of the areas of my attention was fitness, since there was a swimsuit competition that was 25% of my scores.
For two years, I regularly attended a weightlifting class twice a week. When I decided to enter this pageant I knew I needed to step it up but I wasn’t sure how so I asked my teacher what to do. She gave me the most amazing tip. She said I should use two bars. On the first bar put my usual amount of weight, and on the second bar put that amount plus a little more. Then she advised me to start with the heavier bar and stick with it for as long as possible, switching back to the lighter bar when it got to be too much.
I followed her advice and in a very short amount of time I was able to do the whole class with the heavier bar. Going to that higher weight helped to sculpt my muscles, which combined with watching my diet gave me a defined, strong, physique so that I rocked that swimsuit competition and took home the fitness award.
The coolest part though, was that it all happened not from a Big Leap, like grabbing some huge heavy weight and trying to pump that. That would have just given me injuries and set me back. No, it was the baby step of adding just a bit more weight and then just a bit more after that that did the trick.
The older I get the more I see the incredible power in baby steps and I think it's because they are so sneaky. They're so easy and do-able that it's hard for our minds to get involved and start talking us out of things. Baby steps build on what is already happening in a way that's so subtle we hardly notice. Baby steps are like a cute little toy you want to play with. They're non-threatening and fun, yet the results they can produce are astonishing.
TIP: The next time you’re brainstorming action, start small with questions like, “What baby step can I take to move me closer to my goal today?”, or “What one small thing can I do right now that will be the very best use of my time?” Notice what you come up with, and what results it produces.
© 2010 Barbara Wayman, APR, BlueTree Media, all rights reserved
Barbara Wayman, APR, president of BlueTree Media, LLC, publishes The Stand Out Newsletter, an award-winning monthly ezine for people who want to know how to leverage the power of marketing and public relations. Get your free subscription today at http://BlueTreeMedia.com
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