On Women: Leading, Mentoring and Changing the Face of Business
Posted on 07. Mar, 2012 by John Jantsch in Anita Campbell, Blog, Lisa Barone, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing
On Women: Leading, Mentoring and Changing the Face of Business
This content from: Duct Tape Marketing
March is Women’s History Month. Some 10.1 million firms are owned or co-owned by women, 40 percent of all businesses in the U.S., says the Center for Women’s Business Research. Between 2002 and 2007, women created almost twice as many businesses as men, according to data from the Census Bureau.
There is much written and unwritten about women business leaders, much proposed and assumed, and much left to say. So, I asked eight women business leaders three questions, and I think their answers have a great deal to offer in terms of what this group thinks about being a business owner, and being a woman. (You can find three answers below and answers from Martha Beck, Pam Slim, Nancy Duarte, Carol Roth and Sarah Robinson on AMEX OPENForum)
Lisa Barone is Co-Founder and Chief Branding Officer of Outspoken Media, Inc. She is widely known for her honest industry observations, her inability to not say exactly what she’s thinking
Who would you list as your primary role models when staring and building your business? And why?
Lisa: Vanessa Fox I didn’t necessarily look to her as a role model in terms of starting a business (though she’s done a fine job of that), but more as an example of how I wanted to conduct myself and be seen in my industry. Vanessa is the brain responsible for building Google Webmaster Central, but since then she’s gone off to start her own consulting firm, is ever-present in search, and is just someone who does things *right*. She does them for the right reasons and with her clients’ best interests in mind. And that’s important to me. It was also important to have someone in my sights who works just as hard today as she did before she became a success. She’s kept her head and she’s an expert at what she does. Who wouldn’t look to someone like that for an example?
Anita Campbell is the Founder, CEO and Executive Editor of Small Business Trends and co-autor of Visual Marketing: 99 Proven Ways for Small Businesses to Market with Images and Design
Do you feel you’ve been able to contribute something unique to your business precisely because you are a woman? If so, please elaborate.
Anita: Usually I try not to dwell on gender, but as I look back I think being a woman made me work all the harder, and not give up. Whether real or perceived, I felt I needed to strive to be better than men in whatever I took on because I was a woman. Whether I really HAD to be better than my male counterparts or was in fact being treated differently is not the point. I felt that way — and it drove me. So much of our success in business starts in the 6 inches between our ears (i.e., in our own minds) that we become a product of what we believe. And so, because I believed I had to work harder, I did work harder. While I might never have been the most creative or the most brilliant, I can say that I worked harder than many to build my business.
Known as The Barefoot Executive, Carrie Wilkerson is a mentor/coach/adviser to over 100,000 men and women as the Barefoot Executive through videos, podcasts, masterminding, mentoring and live speaking. She is the author of The Barefoot Executive: The Ultimate Guide for Being Your Own Boss and Achieving Financial Freedom
How would you characterize the differences between male and female business owners?
Carrie: I would say that, for whatever reason, men do seem more driven to keep going while women seem to slow down their growth when they think it is ‘enough.’ Other than that, maybe I’m naive, but I don’t see that many differences. I do get the ‘how do I balance work and life better’ question more from women than men. So either men have that figured out or it’s not top of mind for them.
Wednesday Guest Stars
Posted on 18. May, 2011 by John Jantsch in Blog, Jason Falls, lee odden, Lisa Barone, Rae Hoffman-Dolan, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, Small Business Week
Wednesday Guest Stars
This content from: Duct Tape Marketing
Here are your guest contributors for Wednesday’s edition of the Duct Tape Marketing Small Business Week iPad Giveaway.
Read each of the five posts that follow and click our entry form link to match the guest star with their post.
Jason Falls
Jason Falls is a social media strategist, thinker, speaker and educator. SocialMediaExplorer.com is owned, co-authored and edited by Jason. He also offers a question-and-answer and learning community at ExploringSocialMedia.com. Social Media Explorer is also the name of Falls’s consulting company which focuses on strategic counsel for medium and large companies in the realm of social media marketing, digital marketing, online communications and public relations.
Lee Odden
Lee Odden is the CEO of TopRank Online Marketing, a digital marketing agency specializing in strategic internet marketing consulting, training and implementation services including: Content, Search, Email and Social Media Marketing. As an active thought leader in the search marketing industry, he’s contributed to top industry publications such as Mashable, iMedia Connection and Yahoo Search Marketing Blog along with publishing TopRank’s Online Marketing Blog.
Shama Kabanni
Web and TV personality. Bestselling author. International Speaker. Award winning CEO of The Marketing Zen Group – a global digital marketing firm. Shama is a bestselling author with her book -The Zen of Social Media Marketing: An Easier Way to Build Credibility, Generate Buzz, and Increase Revenue. When not working directly with her clients or shooting her show, Shama travels the world speaking on business, entrepreneurship, and technology.
Lisa Barone
Lisa Barone is Co-Founder and Chief Branding Officer of Outspoken Media, Inc and writes for the Outspoken Media Blog. She has been involved in the SEO community since 2006 and is widely known for her honest industry observations, her inability to not say exactly what she’s thinking, and her excessive on-the-clock twittering at @lisabarone.
Rae Hoffman-Dolan
Rae is the Principal of Sugarrae SEO Consulting and does various types of Internet marketing; search engine optimization, viral marketing, affiliate marketing, site auditing, link development road maps and tons of other little nooks and crannies of this business. She is also the co-founder, co-owner and CEO of MFE Interactive in addition to being the co-owner and SVP of Marketing for Speedy Incorporation.
Wednesday Guest Stars
Posted on 18. May, 2011 by John Jantsch in Blog, Jason Falls, lee odden, Lisa Barone, NSWednesday, Rae Hoffman-Dolan, Shama Kabani, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, Small Business Week
Wednesday Guest Stars
This content from: Duct Tape Marketing
Here are your guest contributors for Wednesday’s edition of the Duct Tape Marketing Small Business Week iPad Giveaway.
Read each of the five posts that follow and click our entry form link to match the guest star with their post.
Jason Falls
Jason Falls is a social media strategist, thinker, speaker and educator. SocialMediaExplorer.com is owned, co-authored and edited by Jason. He also offers a question-and-answer and learning community at ExploringSocialMedia.com. Social Media Explorer is also the name of Falls’s consulting company which focuses on strategic counsel for medium and large companies in the realm of social media marketing, digital marketing, online communications and public relations.
Lee Odden
Lee Odden is the CEO of TopRank Online Marketing, a digital marketing agency specializing in strategic internet marketing consulting, training and implementation services including: Content, Search, Email and Social Media Marketing. As an active thought leader in the search marketing industry, he’s contributed to top industry publications such as Mashable, iMedia Connection and Yahoo Search Marketing Blog along with publishing TopRank’s Online Marketing Blog.
Shama Kabani
Web and TV personality. Bestselling author. International Speaker. Award winning CEO of The Marketing Zen Group – a global digital marketing firm. Shama is a bestselling author with her book -The Zen of Social Media Marketing: An Easier Way to Build Credibility, Generate Buzz, and Increase Revenue. When not working directly with her clients or shooting her show, Shama travels the world speaking on business, entrepreneurship, and technology.
Lisa Barone
Lisa Barone is Co-Founder and Chief Branding Officer of Outspoken Media, Inc and writes for the Outspoken Media Blog. She has been involved in the SEO community since 2006 and is widely known for her honest industry observations, her inability to not say exactly what she’s thinking, and her excessive on-the-clock twittering at @lisabarone.
Rae Hoffman-Dolan
Rae is the Principal of Sugarrae SEO Consulting and does various types of Internet marketing; search engine optimization, viral marketing, affiliate marketing, site auditing, link development road maps and tons of other little nooks and crannies of this business. She is also the co-founder, co-owner and CEO of MFE Interactive in addition to being the co-owner and SVP of Marketing for Speedy Incorporation.
I Have a Web Site, What Else Should I be Doing Online 1
Posted on 18. May, 2011 by John Jantsch in Blog, Jason Falls, lee odden, Lisa Barone, NSWednesday, Rea Hoffman-Dolan, Shama Kabani, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, Small Business Week
I Have a Web Site, What Else Should I be Doing Online 1
This content from: Duct Tape Marketing
This post is one in a series of five guest posts authored by the super star bloggers pictured below. As part of a celebration of National Small Business Week we are asking readers to match all five guests posts up with the contributing blogger to be entered for a chance to win an iPad2. Read all five posts in today’s series and come back each day this week for five new posts in this great educational series and another chance to win.
Match the guest post with the guest stars for a chance to win a free iPad by clicking here
I Have a Web Site, What Else Should I be Doing Online 1
You should be doing what so many of your competitors are NOT doing – turning your attention toward building excitement around yourself and your brand.
First, begin growing the site’s presence by guest blogging on industry-relevant blogs to build your own authority as an expert, drive eyes to your site and to build those all-important links and relationships. Don’t start out targeting the A-listers, but the up-and-comers and the folks who appear just as hungry as you. Go through the same process on Twitter (you have one of those accounts, right?), using tools like Twitter Search, Twellow, and Tweepz to find like-minded Twitter users that you can follow and connect with. Get involved in Twitter chats, industry podcasts, and community events. The combination of reaching out in the blogosphere, on Twitter, and to your in-store customers will help you lay the groundwork of building a super awesome promotional army that you can push news too.
With your army intact, drive them wild with excitement, simultaneously building your brand karma by hosting or sponsoring a contest or event. It could be as simple as lending your name to something that’s already going on, giving away a product or gadget, hosting a Twitter party or something more old school like sponsoring a Late Night at your store where you stay open late and offer some cool (and URL-branded) giveaways and raffles. Because while having a Web site is great, taking the steps you need to build your promotional army to help you GROW that site is even better. Otherwise, yeah, nice Web site, dude. No one cares.
Read the rest of today’s mystery posts here
I Have a Web Site, What Else Should I be Doing Online 1
Posted on 18. May, 2011 by John Jantsch in Blog, Jason Falls, lee odden, Lisa Barone, NSWednesday, Rea Hoffman-Dolan, Shama Kabani, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, Small Business Week
I Have a Web Site, What Else Should I be Doing Online 1
This content from: Duct Tape Marketing
This post is one in a series of five guest posts authored by the super star bloggers pictured below. As part of a celebration of National Small Business Week we are asking readers to match all five guests posts up with the contributing blogger to be entered for a chance to win an iPad2. Read all five posts in today’s series and come back each day this week for five new posts in this great educational series and another chance to win.
Match the guest post with the guest stars for a chance to win a free iPad by clicking here
I Have a Web Site, What Else Should I be Doing Online 1
You should be doing what so many of your competitors are NOT doing – turning your attention toward building excitement around yourself and your brand.
First, begin growing the site’s presence by guest blogging on industry-relevant blogs to build your own authority as an expert, drive eyes to your site and to build those all-important links and relationships. Don’t start out targeting the A-listers, but the up-and-comers and the folks who appear just as hungry as you. Go through the same process on Twitter (you have one of those accounts, right?), using tools like Twitter Search, Twellow, and Tweepz to find like-minded Twitter users that you can follow and connect with. Get involved in Twitter chats, industry podcasts, and community events. The combination of reaching out in the blogosphere, on Twitter, and to your in-store customers will help you lay the groundwork of building a super awesome promotional army that you can push news too.
With your army intact, drive them wild with excitement, simultaneously building your brand karma by hosting or sponsoring a contest or event. It could be as simple as lending your name to something that’s already going on, giving away a product or gadget, hosting a Twitter party or something more old school like sponsoring a Late Night at your store where you stay open late and offer some cool (and URL-branded) giveaways and raffles. Because while having a Web site is great, taking the steps you need to build your promotional army to help you GROW that site is even better. Otherwise, yeah, nice Web site, dude. No one cares.
Read the rest of today’s mystery posts here
I Have a Web Site, What Else Should I be Doing Online 2
Posted on 18. May, 2011 by John Jantsch in Blog, Jason Falls, lee odden, Lisa Barone, NSWednesday, Rae Hoffman-Dolan, Shama Kabani, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, Small Business Week
I Have a Web Site, What Else Should I be Doing Online 2
This content from: Duct Tape Marketing
This post is one in a series of five guest posts authored by the super star bloggers pictured below. As part of a celebration of National Small Business Week we are asking readers to match all five guests posts up with the contributing blogger to be entered for a chance to win an iPad2. Read all five posts in today’s series and come back each day this week for five new posts in this great educational series and another chance to win.
Match the guest post with the guest stars for a chance to win a free iPad by clicking here
I Have a Web Site, What Else Should I be Doing Online 2
If you’re a local service based business, you may have noticed Google Places listings are steadily becoming a dominant force in the Google results for your most important local terms:
Various guides to optimizing Google Places listings agree that the reviews shown with your Places listing are an important part of getting to the top of those rankings. The reviews shown on your Places listing come from multiple sources across the web including big “local” sites like InsiderPages, Citysearch, Yelp as well as niche sites like Zagat and TripAdvisor and tons more. (Tip: click on your competitors’ listings to see additional sites their reviews are coming from.)
So the question becomes, how do you GET people to leave the reviews needed to rank well in Google for your local terms?
Create a “review page” on your website that links to all of your listing pages that you see being used in the reviews of your Places listing. Explain how you love providing great service and encourage customers to review your service.
Make customers aware of the review page via:
- Business cards – on the back: “Love our service? Reward us by giving us an awesome review [link]“
- Generic follow up emails – Check how they liked your service, ask for feedback – if the feedback is positive, suggest they might be interested in leaving a review [drop link]
- Follow up when people leave positive traditional comment cards – thank them for their feedback and mention they can leave reviews about their experience online [drop link]
- Add a “tell us how you found us” field to your contact form listing the biggest local review sites as options. Follow up with happy customers who say they found you via Yelp to remind them to leave their own review on the site [drop Yelp listing link]
Read the rest of today’s mystery posts here
I Have a Web Site, What Else Should I be Doing Online 2
Posted on 18. May, 2011 by John Jantsch in Blog, Jason Falls, lee odden, Lisa Barone, NSWednesday, Rae Hoffman-Dolan, Shama Kabani, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, Small Business Week
I Have a Web Site, What Else Should I be Doing Online 2
This content from: Duct Tape Marketing
This post is one in a series of five guest posts authored by the super star bloggers pictured below. As part of a celebration of National Small Business Week we are asking readers to match all five guests posts up with the contributing blogger to be entered for a chance to win an iPad2. Read all five posts in today’s series and come back each day this week for five new posts in this great educational series and another chance to win.
Match the guest post with the guest stars for a chance to win a free iPad by clicking here
I Have a Web Site, What Else Should I be Doing Online 2
If you’re a local service based business, you may have noticed Google Places listings are steadily becoming a dominant force in the Google results for your most important local terms:
Various guides to optimizing Google Places listings agree that the reviews shown with your Places listing are an important part of getting to the top of those rankings. The reviews shown on your Places listing come from multiple sources across the web including big “local” sites like InsiderPages, Citysearch, Yelp as well as niche sites like Zagat and TripAdvisor and tons more. (Tip: click on your competitors’ listings to see additional sites their reviews are coming from.)
So the question becomes, how do you GET people to leave the reviews needed to rank well in Google for your local terms?
Create a “review page” on your website that links to all of your listing pages that you see being used in the reviews of your Places listing. Explain how you love providing great service and encourage customers to review your service.
Make customers aware of the review page via:
- Business cards – on the back: “Love our service? Reward us by giving us an awesome review [link]“
- Generic follow up emails – Check how they liked your service, ask for feedback – if the feedback is positive, suggest they might be interested in leaving a review [drop link]
- Follow up when people leave positive traditional comment cards – thank them for their feedback and mention they can leave reviews about their experience online [drop link]
- Add a “tell us how you found us” field to your contact form listing the biggest local review sites as options. Follow up with happy customers who say they found you via Yelp to remind them to leave their own review on the site [drop Yelp listing link]
Read the rest of today’s mystery posts here
I Have a Web Site, What Else Should I be Doing Online 3
Posted on 18. May, 2011 by John Jantsch in Blog, Jason Falls, lee odden, Lisa Barone, NSWednesday, Rea Hoffman-Dolan, Shama Kabani, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, Small Business Week
I Have a Web Site, What Else Should I be Doing Online 3
This content from: Duct Tape Marketing
This post is one in a series of five guest posts authored by the super star bloggers pictured below. As part of a celebration of National Small Business Week we are asking readers to match all five guests posts up with the contributing blogger to be entered for a chance to win an iPad2. Read all five posts in today’s series and come back each day this week for five new posts in this great educational series and another chance to win.
Match the guest post with the guest stars for a chance to win a free iPad by clicking here
I Have a Web Site, What Else Should I be Doing Online 3
The web is not a venue where, “if you build it, they will come.” You have to make sure your audience knows your website is there and that it can help them. Spend some time discovering where your customers and people like them are hanging out on the web. (Hint: Assuming you want twice as many of the types of customers you already have, why not ask them?) Do they read blogs? Are they Facebook users? Is Twitter their thing? When you start to see where it is the people you want to attract are, go there, participate in the community on those platforms and provide your insights and expertise (not your catalog) to build trust and attract people to want to know more about you.
That’s it! There’s no big mystery here. Find your audience, serve them well. Remind them occasionally you’re there to help when they need you. Provided your website leads people to clear calls-to-action that you’re measuring, do that and you’ll see your needles move.
Read the rest of today’s mystery posts here
I Have a Web Site, What Else Should I be Doing Online 3
Posted on 18. May, 2011 by John Jantsch in Blog, Jason Falls, lee odden, Lisa Barone, NSWednesday, Rea Hoffman-Dolan, Shama Kabani, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, Small Business Week
I Have a Web Site, What Else Should I be Doing Online 3
This content from: Duct Tape Marketing
This post is one in a series of five guest posts authored by the super star bloggers pictured below. As part of a celebration of National Small Business Week we are asking readers to match all five guests posts up with the contributing blogger to be entered for a chance to win an iPad2. Read all five posts in today’s series and come back each day this week for five new posts in this great educational series and another chance to win.
Match the guest post with the guest stars for a chance to win a free iPad by clicking here
I Have a Web Site, What Else Should I be Doing Online 3
The web is not a venue where, “if you build it, they will come.” You have to make sure your audience knows your website is there and that it can help them. Spend some time discovering where your customers and people like them are hanging out on the web. (Hint: Assuming you want twice as many of the types of customers you already have, why not ask them?) Do they read blogs? Are they Facebook users? Is Twitter their thing? When you start to see where it is the people you want to attract are, go there, participate in the community on those platforms and provide your insights and expertise (not your catalog) to build trust and attract people to want to know more about you.
That’s it! There’s no big mystery here. Find your audience, serve them well. Remind them occasionally you’re there to help when they need you. Provided your website leads people to clear calls-to-action that you’re measuring, do that and you’ll see your needles move.
Read the rest of today’s mystery posts here
I Have a Web Site, What Else Should I be Doing Online 4
Posted on 18. May, 2011 by John Jantsch in Blog, Jason Falls, lee odden, Lisa Barone, NSWednesday, Rea Hoffman-Dolan, Shama Kabani, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, Small Business Week
I Have a Web Site, What Else Should I be Doing Online 4
This content from: Duct Tape Marketing
This post is one in a series of five guest posts authored by the super star bloggers pictured below. As part of a celebration of National Small Business Week we are asking readers to match all five guests posts up with the contributing blogger to be entered for a chance to win an iPad2. Read all five posts in today’s series and come back each day this week for five new posts in this great educational series and another chance to win.
Match the guest post with the guest stars for a chance to win a free iPad by clicking here
I Have a Web Site, What Else Should I be Doing Online 4
One of the most common forms of online marketing for small businesses is to have a website. The problem is, with today’s increasingly social and mobile web, a web site just isn’t enough.
To help website owners take full advantage of the most important online marketing opportunities, here are 3 things small businesses can do to attract and engage new customers.
Content Publishing & Marketing: Consumers are interacting with multiple content sources before purchase and businesses that provide useful information beyond product features and benefits can attract more traffic and referrals.
Tips, articles, videos and experts interviews provide customers with the information they need to buy and refer to others. Useful content optimized with keywords also attracts more search engine traffic and links.
Social Media & Networking – 90% of marketers say that social media is important for their business according to the 2011 Social Media Marketing Report. Word of mouth, referrals and buzz on social networks can increase awareness, build trust and influence sales.
Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube offer useful platforms for small businesses to be helpful and share information with networks far beyond their customer base.
Local & Mobile – By 2014, mobile Internet will take over desktop Internet according to Microsoft Tag Lab. Small business websites can increase page views by offering a mobile friendly version of their website. They can also increase visibility on local search by making sure they’ve claimed their listings on Google Places and Bing Business Listings.
By integrating their web site investment with useful content, social media and local marketing efforts, small businesses can make sure they’re visible wherever their customers are looking and provide great reasons to refer even more new business.
Read the rest of today’s mystery posts here
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