Do You Need a CRM or a Marketing Automation System? – @saleswhisperer

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AOCP-Pinterest-Wes-SchaefferOne of the first priorities of any business – especially brick and mortar businesses – is to find and implement a marketing automation system. And with so many out there to choose from, you can just pick one at random and go from there, right? Wrong.

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is trying to implement a marketing automation system without first mapping out their processes. What they should be doing is putting the needs of the business first, and then finding the software that will actually achieve that result.

Wes Schaeffer is The Sales Whisperer, with over 20 years experience in sales training, marketing and consulting with a special concentration on CRM and email marketing sales, support and optimization.

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The Secrets of Building a Thriving Network on LinkedIn – @jenrgy

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AOCP-Pinterest-Jen-LehnerSocial media is not only a benefit, but an absolute must for any business. Sure, you can send a few tweets, shoot out a couple Facebook posts and blog like your life depended on it, but it’s actually a bit more nuanced than that.

Just because you’re sending content to the people on your lists doesn’t mean you’re connecting with everyone you could – or should – be reaching. Sometimes you need to give people a little tap on the shoulder before they’ll knock on your door. Knowing the right techniques to reach out to your desired audience – and get them to check out your profile in return – can translate to more names on your email list and hopefully future business opportunities.

Jen Lehner is a digital marketing strategist who uses her skills and passion to help entrepreneurs utilize all of their marketing tools to grow their business.

 

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The Episode Where I Help Victoria with Her Homework – @therichbrooks

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AOCP-Pinterest-Rich-Brooks-1015We love to receive feedback, comments and questions from our listeners and relish the opportunity to answer any specific questions or pain points that you may have. Recently we received an email from a communications and marketing student from Canada seeking some information specifically around the area of blogging. So we decided to help her out with her school homework and answer some of her burning questions on the topic and offer a few pointers as well.

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The Secrets Behind a Successful Podcast – @podcast411

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AOCP-Pinterest-Rob-WalchPodcasts are a great online marketing tool for your business. They are portable, and therefore a more personal way, to connect with your audience. Whether you’re thinking of starting one or just getting into it, there are a few tips you’ll want to follow to ensure your podcast’s success.

It’s no coincidence that the number of podcast downloads has increased as more people have gotten smartphones. Now use that to your advantage by making it easier for them to find you by considering getting an app specifically for your podcast. And now that you have a podcast, you need to find a way to consistently attract new listeners – and more importantly – get them to subscribe to and review your show.  Finding them, reaching and engaging them, and keeping them is your ultimate goal. And how you choose to go about that will determine the success or failure of your podcast.

Rob Walch knows more than a little about podcasting, not only because he hosts 3 of his own shows, but also due to his role as VP of Podcaster Relations at Libsyn. Rob’s knowledge, know-how and experience has helped both aspiring and seasoned podcasters to create and maintain successful shows.

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How to Tell a Visual Story in Social Media – @ekaterina

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AOCP-Pinterest-Ekaterina-WalterMixing in pictures, graphics and photos with your content and advertising is nothing new, but are you doing it effectively to get more bang for your buck as far as your audience is concerned? When you can effectively lay out your conversation point for your audience and convince them right away that the content is worth reading, then you’ve won half the battle already. It’s also a fact that the human brain processes visuals much faster than text.

Powerful visuals give rise to certain emotions and feelings, which in turn drives a deeper audience engagement. You can develop a powerful marketing program driving your company’s authenticity and cultural relevancy using rich media such as visuals, videos and social media. Think of it as the inverse to “show and tell”, and instead you tell the audience your story by showing them through visuals. Learning how to do this effectively will have a huge impact on your lead generation and allow you greater success while marketing your brand.

Ekaterina Walter is an innovator in the art of visual storytelling, and a best selling author on the topic. She has inspired creativity within organizations and proven that a picture really is worth a thousand words, or perhaps even more. (more…)

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Why You’re Afraid of Public Speaking (And How to Overcome it) – @sparkpresenter

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AOCP-Pinterest-Andy-SaksDoes just the thought of speaking in public make your heart beat faster, your palms sweat and you feel like you might faint? You’re certainly not alone. The fear of public speaking is the highest ranked fear, even over death. Over death!?

The biggest problem to overcome is how to control our natural “fight or flight” instinct. Although we can’t – and shouldn’t – try to eliminate that natural response, learning how to control it is the key to successful public speaking where you remain calm, insight trust in your audience, and in turn, success for you and your business.

Andy Saks knows the importance that public speaking can have on you to help you stand out in the crowd as well as help you generate leads for your business. His expertise on the topic – found both in his programs as well as his book, Presentation Playbook Series – has helped many people learn to utilize presentation opportunities to generate connections, leads, sales and more. (more…)

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How to Tap In, Stimulate, and Enhance Your Creative Thinking – @joelcomm

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AOCP-Pinterest-Joel-Comm-v2We’ve all come across these people – a seemingly rare breed – that either seem to have a knack for being ahead of the next big trend, or come up with amazing and creative ideas with what appears to be an effortless ease. How do they do that, and more importantly, how can we do that?

Well, it’s a bit more than just that old, standby advice of “thinking outside the box”. Making sure you’re telling the stories that your audience wants to hear, versus just the ones you want to tell can make a big difference in whether you engage them or not. Making yourself available and open to different people and experiences is a fantastic way to stimulate and nurture your inner creativity. It’s also a great way to discover what really interests you and where you can bring the most value to your audience.

Joel Comm is an entrepreneur, speaker, author and consultant with over 20 years of internet business experience and has managed to find success among a variety of niches. He is a creative thinker who lives by the philosophy of embracing every opportunity as it comes.

Rich: Joel Comm is the New York Times bestselling author of twelve books including, The AdSense Code, Click Here To Order: Stories From The World’s Most Successful Entrepreneurs, KaChing: How To Run An Online Business That Pays And Pays, and Twitter Power 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0. (more…)

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How You Can Use Social Media for “Person to Person” Business – @AmyGuth

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 AOCP-Pinterest-Amy-GuthWe’ve entered an age where less people receive their news and current events information in print but rather search for it online. And as the purveyors of news and information, our goal is to deliver this information in the most efficient, concise way, while still providing meaningful engagement to our audience.

You could say that social media has come full circle and brought us back to “person to person” business. We see customer service issues resolved in front of our eyes on Twitter and Facebook instead of behind the scenes via an 800 number. Tweets are now playing a huge role in real time search results. Part of realizing that is knowing how to strategically craft the perfect tweet. Some valuable tips that will bump you up in the search results are to use SEO tactics in your tweets and learning how to maximize your tweet real estate by pumping out your keywords in the beginning versus the end of the post. And always, always fill out your Google profile!

Amy Guth is a true renaissance woman who also happens to know how to win in social media. Her ideas and techniques have helped make the Chicago Tribune’s social media presence stand out among its peers, while leading the way for news to have an immediate and lasting impact on the way we, as consumers, receive it.

Rich: Amy Guth is the General Manager/Publisher and oversees operations of RedEye and Metromix at Tribune Publishing Company, is a show host on WGN radio, and is an adjunct faculty member of University of Chicago’s Graham school where she teaches social media. (more…)

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The Best Joe Pulizzi Interview You’ll Read All Year (Starring @joepulizzi)

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Want to win a copy of Joe’s new book, Content, Inc.? Just retweet this post by 9/8, 11:59pm ET with hashtag #ContentInc 

Let’s face it, starting a new business can be time consuming. We all want to start selling our products and services and earning some money as soon as possible. But did you know that trying to rush the process could result in you a becoming an unfavorable statistic of the less than 30% still surviving after the first 10 years?

Finding, getting to know and earning the trust from your key audience will translate to success if you take the time and have the patience to craft your content to their specific needs and pain points. Taking the first 12 months to get up and running may seem like a long time to wait, but your patience can and will translate to success.

Joe Pulizzi’s strength lies in helping businesses become effective content marketers, making them stand out among their peers as leaders in their industry. His proven model for success includes just 6 easy to implement steps that will help your business grow like crazy.

 

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How to Improve Your Social Media with Simple Market Research – @webby2001

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AOCP-Pinterest-Tom-WebsterMarketing research can give a business a much better idea of if their current business plan is working, what tweaks might need to be made, whether they’re meeting their customers needs and what kinds of new products or services might be profitable for them. Unfortunately, many businesses don’t set aside the funds for this kind of research, or simply don’t see the long term importance of such a task.

It’s important to know how current trends are affecting your business, or what your customers actually think of you. You can take the “try, fail and learn from your mistakes” approach, or you can be more direct and simply ask your customers and prospects why they did – or didn’t – choose you.

Tom Webster is a thought leader on the topic of market research and an expert in qualitative and quantitative research techniques. He has directed hundreds of studies in nearly every major U.S. and worldwide market. HIs company, Edison Research, has the unique distinction of being the sole provider of official exit polls for every U.S caucus and election.

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