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3 Sure-Fire Ways to Take Your Blog to the Next Level in 2012
Blog

Wanna Take Your Blog to the Next Level?

Wanna take your blog or website to the next level this year?

Here are 3 sure-fire ways that you can take your blog or website to the next level in 2012.

Write Great Content

Ever read an article and it makes you feel like the author was talking to you? This is what great content is. It all starts within your niche, finds it way to a topic that is relevant to your readership, and ends in a great article title and blog post. It really hooks people into who you are and what your business is all about.

Tip: To write great content try finding out what your readers want to learn how what their biggest issue is within your field and solve their problems. You can do this easily by doing a survey or a poll.

Produce High-Quality Content

Short blog posts are fine if you just want to put a few thoughts out there, but you’ll gain a following and community by posting higher quality posts. That doesn’t mean it has to be long, just a bit more refined, fleshed out, and pumped full of tips, advice, and ideas.

Tip: Take your time when writing a blog post. Always set out to write your best content and don’t just “throw” something together to post. Imagine if the president of the U.S. was reading your blog, wouldn’t you want him/her to leave with a great impression of you?

Generate Rich Content

I’m more of a magazine reader than a book reader. I’m spoiled on pretty graphics, fancy design, and bright colors. Why not add pictures, videos, and audio to your blog to enhance your articles? Don’t just write a post an expect people to read the whole thing.

However, they might if you give them an incentive to keep going. That could be a great video or picture in the middle of your text. Whatever you do It’ll add more depth, keep reader attention, and enhances the rest of your copy.

Bonus Tip: Need help in organizing your thoughts, blog posts, and ideas for articles? Here’s a great video of how I create an editorial calendar for The Success Center. Check it out; “How to Create an Editorial Calendar for Your Blog.”

Bonus Tip #2:Want a visual cheat sheet for all this? Check out my info-graphic: 12 Easy Steps to Writing Killer Blog Posts [Infographic]

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About The Author

Rod Kirby

Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

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5 Power Tips for Growing Your Business on Twitter

Business Twitter Birds

Can you imagine setting up a booth at a convention where everyone gives you their business without having to make a single sales pitch? That’s the potential power of social media. It removes the mystery, hesitancy, and coldness of marketing and creates relationships where none existed before.

Many of you know how much of a Twitter-holic I am, but do you really understand why? It’s not because “it’s what’s hot right now” and I certainly don’t use it just to let people know “what I’m doing.”

It’s a conversation starter and engagement platform. By interacting on Twitter I generate targeted traffic to my website, quality business leads, and build relationships for life. Below you’ll find some ways you can do the same for your business.

5 Tips for Growing Your Business on Twitter

  • Share High-Quality Links - the key to attracting targeted followers is to share information, news, and articles consistently. People are always searching for things on Twitter. If you can point them to a reliable source of information then you’ll become valuable in their eyes. The higher your value the greater chance you have at being retweeted and shared with their followers.
  • Offer Advice to Newcomers - Whenever someone tweets, “Please welcome so-and-so to twitter” I immediately jump, introduce myself, and offer an article from my site that can help them get started with Twitter. Doing so positions you as “the go to” person that they’ll refer to when they need help. It’ll also start the basis of a solid follower relationship that will transform into site traffic.
  • Share quotes and Retweet often - If you don’t know what to tweet find something good someone else has said and share that. Find quotes that enhance your brand’s theme or image. You can’t go wrong quoting the wisdom of others and you’re 10 times more likely to get retweeted as well.
  • Start a Hashtag - “#Hashtags” allow people on Twitter to find and track conversations. Some examples are, #FollowFriday, #MusicMonday, etc. Create one unique to your brand and get people involved on your website and Twitter. Mine is #Successtip, where I share inspirational quotes. This keeps your message and brand consistent and easy to follow.
  • Ask After Serving - remember to share more than you plug your website, product, or service. The last thing people want to do is engage with a salesman or woman. However, once you’ve shared over 50% of your tweets, feel free to throw out a link or promotional message about your business or website. This is the essence of social networking for business.

Follow these tips and you’ll grow your following in no time. The best part of all, they’ll want to know what else you have to offer or how you can help them in someway. It’s a win-win for all and you didn’t even have to make a sales pitch. If you’re new to Twitter or want some more power-tips, read my article, “Are you a Twitter Newbie or Power User?”

How do you grow YOUR business on Twitter? Share your thoughts – and your Twitter handle (so others can follow you) in the comments below.

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Rod Kirby

Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

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POLL: Should Christian Entrepreneurs Advertise their Faith?
Tebow with Scriptures on Face

Meet Tim Tebow . . .

This is Tim Tebow, he’s the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos. You may have heard of him (who hasn’t?!).

Tim loves the Lord and everybody knows it (Can’t you tell?!). His customers (the football fans) know it and so does his co-workers (teammates).

However, he’s gotten a lot of negative and positive attention because of his faith. I can relate to Tim’s story because just recently, one of my clients asked me why I “only offer my services to Christians.”

My reply was that I don’t offer them only to Christians, but I know what I’m called to do and who I’m called to help. That’s why this blog is dedicated to Christian entrepreneurs, because we have unique entrepreneurial challenges.

Do I advertise my faith to clients?

It depends – it depends on which facet of my company they meet first. If they contacted me through this blog, then yes, I guess I do advertise my faith. However, if I meet them for the first time at a networking event, I wouldn’t start a conversation by reciting my declaration of faith.

So, for me, it depends.

Do I mention to them that I’m a Christian and if they’re uncomfortable working me I’ll understand?

Absolutely not! – that’s just not wise. My faith is personal unless it comes up during the right time (a spiritual question is asked) or in the right forum (like this blog).

I suppose everyone is different and it also depends on what kind of business you operate. So, let me pass the torch to you.

Do YOU as a Christian entrepreneur let customers or clients know that you’re a Christian? Is it the right move to make? If you’ve never told your customers, how do you think it would affect your business and sales? If you’re not a Christian, how would you handle someone you do business with advertising their faith?

Drop your answer in the poll below and be sure to let me know why you chose it in the comments too.

Should Christian Entrepreneurs Advertise their Faith to Clients?

View Results


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About The Author

Rod Kirby

Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

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The Christian Entrepreneur’s Secret to Financial Success in 2012
Key to Financial Success

What's the Key to Financial Success?

A wise man once said “success is goals, and all else is commentary.” I believe that success in personal finances is all about setting goals and achieving goals. Truly, goal setters are goal getters!

Mark McCormack in his book, . The graduates of the MBA program at Harvard were asked:

“Have you set clear, written goals for your future and made plans to accomplish them?” It turned out that only 3% of the graduates had written goals and plans. 13% had goals, but they were not in writing. A Full 84% had no specific goals at all, aside from getting out of school and enjoying the summer.

Ten years later, in 1989, they interviewed the members of that class again. They found that the 13% who had goals, but which were not in writing were earning on average twice as much as the 84% of students who had had no goals at all. But most surprisingly, they found that the 3% of graduates who had clear, written goals when they left Harvard were earning, on average, ten times as much as the other 97% of graduates all together.

 The only difference between the groups was the clarity of the goals they had for themselves when they started out.

Now, I’m not suggesting that you can’t become rich without goals or that you will automatically become rich if you have goals. Goal setting will certainly enhance your pursuit of financial freedom.

Setting financial goals, working toward them day-by-day, and ultimately achieving them is the key to a life of financial abundance.

The year is just taking off and what a time to sit down and set financial goals for the year. You must be very clear about what you want to achieve financially in this New Year.

Your greatest responsibility to yourself is to invest the whatever time is required to become absolutely clear about how much money you want to make, and how youcan best achieve it.

You must have financial target that you’re out to hit this year.

 “I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.  And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” Hab2:1-3

A goal is something distinctly different from a wish. It is clear, written and specific. It can be quickly and easily described to another person. You can measure it, and you know when you have achieved it, or not.

The word of God admonishes that we should write down our goals, make it plain (let it be clear), so that we can easily pursue the realization of it. A goal that is not written down is a wish – A daydream. When you commit your goals to paper and read them regularly, you energize your commitment.

“Realize what you really want. It stops you from chasing butterflies and puts you to work digging gold.”- William Moulton Marsden

“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” Pro 29:18 

Writing down your goals, creating plans to achieve them, and working on your plans every single day are the greatest financial wisdom you should embrace throughout your financial journey this year.

What Setting Financial Goals Will Do For You

1.    Setting financial goals will give you direction, without it, you simply drift financially.

2.    They will make you financially accountable.

3.    They will inculcate into you, the much needed discipline in your wealth building process.

4.   They will give you reasons to want to achieve.

5.    Financial goals will make you feel internally motivated.

6.     They will give you something to look forward to and your expectation will become your reality.

Now let me ask you, have you set clear, written goals for your financial journey this year and made plans to accomplish them? Are you off to a good start toward financial freedom in 2012? What challenges are you facing and how are you hurdling them? Share your thoughts below.

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About the Author

Sharon Akinoluwa Sharon Akinoluwa is a professional blogger, internet marketer, speaker, and gifted teacher of biblical principles of economics. He blogs regularly at Wealth and Riches; a Christian blog  that is committed to solving business and financial problems.

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12 Easy Steps to Writing Killer Blog Posts [Infographic]
Killer Blog

Want to Writer Killer Blog Posts?

Small business blogging isn’t dead, but your blog can become “dead in the water” if your posts don’t deliver for your readers.  If your blog posts are too long, confusing, hard to follow, or not well thought-out, you can lose opportunities to convert readers into buyers.

What is a Killer Blog Post?

A killer blog post is one that gets shared across social networks, leads quality discussions in your comments section, and ultimately generates business leads.

It consists of;

  • A Killer Idea which gets people interested in your post, captures the imagination, and solves a problem. Think of your business’s industry and help your customers solve their biggest challenges.
    Note: Need help organizing your blog post ideas? Start an editorial calendar. Here’s a video tutorial to help you get started!
  • Killer Content brings the idea to life and holds your reader’s attention. Videos, pod-casts, and other media can be used to enhance your idea. You’ll find a couple of ideas on good content creation in this article.
  • and Killer Copy-writing which moves the reader along and keeps them engaged until the very end. Copyblogger has an excellent tutorial on copywriting that I highly recommend if you want to learn how to write great copy like a pro!

If you want to write awesome blog posts that engage your readers, builds community, and generates leads, you’ll have to follow 12 easy steps. Go through each using the info-graphic below and bookmark this page to reference it whenever you need it.

Note: Want my best advice for writing killer blog posts and growing your blog? Sign up for my 2 for 1 Success Coaching special. If you want to get more blog traffic, create deeper connections with your readers, and generate more business sales then this deal is for you!

Click the Image below for a larger view

Killer Blog Post Infographic

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About The Author

Rod Kirby

Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

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Keep Your Business Blog Alive with these 6 Types of Posts
Rest in Peace Blogging

Rest in Peace Blogging . . .

There’s a lot of debate about whether or not the golden age of blogging is dead. Robert Scoble doesn’t think it’s dead, simply evolving. And Mathew Ingram of Gigaom thinks that traditional “blogging” may be on a decline but personal publishing is healthy because of the many platforms people use to share the world around them [think Facebook, Google+, and Tumblr].

I agree with both points of view when it comes to personal publishing, but as it pertains to professional publishing, blogging is alive, doing well, and still relevant.

Just like speaking at a major conference, publishing a book, or landing a major Television interview is a great career launching platform – so is blogging!

As a business owner, launching a blog can;

  • Enable you to build a strong web presence,
  • Help you to build a community of people who are interested in your business,
  • Generate sales leads,
  • Open doors of opportunity,
  • Expand your network,
  • and more!

We live in a socially connected internet age where people look for you on Facebook, Twitter, or your website before they inquire about your products or services.

So, is blogging dead?

No, but, like Robert Scoble said, it is evolving – especially for entrepreneurs.

If you have a blog or want to start one for your business you have to think beyond simple or self-serving blog posts. In order for your blog to become a marketing platform you have to think of it as a media property. Consider your blog as your own TV station, radio station, or magazine with content readers want the most.

Your blog’s content should include a mixture of the following types;

  • News articles that inform readers of happenings in your niche on a consistent and timely basis,
  • How-to articles that show readers [step-by-step] how to be successful using your product, service, or in their everyday lives,
  • Editorial articles that educates, informs, inspires, or provides them new perspective on related topics,
  • Info-graphic styled posts that break down typically complex information into easy to understand terms using graphics & pictures,
  • Videos that reveal day-to-day activities around the office, interviews with interesting subjects in your industry, lessons on best practices when handling your products, or useful tips & advice,
  • Audio pod-casts that include round-table discussions with multiple guests on related topics in your industry, interviews with satisfied customers, news, and more.

Tip: Learn how to Write Killer Blog Posts with this Infographic!

The traditional business blog where you “talk up” your products & services, try to entice readers to sign-up to your email newsletter without giving them valuable information, share a few pictures of that company trip to Mexico, or bore people to death with industry lingo, facts, and figures . . . is dead.

You have to think beyond yourself and a traditional blog in order to successfully build an online platform for your business. Your content should be original, fresh, and “sucka-free”. That means devoid of pushy sales pitches, crappy content, and updated consistently.

If you blog for business is your blog “sucka-free?” What kind of content are you creating to build your platform? If you’re not blogging for business, why not? Do you think blogging for business is dead and Facebook is where it’s at? I’d love to hear your opinions in the comments below.

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Rod Kirby

Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

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The 2 for 1 Success Coaching Special has been Extended!
Good News

Good News!

During the holiday season, I ran a very successful promotional that gave you two full hours of 1-on-1 coaching for the same price as one. I knew, when I started it, that it would be very popular so, I’m extending the deal.

For a very limited time, get the best deal in personal & professional development since sliced bread! Get 2 full hours with me to;

  • Develop a solid business plan,
  • Develop a marketing plan designed to make you money,
  • Get advice for growing your blog’s traffic,
  • Get my best advice for branding your business,
  • Learn the tools I use daily that help me master social media marketing,
  • and much more!

This is an excellent opportunity to get the help you need at an affordable price that you won’t find anywhere else!

The holiday season is over – it’s time to kick 2012 into gear and I want to help you do it. If you need some help starting, growing, or marketing a business this is the promotional you’ve been waiting for. Don’t let this offer pass you by, because once February comes, it goes away.

If you’re excited and ready to take your personal life and business to the next level, click the buy now button below, and let’s schedule your coaching session. If you have any questions, check out the F.A.Q. and customer testimonials on the official page.

2 for 1 Holiday Special

2 Hours of Coaching for Only $100! [You get one session, FREE! That's a savings of $100! ]

Let me help you make 2012 your best year yet.

To your success!

Rod

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Rod Kirby

Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

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How to Put First Things First: A Lesson on Aligning Your Goals with Your Values
Goals and Values

Goals and Values

Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. ~Proverbs 19:21

After reading Rod’s post on the lesson finding purpose that he shared with his little sister, I was reminded of how often we fall out of alignment with the purposes of God when it comes to being entrepreneurs and the plan He has for our businesses. As you move into 2012, I want to challenge you to be sure that you are moving forward with your values as the lead. What do I mean? Simple, you want to be sure that what you value help you determine the goals that fit the plan God has set forth for you.

Can I share a valuable lesson with you?

One of the worse mistakes I made early on in building my business was listening to others and not heeding what God was telling me. You see I value my faith and relationship with God; and what I did was place Him as second fiddle to the high income I was beginning to produce. I had to take a step back, let go of the popular radio show, the high paying clients, and the other stuff that was in the way.

I had to start all over again from scratch. I began by assessing my values. I looked at what really mattered and began to create my plans and goals accordingly. The process showed me where God was truly leading. What I thought was to be my business was not. It did not fit my values and it was literally sucking the life out of me.

It was God’s purpose that was to prevail and my plans had to match.

The Truth About Values and Goals

It’s said that if you want to be successful, if you want to lead, then align your values with your goals. If your goals match what is important to you in your daily living then you’re on your way to the top. Values and goals must complement each other for you to be effective.

But, if you struggle with anxiety and unhappiness as you strive for your aspirations then reaching them may not give you inner peace and happiness even if you’re successful. Don’t act like who you’re not to become someone you won’t like once you get there. If you don’t like yourself then no one else will either.

Define Your Values

What do you stand for? Is it courage, honesty, dedication, generosity, thoughtfulness, tolerance, loyalty? What drives you each day to get out of bed and do what you have to do? It could be love of family and God. Maybe you feel peace in helping others achieve their goals.

If you’re to be happy in your career and personal life you must align your values and goals. You could fake it until you make it, but unless these are your true values it would be a hollow victory. Be true to yourself, work hard each day and you’ll become the person you deserve to be.

Define Your Goals

Of course, there are many types of goals and you must decide which is most important to you and your family. Most people when asked to define their goals first think of their career and monetary achievement.

This may include material possessions and social standing in the community. These could coincide with personal and spiritual goals as you climb the mountain of life. Aspire to strike a balance in all these qualities of life.

If you want to truly step into your greatness, understand what you value because it is the core of who you are. The core of who you are will determine your plans and help you create actionable goals for accomplishing great things and walking in the abundance that God has for you. You will see doors of opportunity opening and in way you never imagined.

If you’re properly aligned with the values and goals of your life, you’ll never regret where you are and where you will end.

What do you think? What are you doing to ensure you lead with your values as you enter 2012? Don’t act like someone you aren’t because you will likely not like the someone you become once you get there.

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LaTara Ham-Ying

LaTara Ham-Ying

LaTara Ham-Ying is a Biblical Lifestyle Coach, online marketing consultant, and successful blogger who enjoys helping others create a life and business that fits their style and shows them the power of living in the NOW! Learn more about LaTara at latarahamying.com

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The B.I.G. 12 for 2012

Published on December 14, 2011 by in Business Success, Favorites

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The B.I.G. 12 for 2012

Big12for2012This guest post comes from Paul Wilson, Jr. of 3hrive.com.

One of my most memorable life experiences is having the chance to play college football, which is why I’m a huge fan of the game. Those who follow college football know that from mid-December to early January of every year is “bowl season.” Football enthusiasts around the country will probably over-indulge, having the chance to watch 35 bowl games starting December 17th and culminating with the championship game on January 9th.

One of the most well-known college football conferences is the Big 12. And although they don’t have a team playing in the championship game this year, they regularly have teams that are at or near the top of the national rankings. However, as accomplished as that conference is, I don’t want you to confuse that Big 12 with the “B.I.G. 12 for 2012”.

Top-tier college football teams set a goal to be the national champion, not just to win a bowl game. Well this blog is not about college football or New Year’s bowl games. You need to determine what a championship year looks like for you.

What does winning the “big one” look like in your business?

How will you know if you are on track to meet or exceed preseason expectations? How are you preparing to make mid-season adjustments based on fresh opportunities, unexpected events, or new challenges?

Most people want to build a big business, but that is often focused on temporal measures of success that won’t stand the tests of time. However, a “B.I.G.” (Bold, Innovative, God-Inspired) business is one that focuses on building significance, i.e. the ultimate legacy that you want to create based on how you and your business impacts people and communities.

Significance happens by helping others achieve success. If you focus your efforts on building a significant business, you will definitely reap success along the way.

Here are 12 B.I.G. ideas to propel you to have a significant championship season personally and professionally in 2012:

1. Write a life championship speech – your eulogy – as if you were going to die 50 years from now. Then write what would you need to start doing in 2012 to eventually live up to your future legacy.

2. Choose a daily reading plan to read through the entire Bible. This is your spiritual playbook. If you have already done this previously, choose a different version of the Bible than you normally read.

3. Pray constantly for your customers, competitors, strategic partners, and employees. The Holy Spirit is your competitive advantage, so ask God for the specific wisdom for how to most effectively deal with each of these groups. Also ask Him for divine alliances.

4. On a monthly basis study the business characteristics of Biblical leaders such as Jacob, Joseph, Daniel, Paul, and others.

5. Choose a community group or charity in which to invest a percentage of your company’s profits on a monthly basis.

6. Choose a community group or charity in which to volunteer your time serving on a monthly basis.

7. Choose a community or non-profit organization that needs your expertise and offer one of your products or services pro bono. Ask God for creative wisdom so that all parties involved will be able to benefit over a long period of time.

8. Join a business-focused Bible study group where you can get strengthened spiritually and naturally in living out your faith while growing a sustainable business. There is safety in wise council.

9. Facilitate 12 information interviews (one per month) with a successful expert in your industry and draw out the transferable principles that you can apply to your business and life.

10. Facilitate 12 information interview (one per month) with a successful expert in a different industry than yours and draw out the transferable principles that you can apply to your business and life.

11. Plan an international business missions trip to be completed in either 2012 or 2013. The purpose of this B.I.G. adventure is to have a three-cord impact on the foreign community you choose to engage: social, spiritual, and financial.

12. Rest, relax, and recreate regularly. Your health is your greatest wealth. Take care of your spirit, soul, and body so you can enjoy the fruit of your bountiful harvest.

Champions prepare with the expectation that they are going to win. You will have a Bold, Innovative, God-Inspired year personally and professionally in 2012 when you plan your work and then work your plan. The significance you achieve will be worth exponentially more than a trophy. And you will have a great cloud of witnesses who will be cheering on your victories.

What else can you do to have a B.I.G. year in 2012? Leave your thoughts and suggestions in the comments below.

About the Author

Paul Wilson, Jr. is a Marketplace Pastor and “Dream Catalyst” for leaders and entrepreneurs. He is an author, inspirational speaker, and business coach. Connect with him at his website, 3hrive.com

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How to Create A Marketing Plan For 2012
Road to Success

Do You Know Your Way on the Road to Success? Flickr Image by Patxi Izkue

It’s time to rev up your business and your life in 2012.

The beauty of our relationship with God is that He has entrusted us with talents and abilities.

Proverbs 21:5 says,  Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.

He wants us to use those talents and abilities to bless others and to reflect His glory.  In order to use our talents and abilities to their fullest, we will need to have a good plan which will allow us to execute our vision with hard work.  And that’s where a marketing plan comes in.

Here are a few questions to guide you as you formulate your marketing plan for 2012:

#1  What Is Your Reason For Being in Business?

In other words, why does your business exist?

Here’s an example of my newly formulated purpose for my blog’s existence:

“To help readers identify their own talents and skills; to help them formulate their own personal growth plan; and to inspire them to lead with their individual brands.”

Here’s Rod Kirby’s purpose, which I quote from his “Start Here” page on this site:

My mission is to connect Christian entrepreneurs with people, tools, and resources to help them become successful in their businesses.

If you’d like some help in defining the mission statement for your business, I encourage you to read Michael Holmes’ article, The Importance of ‘Purpose’ for the Christian Entrepeneur .

You will also find Rod Kiby’s article, Vision – Fuel For The Future, to be helpful on this topic.

#2  What Sets Your Business Apart from the Rest?

Is it your focus on God and how you bring that focus into your writing?

Is it your focus on exceptional service to your customers and readers?

What unique skills and talents do you bring to your business?

You may want to consider entering keywords from your business into the search engines to see what your competition is doing.  Now think about how you can do what they’re doing, only differently, and better.

#3  Who Is Your Ideal Customer?

One way you can find out about your ideal customer is to go to Alexa.Com and look up your blog.  Alexa provides many helpful demographics, including age, gender, level of education, and where readers come from.

Once you’ve found out about your readers, you may want to ask yourself whether you want to continue writing for them, or whether there are other groups you want to market and sell to.

Think about who you would most like to help:

What is this customer’s problem(s)?

What does she/he want or need?

Here are some suggestions for finding out what your potential customers want

  • Survey Your Readers.  You can use WordPress plugins or you can e-mail your subscribers from your newsletter list.
  • Read Your Comments: You can learn a lot from your readers, if you take the time to listen to them!
  • Read Other Top Blogs in Your Niche: when you go to Google, type in a keyword for your niche.  Look on the left hand side under “search” and click on “more”.  You will see Blogs in the dropdown menu.
  • Use Twitter search to read about your ideal customer.
  • This is a tip I learned from Pat Flynn at the Smart Passive Income Blog: Look up books in Amazon under keywords for your topic: what are the key problems and solutions offered in the table of contents in the preview?  These topics can give you ideas of what your ideal customer is looking for.

#4  What Do You Want to Accomplish This Year?

Write down all your ideas!

Maybe, like me, you need to completely re-assess your blog, your business plan, or your methods of carrying out your business plan.

In that case, take advantage of Rod Kirby’s two for one coaching special!  I am personally working with Rod to look at my blog through entrepreneur lenses, and he’s already made a big difference in just one hour of coaching.

Maybe you want to double your subscriber or email count.

Or, do you want to enhance your blog design?

I know I’m mentioning Rod Kirby a lot in this article, but I happen to know that he’s got graphic art and web design skills.  You may also want to consider Fiverr (less expensive, lower quality) and 99 Designs (more expensive, higher quality)

Maybe you want to become more professional in your email marketing

Or you may want to add podcasting or YouTube to your methods of getting your marketing message out to a completely new audience.

Once you’ve written everything down, you will want to select the top 3 goals that will get you to where you want to be.

For example, I have 3 goals in re-working my own blog, Personal Success Factors.

I will

A) Talk to top bloggers I respect regarding their designs, who designed them, and decide who I will hire based on my budget and design needs,
B) Continue my coaching process with Rod Kirby to enhance my blog and sharpen my marketing focus,
C) And, I will learn how to podcast and make videos in order to get my marketing message out to different/new audiences.

#5  How Much Will Each of Your Action Steps Contribute to Your Revenue/Profitability?

Think in terms of percentages.

For example,

  • 25% of your revenues might come from your new podcast, along with any affiliate links you soft sell during your podcast.
  • Another 25% might come from producing quality video clips that you post on YouTube.
  • Another 25% might come from coaching.
  • And another 25% might come from an e-book you design.

Once you have your 3 goals, write each goal on a sheet of paper.

Make that goal SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-limited)

Then write a list of 10 ‘next actions’ you will take to reach those goals.

It could be helpful to concentrate the first 3 months of the year to just working on your first goal.  Then take the next goal and work on it for the next 3 months.  And spend the final 3 months on the last goal.  I think you get the idea.

#6 How Much Money Will You Need to Get Your Goals Done?

Make a list of all the materials you will need to get each item done. Then look at your current savings level. It’s a good idea NOT to go into debt in order to finance your goals.

You may want to review Rod’s article, 5 Ways to Start A Business without Going into Debt, as a way to review this subject.

Be creative!

Is there a joint venture you can embark on, where you provide sweat equity in exchange for another entrepreneur putting up some capital.

Or are there sub-goals you can take toward your main goal prior to laying out all the money needed?

I hope you’ve found these six questions helpful to you as you create your marketing plan for 2012.  God wants you to succeed!  So get to work!

Is it time to re-vamp YOUR marketing plan? Did you accomplish everything you set out to do this year? What are YOUR goals for 2012 and what are you doing now to achieve them? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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About the Author SteveSteve Borgman is the author of the blog Personal Success Factors, which is dedicated to help you achieve your next level of excellence in your personal development. You can find him there sharing success tips and more!

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