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10 Titles: Business Reads Summer 2024

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Summer is the perfect time to dive into books you may have learned about earlier in the year, but were too busy to read. During the typically less hectic days of summer, you might also be inclined to browse a bestseller list or two, in search of authors and topics that are new to you and seem like a good fit in the here and now. Reading is always an adventure!

I am happy to continue my summer reading list tradition, started in these posts in 2011 as a way to encourage professional development (yours and mine). I hope you’ll find one or more books here that not only enlighten, inform and inspire you as you live your entrepreneurial journey but also, I hope you discover books you’ll enjoy.

1. Build a Better Business Book: How to Plan, Write and Promote a Book that Matters (Josh Bernoff, June 2023)

Acquiring a reputation as a thought leader confers great status In the business world, delivering to the holders of that position a highly respected brand reputation and considerable influence and renown. In addition to building a lucrative business, perhaps one that services A-list clients, entrepreneurs have also discovered that a business book is a powerful brand-enhancing tool that can elevate you to the position of thought leader.

A well-written business book will establish your authority in your field, can grow your customer list and bolster business revenue, is likely to attract good PR and may even open doors to unexpected opportunities. “Business books are a way to propel thinkers to prominence,” author Josh Bernoff shared. The power of a well-written business books is that it can become a catalyst that elevates the author to new heights of recognition.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/build-a-better-business-book-josh-bernoff/1143149280

2. Clear Thinking (Shane Parrish, October 2023)

While it is not possible to directly teach anyone how to think logically, exercise sound judgment, or make good decisions, author Shane Parrish provides in his book actionable tactics that will encourage the development of those skills, so that you can use them effectively when confronting what matters most in your life. Parrish has written a guide to recognizing life’s pivotal moments and learning how to take the best path forward. He also discusses how to avoid cognitive biases, behavioral default modes that he calls instinctive thinking—reflexive thinking patterns woven into human nature. If you fall back into default mode thinking when embroiled in a high-stakes situation, instinctive thinking will undermine your ability to make wise decisions.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/clear-thinking-shane-parrish/1142907883

3. Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens (Rajiv Shah, October 2023)

Shah is president of the Rockefeller Foundation and was administrator of the U. S. Agency for International Development (USAID) during the Obama administration. Here he presents an innovative blueprint for creating large scale change that’s been inspired by his involvements with some of the largest humanitarian projects of our time, from helping to vaccinate 900 million children at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to the race to stop the spread of the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa. As we witness a world that’s embroiled in many vexing crises, it is easy to become cynical about the ability to find and implement practical remedies that are capable of bringing about substantive, positive change; in frustration, many throw up their hands in defeat.

Shah eloquently and passionately argues against such cynicism.  He distills his real-world strategies for positive creating change, pointing out that big bets have a surprising advantage over cautious ones: a bold vision can attract support, collaborations and fresh ideas from key players who might otherwise be resistant.  Shah presents the playbook and thus the power to fight, work and innovate our way to a better, more just future. This awesome read will make you more hopeful about the world and your own capacity to change it in big ways.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/big-bets-rajiv-shah/1143030232

4. The Daily Entrepreneur: 33 Success Habits for SMBs and Freelancers (S.J. Scott and Rebecca Livermore, October 2014)

Entrepreneurship can be exciting; it can also be stressful, frustrating and filled with challenges. Most aspiring business owners and Freelancers are motivated by a strong desire to achieve financial freedom, but reality may not live up to the expectation. Even highly successful entrepreneurs encounter challenges that are not entirely dissimilar from those that you face. The difference is that successful entrepreneurs have found ways to defeat their challenges. Their secret? They’ve cultivated specific daily habits that give them the wherewithal to overcome and prevail. 

Scott and Livermore attest that the power of developing beneficial habits is an indispensable ingredient of creating success. The authors claim that if you study the lives of highly successful business leaders the problems they’ve faced are common to most – if not all – entrepreneurs.

While successful business owners often have the same fears and limitations as you, they’re able to take consistent action because they’ve trained themselves to do so. You can give yourself an advantage by developing the habits used by entrepreneurial super-stars–-Entrepreneur Success Habits—and make them part of your routine. Scott and Livermore offer 33 examples of beneficial habits designed to position you to conquer your obstacles and achieve meaningful goals.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/The-Daily-Entrepreneur-33-Success-Habits-to-Take-Your-Business-to-the-Next-Level-S-J-Scott-and-Rebecca-Livermore/5857134450?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=101558808

5. Virtual Freedom: How to Work With Virtual Staff (Chris Ducker, April 2014)

Entrepreneurs typically assume that they must do everything themselves—they are the boss and also the sales rep, HR manager, marketing copywriter, operations manager, data analyst and so on. Author Chris Ducker, an outsourcing expert, knows how Freelancers and small business owners can obtain much-needed help and also manage the costs of doing so. Entrepreneurs holding modest financial reserves will discover that virtual employees can enable them to create high-functioning teams to help support, sustain and grow their enterprise.

Ducker presents a step-by-step guide that every entrepreneur needs to build his or her business with the asset of working with virtual employees. Focusing on business growth, the author explains every detail you need to grasp, from figuring out which jobs you should outsource to finding, hiring, training, motivating and managing virtual assistants. This book is the ultimate resource of the knowledge and tools necessary to build your dream business with the help of virtual staff.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/virtual-freedom-chris-c-ducker/1116852690

6. Build the Damn Thing: How to Build a Successful Business (Kathryn Finney, June 2022)

Here’s a book for aspiring entrepreneurs striving to create an enterprise in a world that has overlooked and underestimated them, the essential guide to knowing, breaking, remaking and building your own rules of entrepreneurship in a start-up and investing world designed for and by the “Entitleds.” Visionary venture capitalist and pioneering entrepreneur Kathryn Finney has written a battle-tested guide for entrepreneurs who the establishment has left out.

Finney, an investor and start-up champion, explains how to build a business from the ground up, from developing a business plan to finding investors, growing a team and refining a product. Leaving no stone un-turned, she not only empowers entrepreneurs to take advantage of their unique networks and resources, but also arms readers with responses to investors who say, “great pitch but…”

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/build-the-damn-thing-kathryn-finney/1140221664

7. Trust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator (Ryan Holiday, July 2013)

A revealing look into the 21st century media ecosystem that exposes how the practices and incentives of online media and the 24-hour news cycle work to polarize their audiences by stirring up controversy, fear and anger. Author Ryan Holiday is a veteran marketer and publicist whose media manipulation tactics centered on maneuvering blogs in service of his PR clients. He exposes the inner workings of a modern media machine in which financial incentives make it impossible for the version of reality depicted in the media to come close to resembling the truth.

The tactics Holiday confesses to might make your skin crawl. They involve deliberate provocation, bribery, impersonation and complete fabrication. If you are an author yourself, or a marketer, entrepreneur, or entertainer, for example, you are on a mission to get your message out to your audience; be advised that your fellow competitors for media attention are using the unsavory tactics Holiday describes. Understanding the process is a good way to understand the mechanics of media. You can use this knowledge to consider telling your story in less nefarious ways.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trust-me-im-lying-ryan-holiday/1111395738

8. How to Make Money: An Honest Guide to Starting and Building a 6-Figure Successful Business (Nafisa Bakkar, February 2023)

How do I start a business on a budget? How do I find my first 100 customers and make my first $100,000?How do I build a network and get my business noticed? Whether you want to transform a fledgling side-hustle into a full-time endeavor or simply have an idea that’s keeping you up at night, this is the ultimate blueprint for building a successful enterprise.

With no network, no capital and no previous experience, author Nafissa Bakkar created her business from scratch and then went on to help hundreds of aspiring founders to do the same. In her book Bakkar shares honest, inspiring and game-changing entrepreneurial advice. From how to nail your sales strategy and branding message to learning how to build a network, the author spills the tea on business culture and questions everything you think you know about the business world.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-make-money-nafisa-bakkar/1144513521

9. 100 Proven Ways to Acquire and Keep Clients for Life (C. Richard Weylman, March 2024)

Every successful business can credit its success to long-lasting client relationships, but what secret sauce persuades clients keep returning to your company? Freelance consultant C. Richard Weylman addresses the question in his client success management book. In it, the author that maps out how to optimize the client experience your company provides as it reveals best practices that ensure clients will feel valued. Each chapter examines effective ways to utilize empathy, thoughtfulness and assurance to deliver a satisfying and memorable client experience that encourages repeat business and a favorable brand reputation.

Embarking on a B2B consulting agreement with a Freelance expert or multi-person company can be stressful for many clients; communication may not be clear and the client may feel that his/her needs are not being heard. Freelance consultants can neutralize client doubts or anxieties by continually demonstrating to your clients that you are the right provider for them.

https://www.target.com/p/100-proven-ways-to-acquire-and-keep-clients-for-life-by-c-richard-weylman-hardcover/-/A-90005323

10. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance (Angela Duckworth, August 2018)

Why do some people succeed while others fail? Psychologist Angela Duckworth informs those who strive to succeed, be they ambitious entrepreneurs, determined athletes and others, that the secret to outstanding achievement is not always talent or intelligence, but rather a blend of passion and persistence that she calls grit. Duckworth identifies grit as a personality trait that motivates and sustains perseverance, hard work and goal-setting and she maintains that grit can surpass talent and intelligence when working to achieve success.

Duckworth sees present-day culture as entirely too enthralled by the allure of talent and intelligence. Her observations show that an obsession with talent pushes other valuable characteristics and behaviors to the wayside and causes us to inadvertently send the message that those often unacknowledged characteristics and other factors don’t matter as much as they do. In the book, the author explores the elements of grit, where it comes from, how it drives success and how you can develop it.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/grit-angela-duckworth/1122569881

Happy 4th of July to my American readers and thanks to everyone for reading!

Kim

Image: ⓒ Ekua Holmes Precarious (2018)

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Build A Budget, Build A Business

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Fact of life—if you run a company, even as a Freelance solopreneur, you’re going to have to suck it up and put together a business budget every year. If you fall into avoidance behavior and tell yourself that you’ll do it “next month,” it is almost certain that 1) you won’t do the budget anytime soon; and 2) your business could eventually slide into financial chaos, taking with it the money and time you invested. Failure to mind business finances is business sabotage.

For many people the mere thought of budgeting brings a sour feeling to their stomach, but the fact remains—budgeting supports business success and your organization is unlikely to thrive, and may not survive, unless you do it. You may find budgeting to be an onerous task, but there is a silver lining—a budget is empowering!

Budgeting is integral to effective financial management and allows you to make informed decisions and take calculated risks that can move your company into a stronger position. Budgeting brings to light the reality of your company’s fiscal health and performance. Problem areas will be recognized and you’ll be able to propose and implement remedies designed to rectify the lapse. You will be positioned to develop reasonable, reachable, goals.

The budget is your buddy

While budgeting often brings to mind thoughts of scarcity and sacrifice, saying no when you want to say yes, you’ll feel much better when you reframe your thinking about budgets; budgeting need not always result in cutbacks. Instead of focusing on limitations, why not flip the script and think about growth? It is reasonable to view budgeting as a pathway to business success, a tactic that enables your entrepreneurial ambitions. Rather than obsessing over cutting expenses, utilize your budget as an element of your strategy to manage expenses and drive growth and profitability.

In fact, only when finances are in order can you operate from a position of strength and make good decisions. When the cash-flow and business reserve fund are healthy, you can demonstrate business savvy—you might hire one or more employees, whose productivity will positively impact sales revenue; you might move the company into a larger space; you might upgrade office or manufacturing equipment that introduce operational efficiencies that benefit anything from your marketing campaigns to the customer service and customer experience your company offers, enhancements that reward your business with loyalty, good word of mouth and returning customers.

Build the budget

Your primary goal will be to ensure that there will be enough money to operate the business, from covering selling and marketing expenses that generate revenue to meeting fixed expenses such as payroll, rent, utilities and insurance. Among the projected expenses you’ll calculate will be those specific to acquiring or creating your product or service, that is, the cost of materials or the time involved in crafting what you sell. You’ll budget for the year, so it will be necessary to make reasonable projections of future expenses and sales revenue. You also want to set aside funds you can invest in business growth, whether to carry out specific initiatives or maybe take advantage of an unexpected opportunity as well.

You will be wise to structure your budget to predict somewhat modest sales revenue and anticipate expenses that are somewhat higher than the previous year. Planning for a less than rosy scenario is the safest strategy, giving budgetary wiggle room by encouraging you to trim expenses where possible to help you build up the business growth fund.

Once you make revenue and expense projections, you can run different potential scenarios and refine your estimates of likely cash-flow and sales revenue income, to enhance your trust in your estimate of how much will be available to finance marketing and business growth.

Create a spreadsheet

A spreadsheet is one of the most powerful tools available to create a budget, not only to make it easy to view and analyze your data, but also to make it easy to change your projected data and evaluate different business scenarios. You can do the same when reviewing projected costs and sales revenue associated with carrying out a proposed business goal.

Get comfortable with the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and learn to call up different combinations of projected revenues and fixed and variable expenses that will enable prudent decisions in every aspect of your business, from pricing to hiring additional employees. Take a Microsoft Excel for Beginners tutorial .

Monthly budget reviews

Your budget will be useful only if you review it regularly, to assess your company’s performance. Get ready for the big reveal when you discover whether (or not) actual spending aligns with the amount budgeted. If certain expenses are consistently higher than anticipated, you may need to revise the budget to reflect reality, or find ways to reduce those costs. Likewise, your budget will also reveal if sales revenue projections are either too optimistic or too conservative.

Responding to changes in your business environment ensures that your budget functions as a useful tool for financial planning. Finally, the budgeting process will, over time, become a repository of company performance data and provide an important historical overview that could be useful when anticipating seasonal fluctuations or other patterns that support your projections of future business performance.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © Mee Ko Dong for Shutterstock

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Social Media Marketing: Hacks that Help

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There are now more than 5 billion social media users worldwide who participate on several platforms, making the practice a marketing juggernaut that provides countless opportunities for B2B and B2C businesses in every industry to connect with customers and prospects. Once limited to developing brand awareness primarily in B2C industries, the influence of social media on businesses global and local now impacts customer experience, sales strategy, product development, content marketing strategy, competitive intelligence and more.

Because time means money where business is concerned it should come as no surprise that the timing of social media posting is sufficiently consequential to have piqued the interest of marketing researchers. Think about it—when planning to contact a customer or prospect, do you not consider what might be the best time to reach out? You probably avoid making important phone calls, or perhaps even sending an email, on Monday mornings or Friday afternoons. It’s a guessing game, but you aim to reach out when you expect your customer or prospect to be in a receptive mood, so your message will receive the consideration you feel it deserves. A similar approach to timing applies to social media posting. I first reported the best times to post on five platforms in June 2020. https://freelancetheconsultantsdiary.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=20744&action=edit

When posting content on social media, the most important goal of marketers is to maximize the number of viewers who see their content. Platform algorithms prioritize engagement and posts that quickly attract attention are typically shown to more users, giving high engagement content an algorithmic boost that helps it to be seen by even more viewers.

A study of the Best Times to Post on Social Media in 2024 conducted by the social media marketing entity Sprout Social examined six platforms—Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok and X (Twitter)—to measure the influence of time on the potential reach of posts. Posting content on days and times shown to be popular with viewers may help increase the audience for that content and amplify the clout of your social media marketing campaigns.

But a word of caution—before scheduling posts to reflect your platform’s peak engagement times as identified below, compare Sprout Social results with your company’s social media data analyses. You may discover that your target audience is not uniformly aligned with the data presented here.

Best Times to Post on Facebook

  • Mondays from 9 a.m. to 12 noon
  • Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., also at 5 p.m.
  • Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., also at 5 p.m.
  • Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., also at 5 p.m.
  • Fridays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
  • Best days to post on Facebook: Mondays through Thursdays
  • Worst days to post on Facebook: Sundays

With 3.05 billion active members per month, Facebook is the most widely used social media platform in the world and utilized by 89% of marketers worldwide. Facebook ties with Instagram for the distinction of social media platform that generates the highest marketing ROI, at 29%. The platform is an excellent showcase for online content of every type, from images and videos to live streams and audio content.

Best Times to Post on Instagram

  • Mondays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., also at 2 p.m.
  • Fridays at 11 a.m.
  • Best days to post on Instagram: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays
  • Worst days to post on Instagram: Sundays

Instagram is a free photo and video-sharing app and social media platform that now has 2 billion monthly active users. Owned by Facebook (Meta) since 2012, Instagram is the place to share images, videos, reels and live streams. Instagram ties with Facebook for the distinction of social media platform that generates the highest marketing ROI at 29%.

The key to Instagram is that it is based on visual content. The photos and videos you upload will appear in your followers’ feeds, where they can like, comment, or share your visual post. The more likes or comments you get, the more “relevant” your post becomes and the higher it is placed in followers’ feeds.

Best Times to Post on LinkedIn

  • Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon
  • Thursdays at 10 a.m.
  • Fridays 9 a.m. to 12 noon
  • Best days to post on LinkedIn: Tuesdays through Thursdays
  • Worst days to post on LinkedIn: Weekends

With over 1 billion members in 200 countries and regions, LinkedIn is the Mount Olympus of B2B communication for both the 1099 and W2 sets, who can share their expertise as they generate warm leads, announce new products and services, find co-marketing partners, investigate new employment opportunities, or attract talent to hire. Furthermore, users have found an ideal environment for professional storytelling, facilitated by LinkedIn Videos, and professional development at LinkedIn Learning.

Best Times to Post on Pinterest

  • Mondays: 2 p.m to 4:00 p.m and 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
  • Tuesdays: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
  • Thursdays at 3 a.m.
  • Fridays: 3:00 p.m.
  • Best days to post on Pinterest: Weekdays
  • Worst days to post on Pinterest: Weekends

As of April 2024,  Pinterest has 89 million users in the United States and generated a a 7.5 % growth in users between 2022 and 2023, putting its growth rate ahead of Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. Pinterest is known as the platform where users research and discover DIY projects and inspiration products often focused around lifestyle ideas, home décor and recipes.

Women aged 25 to 34 years comprise the largest share of Pinterest’s global audience and the platform presents companies with creative opportunities to expand their community and build brand awareness. Brands that use the platform appreciate Pinterest’s benefits, in particular spotting emerging trends, building brand recognition and authority and driving website traffic. Pinners, as platform users are called, search for inspiration on this virtual mood board and curate their space.

Best Times to Post on TikTok

  • Tuesdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., noon, and 2 to 6 p.m.
  • Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 2 to 6 p.m.
  • Fridays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Best days to post on TikTok: Wednesdays and Thursdays
  • Worst days to post on TikTok: Sundays

With TikTok comes a whole new playbook for B2B social media marketing. Today, you can’t develop a social media strategy without considering TikTok. B2C brands led the way but as the platform has matured, it’s been recognized as a desirable resource for B2B marketers as well. Keep the following suggestions in mind when formulating your TikTok B2B marketing campaigns:

  1. Be authentic: Authenticity matters on TikTok. B2B brands will do well to showcase their unique personality, culture, guiding values and expertise. Share behind-the-scenes peeks, stories of the company founder(s) and employees and other relatable content.
  2. Find your niche: Identify your target audience and create content that resonates with them. Whether it’s tech enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, or industry professionals, tailor your content to their interests.
  3. Interact with the community: Engage with other TikTok users by participating in challenges, responding to comments and collaborating with influencers. Building a community around your brand is essential.
  4. Educational content: B2B companies can benefit from posting educational content. Share product demos, explain complex concepts, or provide industry insights. Remember that authenticity matters more than polished video production values.

Best Times to Post on X (Twitter)

  • Mondays from 10 a.m. to 12 noon
  • Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Fridays 10 a.m. to 12 noon
  • Best days to post on X: Tuesdays through Thursdays
  • Worst days to post on X: Sundays

X (Twitter) is the platform to monitor breaking news and trending topics and voice your opinions in up-to-the-minute conversations that align with your brand values and show customers and prospects what matters to you. X doesn’t offer the array of posting options that build engagement as do Instagram or Facebook. Rather, X focuses on conversation threads, replies, mentions, microblogging and enticing readers with eye-catching results from a survey you’ve conducted.

Twitter has a new name, but it’s still the place to express uncensored opinions. To increase audience engagement consider Twitter polls, which allow you to pose a question in a tweet, invite respondents to choose one of four possible answers to the question and will send the poll results to you, to announce and invite discussion. Polls are a great way to stimulate audience engagement because they’re quick and fun.

Polls are also a mechanism to invite uncensored feedback from customers about their preferences and therefore augmenting the validity of your market research—in the development phase of new products and services or customer service protocols for example. Polls are not a substitute for traditional market research, but they’ll provide quick and useful insights.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation. The Persistence of Memory “Melting Clocks” (1931) Salvador Dali, courtesy of The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY. Dali portrait by Lies Wiegman (1961), retroactively colorized, courtesy of The Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, FL © Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation

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SEO 2024 and the Core Update

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On April 19, 2024, Google went live with its March 2024 core update, a process the company calls “more complex” than what was done previously and brought changes to numerous core systems. Google also rolled out its spam update, completed on March 20.  An approximately 45% reduction in low quality and spam content was the primary outcome of the updates, as confirmed by a Google spokesperson, “The updates led to larger quality improvements than we originally thought – you’ll now see 45% less low quality, unoriginal content in search results, versus the 40% improvement we expected across this work.”

It is popular in America to say that change is good but unfortunately, the core update has left many small business owners grappling with declining search rankings and softening website traffic and uncertain of how to respond. Google says the remedy is to create higher-quality content, with a company spokesperson explaining, “As the web and spam tactics continue to evolve, we’ll continue to work to reduce low quality, unoriginal content in Search. As always, we appreciate and encourage feedback from users and site owners alike.”

Well, what did you think they’d say? Look at it this way—if you haven’t examined your SEO strategy lately, you now have motivation to take a comprehensive look at how you’ve managed this essential business function so far and decide how you can effectively respond to the search engine update. SEO is about maximizing your company’s online visibility, the gateway to appearing more credible and receiving more website traffic. Below are suggestions of SEO tactics that are mostly DIY and free—and most of all, deliver an effective response to updates made by the search engine that according to StatCounter GlobalStats as of February 2024 controls 91.62 % of the global search queries market.

The purpose of SEO

It’s not an option, but a given and the purpose is straightforward. Effective Search Engine Optimization requires an holistic approach that combines multiple strategies that work in tandem to improve your website’s visibility in search engines, chiefly Bing, Google and Yahoo.

  • Improve online visibility: to power-up your website ranking on search engines and enable more prospective customers to learn about your brand.
  • Drive organic traffic: to attract prospective customers to your website, those genuinely interested in your content, products, or services.
  • Establish authority: through your website and overall online presence—social media, published articles, your published quotes in media outlets—present yourself as a trustworthy and authoritative source of valuable information.

SEO impact is typically organized into segments—on-page SEO, off-page SEO and technical SEO—that describe how the process influences your website to amplify its visibility to search engines. As you contemplate your SEO strategy, which is a component of your inbound marketing success, be certain to develop and implement strategies and action plans designed to address each SEO category.

ON-PAGE STRATEGY

Google and other search engines look for sites that are trustworthy places for visitors and also provide content that’s useful to those in need of information. On-page SEO is the process of tailoring your website to maximize its visibility to search engines by demonstrating the availability of worthwhile content that can be found in a trusted source. Effective on-page SEO positions your website to attract new visitors who are potentially prospective customers. By taking specific actions, such as including certain keywords in your content and by adding internal links and optimizing URLs within your content, you might boost the assigned ranking of your website in the list of search results.

1. Post relevant long-form content

Posting relevant long-form content is a pathway to increased search visibility and Google’s core update has just made the presence of good content still more impactful. The process starts by writing about topics for which there is an audience—discover the topics that people want to learn more about. To enhance the authority of your posts, keep the following in mind:

  • E-E-A-T (Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness): The 2024 core update reinforces Google’s commitment to the E-E-A-T principles introduced in 2018. Websites that feature expertise and experience in the chosen field, authoritative content and trustworthiness will receive higher search ranking
  • Use of credible data, statistics and case studies to support your points and provide evidence for your claims
  • Include your byline in all articles that you’ve authored and also identify your guest posters. Industry experts should be credited with a brief bio, to highlight their credentials, expertise and authority
  • Use headings and subheadings to present content in an organized fashion, to improve readability
  • Include engaging and relevant visual content, including videos, photos, charts and/or graphs
  • Address all aspects of the topic thoroughly to create a comprehensive resource on the subject
  • Regularly update your articles to reflect new research, perspectives and information

2. Keyword research

Keywords are the words or phrases typed or spoken into search engines by visitors looking for information. By using keywords in your content, search engines will include that content or website in a list of sources that include the cited key words, therefore making it possible that you’ll receive a high page rank in results for those search terms. It makes sense to identify as many keywords as possible, including long-tail phrases, so that you’ll maximize your options when creating content that will capture the attention of search engines.

Be aware that simply packing posts with keywords in every sentence is not effective. Search engines seek out content that’s well-written. Place keywords naturally in target areas, including your headers, intro and metadata.

3. Keywords locations

While keyword density is not a viable strategy for improving search ranking, placing keywords strategically throughout your content is important for SEO. The trick is to use keywords organically and in the right places to show search engines that your content is relevant. Drop keywords here:

  • Introduction: to set the context for readers and search engines
  • URL: to help search engines understand the topic
  • Title: to improve your click-through rates and rankings
  • Body: copy to support topical relevance
  • Headers: to structure your content and signal importance to search engines
  • Metadata: description to improve click-through rates

4. Interlink your pages and blogs

Internal linking means creating hyperlinks in your content, so that website and blog readers can click as they read and check out your other posts or website pages. Internal linking supports on-page SEO because the availability of internal links invites readers to other pages within your website, or to other blog posts, and keeps visitors around longer, demonstrating to search engines that your website is valuable and useful. Also, the longer visitors are on your website, the more time search engines have to crawl and index website pages, helping Google et al. to obtain more information about your site and potentially rank it higher in search engine results. If you’ve got the techie gene you may want to take this on as a DIY project. Click to understand how internal linking is done (most may want to contact a professional). https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/best-practices-internal-linking-structure-2024-m-a-mamun-bhk0c

OFF-PAGE SEO STRATEGY

Off-page SEO refers to actions taken to impact your search engine ranking that are outside of your website. In other words, off-page SEO is how you manage external factors, for example, guest posting, social media activity and the presence of online reviews. While off-page activities do not directly involve your website, their effects can potentially increase website traffic and support your inbound marketing in the process.

  1. Social Media Presence

Active engagement: Consistently post relevant content and engage with your audience platforms such as Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and LinkedIn. An engaged social media audience that regularly interacts with your brand demonstrates brand authority and trust and therefore gives a vote of confidence to search engines.

2. Content marketing

  • Content: Create and share high-quality, relevant and valuable content that includes backlinks to credible websites
  • Infographics and visuals: Appealing visual content increases viewer engagement and content sharing
  • Document Sharing: Share presentations, webinars, or documents such as white papers, brochures that showcase your products and/or services, or training materials on platforms like SlideShare and Scribd to expand your audience

3. Press releases

When you have a newsworthy announcement to make, e.g., to broadcast a talk you’ll give at a business association or chamber of commerce, or your participation in a popular local charity or community event, write a press release and post it on distribution sites such as EIN Presswire or eReleases . Not only will you take an important step to get your story out to your audience and your local community, online press release distribution is a great way to generate organic backlinks, since many online publications will automatically pick up relevant press releases. Within each press release, be sure to include one to two links to your website.

4. HARO requests

Help a Reporter Out (HARO) is a website that connects journalists and bloggers with expert sources—you!—for articles they’re writing. Journalists submit a query for expert quotes and will choose the top responses to include in their content. Oftentimes, the journalist will provide a backlink to your website as attribution for the quote. To increase the chance of being quoted, respond quickly and provide a complete and soundbite punchy answer.

5. Influencer marketing

Influencer marketing is an effective way to increase brand mentions and social media interactions, both of which are positive off-page ranking signals for search engines. If you can get onto the radar screen of a social media influencer who has a relevant audience for your brand, you can partner with that person to create an influencer marketing campaign that promotes your brand and its value proposition along with providing links to your website or social media profiles where applicable.

6. Backlinks

Building backlinks is important for SEO because it signals to search engines that your content is trustworthy and valuable. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the better your chances of ranking higher in search results.

While backlinks remain crucial for SEO, recent algorithm updates have shifted towards needing fewer but higher-quality backlinks. Earned links, in which editorial publishers or consumers mention your brand organically, are most highly favored. Built links, however, require some effort on your end, such as reaching out to content publishers for link attribution or mention. You can acquire backlinks through these common link-building strategies:

  • Guest posting
  • Link insertions
  • Creating link-worthy content
  • Building relationships with bloggers and website owners
  • Using social media

7. Online Reviews

Online reviews provide a strong signal that’s taken into account when ranking your content online. They can build a lot of credibility and trust since they’re submitted by third parties who’ve interacted with your brand. Focusing on generating positive five-star reviews from legitimate customers can help your off-page SEO tremendously. You can generate these reviews on third-party review sites such as G2 as well as your local Yelp page.

TECHNICAL SEO

Technical SEO refers to how you can best optimize the technical elements of your website—primarily speed, security, user-friendliness and site structure. Technical SEO is about improving your website to make it easier for search engines to find, understand and store your content. Technical SEO focuses on user experience factors, such as making your website faster and fully visible and navigable on mobile devices. Do it right and technical SEO can enhance visibility in search results.

  1. User experience (UX)

The UX provided by your website is a concern to search engines. If your website offers an intuitive browsing experience, quick loading times and is mobile-friendly, you will be positioned to receive higher page rankings. Google now uses mobile-first indexing to determine search rankings. Ensure that every page of your site is mobile optimized, ideally using responsive design, and that all content is the same between the desktop and mobile versions.

2. Site security
Security plays a huge role in how people experience your website. When people feel that your website is secure, they interact more freely (and longer) with it. Google penalizes sites that do not secure their traffic with an SSL certificate and modern browsers mark them with an insecure site warning. SSL certificates are obtained through site your hosting provider. Click here for more information: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-top-ssl-certificate-providers-2024-digital-expert-online-aezde

3. Index site

Indexing means adding a website and its pages to search engine databases so that the site can appear in search results. Indexing is pivotal in how Google and all search engines work. The presence of a “noindex” tag on your website or blog pages will cause search engines to ignore your content and prevent your site from being recognized and ranked—a situation that you want to avoid.

Noindex tags can be removed and this is another DIY project that I relegate to those born with the techie gene; I recommend that everyone else would be wise to consult a professional to do the work. FYI, here are remedies: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-fix-google-indexing-issues-2024-md-belal-hossain-0cszc

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © diki_pt at Freepik

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Content That Captivates

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It is said that content is king—agree? I’ll bet you do. But are you aware that not all content is equally able to move viewers to respond to its verbal or visual messages? Most content does its job, which is to increase awareness of the brand within the target audience. But certain marketing content has a heightened impact on viewers; that content is perceived as uniquely relatable, credible, or even inspiring— it captivates. Captivating content has been known to persuade some who experience it to step into the buyer’s journey of the product or service it promotes. Content that captivates can motivate your prospects to actively explore the possibility of doing business with you.

Content strategy

Are you motivated to actively explore how to create content that captivates your customers and prospects? Then devise a content strategy, a plan that functions as a road map to guide the creation, delivery and management of marketing content that promotes your company’s sales and branding goals. A content strategy is the most important element of your content marketing campaigns. Without a strategy, you’re vulnerable to losing your way and becoming overwhelmed by the dizzying array of content possibilities that are available. While almost any form of content may be persuasive and also captivating, but not every format will effectively advance your sales and branding goals.

A content strategy is essential to the process of defining basic who, what, when, where and why questions that refine your understanding of marketing activities and distribution channels that your customers and prospects will gravitate toward. A well thought-out strategy will provide focus and direction to your content marketing activities and how and where you deliver your message. The questions below will help you identify content that will resonate with your target audience.

  • Who will view your content?
  • What solutions do content readers/viewers need, what goals must they achieve?
  • What types of content and which channels can be expected to attract readers/viewers?
  • What brand voice (tone and personality) can be expected to facilitate communication with your audience?
  • What goals do you want to achieve with your content?

Email marketing

Email marketing continues its reign as one of the most effective marketing tools available to transmit marketing messages and build trust in your products, services and brand. Moreover, email marketing campaigns are excellent generators of qualified leads and enable ongoing communication with customers, existing and lapsed, allowing you to nurture relationships and encourage repeat business.

Marketing emails are more likely to be read than other types of content and their average return on investment triumphs over other types of content. According to the Cambridge, MA inbound marketing giant HubSpot, email marketing communications are more likely to be read than all other types of content and have an average open rate of 46-50% and click-through rate of 2.6-3% — metrics that surpass the appeal of social media and all other forms of digital content.

Furthermore, because email marketing lists are opt-in and consist of those who want to hear from you, the email list itself is a valuable marketing tool that you can use to distribute additional communications, such as your blog or newsletter. For that reason, email list-building is an ongoing activity practiced by savvy marketers. Make a plan to grow your email list with these tactics:

  • Create a premium library: Promote your expertise and build your email list with a special offer that’s available only to those who sign up to receive a link—to a webinar or podcast you’ve participated in, a case study or e-book you’ve written, for example—sent in exchange for a name and email address.
  • Online subscriber forms: Your blog, website and social media accounts have a mechanism for visitors to add contact info and receive your published content or follow you.
  • Invite subscribers in-person: Whether you are on a sales call or, as discussed in the previous post, you attend a trade show or other in-person event, as you meet and greet you may find colleagues who would appreciate being added to your email list—subject to an opt-in, because you want their permission. If you teach or speak somewhere, make an attendee sign-up sheet available so that you can collect more contact info to grow your list.
  • Call-to-action: Invite those on your inbound marketing buyer’s journey to receive a free 30-minute consultation with you, to discuss their needs and goals and your company’s solutions. Invite those who would like to attend a workshop you’re scheduled to teach or panel you’ll moderate to RSVP by way of your CTA. When you decide to hold your own MeetUp, also discussed in the previous post, ask those who plan to attend to sign-up. All CTA responses can deliver contact info.

Webinars and podcasts

More than simply marketing content, these formats can be classified as professional development. With an engaging topic and a skilled presenter or host, these formats can generate a substantial audience. When the webinar or podcast topic relates to solutions your company offers, you can create a seamless transition into how viewers/listeners can solve their most pressing problems.

Webinars and podcasts can be even more effective when cross-promoted with other content, such as an e-book. Furthermore, webinar registrations are an excellent method of collecting email addresses and other information from qualified leads who are genuinely interested in not only the topic, but potentially your category of products or services. Webinars continue to be a popular digital content option and when promoted to the right audience, they can become far more engaging and attractive to qualified leads than a blog post covering the same topic would be.

Social media

By adding relevant, authoritative content, including videos, surveys, blogs and user-generated content such as customer reviews and testimonials to this very personalized content resource, you can effectively leverage social media to attract qualified leads.

According to a March 2024 report released by Forbes Magazine Advisor, 78% of prospects and customers research social media platforms first when seeking information about brands, a trend that demonstrates social media’s pivotal role as a leading source of brand-related content. Social media’s interactive nature allows prospective customers to get behind the scenes and learn backstories that provide an informative and intimate experience that can foster a deep connection with a brand.

Social media promotes community-building, a bonding among customer peer groups whose members participate in discussions, post product reviews and happily share their brand experiences. Social media platforms are where brands can interact with customers in real time, to foster a sense of community around their products or services with a goal of building and nurturing relationships.

Marketers join in and participate in groups and conversations, responding to comments and messages they receive and facilitating meaningful communication with their target audience. By enhancing the influence of this highly personalized format by posting content that engages and captivates, you can leverage your brand’s social media presence to deliver qualified leads.

Video

Video has emerged as a leader among content marketing formats. The power of video marketing reflects a growing customer preference for visual and auditory storytelling that gives the format great influence in capturing audience engagement. When marketing video is used in tandem with other digital marketing formats—marketing emails and social media posts, for example—their sales conversion rate is substantively enhanced. Product demos and explainer videos, case studios, testimonials and videos of your previous podcasts and webinars provide opportunities to enhance the inbound marketing power of your company website.

Video marketing has proven to be highly effective and 95% of marketers observed an increase in brand awareness when using the format. As a result, 90% of marketers credit their successful lead generation campaigns to video content and 87% link the format to sales revenue growth. The viewer engagement rate for marketing videos posted to YouTube in 2024 is 5.91%.

In particular, short-form video content is especially adept at gaining audience attention—attention spans are brief and viewers don’t always have the time or patience needed to watch longer videos. It’s been shown that marketers have 2.7 seconds to capture audience attention with your video. While engagement is valued and viewers want to learn about your company, they want to learn fast. BTW, 75% of video views occur on mobile devices, so optimizing for mobile viewing is crucial.

Within its abbreviated time frame, video content can deliver enticing visual options that captivate your audience and keep them coming back for more. You can record yourself in an explainer video or product demo discussing how your solution solves problems and supports the achievement of customer objectives. Or you may want to record customer testimonials or even record a case study, podcast or webinar—content you can upload to your website and social media accounts or invite browsers to request in exchange for contact info that builds your email list. You can also film a live event.

Live videos are in-the-moment exciting and authentic and especially well-suited for generating engagement in the viewing audience, creating relationships and building the brand. You can use the live video tool available on your social media apps to announce a new product or service or show viewers new items from your product line. Because there is little to no editing done, live videos often have a raw and edgy look; however, you’ll need a space that you can keep quiet and private as you record your live video. Furthermore, if live streaming is your intention, you’ll also need the right technology.

Now here’s a surprise—the arrival of silent videos. When you think about it, you’ll realize that many people watch videos in public spaces: waiting in line at the bank or grocery store, taking public transportation, or even while in a company meeting. Earbuds may not be handy or politically correct; it’s been reported that 92% of users watch videos with the sound off. Silent videos solve the problem so you can communicate your message without audio and make the visual component of the video the main focus. Close caption text (subtitles) allows you to make the most of the visuals and incorporate on-screen captions for necessary text info.

If your budget allows, speak with a marketing company to discuss your goals and the type of video that can be expected to deliver your desired ROI. Remember that your video can be posted to multiple platforms, from your website to email marketing communications, your newsletter, blog and social media accounts. If budget is an issue, or if you’re confident of your creativity, by all means grab your smartphone or tablet and experiment with making a video in-house. Taking an online tutorial is sure to be helpful and there are dozens to choose from. Here’s one you might like.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © The Richard Avedon Foundation. Model Stephanie Seymour wears Chanel in a 1990 photo by Richard Avedon (1923-2004)

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The Return of In-Person Networking

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As the COVID-19 pandemic era continues to recede, we’re revisiting many of the activities that circumstances compelled us to (temporarily) reconfigure, as we transformed our homes into mission control—work from home, school at home, online orders for all manner of items delivered to our home. City council meetings, business conferences, museum exhibits, music performances and other events were accessed by videoconferencing because attending public in-person events was for many months out of the question.

While everyone greatly appreciated the convenience of Zoom and other video platforms that allowed us to maintain some semblance of normal life, we’ve collectively breathed a sigh of relief and we’re mostly done with staring at a computer in order to experience so much of life. It’s time to resume face2face In Real Life interaction. Those who sponsor professional development and other business meetings have noted that attendance at in-person events is now robust, while attendance at virtual events is waning, with the exception of webinars.

Hosts of in-person events report that networking and developing relationships now tops the list of priorities driving the renewed interested in such events in 2024. Previously, the primary reason to attend business events, in-person or virtual, was the professional development info obtained in the presentations. Today, however, YouTube et al. overflows with online tutorials, many of them free and delivered by well-respected presenters, making skills-building knowledge available at your convenience. As a result, meeting content has taken a back seat and the value of attending meetings and conferences has shifted to the opportunities you’ll have to meet and greet colleagues in-person and forge beneficial connections. Can we agree that it’s time to revitalize your face2face networking chops?

Refresh your networking pitch

There are many potential success factors to consider when launching and nurturing a business venture and developing relationships with the right people is one that you would be wise to address. Relationships you establish with colleagues might open doors to opportunities that advance business growth in ways that otherwise may not occur. Taking a proactive stance to meet people in professional and personal sectors will enable you to expand your circle of relationships and increase the possibility of encountering those who can help you in some way.

In other words, networking is central to your marketing strategy. Freelancers and other business owners can always be in networking mode, whether at a chamber of commerce event or when having drinks al fresco with friends on a warm summer evening.

  • Re-examine your elevator pitch in all formats, from the 30 second self-introduction to the long form that’s rolled out when someone asks questions that signal genuine interest. Learn to articulate your brand and value proposition in two or three succinct and meaningful sentences, so you can fluently convey basic information about your venture when asked. You may find it helpful to use this formula to shape your elevator pitch:
    • The product/service you offer
    • For whom you work (your typical clients)
    • The benefit derived (the problem you solve, your solution)
  • Devise a networking agenda. It’s useful to have a purpose to remind yourself that you’re in the room to do more than eat, drink and talk sports. You don’t want to leave the event empty-handed; you invested time and money to be there, so to the best of your ability, make the experience worth the investment. This is my go-to agenda, because I find it easy to remember and carry out, but you can always create another that feels more natural to you, if you prefer:
    • Get a client (a long-shot, for sure)
    • Get a referral (you never know)
    • Get information (useful, possibly actionable)

Conversation starters

Networking starts with a conversation and the proceedings are greatly enhanced by the participants’ Emotional Intelligence (E.Q.). A key ingredient of successful networking is a willingness to share part of yourself with someone you’ve not interacted with before, so that the two of you can begin to build a relationship. Networking in motion is about exchanging ideas, information, stories and active listening. What you don’t want to do is walk around the room flashing a big plastic smile as you give your elevator pitch and foist your business card on all whom you encounter. “Show interest in others, and others will show interest in you.” (Dale Carnegie [1888-1955, author of self-improvement, salesmanship and public speaking books)

To find the value of relationships at your next networking event, use your E.Q. to start conversations that just might create business opportunities for yourself and maybe a new colleague as well. Keep in mind also that the favor of making a referral may start with you and that an immediate return on networking conversation is unlikely. Your expectations will not be met if you think you’ll be introduced to a new client sometime in the immediate future. Another hint—avoid trying to strike up a conversation with a large group of people. Instead of trying to chat with five people standing in a circle by the bar, keep an eye out for someone who’s alone; you’ll feel more comfortable approaching these people and they’ll probably be very happy to meet you and talk.

But back to getting conversations rolling—Preston Ni, communication coach and instructor in communication studies at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, CA, has identified easy-to-remember, open-ended follow-up phrases that function as icebreakers that make almost any conversation feel organic and will keep the momentum moving forward.

1. “How did you get involved in …?”

The question may follow-up to the other person’s mention of a current project, his/her job or company, or the very event that the two of you find yourselves in now. Depending on the situation, you could ask what brought him/her there that day, or what has sparked his/her involvement with the topic at hand. 

The idea is to ask a generic question, without resorting to some variation of “How are you?” which tends to be answered with a reflexive, “Fine, how are you?” With a slightly more specific question that is still open-ended, you capture the other person’s attention and invite him/her to give you a thoughtful answer, one that invites him/her to take the reply in any direction and also enables a story that can be shared.

2. “That’s interesting. Tell me more!”

After the introductions, ask a question that starts with the phrase tell me and then actively listen as your new acquaintance does what s/he likes best—talking about themselves! You will make a friend. The phrase tell me communicates to the person you’ve just met that you are interested in what s/he has to say and that you value his/her opinion, which is affirming. Tell me is a powerful invitation to your newest acquaintance to speak his/her mind or share a story, Who doesn’t love to talk about themselves?

“It has the multiple benefits of saving speech and energy, maintaining engagement, and being attentive to your partner,” Ni says. “A good conversational partner will reciprocate the attention by asking questions about you in return, which will also facilitate the discussion.”

3. “If you were the event organizer, what topic(s) would you ask the speaker to address?”

Talking about the event is an engrossing way to start and sustain a rewarding conversation and give insight into a colleague’s perspective—and that is sure to be enlightening. A question that explores what your new acquaintance sees as an “ideal” event also expands the common ground between you. It’s a thoughtful conversation starter for those who want to get down to business quickly. It’s also easier to have a lengthy back-and-forth discussion about such a meaty topic, so you won’t encounter any awkward silences.

4. “What subject has your attention right now?”

When you’ve just met someone and you’re searching for ways to connect, this question can open the door to a discussion about business, family, extracurricular activities, a much-anticipated vacation—or even home renovations! The person to whom you put this question is certain to light up and be happy to talk and you’ll be on your way to building a relationship.

Host your meet-up

If you’re able, find the budget to attend an in-person conference in 2024. On the other hand, why not be truly adventurous and host an in-person networking event yourself? You may be able to host a networking event in your local library—a great place to meet and keep costs down as well. Your in-person MeetUp guest list can consist of your LinkedIn connections who live locally, plus other business contacts to round out your invitations. How cool is that?

Reserve a room at your venue of choice and order up a few light nibbles and drinks—beer and wine if the venue allows, or sparkling cider and water. Your job as event host is to introduce people and facilitate conversations and relationship-building. The options are many and the rewards are exponential and endless.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © NDABCREATIVITY

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Make Feedback A Building Block of Success

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When you’re working on an important project, it’s almost certain that at some point you will ask a colleague or mentor whose expertise you respect and character you trust to look over your work and give an appraisal. Another pair of eyes often sees what you don’t and can help you get beyond your blind spots and produce your best work.

The process is called feedback; it is the reaction to or evaluation of a performance. Feedback that is well presented has the potential to help you recognize your strengths and weaknesses; it provides valuable self-awareness that supports improved skill sets or professional development. Feedback is a form of criticism that can illuminate what you do well and what would benefit from improvement. Feedback inhabits several formats, from a job performance review to a casual conversation with a colleague or mentor. Insightful and timely feedback can alert you to problems capable of tarnishing the outcome of your important project and direct you to potentially more suitable solutions.

Asking for feedback on your work, or even your tennis game, might trigger an awkward moment, for yourself and/or the person you ask. Feedback is often experienced as intensely personal and can be uncomfortable for many people, whether on the giving or receiving end. Recipients of feedback sometimes become defensive, a reaction that makes it less likely that those asked to evaluate a colleague’s work will deliver an unvarnished assessment.

So, the “feedback” given by those who like you is often carefully couched and politically correct, a milquetoast response that’s designed to neither discourage you nor hurt your feelings—a bucket of hot air, in other words. These people may be reluctant to give your work a candid assessment because they want to encourage you and maintain a good relationship with you. Haters, on the other hand, when giving feedback are certain to be either passive-aggressive undermining or will shred you—the hater agenda is always to wound, if not destroy. Both scenarios fall short of delivering actionable advice.

Whom to ask and when

Giving useful feedback is an art, providing a third-party, presumably objective, assessment that confirms what you’re doing well and helps you recognize what needs a correction. Useful feedback is candid and guides you to achieve your personal best. When considering a request for feedback, it is essential to consider the source. Valuable feedback is both honest and astute, meaning you must ask someone who has the expertise to understand what you’re doing, the ability to recognize the strengths and/or weaknesses in your performance and possesses the mentoring skills to swiftly and tactfully guide you to the right path.

Potential sources of practical feedback include colleagues who know your work and with whom you regularly interact, including your boss or a mentor. Freelance consultants might consider reaching out to certain of their clients to solicit feedback. While clients may not be as familiar with your responsibilities and priorities as are workplace colleagues or managers, it may be beneficial to consider a client’s perception of you. Furthermore, client feedback can help you better understand how to attract potential new clients, resolve client concerns and encourage repeat business.

According to Dan Heath, author of Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen (2020), the ideal time to request feedback is when your work —project, important task, or presentation, for example — is 50% to 60% complete. “Asking for feedback earlier in the process gives you the mental space to really re-think, if necessary,” Heath explained.

Ask for specifics

It is in your interest to make the feedback ask a win-win—not only comfortable for the person you approach, but also a demonstration of respect and instructive for yourself—by expressing the request in a way that is less about inviting an opinion and more about adding value. You do that by being specific.

Unfortunately, most feedback requests are handicapped from the start because they are too broad and general. Is there any wonder why the outcome of the typical feedback ask is one person’s opinion rather than discerning and actionable insights? Author Dan Heath is also a fan of specific feedback requests and he sees vague asks as tending to produce weak and ineffective responses. For example, if he were to ask someone, “What did you think of my book?” they would be more likely to say something positive to spare his feelings. Instead, Heath suggests asking pointed questions.

Rather than asking, “Could you give me some feedback?” provide some guardrails for the feedback you’d like to receive. After you’ve identified someone who has the know-how to advise you in this subject, you would then frame your request to position that individual as an expert adviser who can add value. Now, you’ve set up both yourself and the dispenser of feedback as partners in a constructive interaction.

Finally, when looking for feedback on a particular project, think about what you really want to know. For example, if you’re creating a presentation, do you want a critique of your story and how informative and engaging your content is? Or do you want to know if your slides communicate the story and your data visuals are relevant and easy to interpret? The more specific your questions are, the more useful the feedback will be.

When you are clear about they type of feedback you’d find most helpful and the value that feedback could provide, you will likely receive information that’s pertinent to what you’re actively working to confirm and/or improve. From a learning perspective, this provides actionable insights that you can apply immediately.

If you are a golfer, you can put the word out to your LinkedIn connections in your area and arrange a weekend golf outing. It’s no secret then that golf is a very popular sport in America — according to the National Golf Foundation, over 40 million played both on and off-course. Golf’s popularity is especially prevalent in business communities. No matter what industry you are in, there is a good chance your company or management at the company are involved with the game of golf in some fashion. If you are looking for a secret weapon to building connections in your job, networking through golf is the way to go. 

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © Shutterstock (2019)

Marketing , , , , Leave a comment

Survey Finds that Marketing Matters to Freelancers and SMB Owners

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An insightful survey of 1000 small business owners and independently employed Freelance professionals sponsored by printing powerhouse VistaPrint and website builder Wix and conducted in March 2024 conclusively confirmed that effective marketing is as important to small business entities as it is to enterprise companies like Apple and General Motors. Despite the enormous difference in the size of marketing teams and budgets as compared to multinational corporations, Freelancers and SMB owners value the impact of marketing and they’re enthusiastic about leveraging its impact to benefit their companies. The survey findings deliver a persuasive vote of confidence for the power of marketing.

Reaching new customers drives the motivation to market for 46% of survey respondents. It was found that 71% of Freelancers and SMB owners do their own marketing, that 79% feel confident in their ability to function in the role of marketing manager for their company and 77% are satisfied with the results of their marketing strategies and campaigns. However, the majority of Freelancers and SMB owners are realistic about their marketing expertise and survey results indicated that the majority of respondents either have or plan to upskill and learn to market more effectively; 63% reported that they took steps to hone their marketing abilities in 2023; and 76% reported that they plan to do so in 2024.

Though Freelancer and SMBs are happy with the results they’ve achieved as marketers, they are aware that they face challenges. Standing out in a crowded marketplace is perceived as their biggest threat, with 53% worried about standing out vs. competitors. Furthermore, 47% of respondents are concerned about choosing effective marketing tactics to promote their business and 49% wonder if their budget can cover their marketing aspirations. Freelancers and SMBs see their greatest marketing opportunities in expanding their online presence (24%), increasing brand awareness (23%) and launching new products or services (22%).

Experimenting

The inevitability of digital marketing is understood by survey respondents but surprisingly, social media outreach and search engine optimization do not completely dominate their choices of marketing strategies and tactics. Survey results showed that while 78% of respondents experimented with “new” marketing tactics in 2023, achieving a balance between digital and traditional marketing tactics and identifying a mix of strategies and activities that work best for their business is the goal.

The importance of social media and search engines is obvious to them, but traditional marketing continues to resonate most likely because customers still value real-life and face2face interactions and physical touch points, as well as digital experiences. In 2024, 48% of Freelancers and SMB owners plan to increase their spend on newer (digital) marketing, while 30% will likewise increase marketing spend, but will continue with the same marketing mix. 

Balancing

Word-of-mouth will always be an asset to Freelancers and SMBs for promoting brand awareness, but a range of marketing touch points is often needed to raise awareness and persuade prospects to do business. For those reasons, achieving a balance between digital and traditional marketing activities is a goal for survey respondents: 28% allocated their marketing budgets 50-50 traditional and digital, while 40% invested more heavily in digital marketing activities and 32% chose to invest more in traditional marketing. The leading digital 
marketing tactics chosen in 2023 were an upgrade of the company website (60%), social media paid ads (60%), search engine optimization (50%) and email marketing (46%).

Traditional marketing continues to play a key role for Freelancers and SMB owners, with 71% reporting that physical marketing tactics are important because customers still value the experience. Regarding traditional marketing activities, 50% of respondents invested in business cards, attended trade shows and similar conferences, 31% invested in paid print ads and 29% used promotional items.

Locavore

It can feel intimidating to compete with major retailers and corporate giants when doing business, however small entities have one huge advantage—many customers want to feel connected to their local neighborhood when doing business and 78% of customers surveyed reported that it’s important to them to “shop local.” Marketing that emphasizes location, loyalty and community can help keep customers coming back, as reported by 1000 small business customers who also participated in the VistaPrint – Wix marketing survey.

Customers of SMB and Freelancers surveyed reported that marketing tactics that help them find SMBs and Freelancers to do business with include social media (54%), search engines (44%) and print ads (26%). Furthermore, 41% of small business customers reported that a primary reason they choose to shop small business over big is to support local business and 46% say they actively seek out such companies. These customers value knowing the owner and staff where they do business and those relationships are a motivation for shopping local. Click to read the full report. https://smb.vistaprint.com/_files/ugd/3121be_d99794458cee45079ba421dbb61ed1d2.pdf

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © Santulan Architecture Denver, CO

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Start-up Funding Options

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Starting a new business venture will thrill you and challenge you. You’ll take on responsibilities you never knew existed but will become a regular part of life when you choose to launch your entity. It is likely that money will be a challenge, starting with figuring out how to finance the business launch and bring your entrepreneurial dream into reality. You’ll also need to secure sufficient funds to sustain operations while your marketing strategies kick in and attract customers whose purchases generate sales revenue.

The amount of start-up capital needed will depend on the product or service that your company sells and your sales and distribution strategy. Your start-up capital requirement could range from the low four figures to the high six figures and if your entrepreneurial plan is especially ambitious, the need might reach seven figures.

Unfortunately, nearly 40% of businesses fail because they run out of cash. Many aspiring business owners are under-capitalized from the beginning and are unable to hang on until the customer list grows and sales revenue builds. If the start-up capital requirement is modest, it’s likely that you’ll self-finance, but if your projected need climbs through five figures, you’ll most likely be compelled to look beyond your personal credit cards and bank balance.

It is essential that aspiring entrepreneurs accurately project the initial funding needs of their proposed venture and be proactive re: securing adequate working capital. Insufficient funding cripples your ability to invest in the infrastructure that grows the business—technology that supports business processes, from accounting software and marketing automation to the inbound marketing/ buyer’s journey experiences you’d like to present; appropriate staffing, full or part-time; an optimized company website; and your ability to attend networking events or invest in skills training.

When start-up costs can be expected to outstrip your personal resources, aspiring entrepreneurs must learn which doors to knock on when searching for vital business funding. Traditionally, most Freelancers and small business owners fund their start-up in three ways — personal funds, loans from friends or family, or a Small Business Association (bank) loan. While these are good options, larger funding needs are likely to require other sources.

The campaign to secure investment capital is time consuming; plan to devote three to six months for your financing crusade. If you plan to recruit investors, you’ll also need time to negotiate the terms as well as the amount of an investor contribution. Furthermore, there will be a legal process required to finalize investments made. Be aware that larger funding rounds often involve more extensive due diligence, negotiations and legal processes.

Since we’re talking money, maybe you’re looking for a good pitch competition? Click here to learn about 25 that will be held, or were recently held, on three continents in 2024: https://www.growthmentor.com/blog/startup-pitch-competitions/

Know your funding timeline

Begin your search for investment capital at least six months before funds run out, to give yourself time to replenish cash. If you are raising seed money for a venture that will need investment in the six figures, you’ll be wise to project the amount of funding needed to sustain business operations for two years. Projecting the number of months the venture can operate before running out of cash both documents the financial stability of the company and demonstrates that you are a responsible financial manager—qualities that are likely to inspire potential investors to fund your company.

Furthermore, giving yourself plenty of lead time as you search for investment capital can only strengthen your negotiating position with investors; it’s always best to ask for money while you still have money. Position yourself to have as much negotiating power as possible when discussing company valuation, terms of the investment loan and legal aspects of the funding deal. This can result in more favorable terms for you as well as minimizing worry about a cash shortage.

Investor database

An investor database will be a useful resource that allows you to streamline communication with potential investors and facilitate relationship-building by enabling you to manage the all-important networking process and follow-up with those who demonstrate an interest in learning more about your venture. Your database will consist of warm contacts; your strategy will be to commence networking and initiate conversations with a pitch that sparks interest and opens doors to follow-up meetings and serious discussions that might lead to successful investment deals.

Your investor database will also contribute to the success of your pitch, since you’ll have notes that document investors’ hot buttons and investment histories, so that you can customize your pitch with talking points that resonate. A personalized approach increases the likelihood of capturing investor interest and aligning your company with their investment priorities. Below are funding options that you may want to evaluate:

  • Venture Capital and Angel Investors

Venture capital (VC) is a form of private equity and a type of financing for start-up companies that have long-term growth potential. VC money generally comes from investors, investment banks and other financial institutions. VC firms raise money from limited partners to invest in promising start-ups or sometimes larger venture capital funds. VC investments in start-up companies might also be provided as technical or managerial expertise and the investment often includes strategic guidance and industry connections that substantially benefit the entrepreneur.

The downside is that landing a VC deal is extremely difficult; just 5 out of every 10,000 startups are able to secure VC funding. Entrepreneurs will need to prove themselves through rigorous due diligence and, if funding happens, living up to high growth expectations. Many VC investors are primarily looking to make a fast, high-return payoff and may pressure the company for a quick exit. Furthermore, VC investors are likely to demand a large share of company equity, make demands of the company’s management and founders risk losing control over the direction of the company.

VC isn’t the right funding choice for all start-ups. If it seems a fit for your venture, look for VC firms with expertise in your market plus target a funding amount that aligns with your needs. To obtain more information about VC investors click here https://www.vcaonline.com/directory/invdir/

By contrast, the typical angel investor is a high net worth individual and might include certain family members, close friends, or other associates who know you and might be interested in supporting your business venture.  They may have acquired their wealth through a variety of sources; however, most are themselves entrepreneurs or retired executives from enterprise business companies. These investors are inclined to fund ventures that are involved in the same or similar industries or business sectors with which they are familiar.

Unlike a bank, which will demand concrete proof of the viability of your proposed business venture, an angel investor might be more willing to gamble on your great idea. Angel investors generally understand the risk of investing in start-ups and may not expect any return on capital if the business fails. No wonder they’re known as angel investors!

To find potential angel investors or venture capital sources, networking within your business community is a must. Make a point to attend local business, trade and community organization meetings and other events to meet people—have your pitch well-honed. Start your research on angel investors by visiting sites that match entrepreneurs with angel investors:

Angel Capital Association : A collective of accredited angel investors

Golden Seeds : A group whose members focus on women-led ventures

Angel Investment Network : A network that seeks to connect entrepreneurs with business angels

  • Revenue Based Fundraising

The downside to raising capital through traditional debt financing is that it requires the business to accrue debt with interest. Revenue-based financing (RBF) https://www.joinarc.com/guides/revenue-based-financing is a type of business funding in which a company receives investment capital by promising a percentage or certain amount of the venture’s future projected revenue stream to investors. This is potentially a win-win for both aspiring entrepreneur and investors, as the start-up entity receives the necessary capital to launch and build the business by generating sales revenue, and the financer generates a return. 

  • Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is a method of funding a business or venture by receiving small amounts of money from a large number of people who believe in the project. While crowdfunding can be an effective way to raise capital, it will require the business to convey its brand through compelling storytelling, strategic marketing and aggressive promotion.

In addition to financial resources, crowdfunding can also help the business build an excited and loyal community around the company’s products and services. It can also simultaneously validate if there is demand in the market for your business early in the startup process.

Crowdfunding bears similarities to angel investing. While traditional angel groups seek to match entrepreneurs with accredited investors, crowdfunding sites allow lots of smaller investors to pitch in to move your venture along. You’ll likely have to apply to have your idea or business vetted by the site before they’ll present your project to their members. Sites that are worth a visit include:

SeedInvest https://moneywise.com/investing/alternative-investments/seedinvest-review

WeFunder https://www.nerdwallet.com/reviews/investing/brokers/wefunder

Fundable https://www.trustpilot.com/review/fundible.com

  • Blockchain-based financing

Blockchain technology may provide exciting new options for start-up fundraising, with the use of digital tokens and decentralized finance (DeFi). These innovative fundraising approaches enable start-ups to access capital in a transparent manner that operates outside the traditional banking sector. Blockchain technology can be used to issue and manage digital tokens that represent equity or debt in a venture. These tokens can be traded on secondary markets, providing liquidity to early investors. blockchain also allows startups to raise funds through initial coin offerings (ICOs).


DeFi is built on blockchain technology, primarily leveraging Ethereum.  Unlike centralized financial institutions, which rely on intermediaries such as banks, DeFi operates on blockchain networks, enabling peer-to-peer transactions, lending, borrowing and other financial activities without using intermediaries. Smart contracts, self-executing code on the blockchain, form the backbone of DeFi applications. These contracts automate financial processes, eliminating the need for intermediaries. Still, DeFi is still evolving, and there are smart contract vulnerabilities and regulatory uncertainty. Users must conduct due diligence, diversify and understand the risks before participating in DeFi.

Another way to fund a blockchain startup is through initial coin offerings (ICOs). ICOs are a type of crowdfunding, where a company raises funds by selling digital tokens to investors. ICOs can be used to fund the development of a new product or service, or to support the growth of a company.

  • Government grants and incentives

To help encourage business growth in their area, many state, local and federal agencies offer grants, incentives, or tax breaks to businesses that satisfy certain criteria such as operating in a specific industry, for example, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math). Securing government funding can be time-consuming and come with strings attached, so entrepreneurs should carefully consider their options before applying for government funding. https://www.shopify.com/blog/small-business-grants

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © Snaprender

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Your Business: Get the View From 30,000 Feet

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If you operate a business, you know all too well that your work is never done. There is always a problem to solve, reports to run and statistics to analyze, emails to send, a customer to speak with (remember to take a break every now and again!). Along with the hands-on, task oriented items on your to-do list, there is another responsibility that business owners have, one that’s seldom discussed but is nevertheless a must-do—to think about the business entity and figure out how to make it grow and thrive.

Thinking about your company—where it is now, where it was a year go and where you’d like it to be in 12-24 months—demonstrates the difference between being a leader, who embodies the vision of the entity and a manager, who implements goals that enable the vision to be realized. Freelance solopreneurs must wear both hats—the manager, who prioritizes efficiency and gets things done and the forward-thinking leader, who engages in big picture thinking to contemplate the state of the business and looks to connect the dots between problems and their impact, recognize potential opportunities and plan for the future.

Ulyses Osuna, founder of the sizzling hot PR and personal branding firm Influencer Press https://influencerpress.com/ and protégé of marketing rock star Neil Patel, founder of both Kissmetrics and Crazy Egg https://www.crazyegg.com/ , recommends that business owners/leaders regularly examine your organization to assess what’s happening now and what might happen in the future. To effectively steward your business entity, it is critical that business leaders regularly devote time to think about your organization and observe how it functions in real time. Factors you may examine to supply relevant insights may include:

  • marketplace conditions, including the competitive landscape
  • how the company delivers its products and services
  • perceptions of the customer experience, including customer service, that the company presents
  • top-line and bottom-line sales revenues
  • the inbound marketing conversion rate
  • plans for growth and expansion

For companies large and small, including Freelance Consultants, Osuna feels that devoting an hour or two each week to studying the organization is needed to see and interpret the big picture view from 30,000 feet. Business leaders must do more than grind it out just to stay on top of (admittedly important) day-to-day responsibilities and keep things in motion. Remember what inspired you to create your entity; you want it to be all it can be. To maximize your organization’s potential, first get a warts-and-all understanding of where it is now, so you can recognize growth and expansion opportunities and decide how to prepare the company to pursue those opportunities. Neglect your business leader due diligence and fail to conduct frequent check-ins with the organization you created and you’ll eventually find yourself at the helm of a rudderless ship, tangled in the weeds, as you work hard but remain stuck and unable to achieve worthy goals that were once attainable.

Osuna says he gives his clients thought-provoking, sometimes edgy, questions to answer and you (and your team, if applicable) can do the same. It’s OK to address just a question or two in your brainstorming sessions, so long as you take a deep dive and keep it real. Osuna urges you to move forward and execute quickly when you have an ah-ha moment and discover something that might move the needle—do research thoroughly and plan carefully—because good ideas deserve immediate follow-up.

BTW, Freelance solopreneurs who doubt the wisdom of asking themselves questions and then answering themselves can refer to Consulting Drucker: Principles and Lessons from the World’s Leading Consultant, written by William Cohen, PhD (September 2018), to confirm that Osuna’s brainstorming method can produce useful results. Cohen’s book examines the influence that business consultant, educator and author Peter Drucker (1909-2005), who is known as the father of modern business management, has had on business practices. Cohen and his research team found that asking yourself questions and responding to them as if you are a separate entity, can produce credible answers. Your brain will supply answers, or attempt to, making the practice beneficial for a single individual to contemplate questions that require objective and big picture thinking.

Cohen at al. theorize that the primary reason for this phenomenon is that oftentimes, the facts needed to answer questions and resolve problems are already stored in your memory, even if some information cannot be easily accessed. Asking yourself questions, treating your brain as a separate entity and allowing it to find potentially useful answers, can eliminate many of the biases that may otherwise block you from identifying effective solutions. There is a limit to the phenomenon, however— if you are under a great deal of stress, or the problem is either too big or the situation is too demanding, the brain may not function well enough to identify a workable solution to the question or problem, even when you frame the query as if addressing someone other than yourself.

The list of questions below are written to help you successfully launch weekly or monthly business brainstorming sessions for your entity by focusing on three business functions that Drucker identified as vital: attraction of prospects, customer conversation rate and delivery of products or services. You can choose other questions to ponder, depending on your circumstances, and address them at your own pace. You may take on only two or three per week/month but devote an hour or two in each session to think about your business entity, it’s challenges and potential.

  1. Which systems improvements will make doing business easier, more efficient and/or less expensive?
  2. Which media outlets would best showcase the company and brand and has the company/or I been featured in one or more in the past 12 months?
  3. If I was able to hire one (or more) employees whose salary would be paid by a grant and cost me nothing, in what capacity would it make sense for the person(s) to work and would s/he work?
  4. Do my products/ services optimally fulfill the needs and aspirations of my customers? Should I add an upgrade or a simplified version or should I develop a new service or offer a new product?
  5. If I was given a no-strings gift of $300,000 to exclusively spend on the business, what would I spend it on?
  6. What do customers value most about the company? Where do customers feel the company falls short?
  7. Does the content produced for the company showcase me as a thought leader? In what categories have I (or can I) establish authority? This could involve guest articles, interviews, or speaking engagements.
  8. What do you want the company to look like in one year, two years, or five years?
  9. How do I provide solutions that solve client problems or achieve client goals?
  10. If I could do it over again, would I create this business in the way I have done—what, if anything, might change?
  11. What are the most common objection that prospects give to your sales pitch and what might be the best response?
  12. What is the biggest priority that the company faces now?

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: The Thinker created in 1904 by Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) on display at the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA 2016 exhibit, “Rodin: Transforming Sculpture.”