Last week I started assisting my mother and my aunt in starting blogs. It’s been quite a while since I created a new blog from scratch using the WordPress platform and it gave me a unique chance to see the blank slate a blog starts on. All those exciting possibilities to create a space for your words and thoughts for people to read.

My mother will be using her blog to talk about the experience of writing a cookbook. She’s newly retired and this will be her first “I’ve got to stay busy” project.

As I was going through the different sections of the blog she needed to customize, I told her she was going to need to write an “About” page.

“About what?”

“About you,” I answered. “You want to give people an idea of who you are. Why you’re writing this blog. They will want to know why they should trust your information.”

This morning, as I was catching up on some of my blog reading, I noticed this post by Lisa Barone on “Crafting a Killer About Page” at www.smallbiztrends.com.

It goes through some really useful tips on how to make your About page stand out and creating a bases of trust between your customers and your business.

“Your About page is what allows people to get to know you. It’s your introduction and their chance to look behind the curtain to see what lies beneath. You wouldn’t go to a party and stand around not introducing yourself, so why commit the same act on your site? Don’t forget your About page.”

To her very good advice, I would add that you should also make a note to check your About page and update it, at the very least, yearly. It can be as simple as updating your profile picture or adding some new exciting information about your business, product or service.

Fantastic advice for either a personal blog or a business one. And as always, make sure you read the comments to get even more great advice.

‘Chelle Parmele
Social Media Marketing Manager

Tags: advice, blogging
Posted on October 5th, 2009 | 3 Comments »

Palo Alto Software is proud to welcome Cidnee Stephen, one of the Duct Tape Marketing Coaches that will be posting over the next several months.

Do you have a box of business cards on your desk that you hardly seem to put a dent in before the information changes and a new box is ordered? Or worse yet…are you still working on that same box of business cards that you printed 3 years ago!

Business cards can be a great inexpensive marketing tool for a small business. They say exactly what you do and give people all the contact information they need to get a hold of you. Yet oddly enough we tend to use them only for networking, and even then, we aren’t really sure if people are holding on to them.

Here are 7 different ways you can turn your business cards into a low cost marketing machine!

•    Keep them on hand
•    Situate them with strategic alliances
•    Include them in your correspondence
•    Direct people to your website with them
•    Put something useful on the back
•    Use them for jotting down information
•    Use them as part of your referral system

Keep them on hand - even when you are popping to the convenience store or running a short errand. You never know who you will run into or what opportunity might present itself. It’s wise to keep your business cards in multiple locations, like your wallet or purse, your car, or your favourite coat, so that you won’t be left empty-handed. Words of advice….invest in some simple card holders so your cards are protected instead of bent or soiled.

Situate with Strategic Alliances – This is highly effective if you market to consumers, but can also be used business to business. Business cards can be placed at grocery stores, car washes, or restaurants, for example. How about placing them with a graphic artist if you’re a sign company, or a realtor if you are a mortgage broker? Keep your eyes open for opportunities to get your business cards in front of your target audience!

Include them in your correspondence - If you are sending out invoices or other correspondence to your target market, make sure you include your card. Consider enclosing a couple and ask your loyal suppliers or clients if they can pass them on. I know a travel agent who even included hers with her utility payments.

Direct them to your website – Face it! More and more people are turning to the web for information. Yet some people still forget to include their website on their business card. If you are proud of your website and it promotes your company, point this out to people when you hand them your card.

Put something useful on the back – By useful, I mean something that makes them want to hold on to your card. It can be a calendar, a discount, a FREE Trial or a Free Report. Think of something that your target market will value and you’ve increased the longevity of your card.

Use them for jotting down information – So someone asks you for the name of your dentist or you are trying to explain a point. If the information will fit on your card, use it. By doing so you are guaranteeing two things. They will remember you for helping them and they will hold on to your card longer.

Use them as part of your referral system – Business cards can be an integral part of your referral system. I’m not a huge advocate of handing out 2 or 3 cards to people you have just met. I am however a big believer in making sure happy clients and strategic alliances have extra cards on hand.

Consider marking the cards in such a way to track the referral source. Offer a discount or prize if someone hands in the card. A good referral strategy can be one of the most powerful alternative uses for your business cards.

Think about it. You have in your possession 500 – 1000 pieces of marketing in those little business card boxes. The idea is to get them in the hands of people that can grow your business. In order to do that you need to devise a strategy to utilize them in creative ways. Ideally you want all of those cards out of your office and into the marketplace as quickly as possible!

Cidnee Stephen is the owner of Strategies for Success – a marketing company that focuses on the needs of budget minded small businesses and professional services.  She has helped hundreds of small businesses get out of their peak and valley ruts to finally achieve that next vital level of success.  Cidnee is also a sought after speaker, writer and blogger on marketing topics that affect small businesses and B2B service based operations.  Subscribe for Free to her bi-weekly marketing tips for small businesses and also receive a special report on the 7 Steps of Marketing Success.

Tags: advice, business card, Cidnee Stephen, Duct Tape Marketing Coach, Marketing
Posted on January 21st, 2009 | 5 Comments »