Fast Marketing Minute

Want to be a guest blogger? If you’re an expert, it’s a great way to build credibility and get tons of publicity. Here are some tips.

5 Marketing Tips for Guest Blogging

1. Be clear on what you’re an expert on. Sounds dumb, but you can’t be an expert at everything. Confused people never buy. Who do you help and what problems do you solve?

2. What publications do you want to write for? Look at your target markets and marketing plan to see what your prospects and customers are reading. Not sure? Punch in key words on Google and build a media list.

3. Read contributor guidelines. Submission guidelines outline steps to submit content. Every publication is different, so you may want to start a spreadsheet with details on each. Use it as a reference as you build your guest blogging journey.

4. Should you send a pitch or draft? Some publications ask you to send in a pitch and others want a complete draft. I’m a fan of pitching. Look at prior blogs so you don’t suggest the same topic and create a headline in a style that mirrors their publication.

5. Editors make the final call. An editor’s job is to provide value to their readers and your job is to provide that value. Make your pitch short. On the front end, include why your topic is important and why you’re the expert to be writing.

Which brings me back to creating expert authority. Make it a top priority on your marketing and PR list.

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. My passion is low-cost marketing to help you grow your business and get more visibility. Check out my website at RobinSamora.com.  Talk soon!

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What’s LinkedIn up to lately?  LinkedIn stories. Let’s take a look at what they’re all about.

LinkedIn Stories has just been launched globally and it allows the LinkedIn community and brands with a company page to publish photos, images, and videos on the mobile app, much like Instagram stories.

So, what does it look like?

5 Features of LinkedIn Stories 

1)  LinkedIn members and brands on company pages will be able to share a story, similar to Instagram, and the stories will be ephemeral. That means they’ll be available for 24 hours, then they’ll disappear.

2) You can post a photo image or video – but only 20 seconds long. You’ll also be able to upload them from the gallery and be able to add customized stickers and text.

3) To make things more fun on LinkedIn and lighten up the platform, there’ll also be a Question of the Day.  So in between prospecting and polling and posting, and looking at what your competition is up to, you can answer the question, creatively.

4)  Another feature is that you’ll be able to send messages to your contacts and followers, and track which users saw your story.

5)  You can delete your own stories, download them to save – and heaven forbid, report a story that’s inappropriate.

Bottom line, companies and brands will be able to create and post content, engage with prospects, employees, and vendors and also have a chance to share what’s going on behind-the-scene.

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. Want to grow your business and get more visibility?  Visit my website at RobinSamora.com and learn more. Talk soon!

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You’ve heard of Quora, but how do you use their Q + A platform as a marketing tool?

Want to use Quora like a marketing master? Well, why not?  Here are 5 ways to do that.

5 Ways to Use Quora’s Q + A as a Marketing Tool

1. Create the perfect profile. Take your time writing one because Quora shows the first 50 characters in your profile as a tagline. You’ll also want to add a headshot, to humanize your brand. There’ll be lots of competition answering questions, so make sure that your answers stand out.

2. Research Industry topics. Be active and post though provoking question and answers. Give thought to them, like an expert would (and should). You can also repurpose your own content and save the questions asked. This is awesome because you can use the questions for blogs, articles or presentations.

3. Look for connections. Yes, Quora is a search engine but it’s also a social media platform. You can build relationships with customers and answer questions as the expert you are. Also, take a look at top followers or topics that interest you and contribute to those same topics and industry boards.

4. Choose the best questions to answer. Focus on answering question that deliver value for your brand. You’ll want to key an eye out for thread with a good number of upvotes too, because they’ll get a lot of engagement.

5. Step up to stand out. Show your passion in the way you answer questions. One great way is to use content you already have. Use snippets. Grab a quote. Edit a paragraph from something you’ve already written and create a link. This is an insider’s secret you’ll definitely want to check out.

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. My passion is low-cost marketing to help you grow your business and get more visibility. Check out my website at RobinSamora.com.  Talk soon!

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Want Pinterest traffic that will buy? Listen in

Today, let’s talk about 4 Pinterest marketing tips to drive power buyers to your website.

4 Pinterest Marketing Tips to Attract Power Buyers 

1. Actively seek out new people to follow. Every day, follow new people, comment, save and pin on other people’s boards. This makes you look like an active user.

2. Use keywords to your advantage. Your boards, descriptions and categories all impact how your content shows up in search results. Use clear, descriptive language and keywords that your audience would use to find you. What you say (or don’t say) in 500 characters will make your board stand out.

3. Attract new prospects with fresh content. New fresh and relevant content is what Pinterest users want and what the algorithm is looking for. Spend time creating images and videos of your brand or products to inspire people to share your content and learn more. Emotional connection drives action.

4. Always link back to your website. Your SEO strategy doesn’t have to be over the top complicated. But without optimizing keywords in all your descriptions, you’re playing half a game. Remember that every time a pin is re-pinned, that’s another link and opportunity for your audience can find you.

To drive traffic and power buyers to your site, and win in Pinterest search results, create compelling content and links to your boards. And always use strong, relevant keywords to boost your SEO juice and drive business to your door.

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. If you like these marketing tips, visit my website at RobinSamora.com and see how I can help you grow your brand.  Talk soon!

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Don’t let social media run you.  Here are some pitfalls to watch out for.

Social media marketing done the right way will help grow your business and a community. Done the wrong way, there are some major pitfalls.

5 Common Social Media Marketing Traps

1. Not paying attention. If you want to be successful, you need to focus on what you’re doing, and that includes social media. It’s easy to make mistakes, say the wrong thing, or offend someone. Pay attention to get attention.

2. Wasting valuable time. Sound familiar? You get on social media, scroll a bit, and before you know it, you’ve wasted an hour. It’s one thing if you’re at home, but when you’re on the clock, you can’t afford to lose time. Be clear on your goals, set a timer, and get the job done.

3. Thinking SEO isn’t important. SEO and optimizing your posts help search engines find you, boost your rating, and drive traffic to your site, hopefully lots. Designate one person or a social squad to be in charge of social media and optimize like crazy.

4. There’s too much on your plate. One of my daughter’s has a sign that says, ‘less is more’ and she’s right. Concentrate on a couple of social platforms, develop great content, and stop stressing about posting every single day on every platform. Be strategic. Avoid spray and pray marketing.

5. Stay away from controversial subjects. A brand is how you make someone feel. Going on a rant can be problematic and have a long-term effect, including losing customers and followers. Protect the reputation you work so hard for.

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. Visit my website at RobinSamora.com for more marketing and PR tips on how to grow your business and brand.  Talk soon!

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Growing a business to seven figures isn’t done overnight. Here’s a quick guide.

Want to get your business to the seven-figure mark? Look at some of best practices.

5 Marketing Tips to Scale Your Business

1. Clarity and consistency count. On social media and every platform, make a commitment to be consistent. Create a unified brand, image, and messaging across all channels. You’ll also want to repurpose your content as video, live streams, gifs, quotes and more. That way you’ll have more time to focus on other revenue generating ideas.

2. Make your content relatable. When you understand your audience, you’ll know what kind of content they respond to. Be honest and speak to your audience, not at your audience. They’ll relate better. Plus, it helps earn their trust. Start a conversation. Get to know them. This is how relationships are built.

3. Align with other experts. Build a community with other experts and influencers who have a similar audience. Be a guest on their blog or podcast, or other media channels. Help promote each other and give a shout out, collaborate, co-brand a contest or events. Host Instagram or Facebook live streams together. You’ll expand your social media reach, gain more followers, convert more sales and gain recognition as an authority.

4. Make buying easy. If you don’t, you run the risk of your prospect shopping on your competitor’s platform. Use multiple touch points, video marketing, discounts and incentives. Give customers multiple ways to pay. And be sure to follow up. Don’t lose a sale because it’s not the right time.

5. Nourish your email list. What’s your email list worth? Take the price of your average product and multiply it by the number of subscribers. Say your service is worth $1,000 and you have 1,000 subscribers. That’s $1,000,000 in potential revenue –only if you nurture and grow your list. Just be sure to create a system to capture their email address. And promise me to stay in touch!

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. Scale your business big time and get the visibility you deserve. Visit my website at RobinSamora.com to book a call. Talk soon!

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Think you just need hard skills to be a marketer? Not true. Check out these soft skills to add to your tool box.

4 Soft Skills You Need in Marketing

It’s not always about being tough as a business person and marketer. Soft skills count too. What skills should you add to your marketing toolbox?

1. Creativity. Marketers have a unique flair and knack for creativity so it’s important to nurture those skills.  Creativity is a gift to help you stay on top of your game – and also protect your creative juices. Think differently to expand your horizon. Volunteer or learn a new language.

2. Adaptability. Was your business flipped upside down with the pandemic? Ready yourself to be more adaptable, to adjust to changes quickly and efficiently, as they’re thrown to you. Adaptability isn’t just a soft skill, it’s a must skill. It’s what you need to embrace change, remain calm, and go with the ebb and flow.

3. Empathy. When you’re empathetic, you’re able to connect with your audience on a deeper level and help them solve their problems better. As a result, customers will become more loyal to you because they believe you care and understand them. They also bring in more referrals and in turn, more business.

4. Tenacity. Tenacity helps you achieve long term success, to be driven to set goals and achieve them. That you’re in it for the long haul. You know your why and see the big picture. Think of it like winning a race – the slow and steady race. Understand how to grow your own tenacity and you can push forward, no matter what.

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. Want to grow your business in these challenging times? Visit my website at RobinSamora.com and set up a time to chat. Talk soon!

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Are you looking for new business ideas to help you through tough times? Listen in.

Almost every company I know wants to recover losses they’ve incurred with the pandemic. Ideas are important, but it’s also important to take action to get ahead of the competition.

Here’s an approach I read about today in the Entrepreneur blog on how to SHAPE up your business.

5 Marketing Tips to Shape Up Your Business

1. Think like a Start-up. Enough research, already. It’s time to take action, and that means now. You can always tweak your plans, but speed counts.

2. How do your people work best? Your strength is in strategy and human capital. You may create the strategy, but your team drives the bus. They execute and deliver results.

3. Expand your digital channels. If you haven’t shifted already, make a commitment accelerate digital, tech operations and analytics. Having strong digital channels will impact your growth and visibility.

4. Reassess what your customers value. This pandemic has influenced people and your customers in ways we can’t even imagine. Ask what they need. Take time to find out what what’s important to them. What worked once, doesn’t necessarily work anymore.

5. Disruption is part of growth. In this new normal, we need to rethink and rebuild. Look at your employees and outsourced staff, your environment, your offices, your funding, and the possibilities of grants and assistance, to name just a few.

Now’s the time to be proactive not reactive. Speed is important to gain momentum, but not without thinking things through. To get your business ready for the next big push, put your foot on the gas pedal, but don’t run out of gas.

This is Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. Looking for marketing ideas to grow your business? Visit my website at RobinSamora.com. Talk soon!

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Want to pool your resources to create a bigger marketing campaign? Think about co-marketing.

Why would you want to co-market with another company and what’s the benefit?

3 Reasons Why Co-Marketing is Important

What’s important to remember is that co-marketing should be a win-win for both sides. Piggy back on a marketing campaign, but before you do, make sure you have your agreement in writing – even if it’s an email, so you know what to expect.

This is Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. If you’re looking for marketing ideas and tips or 1-2-1 marketing help, please visit my website. I’m at RobinSamora.com. Talk soon!

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How much do you charge? Pause, pause. Don’t get mad. Here’s what to say next.

If you’re in business, you’ve probably done more than your share of free – when you started, for causes you believe in, or as part of giving back.

For those who ask, “how much do you charge?, here’s what you can say. Thanks David Newman, speaker guru, for the lesson I’ll never forget!

Before you say anything, remember this. Don’t quote a random price unless you think this person will be a major pain in the butt or you charge a low hourly rate. Also, be prepared for the question. Don’t act surprised. And lastly, don’t get hot and bothered and go on a tirade.

Here are 7 Marketing Comebacks to How Much Do You Charge

1. “More than a banana less than a Ferrari”. Humor levels the playing field.

2. “Can I ask you a question? Do you can more about price or results?” See what their main concern is. Results are worth paying for.

3. “What are you trying to accomplish, [first name]? Let’s look at some options.” Let them talk. Hear their story. Listen.

4. “Do you have 10 minutes later this week so we can set up a call?” Set up an appointment right there and then or send an email with your calendar link.

5. “Honestly, [first name], I don’t know much about you or your company. We just started talking.” How can you quote if you don’t have all the information?

6. “If I pick a number out of the blue, it won’t work for either of us. Let’s set up a time to talk. What time looks good for you? “Set up a time where you can be prepared.

7. “What kind of budget have you set aside? Then, we can figure out if we’re in the same ballpark and should continue the conversation.”

Always keep control of the sale conversation and kick out the tire kickers. They just wear you out and take up valuable time. My Dad used to say, “next!”

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. Want more marketing tips? Visit my website at  RobinSamora.com. Talk soon!

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