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JULY 20, 2009 Don't forget to add "newsletter@virtualassistantnetworking.com" to your email friends list so you won't miss future issues! MARKETING & NETWORKING ISSUEIn This Issue:
A Note from Danielle...If only marketing could be more painless. But wait--maybe some of it really can be! Usually, the only thing stopping us is our own negative self-talk. This week, no excuses... Yours in goodness and success!
- FEATURE ARTICLE -Yes, You CAN Write Articles to Market Your Business
Objection #1: I don't think I'm a good enough writer. No one is asking you to be Hemingway. In fact, some of the best articles out there are those that are straightforward and from the heart. All you have to do is be yourself, speak one-on-one to your audience (your target market) and write about something that they care about or want answers to. Objection #2: I don't have anything interesting or of value to say (I'm no expert). You're a human being, aren't you? Unless you are a mannequin, you have thoughts. You have opinions. You have experiences. There are things you are passionate about. Not to mention, you're a business owner with some skill and knowledge in your field or else you wouldn't have gone into business, right? You have something to offer and that is yourself. It doesn't matter that the topic may have been covered a million times before. No one else can write from your perspective, in your voice, with your personality. Your right clients need to hear you so they can get to know, like and trust you. Objection #3: I don't have enough time—I'm too busy with clients. That's great that you have clients. But clients aren't necessarily permanent fixtures in your business. They move on for all kinds of reasons. Even if you have more business than you can handle at the moment, it's always a smart idea to maintain your marketing presence to keep those prospects flowing into your pipeline. One article a month is completely doable even for the most time-strapped entrepreneur. Objection #4: I don't have enough time—I'm too busy trying to get clients. That's exactly what article marketing will help you do, silly! Article marketing is a way to drive traffic to your website, which is what you want prospects to do. Articles help increase your expert status in the eyes of would-be clients. Articles give them a chance to get to know you, increasing that all-important know/like/trust factor. Articles also lend to the laws of attraction and intention—your right clients will be drawn to you and want to learn more about how you can help them. Objection #5: I don't know what to write about. Here's my own simple technique: Imagine you're at a networking function. You're talking shop with the business owner next to you, getting to know each other. The business owner, now knowing that you are in the ___ business, asks you about ___. Your answer to their question is your article! It really is that simple. So go to those business get-togethers. Write down the questions that current and prospective clients ask you. These are the topics for your next articles. RESOURCE: The VACOC has a comprehensive list of free article and press release submission sites that you can download here: Article and Press Release Submission Sites.
© Copyright 2009, The Portable Business™. All U.S. and International rights reserved. You may print this article for personal use or republish it online only if it is left unaltered and used in its entirety, including bylines, links, copyright notice, resource and author information. Contact the author for any other permission.
- VACOC NEWS -New Service for Clients: Quickie Gigs™
The core business of a Virtual Assistant is providing one-on-one, ongoing administrative support to clients they work with in long-term, continuous relationship. We always encourage clients to go that route because it's where you are going to reap the most rewards in terms of value, continuity and cost-effectiveness. However, if you have not yet found your right Virtual Assistant or you are between Virtual Assistants, but still have occasional tasks and projects you'd like completed, we can help you out! Quickie Gigs™ is primarily for simple, straightforward administrative tasks and projects that can generally be completed and turned-around in few days with no fuss or muss. You fill out our online form with the project specs and once the preliminary account set-up is completed, we'll get to work right away. Everything is simple! You sign only one contract (this will cover our terms for one year in case you have other occasional projects that pop up) and each project will be quoted on a flat fee basis (easier for you to budget). For more information, be sure and check out our Quickie Gigs™ page.
Let's Connect
We Love Hearing From You!
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How
do you think you will get prospects into your pipeline if they don't know
you're out there? Article marketing is one of the simplest and least expensive
methods for marketing and promoting your business (often costing nothing
but your time). It's one of the most effective ways to drive traffic to
your website and increase your SEO at the same time. Yet business owners
come up with all kinds of reasons to avoid article marketing. In this
article, I'm answering all your objections--no negative self-talk allowed.
You CAN do this!
About
the Author: Danielle Keister is a business advisor and innovator
in the Virtual Assistance profession. An administrative professional of
20+ years and veteran Virtual Assistant of 12+ years, her logical, no-nonsense
approach to business development has gained her recognition as one of
the leaders in the field. She loves what she does and is passionate about
sharing her knowledge and know-how with the world. She’s all about
inspiring others to reach for their highest excellence. When not taking
care of clients in her own Virtual Assistant practice, she is busy leading
the 
The
VACOC has a new service for clients we call Quickie Gigs™.
Here's the idea:
"This
was such a great teleseminar. There was so much great information and
insights into the world of writing. I am so glad I attended. Jan King
is a wonderful presenter. I appreciate the chance to listen to her presentation.
Thanks for offering the seminar.
The
dream of the big client—no more marketing, no more chasing new business,
and no more revolving door. But at what cost? Join us on Thursday,
August 20, for the next VACOC Guest Expert Teleseminar with Sherri Garrity.
In this teleseminar, Sherri will reveal the truth about anchor clients,
what an anchor client is really worth, how to strike the right balance
and warning signs that your clients are taking you for granting.
