They will be watching for advertising that is not legal, decent, honest and truthful.

Advertising Standards Authority

One of the subjects of the ad campaign highlights the companies we love to hate who advertise a very low air fare, and then build in layer upon layer of additional expense.  So the £ 39 airfare can double or triple by the time that the return journey, check in, insurance, baggage handling – and goodness knows what else is loaded into the price.

Find out more about the ASA

It won’t just be big business who is affected.  Even small and medium sized businesses who are already legal, honest, decent and truthful may find additional transparency is required.  In the USA last year’s changes from the FTC – the regulatory body – have meant that internet marketers are openly declaring affiliate links that might result in financial gain, as well as providing disclaimers for earnings opportunities.

Time to re-appraise wording on websites.

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As a marketer I am always interested in how events and people communicate their brand.  Quite apart from the training (which I will save for another post) I did have two overwhelming impressions even before the first speaker spoke the first word.  The list of speakers was announed on a video screen, and I watched in amazement as man after man was announced.

All the speakers were men.  Every single one.

Once I had got over that, I was intrigued by the one-liner underneath each picture.  In the vast majority of cases the speaker was presented as the expert in a particular aspect of internet marketing which was briefly described, followed by the word “guy”. So we had  the webinar guy.. the easy cash projects guy.. the lead generation guy etc.

What a nice easy word “guy” is.  It sounds warm and approachable but with a hint of ruggedness and reliability.  It is more relaxed than “man” and even “gentleman”.

Even if there had been female speakers wall to wall what is the equivalent modern word for women?  I don’t think there is one .  Which is why there is a whole slew of “divas” and “queens” and goddesses”.  There simply isn’t a relaxed word.   “Gal” or Girl is OK for someone younger, Chick can give the wrong impression, Lady is very formal, Woman sounds too dull.

C’mon guys ( I mean women / gals / you gorgeous ladies  what can we call ourselves?

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Employees and business owners take their holidays in August, so how could it be a great time for your small business?  These seven ideas will help your marketing and your business spark generally.

1. You can create a link by having the “have you been away/ have you stayed at home/ what did you do / how was it? conversation. The more links you have with your prospects and clients the more they will feel you understand them, and that they know like and trust you.  Of course similar experiences, likes and dislikes make for better quality links.
2. Holidays are associated with postcards – so send some!  A postcard will have more impact than an email.  You can send some to employees, to suppliers, and customers.  The message can be very relevant to your business and / or simply fun.  Of course you need to have their addresses.  Sending a few real hand-written hand posted cards with real stamps from a real place is the most authentic way to do it, or you can prepare a printed postcard with a hand-written font, take them with you and post them while you are away.
3. August is a great time for sending out real live letters which is an extension on the post card idea.  Why?  Because during the holiday season we feel we owe it to ourselves to enjoy things more.  A letter that is enjoyable to read and has a clear call to action stands a better chance of being noticed. Of course if you include a physical lumpy “thing” it is even more interesting and certainly more enjoyable than facing an overloaded email inbox.  Anything that is not an urgent problem or a message from a friend may simply get lost in email overload on re-entry.
4. Make those difficult phone calls because the unreachable person may be easier to reach during August.  They may pick up the phone or even be covering someone else’s phone.  A business owner covering reception duty is wired for action and decision-making not simply passing on messages.  Phoning in the holiday season is higher risk but every so often you get a winning result.
5. Clearing up is easier to do if normal business life is on hold.  Putting names on databases, catching up with invoicing or reconciling accounts, doing research, reducing the paperwork mountain or simply reading relevant magazines, blogs and social media are all excellent ways of getting that firm foundation so your business can move forward and grow in the Autumn.
6. Take time off to improve the quality of your thinking. Of course relaxation is the real point of a holiday! The problem is that if we get more and more stressed and overstretched the less capable we are of taking time off.  In fact like the hot frog in gradually heating water we do not even realise we are not operating at our best.  Relaxation becomes difficult but so does real focus and concentration.  When “forced” to do nothing and enjoy a holiday the phone and laptop often go along as well as a form of anxious defence, or alternatively illness can strike.  I have lost count of the business owners who felt uneasy without their constant checking mechanisms but once they began to relax became aware of how tense they had previously been.  A jump start like reading a wonderful book, taking exciting exercise, playing a boisterous game with the children can bring that first release.
7. As a business owner, however, you are unlikely to completely switch off for long..even if everything is covered at the office.   The chances are you have a lively mind and are interested in doing things better. Once you have begun to relax your interest will be sparked by new ideas and new opportunities.  Stay in brainstorm mode and just collect the business ideas in a small notebook or on a table napkin.  It only need take a minute or two, but the quality of your thinking is likely to be more creative and confident.  Edit and refine later when you are planning the next stage.

Whether you take a four week holiday or just the odd afternoon here and there the most important thing is to switch off.  It is the best investment you can make in your best business asset. The more you invest in you the easier others will do so, too.

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Blogging Workshop on International Women’s Day

Blogging is such a great way to build company reputation, and leads to more money, and more happiness through self expression.  Many small business owners find writing their website difficult, but have no problem talking about what really matters to them in a blog.

Women are natural bloggers, and can get more spark into their marketing more easily with a blog.

International Women’s Day 8 March 2010 is the date for a blogging workshop led by Jean Wolfe

The workshop will help you gain fluency as well as understanding the interactive benefits of blogging

• What to do before you get started
• How to grab your reader’s attention
• How to write for the other audience – the search engines
• Which blog platform to choose and why
• Where to find stuff to write about and make it relevant
• 7 Principles of Copy-writing which should be obeyed
• How to fit blogging with email, twitter and social media

In honour of National Women’s Day we will also have a look at what women have had to do to get their work read.  They have not always had it so easy …

You will go away with more spark for your business and a clear plan of blogging action – with work done already.  Make the most of this unfair advantage in your blogging career.

Date: Monday March 8^th International Women’s Day

Place Berkshire / Buckinghamshire border UK

Time: 10 am – 2: 30 with an additional hour for personal questions 2:30 – 3;30

Cost: £ 99 which includes three weekly follow up blogging newsletters and an online session on March 29^th. Open to men as well as women.

Bloggers Are Us! will breathe new life into all your communications – even one to one meetings..  But if you have not doubled your investment of £ 100 within six months I will happily refund your ticket.

“It’s your enthusiasm which makes all the difference” KN

“Jean you are a natural-born motivator” AS

“You are always a breath of fresh air and I think in a different way. I also feel better about myself and would like you on tap, please, every day!” PH

Jean Wolfe is a champion of independent businesses and communication that builds business wealth. Ex-drama teacher, ex-publicist for authors, ex-creator of solar powered product markets internationally.

To reserve your place please get in touch via the contact form or the comments below.

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The best gift you could give your business is some inspired marketing.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love (that’s you!) gave to me(your business):

12 Twelve months of the year to plan newsletters, special national days, anniversaries and to establish the rhythmn of your business.  Finding an anniversary can be a good way to smooth out any seasonal imbalances. .. and break down any assumptions you may have aboutyour customers buying patterns.

On the eleventh day of christmas my true love (well, you know who that is, now!) gave to me(you know what) :

11 pipers piping out my marketing messages. There are so many pipers available and together they makes more music.  Social media is still becoming more and more popular (facebook has the population of the third biggest country in the world, after all) so make it happen for you.  Face to face networking where you see the whites of their eyes, can read the body language, and be seen and heard most completely is still the first marketing option for many start ups. Write white papers, send email newsletters, or drip out your email courses, PR ( on line and in your vertical markets)can be amazing, advertising: local, pay per click, or in your sector, SEO and on page web optimisation, Web 2.0, blogging and interacting in the blogosphere, directories, videos, teleseminars, webinars, not forgetting direct mail – which has more impact these days – and of course referrals from satisfied customers.

10 lords or satisfied customers leaping around saying how good your work is. More than that, how much you understand what they think  and give them the solutions they want.  Who are your top ten customers and what do they want?  Ask them!

9 ladies dancing. Cars and boats always used to be called “she” and the man who fixed my roof recently referred to my house as “her” and it sounded really friendly!  What do your customers think of your car, your office, your desk, your comfortable chair?  Everything you have is part of your brand and could be dancing for you.  What about your laptop or notebook, the pen you sign the contract with, your shoes, your bag, your jacket, handkerchief?

8 headlines milking the conversation in your customer’s mind.   Headlines on webpages, brochures and emails do a lot of the hard work and work their cash cow thang.  Write 8 during this holiday period so you are ready.

7 steps that take your customers they want to be. Seven is a magical number,  Identify the magical seven steps for one of your headlines and let it out into the world.

6 eggs that have been laid since last year. You will be increasing the asset value of your business year on year.  What are the top six assets that you have developed in your business over the past 12 months?  It doesn’t have to be technical equipment which is how we often think of assets.  Your contact list, products, improved systems, new website, better metrics are all assets, too.

5 go-o-ld things that save your business money and time. New technology means you can do more with less better and faster.  From low-cost email marketing so you know who is opening your emails, to easier websites, IT offered as a service for a lower monthly cost, outsourcing rather than taking on new employees, as well as all the talent available to help you grow your business.  There are many ways to make the recession irrelevant. The ipod, iPad or iPhone could be saving you valuable time and energy.

4 Quarterly plans (to stay on track). Of course planning doesn’t mean you will automatically achieve everything you want, but I am surprised how often it happens.  Getting clear is the first step.  It can be a lonely as an entrepreneur and planning improves your ability to make the most of a team.

3 values that say it all. The sub-text, the hallmark, the special aroma, the spark that you bring to the world that is uniquely you, and communicate powerfully.  It is why people choose to be with you, work with you, like you and trust you.  When we are confident it all happens naturally, but by thinking about it consciously you can generate consistency and be more memorable. (And make more money more easily)

Image by cassie_bedfordgolf via Flickr

When explorers first went to remote parts of the world they often planted their national flag to claim the land.  What part of the internet are you claiming?  You may have more than two phrases what are the top two?

Finally:  on the first day of Christmas my true love (me) turned up to give to me (my way of creating money and value in the world/ my business) one partridge plus pear tree.

What is this gift?  One thing that can fly around,  and one that stays still and grows and bears fruit. They have been delivered to your snow covered doorstep as a package.  All businesses need the running around and the staying still.  Active and passive, doing and thinking, yin and yang, extravert and introvert.

Is your business unbalanced?  Do both sides of you get representation at your (very) senior management meetings? Have you got someone who is on your wave length who naturally contributes what is less natural for you?

In modern times retail Christmas seems to last from Hallowe’en at the end of October till December 24th.  But traditionally the twelve days  went from Christmas Day till January 6th.  So once Christmas Day is past you are still in holiday mood right through the New Year and into the first week.

Thinking is probably the most valuable gift you can give your business.  If you want some help with the foundation thinking about getting the spark into your marketing check out this ecourse.

Enjoy your precious twelve days of Christmas!

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Having a great business is the aim but not at the expense of lonliness, of missing bathtime, the late night teenage conversation, or the quality time with husband, partner, friends and family.

Modern marketing which plays to women’s natural strengths has made the goal more achievable.

The increasing importance of networking face to face suits women’s natural way of doing business.  Dr Ivan Misner has spearheaded this change through BNI over the last 10 years internationally followed by many networking groups for women only including Athena.  BNI’s motto:  ” Givers Gain” (if I give you business you will want to give me business in return) has made a big change in the way men do business, but is part of how most women operate.

When we meet up for one to one meetings we ask about each other.  We want to find links between us, and help each other.  We are just as likely to give a compliment about shoes or a jacket as a laptop presentation, and we are just as likely to choose to work with somebody based on their past or their personal style.  After all, it is the so-called non-critical variables that often end up being the most important.

The shoe or handbag compliment is not fundamentally about shoes or handbags but about values, about style, and the way of seeing the world.  When we respond positively to something about somebody else, we  are more receptive to developing a business relationship, to working together, recommending each other and investing our hard-earned money.

As women we have many many ways of demonstrating our brand values, and helping others to know like and trust us.  Face to face networking where we are our own brochure, direct mail letter and exhibition provides a powerful marketing tool.  Many businesses find all their clients through face to face networking.

The internet marketing explosion of recent times also suits women.  Women in their late thirties are the most frequent users of facebook.  which only a few years ago was simply the place for university students.  To be trusted these days, and have an authentic brand,  you have to reveal something about yourself.  This comes naturally to women – even online – but in my experience men find it much harder.

Women are still responsible for more of the domestic tasks in the home, so working at home reduces the hassle-factor.  No more travelling out to work which involves military-precision organisation for childcare.  The washing machine can be filled, or the family meal prepared without having to replace yourself at the heart of the home.  Setting up a sequence of emails for an autoresponder for your information product can be more satisfying than coping with lengthy meetings and office politics.

Even better – blogging about your day and the ups and downs of home life can be turned into a business.  The office becomes redundant in every sense.  Heather Armstrong of Dooce in the US was one of the first examples of mommy blogging.  She genuinely and naturally wrote about her day – which was of interest to women in a similar situation – leading to massive traffic on her site.  Advertisers lured by the size and responsiveness of her audience appeared bearing gifts with monetary value.

As women we enjoy relationships and getting to know people and it is refreshing that we can now build a business from this place.  Perhaps it will be the unsung heroines who will be the real contributors to the economy in the coming year.

Old business is dead.  Long live new business and national women’s enterprise day!

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In a larger business you probably had lots of contacts, and a yearly calendar of events, such as awards, exhibitions and conferences where you would keep up with what is happening in your niche.  In a small business working on your own – even if not in the back bedroom – life can seem easier but you may find some of the structure is missing.

To be sure you are rid of the politics, the promotion pressures and the people you did not get on with.  But on the minus side you miss the people you did get on with, there is no chance of promotion, and no gossip or coffee conversations.  There isn’t even a commute to moan about .. and you certainly don’t want to start complaining about the boss!

Face to Face networking offers a way to plug the gap.

If it is local you get a chance to meet a whole new community of business people who effectively become your peers.  It is much more pleasant to meet others in the flesh and have a conversation rather than trying to sell.

When they know like and trust you they are more likely to buy from you, and you have a chance to get to know them gradually over a period of time.  Unless you are a born salesman or woman this can seem a more authentic  and enjoyable marketing idea than cold calling or even starting to write about what your business does.

It also gives you a chance to practise different ways to talk about your business within a comparatively safe environment.

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1.  What is the point of the blog? This is the most direct question to ask. If you are helping people, who are they? How do you help?

2.  What’s in it for Me? No point doing it if you don’t have the energy.  Money? Status? Freedom? Finding your voice? Being a helpful human being?

3. What can I offer as juicy morsels of valuable viral information? Ebook?  Video ?

4.  What technical, design or general help do I need? Getting clear about what you need is the first step to getting it, learning it or outsourcing it.

5. Where is my blog going to go? On my own site to boost traffic? On a separate site to get links back to other sites? On a blog site so I can get going quickly?

6.  How much work can the right keywords do for me? Finding the right keywords and using them in the domain name means you are half-way to the right audience.

7.  How will this blog develop my brand? Your brand is more than keywords.. it is about what your business does and the way you do it.  What you call it, how you write, what it looks like are all part of your brand as much as the products you sell.

Answering these questions before you being helps you to be more purposeful.  It is all work in progress and you may change your mind along the way, but better to think once and change than never to think at all!

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