FTC Changes Rules for Bloggers Who Endorse Products

If you place endorsements or testimonials on your Web site or blog, you need to know that the Federal Trade Commission has issued new rules on how to do legally do this. If affects endorsements by consumers, experts, organizations, and celebrities, as well as the disclosure of the relationships between advertisers and endorsers.

The FTC issued a statement in October to describe the changes, and those changes take affect today, December 1, 2009.

"Under the revised Guides, advertisements that feature a consumer and convey his or her experience with a product or service as typical when that is not the case will be required to clearly disclose the results that consumers can generally expect. In contrast to the 1980 version of the Guides – which allowed advertisers to describe unusual results in a testimonial as long as they included a disclaimer such as “results not typical” – the revised Guides no longer contain this safe harbor," the statement says.

In addition, when bloggers or "word-of-mouth" marketing strategies convey an endorsement, those issuing the endorsement must explain the relationship between themselves and the product or service being endorsed.

To comply, we suggest adding a disclaimer to your blog or Web site testimonial page. Here's an example:

Regarding Testimonials
NOTICE: Provided in accordance with FTC guidelines - 12/1/2009Testimonials posted to this website are the perspective of individuals who are successful and/or enthusiastic about their experience. Testimonials are not representative of everyone’s experience and only provide information about the individual’s experiences as to the point in time when they are provided. All testimonials are authentic and accurate. Testimonials may be edited for clarity or brevity. All claims have been documented and verified for accuracy. No one has been paid to share their stories here. Individual results will vary.

Regarding Product Reviews, Endorsements
NOTICE: Provided in accordance with FTC guidelines - 12/1/2009Products are reviewed on this site as a resource for our customers and website visitors. Paid advertising or placement is not permitted on this site. Any affiliate relationships will be disclosed within the individual articles, prior to providing the affiliate link.Review authors occasionally receive complimentary review copies of products from companies that believe their products will be of interest to our audience. Reviews posted here always provide honest opinions, findings, beliefs or experiences with the products. The views and opinions expressed here are that of the individual author. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation should be verified with the manufacturer, service provider or party in question.

Let us know what you think!

• Do you feel that testimonials need to be regulated by the FTC? Is there a need?
• Is the government stepping in where it doesn't belong?
• Will you feel more confident buying products recommended by bloggers or Web sites now that these rules are in place?
• Can you comply with these regulations?
• Are you worried about "getting caught" if you unintentially violate these news rules?

To read the entire FTC statement, go to http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm. The FTC also has a video available to share more information about how these new rules affect bloggers specifically. Watch it here:

Best Practices For Building Valuable Businesses Relationships Through Facebook

Facebook is an amazingly popular social networking tool that can offer businesses exposure to a huge audience. Today, there are more than 300 million active users, and it is the 4th most visited site in the world according to Alexa.com.

Businesses can take advantage of Facebook’s popularity by creating a Facebook “Fan” page. A Fan page is different from a personal profile. Individuals create personal profiles to connect with friends and family. Fan pages are specifically designated to represent and promote companies and brands. However, like personal profiles, Fan pages encourage relationship-building, and people become fans of pages because they want to connect with the people behind the business name. Incredibly, more than 10 million Facebook users become fans of pages every day!

A Facebook Fan page provides significant value to businesses for several reasons. A Fan page is indexed by search engines, so when customers search for you, they are more likely to find you. By having a Fan page, you boost your search engine ranking because you are constantly updating your page with new, fresh information, and search engines love that! Anyone can view your Fan page, so even non-Facebook members can easily find you. While a personal profile is limited to 5,000 friends, businesses can have as many fans as they want! And don’t forget – it’s all free! You can create an effective, attention-grabbing Fan page without paying a membership fee or bidding on pay-per-click keywords.

If you’re skeptical about the authenticity of Facebook users, you should know that the site administrators do their best to ensure that the people and businesses represented are real and legitimate. The rigorous terms of use dictate that Fan pages must be created by a person at your company who has the authority to do so. Facebook won’t hesitate to ban users if they find abuse or misuse. Facebook also protects your personal privacy because fans don’t have access to your personal profile, and you have complete control over who sees the information on your page.

A well-defined Facebook strategy can lead to new networking opportunities and business clients. It’s quite easy to figure out how to post a message, but communicating through Facebook does require some thought and planning to attract fans and build useful relationships. To that end, I’m offering my favorite tips and best practices that will help you get the most from your Facebook Fan page!

Facebook Tips and Best Practices

1. Think relationships first, business second – this is social media! When direct marketing and overt advertising move in, fans move out! Chat, converse, and be sincere.
2. With every post, consider how others will interpret what you say. You could be followed by the media (or Oprah – you never know!).
3. Create a social marketing strategy and integrate it into your overall marketing plan. Decide your target market and identify your core message – one that will establish you and your business as a thoughtful leader. Plan your posts to make sure the information is relevant and beneficial to your audience.
4. Brand your Fan page! Fans should be able to instantly identify your company when they see your page. Include your logo and tag line. With the cool Facebook applications, you can even add HTML programming code, allowing you to identify your business with additional graphics, such as a Web banner.
5. Always be strategic, consistent, and focused with your messages. If you say you will do something, follow through! Make sure each post fits your marketing strategy.
6. Create interest by adding content-rich media, such as audio and video. Also add your newsletter opt in box so visitors can easily join your e-mailing list.
7. Give your business a personality! Let your passion for your business come through by being genuine, excited, optimistic, and energetic!
8. Consistently engage in activities that create viral visibility. Post status updates, photos, videos, messages to your fans’ walls, notes, and comments. Anyone who visits your fans’ walls will see your posts, too, increasing your exposure to potential customers.
9. Engage others in conversation. When fans write on your wall, respond. They are making an effort to reach out to you, so you should make an effort, too! Like the old saying goes, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”.
10. Encourage frequent visits to your page. Hold contests, offer exclusive discounts and specials for your fans, and let your fans be the “first to know” about exciting offers and announcements.
11. Monitor your own page at least once a day. Even if you don’t post your own new content, you should review your fans’ posts. Answer their questions and express your appreciation for their input.
12. Share personal and professional information, but guard your private life. You don’t have to be an open book!
13. Learn from your fans. They are your best source for feedback about current products and services. Be ready to adapt to meet their needs.
14. Be aware of all online conversations about your company and industry. With tools like Google Alerts and keyword searches, you can easily find out what others are saying about you, your competition, and the latest trends in your industry.
15. Promote your Facebook page everywhere! Consider purchasing a personalized domain name (GoDaddy.com offers them for $9.95 a year) so your Fan page URL is easy to remember. Add a Facebook icon to your Web site and blog, and link it to your Fan page. Include your Fan page link in your email signature.

Happy Facebooking!

Michelle Tjelmeland owns a Web and print firm in Springfield and is a certified social media and marketing specialist by the International Association of Social Media Specialists (IASMS).

I'm a Founding Member of the International Social Media Association!

I'm soooooo excited to share some news I've been cooking up for quite some time:

The doors are now officially open for the brand new ISMA - International Social Media Association!

Mari Smith is the president of the association and co-founder along with her business partner, Mark Eldridge -
talented co-author of The Obvious Expert among other great achievements!

They are an amazing team! And, I'm delighted and honored to be a founding member of ISMA!

I'm inviting you to learn more on:

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, at 10:30am PST / 1:30pm EST
http://marismith.tv

We will be discussing details of the Association, our mission, background, intentions, plans for the future... and, most
importantly, we'll be sharing details of our next Social Media Certification program!

If you have any desire to add in-depth social media expertise to your repertoire, the ISMA program will for sure be something you want to check out.

Be sure to use this promo code:MTMWMQS because anyone registering with one of the authorized promo codes will also receive Mari’s Quick Start Social Media Program on CDROM worth $497! This kit is amazing -- you wont believe all the information in it!

Join us Friday at 10:30am PST/12:30 CST:
http://marismith.tv (Mari's ustream channel!)

We hope to connect with you on Friday. If you can't make the live session, we will record and replay for you!

Meantime, you're welcome to take a peek at our association site and register for your membership:

http://ismaconnects.org

and do follow us on Twitter too:

http://twitter.com/ismaconnects

The mission of our association is connecting, engaging and educating members on social media around the world to advance the knowledge, skills, and integrity of the social media profession.

We have felt for some time that the social media industry really needs quality, professional training and education
and a solid association. I'm delighted to be a founding member.

**SAVE THE DATES**

If you do have any interest in joining our next social media certification training program, we begin very soon!!

Monday, October 26th and we run for 8 consecutive weeks meeting on both Mondays and Thursdays.

It's an *intense* schedule! But, by the end of the course (which also includes a two-day LIVE retreat!), you'll have
everything you need to be fully knowledgeable in the social media industry and run a successful business as a consultant, coach, speaker, trainer... or just to add on social media to what you're doing already.

This certification training is essentially the next iteration of a program I've gone through. Over 35 students like me
successfully attend this course and you'll get to meet many of them on the ISMA site!

Come get all your questions answered about the certification course:

FRIDAY, OCT 16 at 10:30am PST / 1:30pm EST
Just go to http://marismith.tv and you'll get to meet Mark & Mari and maybe a few surprise guests too!!

We look forward to connecting with you soon!
Cheers,
Michelle

Synch your Facebook Fan Page with Twitter

Facebook have been introducing an array of hot new features lately. One that I particularly enjoy is the ability to post content on my Fan Page that automatically posts over to Twitter with a link back to my Fan Page!

With Status Updates, you get a whopping 340 characters to write a post on your Fan Page - and that truncates at about 120 characters and inserts a bit.ly link back to your Fan Page. If you craft your update carefully to leave a kind of "cliffhanger" effect, your followers on Twitter can't help but click through and see what the rest of the message is.

Here's how: just go to http://facebook.com/twitter and connect your Twitter with your Fan Page.

Now, choose which posts to Facebook will automatically go out to Twitter by configuring the settings the way you wish. I have checked Updates, Photos, Videos and Links, but I have Notes unchecked because I'm already importing my blog posts to Twitter. I don't want my blog posts to show up on Twitter twice.

If you're also updating your Facebook personal profile and/or Fan Page with the Selective Twitter Updates app, you might want to disable the Fan Page updating so you don't end up with double tweets! (speaking from experience. lol!)

Or, if you prefer to update your Facebook Fan Page via Twitter, the best combo I've found is Hootsuite.com > Ping.fm > Facebook Profile and/or Facebook Fan Page + Twitter (+ LinkedIn and whatever other sites you want to update). Using Hootsuite allows you to also pre-schedule your updates!

Hope this makes sense,

Michelle - enjoy!! ;)

Alerts Made Easy Reaches Semi-Finals in Innovate Illinois Competition

Our sister company, Alerts Made Easy^TM, has just been notified that we are semi-finalists in the Innovate Illinois competition!! Here's the note we received:

Congratulations on behalf of the Millikin Regional Entrepreneurship Network (MREN) and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for participating in Innovate Illinois. Although the judges had a difficult time choosing semi-finalists, we are pleased that you and your company, www.alertsmadeeasy.com will be representing us at the semi-finals in Champaign, September 24.

Innovate Illinois is statewide entrepreneurial and innovation competition recognizing high-growth entrepreneurs. Businesses compete on the merits of their innovations to be named the most innovative company in the state by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). Out of the hundreds of companies that compete, four will win a total of $80,000 in cash prizes.

Needless to say, we are thrilled!

We saw AME in action when the tornadoes hit Williamsville and Loami last week, and we're so glad to know that it is helping people stay in touch and stay safe! If you're not sure how AME can work for you, you can send a free test message to yourself from our site. Or, give us a call, and we'll show you the benefits!

Small Busineses Can Survive a Troubled Economy

With so much uncertainty in the economy today, many people are worried about their future. It's understandable, but also unnecessary. Despite what you're hearing from the media, friends, family, and others, it IS possible to succeed right now. You just have to me in the right frame of mind and have the right attitude.

First and foremost, surviving this economic downturn requires a tenacious drive to take control. Only you can build your business stronger and more resilient, so you must make a serious and determined effort to rise above the challenges you face and reinvent yourself. There's no doubt it takes some thoughtful planning and hard work, but your business will emerge from this crisis stronger and well positioned to overtake your competitors. I thought I would share some of my business-building strategies with you, and maybe provide a little guidance and a lot of inspiration to put you in the right frame of mind to move forward and find new opportunities for yourself!

Here's my philosophy for surviving:

• I don't wait for things to happen to me. I make things happen. There's no "wait and see" approach here! I constantly look for opportunity and take action when I find it.
  
  
• My customers come first. I give them one-on-one attention and do my very best to provide outstanding service and superior products. Please remember, I am only an e-mail or phone call away, so don’t hesitate to contact me to chat!
  
  
• I put people first and business second! I build relationships with my customers, with peers, with friends, etc. I strive to invest in relationships, not sales transactions. My relationships provide me with an invaluable asset that can give me an unlimited return on my investment. Great relationships with customers ensure repeat business and quality referrals and leads.
  
  
• I am building my social networks to nurture those relationships. I'm making meaningful connections, learning new things, finding new clients, networking with people and finding inspiration from others. If you would like to learn more about social networking or how it might benefit you – let me know. I’d be happy to provide some ideas for you!
  
  
• I stay one step ahead of the competition. I strive to be the first to implement new technology or offer a new service. I study new trends and find opportunities to do more for my clients. I find great pleasure in doing new things.
  
  
• I'm a perpetual student. Whether I'm reading a book, watching a video seminar on the Web, or participating on online class, I am always learning, taking in as much information as I can. Currently, I am one of 25 in the nation working towards my designation and certification as a Social Networking Specialist from the International Association of Media Specialists.
  
  
• I keep a close eye on overhead expenses and cut where possible. If it's not a necessity, or if I'm not using a service to its full potential, I'm replacing it with something less expensive, or even free. This might require me to rethink a process or find a new way to do something, but I am flexible and will make it work for me. Lower overhead means I can spend more money investing back into my company so that I can offer the latest cutting edge technologies to my clients. And, maybe even one extra vacation year – who wouldn’t like that?
  
  
• I surround myself with team members who are as dedicated and hard-working as I am. I expect a lot from them because I know they can meet my expectations. My team members are amazing and I feel so extremely blessed to be surrounded by such amazing talent!
  
  
• I am focused and disciplined. My daily activities are always moving me along the path to reach my goals.
  
  
• I seek personal excellence, knowing that if I am at my best, my customers are getting the best I can give them.
  
  
• I stay grounded in reality. I take action based on the facts as I know them. I am skeptical of hype, emotional statements, and extreme predictions.
  
  
• I stay positive and optimistic. I know my future is secure because I have intentionally planned for that security.

Which strategies sound like you? Which ones do you need to work on? Like the Web sites I build, building a business is always a work in progress. You should never stop planning, thinking about what you could be doing new or better, or building relationships that will contribute to your success. Just remember that you're in control! Don't be reactive and let the economy take control of your business. Take the initiative, be proactive, and do your own part to stimulate the economy! And, if you need some help stimulating your brain, give me a buzz!

Make it happen!
Michelle

Using Twitter for Customer Service

As consumers, we so often dread calling a customer service number for product support. Before we talk to a human, we listen to the same elevator music track over and over, or the same promotional commercials, or the same "Your call is very important to us. Please remain on the line..." every 30 seconds. And while we understand that a company might not have the ability to answer every call immediately, we sure wish they would answer our question promptly and correctly!

Believe it or not, Twitter can be an awesome tool for customer service. And when implemented with a strategic plan in mind, your business can provide valuable advice, tips, and suggestions, and build a positive customer service reputation.

For one thing, when you help just one person via Twitter, your tweets can reach hundreds of customers, and many may have the same question or problem. You can help others just by posting one or two tweets, and maybe make someone's day!

For another, Twitter can help you be proactive. You can respond quickly to posts that mention your business name and show your customers (and potentials) that you are responsive and care about what people think. The more positive brand image you create, the more attention you will gain, on Twitter and elsewhere.

A few companies that use Twitter for customer service purposes:

Zappos (http://twitter.zappos.com) - widely known for their success at implementing social media, and especially Twitter, Zappos has over 430 employees on Twitter today. They tweet about company events, brands they carry, answers to questions from customers, and just general conversation to engage customers.

Ford (http://twitter.com/fordcustservice) - answers tweets about vehicle issues, where to purchase a vehicle or find warranty service, and special offers on Ford vehicles

Starbucks (http://twitter.com/starbucks) - answers tweets about where to find Starbucks coffee, which store chains carry Starbucks, the Starbucks/iTunes pick of the week, and other questions from loyal their loyal coffee drinkers

Southwest Airlines (http://twitter.com/southwestair) - tweets about flight information, delays, emergency landings and the status of the event, specials, and even WiFi flights. To learn more about how Southwest Airlines uses social media, read their latest blog post here.

Thinking of these examples, how could you implement Twitter for better customer service? If this idea sounds intriguing but you're not sure how to get started, contact e-websmart today! We have our own Twitter guide, and we can also help you devise a strategy.

Facebook Fan Pages

Have you created your Facebook Fan Page yet? Many of us are getting more familiar with Facebook and happily using it to keep in touch with friends and family on a personal level. And some of us may even be using our Facebook profile to help support our businesses. But did you know that Facebook actually has a policy on self-promotion using personal profiles?

"All personal site features, such as friending and messaging, are also for personal use only and may not be used for professional promotion. If you add a user as a friend, for example, this person will be invited to be a friend of your profile and not your Page. Using personal site features for professional promotion, or creating unauthorized Pages, may result in your account being warned or disabled." -- Facebook

Yikes! You don't want to be banned from Facebook!

So if you haven't created your Facebook Fan page yet for your business, you can get started right now. First, log in to your personal Facebook account. And then go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php. This will take you through the steps to help you create your page.

Remember that your Fan page is in no way connected to your Personal page. Your Fans won't be able to click a link to see your personal profile. Your personal privacy is still protected even with a Fan page!

Some things I recommend when creating your Facebook page:

1. Definitely add your picture or your business logo! Give your fans a way to connect the business to you and easily recognize you.
2. Complete the Company Information block under the Info tab. Make it short and sweet, but be sure to give a good, complete overview of who you are and what you do. Don't forget to include your Web address.
   
3. Include your Web site in the box under your photo/logo, starting the address with "http://". Facebook is a great way to introduce yourself to new customers and stay in touch, but you really want to drive people to your Web site. That's where they'll learn more about you AND take initiative to contact you about possibly sending business your way.
4. Post to your wall on a consistent basis. These posts will show up on your Fans' personal walls, creating an awesome viral marketing opportunity.
5. Make sure to publish your page so it is public and everyone can view it. This makes is searchable and easy to find, and allows people to become a fan.
6. Add your newsletter sign up box to your page. I wrote instructions for that process in a previous blog post.
7. Invite your friends to become fans. Click on the "Suggest to Friends" link under your picture/logo, select the friends you want to invite, and click Send Invite. They will get an invitation asking them to become fans of your business page.
8. Send updates to your fans. Rather than wait for your fans to visit your blog or wall, attract them to your page by using the "Send Update to Fans" link under your picture/logo. You can post a link to direct fans to read a blog or visit your Web site.

Facebook has many fun, yet effective ways to keep in touch and interact with people through your Fan page. You can even add pictures and video to your page to encourage conversation and feedback. We'll cover more Facebook Applications for Business soon, so be sure to check back to find helpful Facebook tips for marketing your business.

The Benefits of Blogging

If you don't already have a blog for your small business, or if you're not posting regularly, you should! Blogging has so many benefits - it's one of those opportunities for consistent marketing that you just shouldn't pass up. Here are just a few reasons why:

1. Improve communication - Blogging opens the lines of communication between you and your clients/customers. You can offer content relevant to your products and services and readers can offer opinions and suggestions by posting comments. This feedback can help you understand how to provide better service and meet the needs of your readers.
2. Increase Exposure - A blog will make it possible for more people to find you in Internet searches. In addition to your Web site, your blog contains key words that customers use when looking for businesses in your industry. With a blog and a Web site, you make it more likely for people to find you. Plus, you also expose your business to a global audience, rather than only reaching locals through traditional media marketing techniques.
3. Relevant Content - Your blog offers you the ability to post new, "hot-off-the-presses" information and news. You can show readers that your business is in tune with today's business environment and aware of the latest technology, trends, and consumer needs. And, by consistently adding fresh content, search engines will find you more easily.
4. Show Your Expertise - Blogs can establish your business knowledge and build your credibility with readers. By providing accurate, factual information and providing advice based on your education and experience, you can show readers that you are one of the best resources available when they need information about your industry.
5. Low Cost - While a good Web site will require a significant monetary investment, a blog is often free. Your blog site can easily be branded to match your site, but your dollar investment is minimal. Of course, it will take attention and time to maintain your blog and keep it fresh, but by planning and writing your posts in advance, you can be more productive and keep a consistent schedule.

Questions to Consider When Developing a Content Marketing Campaign

There are several topics to consider as you prepare to use social media to market your business. You'll want to be sure that you've considered each aspect of social networking as it relates to the content you want to distribute. As you plan your content marketing strategy for social media, here are 10 questions to consider:

1. Who is your target market? Write your content to coincide with age, gender, level of education, geographic location, income, and other important characteristics that you've identified. For example, you will write differently to reach a group of 18-21 year olds than you would to speak to a group of 50-60 year olds.
2. Which networking site will help you reach that target? Each medium attracts different users, and you should know where you are mostly likely to find your target audience. LinkedIn may be appropriate for some content, but MySpace might make more sense for others.
3. Who will write the content that you will distribute? Are they skilled at writing clearly and concisely? You may have experts in your organization that will be your resource for the information, but make sure the person who is preparing the content is skilled at writing with a conversational and genuine style. You want content that clearly presents a message. In general, you want proper grammar, spelling, and sentence structure, but there are always exceptions depending on your audience and purpose. Someone who is familiar with Web content can help you decide what is ok and what is too casual.
4. What is your plan for responding to the comments, questions, and feedback generated by your content? Who in your organization is responsible for this task? Someone must monitor your social media profiles for all types of communication. A lack of response to a question or comment could be deadly to your reputation and will hurt relationships. Have someone track the conversation and identify further content ideas based on what others are saying or asking. It's also a good idea to set up Google Alerts with your business name and key people as search terms. This will help you catch the comments that are circling about you and give you a chance to respond quickly and appropriately.
5. Is your content honest, sincere, trustworthy, and important to your audience? Write about relevant topics and be genuine in your efforts to educate and inform. Your content should portray a helpful, supportive approach. Eliminate all pretentious, judgmental, and patronizing language.
6. Are you writing to sell or writing to educate? Content marketing focuses on education. Inform, don't advertise.
7. What is the problem/need that your product or service will solve/meet? Show the potential customer that you can relate to their problems, and that you have a solution that can help.
8. How can you position your business/yourself as an expert in your industry? Customers expect you to know your industry and the upcoming trends. Be willing to share and contribute your knowledge to the conversations that occur on social networking sites. Customers will appreciate your input and respect your opinions.
9. How will you encourage your customers to share your content with friends and colleagues? Ask your friends, fans, and followers to invite others to be a part of the conversation. Let them know you appreciate their support and thank them for their loyalty. Share you successes and attribute that (at least in part) to their interest and word-of-mouth advertising.
10. What results do you expect to see? An increase in communication? An increase in sales? How will you know your strategy has been successful? Be sure to gather benchmark information when you start a campaign so you can clearly see how your customers are responding to your content. Set goals for each campaign and study the statistics to make sure you are seeing positive results. If not, take an objective look at your content and consider revising your strategy.

What tips and topics are important to you when thinking about social media campaigns? How do you plan your content strategy? We'd love to hear your thoughts. Leave us a comment or respond to info@e-websmart.com.

Add a Newsletter Sign-Up Box to Your Facebook Fan Page

If you're using Constant Contact for your e-newsletters and you have Facebook page for your business, you have a great opportunity to build your newsletter list. Just add your Sign-up Box link to your page! This process requires adding the FBML application to your Facebook page, and we've provided step-by-step instructions below. Here's how:

1. In Constant Contact, go to Contacts. Choose Site Visitor Signup from the menu at the top of the page.
2. Click "Start Wizard to generate HTML code"
3. Select the your preferred style (Basic, Bubble, or Stylish) and click Next
4. Customize your link with colors, fonts, and texts, then click Next
5. Click preview to see your form.
6. When you are happy with your sign-up box, click Next.
7. Place your cursor in the HTML code box. Hit Ctrl+A to select all.
8. Hit Ctrl+C to copy the code.

Now, log-on to your Facebook Account. Follow these instructions to add the FBML application and the use it to display your newsletter sign-up box.

1. In the lower left corner, above your start button, click on the Applications menu.
2. Click Browse More Applications
3. On the All Applications page do search for “FBML”. Be sure to search in the Search Apps box and not the search box on the blue bar in the top right corner.
4. Add the Static FBML application by clicking on the icon.
5. Click on the Add to my Page link in the left hand column.
6. A new box will pop up with a list of your pages. Select which page you wish to add Static FBML to and click Add to Page. Close that box.
7. Now go to your fan page. Click on the tiny green and blue flag icon (Ads and Pages) in the bottom left corner of your screen.
8. On the next page, click the Pages link.
9. Find the FBML application box. Click on the pencil icon in the right corner. Then click on Edit.
10. Change the Title box to say "Newsletter Sign-Up" or something similar.
11. In the empty right box on the screen click CTRL+V; this will paste the sign up box code to your page.
12. Click Save Changes.
13. Now go the Edit Page screen by clicking on the Edit link next to your page name.
14. Find the Newsletter Sign-Up box and click on the pencil icon in the right corner. Then click on Application Settings.
15. Click on Additional Permissions.
16. Click the box next to "Publish recent activity..." Then Click OK.
17. Now click on View Your Page.
18. Click on the Boxes tab and find the newsletter box you just created.
19. Click on the pencil icon in the right corner.
20. Click Move to Wall tab.
21. You will now see the box in the left hand column of your Fan Page. When Fans enter their e-mail address, it is automatically entered into your Constant Contact Account.

Note: You can move the box by grabbing the title bar with your mouse and dragging the box. You'll see a dotted outline to help you see where the box will land when you drop it.

This same process for adding FBML can be used to add any HTML code to your page. Go to the Edit Page screen, and click on the blue pencil icon in the newsletter FBML box and choose Edit. At the bottom of the next screen, click Add another FBML box and start with step 9.

E-websmart Chosen as Preferred Web Site Designer for Apricot Lane USA Boutiques

CONTACT: Michelle Tjelmeland
Apricot Lane Web Sites
217-498-1073
info@apricotlanewebsites.com

E-websmart Chosen as Preferred Web Site Designer for Apricot Lane USA Boutiques

Rochester, Illinois, June 30, 2009 – Scott Jacobs, president of Apricot Lane USA, announced today that e-websmart, a Rochester-based Web site design firm owned by Michelle Tjelmeland, will be the preferred vendor to build Web sites for Apricot Lane Boutique franchise stores. Apricot Lane USA is a division of Country Visions, which was listed by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the Top 50 New Franchises in March 2008.


“E-websmart designs sites with unmistakable flair, and Michelle’s creativity is the perfect match for Apricot Lane stores,” Jacobs said. “Her passion for her work is contagious. She is professional and knowledgeable, and we are very excited to be moving forward with e-websmart's services and programs to further support our Apricot Lane Boutique franchise.”

Jacobs said e-websmart will also serve as the social networking specialist for Apricot Lane headquarters in Vacaville, California, and the franchise stores.

“Michelle is an industry leader in technology,” said Jacobs, “and she will be developing our social networking strategy so we can reach out and relate to our customers.”
Apricot Lane is a specialty clothing boutique that features branded clothing apparel, jewelry, gifts, and accessories. There currently more than 40 Apricot Lane stores in 25 states across the United States. The company plans to grow by 20 to 35 stores per year.

“We are so thrilled to have this opportunity to work with Apricot Lane,” said Tjelmeland, who has over 10 years of experience in the Web design industry. “The stores offer a unique shopping experience, and we look forward to bringing that to life on each site we design.”

E-websmart designed a Web site for the new Apricot Lane Boutique that recently opened in Springfield, and Jacobs was impressed with the quality and originality of the design.

“I contacted Michelle and told her how pleased I was with the design of the Springfield site. I asked if she would be interested in being our preferred Web vendor, and she immediately began generating ideas and designs,” Jacobs said.

Tjelmeland said that her small business background gives her insight for creating the sites for Apricot Lane USA stores. “I know how important it is to brand your business and present a unique image that differentiates you from the competition. We design each site with that goal in mind.”

Tjelmeland said e-websmart will reflect and convey the individuality of each store while maintaining a consistent corporate brand. “Customers browsing the sites will not only see what each store has to offer, but will also get a sense of the store’s unique personality and shopping atmosphere. We’ll create excitement that will make customers want to go out and start shopping at Apricot Lane!”


About e-websmart
E-websmart (www.e-websmart.com) is a Web design and consultation firm based in Rochester, Illinois. Started in 1999 by Michelle Tjelmeland, the company focuses on creating insightful, high-energy, business-building solutions to provide a visually appealing yet functional Web site for their clients. In addition, e-websmart offers Web support and hosting and domain setup, integrates e-commerce solutions, establishes e-mail service, and offers blog and social networking support. E-websmart also creates one-of-a-kind logo creation, custom correspondence materials, and other print material to present a consistent image in an attractive, unique package.

About Apricot Lane USA
Apricot Lane USA is a specialty retail franchise that combines opportunities from the fashion and gift industries to offer branded fashion apparel, jewelry, handbags, accessories and gifts in the styles and trends customers want. Apricot Lane carries designer apparel brands such as Lucky Brand Jeans, Joe’s Jeans, 1921 Denim, Habitual and many other premium denim lines. They also carry the hot new collections by Ed Hardy, Crystal Rock, Sinful, Free people by Urban Outfitters, Hale Bob and other up and coming designers. Many of these brands can be found in upscale department stores but the small boutique convenience, service and environment are the attraction. Today there are more than 40 stores in 25 states across the United States. The parent company, Country Visions, was listed by Entrepreneur Magazine (March 2008) as one of the Top 50 New Franchises and was previously recognized in the franchise industry as the #1 Gift Store four years in a row by Entrepreneur Magazine, and was rated 21st in Franchisee Satisfaction by Success Magazine. Stores can be found in lifestyle centers, regional malls, tourist spots, downtown locations and some strip centers.

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Promote Your Newsletter on Social Networking Sites

Constant Contact is one of the most popular online e-newsletter creators on the Web. Sending a regular newsletter helps you keep your business, products, and services front and center in your customers' minds. Social networking also brings tremendous opportunities to increase your visibility and encourage communication with your customers. By using both of these strategies together, you can promote your newsletters to your social networking contacts, and also encourage your newsletter contacts to visit your social networking sites.

Sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter offer new ways to encourage more readers for your newsletter. You can use Constant Contact's archive feature to convert your newsletter into a web page, and you can then share that URL address with your social networking followers. Once you have the URL, post it on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and your blog.

Post something like, "We've just published our latest newsletter! Read it by going to (insert link)". Remember that Twitter only allows a 140 character post. You may have to short your link by going to www.tinyurl.com so you can fit all the characters within the limit.

As you invite new readers to browse your newsletter, you will generate more interest and gain new subscribers. Be sure to include a link in your newsletter for readers to subscribe!

My next post will show you how to add a "Join My Mailing List" box to your Facebook page. Check back tomorrow!

Three Keys to Content Development for Social Media

Social media offers an easy and affordable method to market your small business products and services to the world. But without a clearly defined communication strategy, your message might not be reaching the right people through the right network. Marketing is not just about selling, it's also about educating. The better you educate, the more you create a need for your product (or service). By providing accurate and valuable information, you can also build trust and loyalty among your customers and prospects as well.

With social media, you have plenty of options to distribute your message. The challenge today is to create the right message for the target audience that you are reaching with each network. It's important to have a well-planned strategy for content marketing through social media. So before you jump onto Facebook or tweet through Twitter, take time to think about the type and style of content that you will be distributing.

1. Before you use social media to market your business, be sure you have something valuable to contribute. Identify what your customers need and then suggest a solution that will solve their problem. This is not about making a direct sell. Forget about pushing specific products and focus on consumer education. What do they need to know about your industry to make smart decisions when purchasing related products or services? This is your opportunity to show your industry expertise and credibility. Use the social networks to contribute helpful advice and dependable customer service.

2. While you seek to attract friends, fans, and followers, remember that huge numbers here do not necessarily represent marketing success. Are you attracting the right kinds of followers? Are they interested in your products and services, and do they need them? Will they purchase and remain loyal? Ultimately, it's the content that will attract friends, so make sure the it speaks directly to your target audience. Use the appropriate style, language, and tone, and of course, the right message. You are building connections that will hopefully help you spread the word about your business with viral, word-of-mouth marketing. It all starts with content, and quality matters.

3. When you initiate activity on social networks, you are implying that you are interested in customer experiences, willing to listen, and ready to respond. Your content must reflect that. It's all about creating and nurturing relationships, and you can't do that by simply providing content and then ignoring the response. Customer feedback should direct future content. Answer their questions. Provide the information they need. Content that directly helps a customer is likely to be shared with others.

Social media is only a tool to distribute your message. You wouldn't pick up a hammer and start pounding nails into wood with a clear building plan, so don't jump onto social networking sites and start haphazardly posting information. You need a well thought out communication strategy. Remember that you can't take content back once you've posted it on the Internet! Without a clear strategy, you may send the wrong message, and that mistake could take a long time to overcome.

Marketing Strategies Your Customers Will Welcome

We're all familiar with the annoying telemarketing phone calls that try to sell us products that we don’t really need. With just a quick 30-second spiel, these callers expect you to hand over your hard-earned money to purchase a product or service from a company you don’t even know. They make it seem as though the product will be a solution for any problem that you might have, and they’re ready to ship one out to you if they could just confirm your name and address, and, of course, your credit card number.

If you’re a small business, you certainly don’t want to gain this reputation. You know that your prospects are busy people, and they can certainly find many other high priority activities besides learning about a great offer from you. Your task, then, is to learn how to present yourself and your business so that your prospects value your marketing efforts and take the time to pay attention. Here are a few tips:

Establish yourself as the expert. Your marketing shouldn't be only about selling a product; it should also position you as an authority in your field. People buy from those they trust, so one of your marketing goals should be to build credibility and show your experience. Include testimonials, recommendations, and awards your company has earned, and then present your sales message.

Provide valuable information. Especially in today's economy, buyers want to know that they are making the correct buying decision. You must give them the information they need to make an informed choice. You need to show them that your information is accurate and trustworthy, and that they will benefit by applying the information that you can provide.

Present a unified image. Your marketing campaigns need to clearly identify you and your brand each and every time. With social networking sites booming, you have the opportunity to develop many different marketing strategies to reach a number of different targets. To be effective, those visitors must instantly recognize you no matter where they find the information. If they navigate from your Facebook page to your Web site, they must know that they hit the correct page. It's important that all of your online profiles, your blog, your Web site, and your print materials have a consistent logo display, color scheme, and professional image.

And finally, develop a regular marketing schedule. Your marketing campaigns should go out at a steady pace and should be frequent enough to keep your customers and prospects aware of your activities. If you allow too much time to elapse between e-mails, newsletters, blog posts, or sales visits, they may forget who you are, what you offer, and why they should buy from you. Communicate with intent in each campaign and be consistent with your efforts.

These marketing strategies will help you earn respect for your business, products, and services so that your marketing efforts are welcomed instead of ignored. The key is to provide expertise, valuable information, a unified image, and deliver your campaigns on a consistent schedule.

Facebook Gives Journalists First-Dibs on Personal URL

Facebook has finally decided to allow all users to choose their own user name and password. As my previous blog states, this feature is being opened up tonight at 11:01 CDT. (Go to www.facebook.com/username to get yours). Before tonight, vanity Facebook URLs were only open to Facebook employees and top clients and brands.

Of course, part of Facebook's strategy with the midnight release (EDT) is to create urgency. "Get your name before someone else takes it!" And no doubt, there will be millions of users logging on tonight to do just that. But there are some people who don't have to wait. Apparently, key journalists have already been invited to claim their URL names. Facebook sent e-mails to specific writers with instructions on how to get their names before everyone else.

A fair strategy? Some may say no, but the fact is, Facebook wants to keep the press and bloggers happy to encourage Facebook-friendly articles and posts. We all have to make strategic marketing decisions at some point, and this was one that made sense to Facebook. And it will probably work in their favor!

What do you think? Does this special treatment for journalists and writers change your impression of Facebook as a company? And maybe a better question, will Facebook servers crash after midnight tonight when everyone signs on to claim their name? Stay tuned!

Choose Your Own Username fo Facebook Today!

Starting today (Friday, June 12th) at 11:01 pm (that's Central time), you'll be able to choose your own username for your Facebook account. Choosing your name will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. This applies to both your profile and the Facebook Pages that you administer. You'll also see a notice on your home page with instructions for obtaining your username at that time.

Now your Facebook url can look like this: www.facebook.com/username/. This will make it much easier to direct friends, family, and coworkers to your profile and business pages.

To select your username, visit the link below after 11:01pm (CDT) on June 12th:
http://www.facebook.com/username/

You can also read the Facebook blog to learn more!

The Art of Branding to Build Credibility

Anyone can agree with their clients but it's a much harder job to be able to point out what can be improved or even disagree with the approach someone is taking. My ultimate goal is to help my clients move to the next level. Unfortunately, it's often painful! Kinda like when you are sick, you have to get shots or have surgery in order to get better! But, if you don’t get the shots or have the surgery the doctor prescribed – you most likely aren’t going to get better.

I like to call my approach "encouragement criticism" where I want to help someone do better at something they are already doing fairly well. You wouldn't be in business if you weren't doing many, many things right. My job is to help my clients perfect things.

Social networking opens up so many opportunities to gain exposure for your business. But if you're not focused on promoting your brand, and a unified, cohesive image at that, you'll confuse customers and prospects even damage your reputation. Toward that end, I'd like to share a few things about marketing and the importance of branding your business, no matter how long you've been in business.

Remember the KISS philosophy: Keep It Simple Stupid. Just read this article to verify my philosophy. Pay attention to the 5 basic concepts mentioned toward the end of this article.

It goes back to the old cliché’, “Don't sell the steak, sell the sizzle”. No matter how good your product, or how awesome the features are, you must invest time and money into marketing that product. Successful corporate brands understand this principle - you never stop marketing to customers, colleagues, and your virtual network of associates.

One of the most important elements when creating sizzle is credibility. In order to sell, a company and its management team must first be credible in the eyes of its prospective customers. No matter how "hot" the concept, if you can't get your prospects to believe in you, you'll never sell to your concept's potential.

You can show your company's credibility in many ways - experience, longevity, quality products, truthful marketing, glowing recommendations and testimonials, well-designed marketing campaigns, and a strong, stable management team. Your credibility grows each time you strengthen one of these exisiting characteristics or add one more to the list. And this is what attrracts buying, loyal customers.

Author and business consultant, Mark Siebert, has this to say: “If you aren't there already, you can do a number of things to polish your credibility as a company:

• Hire a designer to update the look and feel of your operation.
• Update your consumer marketing materials and website.
• Retain a PR firm to help you obtain press in the local market.
• Recruit an advisory board made up of your most prominent business acquaintances.
• Develop marketing materials that are better than those of your established competitors.
• And, from a self-serving perspective, retain the best consultants you can afford when you desire to take your business to the next level.

Maybe the idea of "branding yourself" seems ridiculous because you've been around 25, 50, or even 75 years. It's not. It's a subject that famed management guru and author of the best-selling business book "In Search of Excellence", Tom Peters, first tackled in 1997 for an article in Fast Company magazine titled, "The Brand Called You."

"Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the number of years in business, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You. . . . You're every bit as much a brand as Nike, Coke, Pepsi, or the Body Shop."

In summary, always put your company brand first and abide by the KISS philosophy. Miraculous things will begin to happen!

Finding Tweeters

It's amazing the kind of topics you can find on Twitter - there are posts about
almost anything you can image! While there's a wealth of information and conversation available, it can be quite intimidating. Without a little organization and categorization, your Twitter feed might just seem like its spitting out random thoughts about nothing in particular.

I thought it might be helpful if I took a few minutes to introduce you to a few Twitter directories. These sites will not only help you find people with similar interests to follow, but you will also want to make sure you are listed, and under the correct categories. People who are looking for tweeters in your industry or field can search these directories to find you.

Twellow: The "Twitter Yellow Pages" allows you to post a detailed profile and
pulls information directly from your Twitter account. You can add an extended
bio and register under up to 10 categories.

Just Tweet It: The "Tweeter Directory" lists several categories and
subcategories. Choose one that best fits you and add your information. Your
listing includes a short description of what you do and a link to your Twitter
home page and Web site. If you click on a tweeter's entry, you can read the
recent posts, which makes it easier to decide if you want to follow that person
or not!

Wefollow.com is a "user-powered" Twitter Directory. It lists the most popular (those who have the most followers) in categories such as news, music, celebrities, tv, and social media. It determines the cateories based on the use of hash-tags, the popular tags that tweeters label their posts with, beginning with a "#". If you find an interesting tweeter, one click on the "info" button will give you the latest tweet, their Website, and tags that identify their subject matter.

Women Get Info, Stay Connected Through Social Networking

A recent study released by BlogHer finds that women who are online are twice as likely to get their information from blogs than social networking sites. However, 75% of them use social networking sites to keep in touch with friends and family.

The 2009 Women in Social Media Study, which was released on April 28, indicates that women use social media platforms as their primary sources for community interaction, entertainmet, and information.

"Blog now wield considerable influence on consumers' purchasing habits - 45 percent of survey respondents stated that they decided to purchase an item after reading about it on a blog," the survey states.

The study, conducted by BlogHer and iVillage, and in partnership with Compass Partners, offers insight on how women in the U.S. use social media every day. Of the 42 million women who use social media each week, 55% participate in blogging, 75% visit a social networking site such as Facebook or My Space, and 20% use Twitter. The study also suggests that women are spending less time with more traditional media, such as TV, radio, magazines and newspapers.

The implications here are obvious for small business owners. If your target is women (and even if it's not!), you need to be active in social networking. Whether your blogging or promoting your profile on Facebook and MySpace, or both, you will likely reach a larger and more engaged audience than if you are advertising through traditional means.

If you need help developing a strategy for your social networking activities, e-websmart would be happy to help! Give us a call!

To access the entire report, click here

Gain Twitter Followers

If you're using Twitter as business marketing and networking tool, you be anxious to add "followers" to your list. The more people who follow you and receive your tweets, the more likely you are to reach new clients and make connections that will help you promote and strengthen your business.

Building your follower list takes time, so you'll have to be patient. But there are some things you can do to encourage other tweeters to follow you. Here are a few tips:

1. Share valuable information. Offer business tips, links to valuable resources, answers to questions that other tweeters ask, and recommendations for products and services. Remember that your tweets are about the reader. If you give them something they can use, they'll keep coming back for more.


2. Tweet on a regular basis. Be consistent about sending messages and keeping in touch. If you let too much time go between tweets, your followers may lose interest and look for someone else to follow.


3. Leverage your own resources. If you have a blog or Web site, use them to post articles, special offers, and timely advice. Then, tweet the link so your followers can gain easy access.


4. Design your Twitter home page to reflect your personality. With only 140 characters, you don't have much room to write about who you are. But your followers can learn a lot about you by viewing your home page to see what you like. A well designed, personalized page shows other tweeters that you are invested in your Twitter activities.


5. Reciprocate. Follow the tweets of those who follow you, and retweet posts that you find particularly helpful. Your followers will benefit from the information, and your sure to gain favor in the eyes of the original tweeter!


6. Tweet when others are tweeting. If you want to be noticed, you have to post tweets when other are participating. Typically, the peak hours for Twitter are during business hours during the work week. To reach across time zones, try tweeting in the morning and early afternoon.


7. Include a link to your Twitter page in your e-mail signature, on your Web site, and your other social networking profiles. The more people who can find and click on your link, the more followers you'll gain.


8. Be real. People want to connect with others who are genuinely interested in them and what they have to say. Don't think about what's in it for you. Tweet from the perspective of what's in it for the reader.

Tweeting with twhirl

Twitter is a great little application to help you connect and stay connected with family, friends, and clients. It's so popular, in fact, that many 3rd parties have developed additional applications to make Twitter easier and more convenient to use and integrate with the rest of your social networking activities.

One of these tools is twhirl. It's a free software desktop client that runs on both Windowns and Macs. Twhirl allows you to do everything you would typically do in Twitter without opening your Web browser and logging in. So, you can post short updates (abiding by the 140 character limit, of course), follow your friends' tweets, read replies, and answer other tweeters with direct replies.

In addition, Twhirl informs you of new tweets and allows you to search Twitter Search and TweetScan, look up others' profiles, automatically find tweets that include your @username, post images to TwitPic, and cross-post to Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and other social networking apps via Ping.fm. It even allows you to share Seesmic videos through Twitter. And more!

So, if you're hoping to get more out of Twitter, you should try twhirl, especially if you have several Twitter accounts to manage. It conveniently brings Twitter to your desktop using a small window, and you can configure it to work best with your needs.

We plan to post about more Twitter apps that will help you maximize the potential of your Twitter account. What are your favorites? Let us know so we can check them out!

Tips for Getting Started on Twitter

Present your professional identity. People want to know who the person is behind the tweets they read, so be sure to fill out your profile and include a picture. You develop more loyal followers if they have the opportunity to learn a little about you and your company. If you are using Twitter to promote your business, make sure your profile reflects your professional image.

Start simple. Offer business tips, links to resources you use frequently, or ask a question to get advice or recommendations. Don't start with a bunch of self promotion tweets. Instead, make yourself a resource for people who need answers that you can provide and possibly your services.

Tweet before you follow. Spend a week or two sending tweets before tackling the task of building followers. When followers visit your Twitter page, you want them to see a solid list of tweets so they know you're a good person to follow.

ReTweet interesting posts. If you agree with a specific post, retweet it. Give the author credit by posting "@Twitter User name" at the beginning of the post. The author will likely send you a thank you tweet and check out your profile. This is a good way to build your network.

Follow the right tweeters. Find people to follow first by searching for your friends, colleagues, clients, and associates. Then, check out their list of followers and start following them. It's best to choose people who are active tweeters. You can also go to MrTweet.com to get additional recommendations.

Contribute to conversations. Offer your opinions, feedback, and advice when you see posts that relate to your business or interests.

Use a Twitter desktop program. Applications like TweetDeck or Twirl will bring Twitter to you computer desktop so you won't have to log in to Twitter to post and read other posts. This makes it more convenient,and you will be more likely to keep up with the conversations.

Be a consistent tweeter. Try to tweet at least once a day. Followers look for active contributors, so it's important to keep your name in front of readers as much as possible.

Don't overdo it. While you need to be consistent, don't be annoying. Remember that you want a professional image, so don't tweet need to tweet about what you had for lunch or other inconsequential activities. Three or four tweets a day is a good average if the information you provide is relevant.

Be patient. Followers will come if you stick with it. Again, be a resource and be consistent. Establish your credibility with helpful tweets and people will want to follow you.

5 Ways I Can Use Twitter for Business

Twitter is one of those social networking tools that helps you stay in touch with your "followers". It's meant for quick postings -- you can only "tweet" 140 characters or less. The premise is that you can update your status throughout the day so your friends and family can keep up with what's going on in your life.

Twitter is a fun application for your personal life, but it can be so much more than that. As a business tool, Twitter can help you network, find resources, and even attract new clients and customers. Here are 5 ways that I am using Twitter to boost my business marketing and network.

1. Building My Network - Twitter offers a huge audience! As other "tweeters" learn more about me through my posts, I'll gain more followers and build my network. Through these connections, I might learn more about up and coming business trends or innovative marketing techniques, and I'll increase the opportunities to pull in new clients as well.

2. Building My Credibility - Twitter shows you postings from thousands of users, many of which are looking for information or suggestions. When I find a question I can answer, I've just promoted myself as an expert on that topic. This is a great way to gain more followers.

3. Asking for Recommendations - The Internet can be a great source of information, if you can find what you're looking for. It's easy to do a search for a particular service or product, but you can easily get sidetracked by all the junk, too. If I need to find a specific service or product to improve my business, I can tweet about my situation and ask for help. The recommendation I receive will be more valuable than any general search on the Web because I'll get specific information backed by the experience of other users. I can then focus my search based on the suggestions I've received, saving me time because I don't have to filter through hundreds of search results.

4. Promoting my business - Tweeting about my business (and personal) successes will let others know that I'm passionate about my work and helping my clients succeed. This is another way to attract new clients and become a resource for those needing help with Web design, building their brands, and developing marketing ideas and promotions.

5. Reaching Out to Clients - Twitter will help me reach out to clients and prospects. Not only can I tweet about new services that I offer or new products and promotions, but I can also offer kudos to my clients who have just reached a milestone and special achievement, and promote a special event being held by one of my non-profit clients. Those are the kind of "real world" connections that build lasting relationships and mutual appreciation.

Earning Money with your Blog - Part 2

Another way to make money through your blog is to integrate affiliate marketing links. You can do this within individuals posts, or you can make them more permanent by adding them to your side bar. When readers click on the links and purchase the products, you will earn a small commission from the company.

Affiliate links work best if you are reviewing a product or a book and recommending it to your readers. Once you have offered your opinion on the features and benefits of a product, or explained how you have used the concepts in a book to build your own business or become more productive, your readers will likely be interested in checking it out for themselves. Providing the link to the product or book is convenient for your readers, and marketers appreciate the referral, so they are willing to pay a commission for any purchases made through your link.

With most affiliate links, you have complete control over which products you advertise. This is important because, as stated in our last blog, the items that you advertise on your site can reflect your values, priorities, and ethics. Once again, it's important to think ahead and understand how your readers will interpret your marketing techniques and view your business. That's why we recommend choosing items that you are familiar with and have actually used to develop your business.

Companys operate their affiliate programs differently, so you'll have to read the fine print to find out if there are restrictions on how to use the links. If you're interested in affiliate programs but not sure where to look, investigate your vendors. Where do you purchase the supplies you need to run your business? They may have programs that match your needs. Here are a few for consideration:

Amazon.com
Audible.com (audio books)
RingCentral.com (phone service)
GoDaddy.com
Office Depot
Alerts Made Easy (our very our broadcast messaging service)

Earning Money with your Blog - Part 1

Blogging is a great way to drive traffic to your business Web site and it really does boost your search engine rankings if you post regularly. However, the return on your investment into the time it takes to write posts may seem elusive. That is, you have a hard time pinpointing exactly how your blog is making you any money. Indirectly, you are because you driving potential clients to your site and building customer relationships and loyalty. However, if you want to get a little more out of your blog, it is possible to make money directly from your blog.

For example, you can sell advertising space on your blog. Here are two ways to do this:

• Approach potential advertisers and submit a proposal. You will need specific stats to show the popularity of your blog, and you'll need to match advertisers with the needs of your blog's target market. This process could take some time, but once you find a few good matches, it will be mutually beneficial for both you and your advertisers.
• Use Google AdSense. AdSense will allow you to choose categories that relate to your blog content so that the ads will fit your target market. It's a free service, but you don't much have control over which ads appear on your site.

One thing to consider - how will your readers react to advertising? Consider your target market and the reasons they are reading your blog. Will they be turned off by seeing ads on your site? Will the ads reflect your business values and opinions? You'll want to ensure that the ads displayed are not promoting a product or concept that conflicts with your business image. Although Google Adsense is an easy way to post ads on your blog, working directly with advertisers is the only way to guarantee ad content.

What do you think? Do you advertise on your blog, and if so, how do you accomplish this? We'd appreciate your input!

If ads don't seem like the right thing for your blog, we'll have more money-making suggestions in the next few days.

Rate My Business Story!

I found an opportunity to share my small business story online and earn a chance at winning a business grant and products from Intuit. I have posted my story online and would love to have you read it and rate it for me. Judges will choose 50 finalists by March 31, and the winners will be announced on May 5th. I'd appreciate your votes!

Here's the link - http://tinyurl.com/ewebsmartcontest

Thanks for your help!

Who Are You and Why Are You Blogging?

Blogs are a great way to create publicity for your self and your business, so it's very important to fully develop your "About Me" page associated with your blog. Readers will look here first to get a more complete picture of who you are, why you are blogging, what you have for credentials. This is also where readers will look to find your contact information if they have questions or want to discuss networking opportunities.

Your "About Me" is your chance to build a relationship with your readers by helping them understand why they should trust you and value your advice. Be sure to show your passion and excitement for your blog topic. Here are some things to include on this page:

• A short biography to help readers learn more about you
• A description of your business
• A short explanation about why you blog, or why you love your topic
• Your education credentials and experience
• Links to your other Web sites, blogs, or articles that you have written
• Links to other blogs that you frequently read
• A picture of yourself, so readers can connect your name with your face

Make sure that your "About Me" page is easy to find with a prominent link available on both your home page and the other pages of your blog.

Using Social Media to Promote Your Blog

Social media is all the rage, and if you're not already using it in some capacity to promote your business, you should seriously consider it. But even if you aren't ready to join the ranks of MySpace, Facebook, or Linked In, you can still promote your blog, and your business, through social networking.

If you do have a social networking profile, you should definitely add your blog link to that profile. Your recent posts can appear in your profile, which gives you free exposure to an automatic audience. Many of the connections you've already made will be curious and interested in what you have to say.

If you aren't interested in establishing these profiles just yet, then focus on social bookmarks. These are sites like Digg, Delicious, and StumbleUpon. These are places that allow people to indicate their favorite Web sites, blogs, videos, and other media. After submitting your entry, others can view it and voit on it as well. The more popular your entry, the higher your rating and the more likely it is to be seen by lots of people!

Another option is to start "tweeting" with Twitter. Also known as "microblogging", this is a service that allows you to send short updates about what you are doing or what's on your mind. Or, maybe you're looking for feedback on a blog. You can send a note requesting that your followers check it out and get back to you with their opinions. Twitter is a very powerful social networking tool if you know how to implement it as such, so we'll focus on its potential in future blogs. Stay tuned!

And last but not least, definitely register your blog with blog directories such as Technorati, Blog Catalog, Best of the Web Blog Search, or Blogged.com. It may be a little time consuming, but search for "blog directories" and you'll find some of the most popular. Spend some time each day submitting your blog URL so those who are looking for you and your topics can find you.

What's RSS?

You've seen the little orange and white icon before, but not everyone understands how to use it or what it can do for them. RSS stands for "Real Simple Syndication." It essentially allows you to subscribe to a "feed" and receive updates through a feed reader. So, if you have a blog you love to read, you can click on this button to configure automatic updates so you don't have to go to the blog site each time.

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Feed readers are easy to come by these days. They can be based online, on your desktop, in e-mail clients such as MS Outlook, and even on mobile phones. Do a quick search for "feed reader" via any search engine and you can take your pick. Popular ones include Google Reader, RSS Feed Reader, NewsGator, and Bloglines. Here are a few more suggestions for Windows and for MACs.

Once you have a feed reader established, you can easily add sites and blogs that feature the RSS icon. Obviously, you should activate this feature on your blog as well. This makes it super easy for your readers to keep up with your entries, and they'll be more likely to particpate by adding comments or links to your blog.

It's also a great way to monitor what's going on in your industry and other areas of interest. By reading, or at least browsing, other blogs each day, you can find new topics of interest to blog about yourself.

Wooing the Search Engines

Blogs are a great way to generate traffic to you site and interest in your business. Search engines love blogs because, if you consistently post, the content is new and fresh. And by taking a few quick extra steps each time you add an entry, chances are good that the search engines will reward your efforts by helping you get noticed by potential customers. There are a few ways to optimize your blog to make it more search-engine friendly:

• Make sure the popular search engines know you exist. Register your blog's URL with Google, Yahoo!, Technorati, and MSN Live and other search engines so they know where to find you.
• Optimize your writing with relevant key words. While you don't want to over use them, you need to include words and phrases that people commonly use to search for your services or business.
• Use images and add labels or titles as you use them. While they can add visual appeal to your blog, they can also be used by the search engines. For example, when people search for an image using Google or Yahoo's Image Search, your image may fit the search criteria and lead them to your blog.
• Tag or label your posts. Most blog providers have spots to add these keywords, and they are just another way to attract search engines.
• Use links in your blog, and use them often. When you link to articles by other bloggers, they notice, which can help you get noticed. They might add a comment to your blog or mention you a future post. Search engines like to see genuine link reciprocity, as it helps demonstrate the popularity of your blog, which can lead to higher rankings.
• Maintain your blogroll. If you read and enjoy other blogs, add them to your blog roll. Again, it's another way to encourage reciprocal links from other bloggers.

Communications Made Easy Receives $10,000 in Business Development Grants

Rochester, Illinois, February 19, 2009 – Communications Made EasyTM, a 4-in-1 broadcast communications service based in Rochester, Illinois, is the recipient of a $5,000 grant from the Milliken Regional Entrepreneur Network (MREN) and a $5,000 Challenge Grant from the Illinois Homeland Security Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (HSIEC).

Communications Made EasyTM (CME) allows customers to send immediate, simultaneous messages via e-mail, text message, phone voice message, or Web site postings all from one central point of access. The company’s founding partners, Michelle Tjelmeland and Mark Roberts, developed the propriety software independently and launched the service in August of 2008.

“We are thrilled to receive the grant money and will use it to further develop our strategic business plans for CME,” said Tjelmeland. “These awards will allow us to expedite our marketing efforts and target specific customers who can really benefit from CME’s services.”

MREN and HSIEC award grant money to businesses with high growth potential to help with comprehensive business planning, evaluating a proposed start-up or expansion, or other accelerated support services. Through their respective grant programs, MREN and HSIEC help award recipients achieve significant milestones to take their businesses to the next level. HSIEC gives preference to companies demonstrating the pursuit of products or services that clearly meet a published request by the Department of Homeland Security.
By 2013, Homeland Security has set a goal to have at least 75 percent of all jurisdictions possess the ability to send out emergency communications within three hours of any significant event. Helping jurisdictions meet this goal is one of the original motivations for developing CME.

“We created CME to specifically meet the needs of the many rural state and local agencies that respond to emergencies and disasters,” said Roberts. “These responders either lack the strategic tools to efficiently communicate with each other, or depend on a communication system that can easily be damaged and disabled during an emergency.”

CME gives emergency management officials the ability to send news, updates, evacuation instructions, and AMBER alerts, as well as coordinate a quick and adequate response to help people affected by natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and other dangerous situations.

In addition, CME is an ideal solution for university and college officials who need to establish a written emergency broadcast communications plan under the provisions in the Clery Act.

“CME provides the service they need to immediately warn students, parents, and staff of a potential danger to the campus or emergencies that require quick action,” explained Tjelmeland.

The application process for the grant awards is selective and awards are based on project viability, growth potential, public purpose, need and merit-based factors. The maximum funding available for each individual award is $5,000. Recipients are required to provide a cash match of 100 percent of the award amount.

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity provides financial support to fund both the MREN grant program and the HSIEC Challenge grant. By working with entrepreneurs and businesses that demonstrate the ability to achieve growth through revenue generation and job creation, the Department promotes economic development in Illinois.

About Communications Made Easy
Communications Made EasyTM is communication tool that broadcasts any message in a matter of seconds to a mass mailing list using a proprietary 4-in-1 system. This innovative and user-friendly service makes it easy to use one access point to send messages simultaneously, via the Web, e-mail, text message, and phone. CME offers monthly messaging subscriptions, premium service add-ons that enable customers to enhance their package as needed, concierge service to ensure customer messages are dispatched immediately in times of crisis, and a reseller program to allow organizations to brand and sell the product as their own. Communications Made EasyTM is a subsidiary of The Easy Life, LLC, headquartered in Rochester, IL. Visit www.communicationsmadeeasy.com to learn more.

About MREN
MREN works with entrepreneurs and businesses (regardless of industry or stage) that demonstrate the ability to achieve growth through revenue generation and job creation and to contribute to the economic development of Illinois. MREN is a network of organizations and individuals throughout the region and state that are collaborating together and strive to become the driving force for exciting entrepreneurial activities and initiatives throughout the Central Region. For more information, visit www.millikinren.com.

About HSIEC
HSIEC delivers specialized business development assistance in homeland security to entrepreneurs and small businesses as part of the Illinois Entrepreneurship Network through a joint effort between the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and Northwestern University. The Center launched in October 2005 and has made over 20 challenge grants to fund strategic business projects. For more information, visit http://www.hsiec.org.

Do The Research for your Readers

One thing your blog readers will appreciate is your ability to direct them towards helpful resources, ones that you trust and find accurate and informative. A blog that is continually posting links to meaningful articles and business tools is not only valuable to the reader, but also shows your readers that you are on top of things and willing to investigate trends and learn more about your industry.

It's no small task to find resources worth posting. You could do a Google search, obviously, but the top search results don't always mean the site is worth referring. so stick to researching topics that are relevant to your industry and that you know a little something about so you can judge a site's credibility and worthiness.

But don't think that you can only refer people to online tools. Whenever you consult a book that relates to your business or industry, whether you read it from cover to cover or just pick a chapter or two, offer your 2-cents. Feel free to quote the book (with the correct citations of course) and tell your blog readers how it applies to you or your industry. Your readers will appreciate your honesty, so don't sugar coat it.

And now, I'd be remiss if I didn't conclude this post with a few blogging resources of my own:

Blogging Tips for Beginners a blog post by Darren Rowse with tons of links to help you better understand the world of blogging.

Business Blog Consulting demonstrates how business owners can effectively use their blogs to communicate with customers and market to new customer prospects. Lots of examples of business and corporate blogs, as well as resources to help you learn more.

The Blog Herald is another blog that mostly posts about blogs, blog authors, and other social marketing topics.

And finally, a list of the "top 50" female bloggers. These aren't necessarily blogs about business blogging, but they are well-known and well-respected authors. You can follow a few of your favorites by topic and learn by their examples.

Blogging - Let the "You" Come Through

Blogs are useful for establishing your company or personal identity. If you're writing for business reasons, you can give clients and customers a feel for who you are. They can see a little bit of your expertise and get a glimpse of who your other clients are and where you go for reliable information. This is important because how you write and what you write about will give them a preview of your personality and work philosophies before they decide to contact you.

Now, some of you might be afraid that this could mean that you'll lose out on opportunities because some people might not contact you. To the contrary, the contacts that you do make from your blog will be more likely to be the ideal client. One that already likes your personality type and has a good feel for the services you can provide. And let's face it, these are the clients that will be the most profitable for you.

So remember that your blog is always a subtle marketing tool. Even if you don't expressly marketing your products and services in every post, you are always selling yourself. Don't be afraid to let your personality shine through and offer your opinions, recommendations, and experiences.

Blogs - A Valuable Online Marketing Tool

These days, many small businesses have some type of Web presence. Many business coaches and consultants will tell you that it's essential to be online in someway, shape, or form if you want to grow and attract new clients and customers. And with the advent and explosion of the social networking craze, small businesses that are unsure about being online can take small steps to establishing their Web presence.

One of the best ways to get started is by blogging. Barely even 5 years ago, very few people understood what a "blog" is, but now, it's becoming a common concept and many people are at least familiar with the term. A blog is simply a Web site that contains entries written by a specific author or group of authors with a common interest. The entries can be personal accounts of thoughts, activities, discussions, and opinions, or they can be business-oriented and offer tips, advice, suggestions, articles, and other resources for readers.

One of the great things about blogs is that they are easy to start, maintain, and update, even if you don't have a background in Web design, CSS, or HTML. Most blog services start users out with a simple template that can be customized with color and logo preferences. To add entries, the user simply clicks a link and writes an entry is a small text editor window. The simplicity of this process makes establishing a blog attractive to those who want to have a Web presence but don't know where to start.

Blogs are also important to businesses for other reasons, not the least of which is the opportunity to connect with consumers to help them get to know your business, your staff, and your products and services. Blogs give you a chance to provide updates, post announcements and educate consumers. Blogs are a valuable marketing tool because they can quickly distribute targeted messages and receive immediate feedback through the comment process.

eWebsmart uses this blog to keep you updated on the latest news related to our business and the Web design industry. We also want to keep you up-to-date on the latest technology and online marketing tools. So, during the month of February, we will be blogging about blogging! We invite you to offer your own blogging tips and suggestions as you read ours. And if you're ready to start blogging, give us a call!