I recently experimented with a new technique with two of my clients who were having the same problem – getting their customers to provide their testimonials in writing. We got great results and we did it without alienating anyone.

Here are the steps I took:

·         I asked my client for a list of email addresses of the customers I should contact – the ones who would have positive feedback.

·         I sent an email to everyone on this list asking them when I could schedule a 10-minute phone interview with them.

·         When they responded to the email I confirmed a time for our interview and sent them a thorough list of questions to look over BEFORE we talked. This gave them time to mull over their responses.

·         During the interview I kept it brief, asked my questions and wrote down their responses.( I also asked them if there was anything I didn’t think of asking that they wanted to include.)

·         Immediately following the interview, I wrote a well-crafted testimonial using the answers they provided. Whenever possible I used their words and their individual style of expression so that the testimonials sounded authentic, not canned.

·         Then I emailed a draft of the testimonial to the person I interviewed and asked them to make any edits, corrections or additions they wanted. (Very few made changes to what I had written.)

·         Once I had their approval I sent the testimonial to my client to post on their website.

Why did this strategy work so well?

For one thing my clients rock so they have customers who are eager to help them with a good testimonial. This is an element I have no control over. However, both clients had tried to get these favorite customers to write up their own testimonials with little or no response.  Frustrating, isn’t it?

My approach worked like a charm. Almost EVERYONE responded to my request for a 10 minute interview. Most people would rather talk than write. I guess that’s why I have a job as a copywriter!

Give it a try and let me know how it works for you. If you’re not comfortable interviewing your clients you might want to ask your assistant to conduct the interviews or consider hiring a copywriter to help. It takes some work to get red hot testimonials but it’s worth the effort!

Look at what you already have stored in your content “reservoir”.  By creatively expanding what you’ve already developed, you can leverage your time and energy with multiple results. For example, if you’ve been interviewed you can use the information found in your outline or transcript to create blog posts, newsletters or downloadable reports. Let’s say you’ve written an article, use that article in a public presentation or teleseminar by tweaking it to meet the needs of your audience. Just make sure to take the time to organize your content and make the appropriate adjustments depending on your format.

If you’re working with a professional ghostwriter or copywriter, make sure you give them access to your “reservoir” too! I’ve helped many clients repurpose their content from blogs to info products to presentations. The additional benefit of having access to this reservoir is that it helps me to mimic the style of writing. So when clients ask me, “Do you really want to me to send you this old article?” I usually reply, “Yes, send me everything!”  Even if I don’t use all the content it gives me valuable background information.

Repurposing is a huge timesaver. In fact, I used it in writing this blog post! It was based on an interview I gave last year - Leveraging Your Knowledge for Profit – How to Confidently & Quickly Create Compelling Content. So before you jump into your latest project, think about what you can repurpose because with a little tweaking you can save a lot of blood, sweat and tears.

Be sure to share any repurposing tips with me!

I’ll be honest it’s a ton of work and I just work on the content end of things – sales pages, blogs, press releases, tweets etc. But in addition to all that a telesummit requires lining up speakers, setting up sign-up pages, autoresponders and much more.

So what’s the payoff? What are the benefits of hosting your own telesummit? I’ve identified five benefits that I’ve observed:

·         List-building – This works if it’s a free event – you capture email addresses of everyone who signs-up so you can market to them later.

·         Establish your expertise – If you’re trying to position yourself as an expert, providing high-quality content through a telesummit is a great way to do it!

·         Ongoing income – After the telesummit you can easily transform the content into an info-product (MP3s, transcripts, worksheets etc.) that generates ongoing income.

·         Publicity – This is a great opportunity to get some media coverage for your event, especially if you have well-known speakers participating.

·         Establishing relationships with other experts related to your field – Experts are usually happy to participate because they benefit from the list-building and publicity as well. This can be the beginning of great joint-venture partnerships.

If you want to see for yourself how a telesummit works check out the following telesummits (they’re all free):

Going on now:

Career Changer Super Telesummit – Need to change your career? Not only is the event free but anyone who signs up will get a bonus 7 day e-course on career change.

Coming up soon:

Brand Reinvention Summit will be held on October 1^st and 2^nd. If you’re an entrepreneur, startup CEO and small business owner you’ll want to learn how to reinvent, revitalize or repackage your brand.

Scheduled for this fall:

Metromom Prosperity Summit  - Designed for mom entrepreneurs who want to tackle issues surrounding money, mindset and motherhood.

I know there are additional benefits of hosting a telesummit so please feel free to post them in your comments.

For example, I’ll have a week where it seems like everybody is asking me, “How do I get a good testimonial? What’s the formula for that?” Then I’ll have a week where everybody wants a press release. “How do I format my press release?” When I stop and think about these conversations I’ve had I end up with great ideas for my next blog or newsletter.

If you start thinking about the conversations you’re having on a regular basis, you’ll realize how much information you have to share that you may not even be aware of. Sometimes we’re just not conscious of how much information we’ve stored up over the years. By observing your conversation patterns, you’ll also get great insight on topics that others find interesting. What do you know that others want to know? That’s exactly what you want to be sharing in your blog.

In addition to being aware of what you already know, be a good observer. We make observations every day, but a lot of times we’re not actively observing. When you watch a commercial or read an article in the newspaper you probably have an opinion about it. I like to have a notebook with me at all times so I can jot down different observations that I make throughout the day. When it’s time to write a blog I can often relate those observations back to my own industry.

Another suggestion is to imitate those you admire. This doesn’t mean you should plagiarize. Never copy and paste someone else’s material. Not only is it unethical, it’s not authentic and ultimately defeats the purpose of blogging.

However, you can and should read other people’s blogs and newsletters. Get on your competitor’s websites. Start getting a feel for what you like. Are your favorite articles funny or inspirational? When you get a sales email, what gets you to buy, and what gets you to hit delete? You’ll start to see what appeals to you and what doesn’t. Many times reading other people’s information is what’s going to get you excited about sharing your own information.

Please share any tips that have helped you stay inspired as a blogger. Now if only I could find the time to blog – still working on the solution to that problem!

FYI - I talked more about the benefits of blogging and how to maximize their exposure in a recent interview with Kim DeYoung of Metromom.com, Leveraging Your Knowledge for Profit – How to Confidently & Quickly Create Compelling Content. Click here, scroll to the bottom of the page and choose the “Essentials Program” to learn how you can download individual interviews (like mine) and get a transcript of the entire call.

I understand, I’ve dabbled in Twitter but it’s hard to find the time… That is until the last two weeks, I’ve been stuck at home with sick kids so I’ve invested some time in Twitter. (I also reorganized the closets which was long overdue.)

The results have been interesting. I’m getting followers on a daily basis, I’m getting web traffic and I’m making new business connections. I was even contacted by a marketing firm that’s looking for copywriters – interesting thing is that even though they’re a local firm, they heard about me for the first time on Twitter.

I want to share tips for fellow entrepreneurs who would like to dive in to Twitter but are short on time. Here are three tools that will make it much easier to leverage your time effectively:

·         TweetDeck – This tool will help you stay organized. It’s your personal browser for connecting with your contacts on Twitter and Facebook.

·         TweetLater – This tool allows you to schedule your tweets out. This made a huge difference in my ability to tweet regularly. I can sit down for a few minutes once a week and set-up my tweets for the whole week.

·         Twollo – If you’re just getting started and need to build a base of followers quickly this automates the process.

If you need more tips read Nine Twitter Tips for Business, a great article posted at PCWorld.com.  I appreciated the balance between automating your tweets and keeping it personal. Please post tips you’ve found helpful or your own success stories using Twitter.

One more thing! You can follow me at www.twitter.com/jenodear.

My talk is about Leveraging Your Knowledge for Profit – How to Confidently & Quickly Create Compelling Content. I will share the following tips:

- How to determine you area of expertise so you can share your information with confidence
- How to be (and stay) inspired so you never experience writer’s block
- How to get it out of your head (or your hard drive) by capitalizing on your style of communication
- 3 shortcuts on recycling content into various forms - articles, newsletters, blogs and even info-products

This is a virtual event that takes place on May 1st and 2nd and the best part is that there’s no cost to sign-up! You can go to this page to learn more about it and watch a great video by MetroMom Founder, Kim DeYoung. (If you can’t make it on May 1st and 2nd sign-up anyway so you can learn about various packages that include MP3s or CDs for all 18 calls.)

Thankfully the internet gives us options! According to Kim DeYoung (AKA the Metromom) there are five steps you MUST know in order to grow your business online AND maximize your time and energy:

-How to Create Effective Design & Motivating Content
-How to Increase Visibility, Buzz, and Revenue
-How to Streamline Your Digital Back Office
-How to Put It All Together With the Right Mindset
-How to Get the Support You Need to Keep Moving Forward

A lot of us are feeling pressure to generate the income we need but we’re not sure the best way to go about it. Kim and marketing expert Laura West will be share how to use the internet to take control of your income and how to do it quickly during their one-time-only FREE teleseminar!

 ”Take Charge of Your Economy - 5 Steps on How to Use the Internet to Prosper and Profit,” will be April 21st at 2 PM Eastern. All you need is a phone. Reserve your space here: http://metromom.infusionsoft.com/go/call/jenodear

This is a FREE preview call for the Metromom Online Success Telesummit, taking place May 1st and 2nd; learn more http://metromom.infusionsoft.com/go/summit/jenodear. I’m one of the speakers that will be participating in the summit so stay-tuned for more details.

Here are some tips to help you “walk the fine line”:

Use your real name. People won’t trust you if you hide who you really are. So even if you’re using a “stage” or “nick” name like “Marketing Queen” make sure your real name is available.

Provide contact information. You can use your own discretion when it comes to cell phone numbers and mailing addresses. However, you should always list your website and an email address. This information not only helps establish your legitimacy, it also allows potential clients to contact you directly.

Use the right photo. If you want to play it safe go with a professional headshot. However, there’s nothing wrong with a nice candid shot, as long as your face is clearly visible and there aren’t distractions in the background. I know people who decide to accept or reject friend invitations solely based on the photograph so make sure it’s a good one!

Keep your profile interesting. Write your profile in the first person in a natural, conversational manner. Let your personality shine through because the whole point is to start building relationships. Get personal – but not too personal. If you go on and on about the mundane details of your life, people will lose interest so keep it simple.

Visit my profile on Facebook to learn more about me!

If you have a hard time writing about yourself you can ask a copywriter to help you with your Facebook profile. Just make sure you provide the writer with enough information so that the profile is personal. Nancy Marmolejo provides great social networking tips on her blog so check it out if you want more ideas.

If you’re a newbie here are a few links that will help:

Facebook Help Center: www.facebook.com/help.php?ref=pf

Tips on finding friends: www.facebook.com/help/new_user_guide.php?guide_section=find_friends

Setting up a profile: www.facebook.com/help/new_user_guide.php?guide_section=set_up_profile

Exploring Facebook: www.facebook.com/help/new_user_guide.php?guide_section=exp
lore_facebook

Safety Tips: www.facebook.com/safety

I’ll continue to share more advanced tips on how to maximize your presence on Facebook. Let me know if there’s a particular topic you’re interested in learning more about.

When a new client calls and asks for help writing a press release this is the first question I ask – “What do you want to accomplish with your press release?” You need to be clear on your objectives so you can implement the most effective strategy when writing and distributing your press release.

1. When You Want to Spread the Word and Boost Traffic to Your Site

This type of press release should be written with SEO in mind so you need to implement the right keywords. Then I recommend utilizing an internet distribution service like www.prweb.com (there are other free services available). This type of distribution is a very effective way of giving your website a traffic boost since these sites rank high on search engines.

Of course, the idea is that when reporters are searching for your particular topic they’ll find your press release. Realistically, this doesn’t happen very often. If you want actual media coverage read on.

2. When You Want to Get Media Coverage in Newspapers, Magazines, Radio and Television

The second type of distribution I recommend is more likely to land you media coverage. You need to build a media list based on location or industry. This does require more work because you need to generate your own list. You’ll need to do your homework and find out who the best person is to send your release to and the best method of contact – email, fax or online form.

Make sure you have the right angle when you’re writing and sending your release to individual reporters. Consider using a “local” angle or an “industry” angle. In fact, you may want to consider sending them a “pitch” instead of a press release. A pitch is written in the form of a letter and specifically addresses the concerns of the reporter and their target audience.

Click here to learn how to go beyond a press release and cultivate a relationship with the media.