No matter what social media platform you use you need to engage. You need to engage in conversation. You need to engage with the people who are interested in you and who you are interested in. It’s all about the conversation. And, more importantly, the conversation isn’t about you and your products – it’s about the other person and their concerns, needs, pain points. Google + often seem like a ghost town. People click on share for a blog post that they like or a You Tube video and that’s it. But there are various levels of engagement according to Yifat Cohen – the go-to gal for all things Google +.   Yifat identifies 5 levels of engagement on Google +:

Simply saying that you agree with someone

Commenting – adding something to the conversation

Share – I’m adding my comments and then sharing it with my tribe

The Hangout – talking to your people

The Hangout on air – where you talk to the worldwide

If you want to know more about setting up and using Hangouts then watch this video where Yifat explains in detail how to join and how to start a Hangout.

About Gillian

Gillian works closely with entrepreneurs helping them to come up with and evaluate business ideas; set up and run their business; manage the financials and develop robust marketing/social media strategies to get visibility and credibility.

As well as working as a business coach and consultant Gillian regularly leads seminars and workshops in Canada, the UK and Prague and produces a variety of home study programmes.

In marketing the headline you use on emails, newsletters, blog posts can lead to sales success…or failure. Headlines work best when they appeal to your reader’s interests (not yours).

Ali Brown recently wrote an article on this topic that with her consent I’m going to share with you.

She talks about 9 headline formulas.

 1. The Question:  “Are You Worried About Your Financial Future?”

A question automatically gets your readers involved in your message, because they answer it in their minds. Many people will read further just to find out what answer or solution you provide. Again, make sure the question focuses on the reader’s interest, not yours. A bad example would be: “Do You Know What New Product We’ve Created This Year?” (No one cares but you!)

2. The How-To: “How to Get Thinner Thighs in 30 Days”

How-to headlines work very well, because people love information that shows them how to do something. (Thousands of book titles begin with “How to….”)  Think of the results your product/service offers and then try creating some “how to” headlines.

3. The Testimonial: “Jane Smith’s Consulting Is Pure Magic – Our Sales Have Increased by 30%!”

Why not let your clients do the selling for you? Their commendations can go a long way in convincing others to use your services. Tip: To appear credible, always include your clients’ information (as much as they are comfortable with) such as name, city, state, business name, etc.

4. The Command: “Boost Your Business Today!”

Turn your most important benefit into a commanding headline. A few examples are: “Make More Time for Your Family,” “Look Younger Instantly!” and “Get New Clients This Month.”

5. The News: “Introducing Our New ‘Rest-Assured’ Tax Service!”

Caution: This only works if you truly have something big to announce that is of interest to the reader. (Something that will make their life or business better.)  Don’t try to make news out of something that’s not.

6. The Promise:
“Give Me 3 Days, and I’ll Show You and Your Partner How to Have the Relationship of Your Dreams”

I first used this formula years ago with my Online Success Blueprint Workshop sales page, and then I suddenly started seeing it everywhere, especially for other live events. It’s a good one!

7. The Secret:
“REVEALED: How Any Solopreneur Can Use Email to Leverage Their Business and Make an Extra $5,000+ a Month… Easily and Consistently”

Everybody loves being let in on a little secret. I’ve used variations of this headline through the years, and it’s always been very effective. It says it all…who it’s for, what they’ll learn, and what type of results they can get if they use my methods.

8. The Number:
“7 Secrets of the Super-Wealthy That You Can Start Using today to Build Your Own Portfolio of Riches”

People love numbers. That’s why you see so many magazine covers promoting articles like “The 3 things your husband’s not telling you” and “101 great fashion finds for spring”. Numbers tell us exactly what we’re going to get, making the statement more digestible and believable. (And some studies show people prefer odd numbers to even ones.)

9. The Who-Else:
“Who Else Wants to Work at Home in Their Pajamas and Make a Million?”

This encourages the reader to jump on the bandwagon. If everyone else is doing it, don’t you want to also?

“Entrepreneur mentor Ali Brown teaches women around the world how to start and grow a profitable business that make a positive impact. Get her FREE CD “Top 10 Success Secrets for Entrepreneurial Women” at www.AliBrown.com”

My Question to YOU : What headlines are you using for your articles and blog posts ? Let me know in the comments box below.

Becky McCray (www.smallbizsurvival.com) has just published her guide to SMALL TOWN BUSINESS TRENDS.

As Becky says “Every year, hundreds of small business trends are published. By default, they’re all written by and for urban businesses, people in big cities. Instead, I look at small towns, rural areas. Here, local trends matter more than national ones,
but there are some overall trends of note.”

Becky defines a small town as one with a population of less than 20,000.

What trends has Becky identified for small towns in the US ?

• 2014 will be a good year for most rural economies, with strong business development and a continuing emphasis on all things local.
• a resurgence in local manufacturing and creative business forms
• Urban likes rural – people from big cities are loving small town stories. Ruralism is taking root in design, urban planning and leisure time pursuits. Placemaking is pushing cities to be more like small towns:walkable, community-oriented, humanscaled. Urban investors are looking to purchase farm ground and ranches for more lucrative investment returns.
• Brain Gain brings 30-44 year-olds to small towns – after decades of the “brain drain” of young people graduating and leaving small towns, a significant return flow of adults is changing rural dynamics.These 30-44 year-olds arrive with college degrees, years of experience in the workplace and large professional networks. Many come with substantial savings or proceeds from selling an expensive house in a metro area. These new rural residents aren’t looking for jobs. They start businesses at much higher rates than others.
• Entrepreneurs get creative about business forms – cooperatives are for more than just the grain elevator and the electric utility. Coworking, pop-ups and combination businesses are pooling resources and cutting costs. Community ownership is taking over where individual ownership can’t make a go of it.
• Energy booms are ongoing in several key rural areas. Construction of the transmission infrastructure means spillover opportunities.Everyone is thinking local
• Rural eCommerce is up and down – as Amazon charges sales tax on more purchases, small town merchants will be closer to being able to match their prices. Rural retailers still need to build closer ties to customers and leverage instant gratification to compete. With the closure of more U.S. Postal Service distribution centers, package delivery times for rural areas are going up. Rural businesses that previously saw their shipments arrive the next day, now report similar shipments taking five days. Rural eCommerce firms have to explore alternative delivery services.Rural has the low cost advantage
• Local manufacturing surges again

Why not download and read the full report available on Becky McCray’s website: www.smallbizsurvival.com/trends

QUESTION – What trends are you observing in small towns in your country ? why not share in the comments section below ?

As many of you know I take care of my very frail and elderly mum. From time to time I teach on various MBA programmes and I work virtually with selected clients who need help starting or growing their business. I certainly had no plans whatsoever to get into a retail situation but… this last Summer I started a new little business – Gillia’s Tables.

How did this come about?

I had an idea to buy and sell little wooden tables – buy them at a low cost at a recycling or charity store and then sell them for a bit more on Ebay.

One thing lead to another and I decided to paint them using Annie Sloan chalk paints and wax. From there I got into creating designs on the top using paint or burning a pattern into the wood.

I now have 40 little tables of which 20 have been painted in some way.   I then started to sell them in a small vintage store where I rented some space and in another store on a sale or return basis.

Here’s some of the business lessons I’ve learned so far:

Test the market – it’s all very well assuming that everyone needs a little table but they may not like your little tables or they might not be willing to pay your prices. Renting space in an appropriately located store (both in terms of the town and whereabouts in the town) or even better – a sale or return basis – enables you to test the market. You can discover what people like and don’t like and what they’re prepared to pay. The key phrase here is an appropriately located store which leads on to the next lesson.

Location – the shop where I rented space was in a small town. The owner had had a shop in a seaside town nearby and I assumed that she had done her homework before she opened up in Ottery St Mary. I guess she hadn’t as I got an email before Christmas to say she was closing down – after only 8 months of trading. And I sold nothing in the 6 weeks I rented space.  Location is also important in terms of where your stock is located in the store. Mine was upstairs but it wasn’t obvious for anyone looking in the window that the shop sold little tables and once inside there was no indication what stock was available upstairs.  In the other shop my tables were used to display other items that were for sale – not conducive to showcasing my tables.  This leads to the next lesson – don’t assume.

Don’t make assumptions – I assumed the owner of the shop where I rented space had done her homework. I assumed she would be open 6 days a week from 9am – 5pm but she often opened later and closed early. I assumed she was serious about making the shop a success and not about to go back to corporate.

Pricing – Price to the market rather than adding a percentage on to what you paid for the item unless you can consistently buy at the same price. When you’re rejuventing furniture the purchase price can be very variable depending on where you buy so this means that you have variable margins if you add a percentage. It’s much better to price to the market. However this means that you need to be careful not to pay more than you need to for items. 

Sourcing – I only bought in recycle and charity shops and from local sellers on Ebay. I learned that going to house clearance auctions and car boot sales would be a better way to get stock at a good price. Leaving aside the fact that my personal circumstances didn’t enable me to do this auctions and car boot sales are time consuming. The lessons here are – know the best places to source; don’t pick a product that could eat up a lot of time sourcing.

If you rent space ensure you have a written agreement and that it adequately protects you and your items (see blog post – Renting space in someone’s store).

If you do a sale or return have the owner of the shop sign for the items they are holding. Also agree whether it is at your  risk or if they take responsibility for damage, loss etc. An agreement is a good idea but a lot of shop owners will only sign to agree what they are holding.

Even if you’re in someone else’s shop still do your marketing – on Facebook, even advertising in appropriate local magazines.

Sell first – buy more later. I got carried away. I admit it ! Every time I saw a nice little wooden table at a decent price I bought it so now I have 40 little tables. I should have had a base stock, painted half of them and only bought more when I’d sold some.

Don’t think big too soon. I admit I flirted with the idea of having my own shop I was getting such a kick out of sourcing and rejuvenating little tables. There’s a great outlet in my home town and one in Sidmouth. Fortunately I’ve worked with  business start-ups for a good number of years and I’m an accountant by profession so I ran the numbers.  Yes it would be fun have a shop and be able to have all my lovely tables in one place and be the go to gal for anyone wanting a little table but you could take a long time to break even. Do sale or return, or rent space or do market stalls first.

I had the privilege of meeting Alicia Forrest when I attended her Online Business Breakthrough Workshop (OBBW) in 2010. Of course I subscribe to her newsletter and the latest edition contained a very pertinent article I wanted to share with you. It’s all about the importance of living in and polishing the present rather than always striving for the future. It was inspired by one her daughter’s books.

How to Unhook from the Future
by Alicia Forest, MBA  – The Business Shifter™

This article by Barb Wade resonated with me this evening as I completed the latest edition of my Idea to Launch programme at McGill University. As Barb allows people to  share her articles – well, that’s what I’m doing so… read on…

This article is by Ali Brown – it’s really useful to anyone starting out in business especially if they’re offering a services-based business.

Taking on a Beta Client might not be for everyone, but if you’re just starting out, it can be a great way to get the word out about your business fast. And implementing this strategy during the slow holiday period could prove to pay off in the new year with a few new clients. Here’s how to get started…

I’ve found that the fastest way to attract paying clients still comes down to good old-fashioned referrals and word-of-mouth marketing. So, first, I recommend that you ask your friends, family, community, former colleagues, etc. if they know of anyone who may be interested in your services—and that you’re looking for new clients at an introductory or “referral rate”. Here’s an example…

Let’s say Lisa the nutritionist just started her own private practice and is looking to snag a few new clients. A smart first step for Lisa would be to send an email to everyone in her circle, announcing that her services are now available, and right now, she’s offering her services at a special introductory, or “referral rate”. Lisa would explain that in return for her reduced-fee service, she will be asking for referrals, assuming the client is satisfied with her work.

The point is you want to get out there and have people experience what you do or offer, so more people can hear about you. Don’t underestimate your immediate network—you’d be surprised who knows who, and just how happy people are to help connect you with the right people.

Going back to our example, let’s say Lisa gets a lot of bites, especially if she offers her service for free. How does she pick who to work with, and who to decline? (She certainly shouldn’t book her entire schedule up working for free).

The KEY for Lisa, and for you, is to narrow down your beta clients into only those people who fit your target market. Who are the people who will be able to pay for your services eventually, or connect you with the people who will happily pay for your services? And who will connect you to people who will happily spread the word about your services? Using these standards, you should be able to easily cull the optimal people to take on as beta clients. To start, I recommend you aim for 3 beta clients.

Before you contact any potential beta clients, make sure you take note, because there are 3 KEY pieces to making this work for you…

The first part of the deal you negotiate with your beta clients is that they will give you feedback over the phone for about 10 to 20 minutes on a regular basis.

Here are a few questions you might want to ask them:

*What benefits/results have you experienced from working with me?
*What’s working (and not working) in my services?
*How can I make what I do truly extraordinary?
*How would you describe my services to a friend or colleague?

Getting feedback from a beta client can give you surprising insight into how your service is perceived on the outside. Oftentimes, we as business owners are so inside of our product/service that it’s difficult to narrow it down to the essence of what benefit we truly offer. Your beta clients can be a very valuable resource for you, especially when you’re first starting out.

Second, you also want to ask your clients for a testimonial. Let’s assume they were satisfied with your work. You can ask them to write up one with specific parameters—something results focused, that includes numbers, clear benefits, etc. You could even ask them to record an audio testimonial, or invite them to shoot a video testimonial.

It always helps to give people a template to follow, so they can just plug in the information that you want. In Lisa’s case, she might want to send her beta clients a few template testimonials, like these:

“After working with Lisa, I was able to shed [XX] pounds in [XX] months. I have more [energy, confidence, radiance, etc.] than I did before. Thanks Lisa!”

“What I love about Lisa is that she gives you the [confidence, tools, plan] to easily achieve your weight loss goals. I was able to lose [XX] pounds in [XX] months!”

Finally, what you want to make clear is that you’re giving them a discounted rate or free service at what we call the “referral price” in exchange for them offering a few referrals. Obviously, this is assuming that that they are satisfied with what you have provided them. If they are, you both can agree on a set number of referrals. I recommend asking for three.

Your script for this can be quite simple. You could say, “I really enjoyed working with you and I’m thrilled to hear that you are satisfied. As you know, I’m just starting my business, and would love it if you could tell a few friends about my business. Can you think of 3 people in your circle whom you think would be a good fit for what I offer? I’d appreciate it!”

Following the steps above will get the ball rolling for you in your business. But don’t rely on these methods alone! While you’re contacting these referrals, fine-tuning your services, and generating new testimonials, you should be putting into action other marketing methods to continually build your business.

© 2012 Ali International, LLC

“Entrepreneur mentor Ali Brown teaches women around the world how to start and grow profitable businesses that make a positive impact. Get her FREE CD “Top 10 Secrets for Entrepreneurial Women” at www.AliBrown.com.”

MY QUESTION TO YOU:  Have you used the Beta Client strategy? What are the pros and cons?  Please share your experiences and some of your client-building strategies.

Shobhan Bantwal’s website greets the visiter with: Shobhan Bantwal’s books are romantic, colorful, action-packed tales, rich with elements of Indian culture — stories that entertain, educate, and enlighten . . .    And Shobhan’s latest novel – The Reluctant Matchmaker – is no exception.

The opportunity to read and review The Reluctant Matchmaker came at a time when I needed a rest from books on business strategy, marketing or heavy duty literature and I’m glad I took the time out. It was my first encounter with Shobhan’s work and one that I don’t regret.

At first the one and two sentence paragraphs put me off and the style was rather simplistic but suddenly there I was at page 80 and I realised that this author had well and truly reeled me into her story about the petite Meena Shenoy and her family. I found myself feeling as if I was sitting in the room with them as they discussed arranged marriages, the fact that Meena’s brother had fallen in love and intended to marry a Muslim girl. Although the story ended as I suspected all along that it would, the final dénouement was not at all as I expected. I shall say no more as I don’t want to spoil the story for you!

The novel is rather Bollywood but often real life can be like Bollywood. Real life for the Indian communities in the US (and indeed elsewhere) also embraces issues such as arranged marriage, sex before marriage, inter-religious relationships; the role of the family matriarch, the relationship of Indian girls with their brothers, the role of elder family members .. Shobhan delicately touches on all of these issues in such a discrete way that no reader could be offended and yet no reader could exit the book without having a greater insight into life in Indian communities.

The Reluctant Matchmaker  is  a light summer read but one that will make you wish the book lasted longer than its 300 pages and you may even find yourself falling in love with Prajay Nayak. Yes I admit it – I did rather! You’ll almost certainly want to go and read some of Shobhan’s other books and discover other characters and gain insights into other issues that affect Indian communities.

If  I’ve piqued your curiosity why not get yourself a copy of The Reluctant Matchmaker ?

Other novels by Shobhan Bantwal:

The Dowry Bride

The Forbidden Daughter

The Sari Shop Widow

The Unexpected Son

The Full Moon Bride

Here’s what Shobhan has to say about her novels:

The ideas for my books are generally sparked by my interest in women’s social issues, especially South Asian women. While subjects like dowry and female feticide are rather dark, they have always fascinated me because they become convenient tools of evil for certain people.

I want to offer folks outside India a peek into certain elements of contemporary Indian culture that are not often discussed in fiction, i.e. dowry abuse, selective gender-based abortions, and pre-marital sex in a repressive society.

Another reason I write my books is because Indian authors typically don’t write commercial and mainstream fiction. Most of them write literary novels that are beautiful but don’t always reach large segments of the reading public – those readers who want to learn about other cultures, but want to be entertained at the same time, with stories that have romance, mystery, pathos, and humor. I want to give those readers something to sink their teeth into.

Meet Shobhan Bantwal

Shobhan was born and raised in a large, conservative Hindu family in a small town in Southwestern India. An arranged marriage to a man who lived in the U.S. brought her to New Jersey. After giving birth to a daughter and acquiring a second master’s degree in Public Administration from Rider University, she started working for a government agency. As Shobhan says:  I’m a late bloomer as far as writing is concerned. Never did I imagine I would even want to be a writer until I turned half a century old. They say a mid-life crisis can go either way—downwards or upwards. Fortunately for me, along with the annoying hot flashes and a few other woes, the creative half of my brain shot into overdrive—definitely an uplifting experience. Overnight I decided I wanted to do two things: be on stage and become a writer.

You have the idea for a business, you check it out, you get started, you get stuck. You say yes to everyone. Clients are sucking your time and driving you crazy. Your friends and family are getting tired of hearing about your business, your marketing plan, your clients, they’re even starting to be glad you don’t have time to see them much these days.  You’re actually getting tired of your business. It’s taking too much time and energy and not giving you the joy and freedom and the $$$ you expected. It’s a long way from what you dreamed of and from what it all looked like in the business plan you quite probably wrote. But hey – you’re just one client, one mandate away from making it aren’t you ? Or are you ? how long have you been saying that for ??

You’re not the only one going through all this you know – sadly not.

And once upon a time a guy called Mike Michalowicz was just where you are today. But then…

…. he went to a pumpkin farm.

No, he didn’t become a pumpkin farmer or start growing prize pumpkins or  manufacturing pumpkin pie he just had a mega AHA moment. He realised he should treat his business like a giant pumpkin. Mike came up with the Pumpkin Plan. He applied it to his business, it made multi-millions, he sold it and like all good entrepreneurs started another business, applied the pumpkin plan and guess what – that business made multi-millions too. Of course it also took talent, hard work and a bunch of other things but the pumpkin plan kept him focused on the things that are essential to the success of pretty much any business.

Now I could tell you what the pumpkin plan is couldn’t I ? – but I’m not going to.

Sorry !

Go buy your own copy of the book and read all about it for yourself !

No seriously just look into my eyes and trust me – this book is worth reading. I promise you. It will make you laugh, it will give you the courage to do what you’ve known for a long time that you need to do, it gives the process you need to go through and it gives you case studies of how to apply it to a whole variety of sectors from travel to solar power.

I read lots of books on starting a business. A few years ago I developed my own programme for people starting a business (Idea to Launch) which I now deliver twice a year at McGill University in Canada.  I’m very careful what books I recommend to participants. I’ve long recommended Mike’s first book – The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. Next time I’ll be adding The Pumpkin Plan.

To put it bluntly – and in my inimitable style – both books cut the crap, the academic stuff, the obsession with business plans and get straight in there where it – well, it can feel a bit painful, the truth often does – but remember your best friend always tells you what you need to hear not what you want to hear. Mike also gives you a process, a structure. And … there’s more materials available on line for them as what buys the book. So … don’t delay, don’t keep waiting for the next mandate. Go get your copy of The Pumpkin Plan. But.. you must read it, reflect on it and implement the pumpkin plan. No point in buying it and just sticking it on the shelf. You may as well go and buy a plastic pumpkin at the dollar store for all the good it will do your business. I’m being bossy I know but you’re business is stuck, you’re exhausted, you need to pumpkin plan it.

And if you’re just starting out on the road to being a business owner you should pick up a copy of  The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur too.