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“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” ~ Abraham Lincoln We all know that Abraham Lincoln was a skilled orator and debater. He cared deeply about relationships and suffered great losses in his life. Did you know he was also an entrepreneur and inventor? That’s right. Abraham Lincoln obtained a patent for an air chamber that would keep cargo boats buoyant in shallow waters. Abe Lincoln also knew that you can’t please ALL the people all of the time. His words help me to remember that I need to concentrate on delivering a consistent message based upon the core values and direction I’ve established for my business. As a result, I will be more productive by focusing on my strengths. President Lincoln was a man “of the people”. He valued relationships, listened before he spoke, and often connected with others through the use of storytelling. I often share with clients the importance of being able to “tell the story” — what sparked the idea to design a product or what adversity did you overcome that made you create a passion for your business? Understanding that the quality of the relationship we build with our customers, clients and colleagues is what defines our success or failure. It’s not about how many widgets we sell, or the number of billable hours we accumulate; it’s about focusing on our customer’s needs and giving them the best experience possible. Listen first, stick to what we know, focus on finding the best solutions and concentrate on developing lasting relationships. Everything else will fall into place. Abraham Lincoln said it best in a letter to Quintin Campbell dated June 28, 1862: “Adhere to your purpose and you will soon feel as well as you ever did. On the contrary, if you falter, and give up, you will lose the power of keeping any resolution, and will regret it all your life.”
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Tuesday, July 30 – 10AM on – Reserve Now! Mass Marketing Resources is teaming up with dani fine photography to offer a PROFESSIONAL HEADSHOT AND MARKETING DAY - includes session & CD of images for ONLY $95 (valued at $400+). Perfect opportunity to improve & update your visual image – on your website, social media profiles, business directories, brochures – just about anywhere it’s important to put your best face forward! Bring your business cards to network with attendees and chat about your marketing challenges. Be sure to enter our drawings for some great door prizes, including a “4 Point Marketing Check Up” provided by Liz Provo. For questions & to schedule your session, please call the studio 413-341-3031. Slots are filling up fast–call now to book! Professional Hair & Makeup available for a separate fee. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Liz Provo, Mass Marketing Resources, Selected as a Constant Contact Authorized Local Expert Western Massachusetts marketing expert to help small businesses and nonprofits apply the power of online marketing to grow their organizations EASTHAMPTON, MA — May 3, 2013 – Liz Provo, owner of Mass Marketing Resources, has been selected as an Authorized Local Expert by Constant Contact®, Inc., the trusted marketing advisor to more than half a million small organizations worldwide. As an Authorized Local Expert, Liz will offer training seminars on best practices in online marketing in the Western Massachusetts area. Involved in marketing throughout her career, Liz was a pioneer by bringing a successful alternative real estate marketing service to Western Mass in 2001. A magazine publisher, blogger and early adopter of social media, she has taught hundreds of consumers how to successfully sell their own homes using her DIY marketing strategies. In 2008, Liz founded Mass Marketing Resources, offering her services to the small business market. As an entrepreneur herself, Liz understands the technology and time challenges many small business owners face. She is a frequent speaker on the subject of social media throughout the area. “I am thrilled to be part of Constant Contact’s New England team of professional marketers as an Authorized Local Expert, and look forward to helping businesses in my local community learn more about the power of building strong customer relationships through effective email marketing and social media engagement.” Constant Contact Authorized Local Experts are dedicated to educating small businesses, nonprofits and organizations on how to achieve success through email and social media marketing. Local Experts are authorized by Constant Contact to deliver our field-tested seminars because of their proven expertise, passion and commitment to working with Constant Contact in their local community. Liz Provo will host free small business seminars and training workshops in the Western Mass area focused on using email marketing and social media marketing to engage key audiences, drive dialogues, and build relationships. “We are thrilled to have Liz Provo as part of the Authorized Local Experts program,” said Catherine Kniker, vice president of local success at Constant Contact. “We believe education and training on marketing best practice leads to more success for small organizations. Our Authorized Local Experts are in a fantastic position to serve their local community by sharing their expertise and our successful, educational KnowHow.” About Mass Marketing Resources Mass Marketing Resources provides cost-effective marketing solutions for small businesses. Specialties include resources for technology challenged individuals and solo-preneurs who benefit from ongoing coaching and organizational support. About Constant Contact, Inc. Constant Contact wrote the book on Engagement Marketing™ – the new marketing success formula that helps small organizations create and grow customer relationships in today’s socially connected world. More than half a million small businesses, nonprofits and associations worldwide use the company’s online marketing tools to generate repeat business and referrals through email marketing, social media marketing, event marketing, local deals and online surveys. Only Constant Contact offers the proven combination of affordable tools and free KnowHow, including local seminars, personal coaching and award-winning product support. The company further supports small organizations through its extensive network of consultants/resellers, technology providers, franchises and national associations. Constant Contact and the Constant Contact Logo are registered trademarks of Constant Contact, Inc. All Constant Contact product names and other brand names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Constant Contact, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. Media Contact: Liz Provo Mass Marketing Resources 413-539-7950 liz@massmarketingresources.com ###
Morris Partee wraps up another successful Podcamp!
The 5th Annual Pod Camp Western Mass was held on Saturday, March 30,2013 at The Kittredge Center, Holyoke Community College, Holyoke, Massachusetts. It brought together 120 camp veterans and first time campers for a full day of social media talk. Pod Camp is a homemade soup full of organic ingredients. The “un” conference-style social media and tech gadget workshops are seasoned with an appropriate amount of hot sauce — extemporaneous sessions that are remembered long after pod camp is over. The Western Mass Pod Camp is now the oldest, continuously running pod camp in the Northeast. I have been fortunate to attend all but the first camp. So what was new for me this year? Unlike previous pod camps where early social media adopters salivated at the thought of every new platform, tech tool or gizmo, Pod Camp 5 was not as much about the latest and greatest network or tool, at least in the sessions I attended. There was a lot of re-examination of existing platforms and in some cases re-dedication to some forgotten networks. Choosing fewer platforms, making platforms a better fit, and remaining authentic was something that was repeated frequently. In the first session I attended, Kelly Galinas (@RedHeadedDiva) spent time explaining the ever-changing Facebook privacy settings, as new features being rolled out and the level of confusion that often results. Facebook’s move toward promoted and sponsored posts prompted learning ways to keep them from creeping into our newsfeeds. Unfortunately, more time was spent on personal pages and we didn’t have time to probe Edgerank or delve into business page insights. I sat in on Jennifer William’s (@verilliance) session on “Don’t Waste Time With Social Media” which focused on the growing time suck of social media and how to find the right mix and maintain our authentic voice. We shared thoughts on choosing platforms that reflect our audience and Jennifer gave us a preview of her Google+ session to follow. I was looking for new ways to help me assist clients in their marketing and learned a lot in a session on “creating an e-learning course” led by Nunzio Bruno (@Nunzio_Bruno). This was one of the few sessions that moved a bit beyond social media. Unlike a webinar, which is usually a one-time occurrence, an e-learning course is delivered over a period of time using a variety of methods (written content, video, podcasts, live chat sessions, etc.) I will research Udemy as an online host as well as think about using Constant Contact, my email marketing provider, as a good option for the content delivery. One of the panel discussions I attended focused on productivity tools and apps we’re using these days. In past years I could barely keep up the number of tools and apps being tossed around. My list was much smaller this year, as more time was spent discussing the pros and cons of more established tools like Evernote, or invoicing software like Quickbooks or Freshbooks. I jotted down CamCard and WorldCard, apps that offer easy ways to grab contact information on the go, but haven’t had a chance to compare them yet. Have we reached a saturation point for jumping on the bandwagon of every new tool? Maybe there are just too many out there performing similar functions. One thing is clear. Our quest for free images is never-ending. Flickr, Zemanta and CanStock Photo were shared, along with reminders on using Creative Commons licensing. There were also some good photo editing tools shared, like Picassa, Gimp, and PicMonkey for users who do not need the advanced capabilities of Photoshop. My takeaways In a word – it’s about relationships, past, present and future. Anyone coming to Pod Camp for the first time this year undoubtedly saw a lot of hugging going on and laughter being shared by former campers getting reacquainted. Social media has given me wonderful opportunities to meet people I may never have met before. Being able to take those online relationships offline is so important. Thom Fox (@ThomasJFox) said it best in his session. Look for his slides. If you’re not doing that, you’re only tapping the surface of social media. What an honor to be a two-time recipient of the “2012 Constant Contact All Star Award.” The award is granted to a user of their product and is based upon criteria including:
I have been using Constant Contact as my primary email marketing company since 2001 and have always recommended the company to my clients. I’m also a Business Partner with them, helping my clients set up their own newsletters, creating templates, developing segmented mailing lists and helping to maintain mailings for them. It’s funny, maybe this award will help my clients understand why I’m such a stickler about their own email marketing and why I’m always talking about the best ways to grow permission-based lists. I love doing business locally when at all possible. The fact that Constant Contact is based in Waltham, Massachusetts appealed to me when I researched the top email marketing companies. Equally important is the quality of customer service they provide by phone, email, e-chat, webinars, tutorials and local workshops. So, thanks again Constant Contact – and mostly, thanks to all my newsletter readers. If you didn’t open my mail, I never would be receiving this award! You’re the best!!! A few weeks ago I started running for the first time in my life, first very privately, and slowly having the courage to tell others what I’m doing. This month I shared a little of my progress on Facebook and in my newsletter. Sharing seems to help me commit to the process and it does feel good to receive encouragement from others. Today, when my (Couch25K) program said I was to run for 20 minutes without stopping, I immediately thought something was wrong with the app. I’m used to troubleshooting technology issues, of course! After all, the longest interval I’ve done so far is 8 minutes. Why would they think I’m ready for 20 minutes? After determining that the app was indeed correct, I reluctantly tied my running shoes (funny, I used to just called them shoes) and started the timer. As I passed the 8 minute mark I began to get a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to complete the run. I started thinking about how self-doubt is such a destructive emotion, particularly for small business owners who often work (and think) alone. It can prevent us from taking on new challenges, learning new ways to be better at our business, even stop us from taking our business to the next level. I began to push the self-doubt away and concentrated on relaxing my leg muscles and focused on my breathing while looking at the squirrels running across the road. When I checked my timer again I had passed the 12 minute mark and actually felt really good. I smiled as I thought, “I think I’ve gotten my second wind.” Although I’ve used the phrase before, often after overcoming writer’s block or having plowed through a tedious project, I’d never really known what it felt like. It is thought that “getting your second wind” may be the result endorphins being released, or by the body finding balance. Whatever the reason, it felt good and made me want to reach my next goal. You just got an invitation to participate in a trade show and are considering the offer. Trade shows, table top expositions, and organization gatherings are all great places to display your services and products. Space can be very inexpensive, starting around $100. and increase to over $1,000. depending on the venue. Before you decide whether to purchase booth or table space, you need to ask yourself, “What do I want to get out of attending?” Do you want to have attendees place orders, increase your mailing list, meet you face to face, or sell your product at the show? Whatever your reason, you need to prepare IN ADVANCE. Every trade show will provide vendor information regarding booth size, signage and backdrop, availability of tables, skirting, chairs, electricity, WI-FI, dimensions, and a layout of booth spaces. Read this information carefully and be prepared to purchase items as needed. Don’t assume – always verify what’s provided and DON’T miss deadlines. YOUR BOOTH: The object is to draw visitors INTO your space. Where you place your table and chairs can invite prospective customers, or provide an ultimate barrier to engaging with you. Consider how your booth can handle traffic and provide visual, engaging marketing material that will attract and retain interest if you are distracted. DON’T stand behind your table, as the table becomes a barrier. DO stand next to or to the side of your table. I’m not a fan of sitting, but if you do need a break, a stool that puts you at eye level, is better than slumping behind a table any day. DISPLAY MATERIALS: Here is where preparing in advance is key. You will need to “stage” your booth. Must haves include brochures, business cards, table top or floor sized banner, products, sell sheets, giveaways, and don’t forget your MAILING LIST SIGN UP SHEET. VISUALS: Consider using videos or image slide shows, PowerPoint loops, or virtual albums to entertain visitors should you be with another potential customer. Screens should change frequently to grab attention. HELP!!!!!: Really, I mean help for your booth. Will you have someone to help you set up and tear down, give you a break to walk around and chat with other vendors, or allow you some down time (especially needed if the show is long or held over multiple days)? You need to remain fresh, so if it means calling in extra help, it may be well worth it. Oh, and one final thought…… BOOTH ETIQUETTE: I visit lots of trade shows and table top venues and hate to see businesses who have invested in booth space that goes unnoticed. Here are my biggest booth turn offs:
In newspaper jargon it’s called “above the fold”, where top interest stories live and where every business and event wants to be. Getting that coveted position can challenging for small businesses who have no staff on hand to develop relationships with the press. To get your information into the right hands, it starts with a press release. I have to admit, I don’t enjoy writing press releases. Of all the marketing tasks I do — newsletters, social media, blogs, video, and coaching, creating a press release for a client or event I’m working on gets put to the bottom of my “to do” list. It’s not that I can’t write one, it’s that I never know if I’m reaching the right source or merely sending the message into the abyss, hoping for it to stick against the wall. This week I decided to brush up on my press release writing skills and attended a workshop called “Press Ready 101″, hosted by Easthampton City Arts. I especially wanted to go because it was led by a local journalist, Sarah Platanitis, Here was a chance to listen to what journalists want from us when pitching a story. Most of the attendees were artists, interested in getting better at the marketing and business side of their craft, some looking for local help, others aiming for national exposure. Here are some of my takeaways:
Self-promotion can feel uncomfortable and it’s sometimes helpful to work with someone who can help you manage the marketing and event planning details. Preparing in advance is key to a successful event, product launch or new service offering. So, here’s hoping to see you “above the fold” real soon! On Thursday, February 21, 2013 Liz Provo of Mass Marketing Resources will be a guest speaker as part of The Women Business Owners Alliance “Round Table Topics”. “Marketing Should Be Fun, Not Painful” It isn’t enough to know that you NEED to market yourself, your products and services – it’s HOW to do it and keep yourself SANE. Good marketing starts with a plan that is well thought out and manageable and lets you BREATHE. Liz will provide helpful ways to move from “planning” to “doing”, designed for the busy, somewhat technically challenged entrepreneur to manage marketing tasks and grow her business naturally. Good marketing starts with a strategic marketing plan. The marketing calendar controls the larger picture while the editorial calendar pulls it all together. Guests are welcome – you don’t need to be a member of WBOA to attend, although new members are always welcomed. The breakfast meeting is held at The Yankee Pedlar, Holyoke, MA, from 7:45 – 9:30. Cost: $15 (in advance) or $20 at the door. To register, follow the link to MeetUp. You are here: Home / 2012 / Archives for October 2012 Privacy vs. Growing Your Business – How To Tame Facebook October 19, 2012 By Liz Provo Leave a Comment Most businesses realize the value in having an active Facebook page, but not every small business owner is anxious to have a personal presence on the giant social network. Operating a small business where you ARE your business can result in some privacy challenges – from mapping your business on Google to sharing personal information on Facebook. So how can a small business use Facebook without sacrificing personal privacy? It’s true that Facebook gives businesses the option to create a fan page (ie. business page) without first establishing a personal account. This may not be the best solution for sole proprietors where “you” are your business, as it severely limits your ability to grow your business through your personal connections. You can, however, set up a personal account with strong privacy settings. This option allows you to interact with friends and create a separate public business page. The Wall Street Journal provides some great tips on how to effectively lock down a personal page which I’ve shared with you here. Hover over each image to find additional tips: |
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