Archives for June 2011

How to Successfully Launch and Propel Your Business Upward

Do you have a great business idea but don’t know where to start?  Is your small business stuck?

Michael Stelzner is someone who has successfully met both challenges – and he describes how you can do the same in his newly released book.

In Launch: How to Quickly Propel Your Business Beyond the Competition, Mike shares the learning he gained from previous business ventures and experiences that helped him build Social Media Examiner into a top business blog and a multi-million dollar business in less than two years – despite lacking direct experience in that industry.

I had the opportunity to interview Mike to get a first hand account of how marketing has significantly changed in recent years – and why you’ll want to change with it if you expect to capably move  your business forward.

You will discover there are a number of paradoxes associated with marketing today that are nonetheless true. To provide just one example, Mike shows why freely sharing and giving to your community without expecting anything in return will help to propel your business or project to the next level.

Skeptical?  If you aren’t, then you are in the minority.

Successful Marketing is Built on a Foundation of Trust

Nearly 2/3 consumers today do not trust businesses, according to Mike Stelzner.  This is precisely why the foundation of the Launch formula is to establish trust with the community you serve – as well as those that you work with.

Not surprisingly, that is exactly what Mike does in the first chapter of Launch. If you read that, you will trust Mike Stelzner.  And you can get a free download of that chapter here – with no obligation. You don’t even have to provide your email.

How’s that for a gift?

Just by reading that first chapter you will quickly realize that Mike isn’t holding anything back.  He freely shares the details of how he built Social Media Examiner into a profitable business and an invaluable resource for small businesses.

And the way he did it is about as uncomplicated as it gets.

This means you can readily apply Mike’s methods to either getting your business unstuck – or starting a new venture.

Spaceships and Businesses Don’t Propel Upward by Themselves

I’ll be honest – my business has been growing the past few years, but it nevertheless needs a boost to achieve the goals we have established.  After reading Launch, I can now see that I missed some simple, yet vital steps.

You too will find plenty of aha moments in Launch that can be readily applied to your business.

Propelling a spaceship beyond the gravitational pull of our atmosphere is a fairly simple concept. Yet, there are many things that have to be in place for that to happen.  For one thing, spaceships don’t fly themselves. There has to be a plan in place that when implemented will result in a successful mission.

That’s what you will find in Launch.

You will discover that the secret to launching a business is not complicated when you have a blueprint and a list of steps to follow.

Get a Free Copy of Launch

Social Media Examiner is a business that continues to grow at a steady clip.  In fact, I think even Mike is surprised at the success he and his team have achieved.

So, then why would he share the formula and details that made it all possible with the entire planet?

The answer to that question is another paradox that is explained by The Elevation Principle:  You can elevate your business by first helping your community with useful information that helps them solve problems, and then marketing to them later – usually much later.

Does it work? Ask Mike.  You’ll find him at @mike_stelzner on Twitter or hanging out at the Launch Facebook page.

To get a chance at a FREE hardcover copy of Launch simply retweet this post with a reference or mention of my Twitter handle @jeffkorhan.

Bonus points for sharing on Facebook or LinkedIn – or with anything else that illuminates your social media savvy.

I’ll announce the two winners after the holiday weekend here in the United States on Tuesday July 5th.

Elevate your business by helping your community with useful information first - and then marketing later.

If you are planning to launch a new business or project, spend a few hours with Launch.  You can start by downloading the free chapter.

The practical advice in Launch will not only help you to propel your business beyond the competition, it will also remind you that business can be fun again.

What project have you badly wanted to launch but just didn’t know how to go about it?

Leave a comment below or share this with your social community on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or Stumbleupon.

Enjoy your weekend,  Jeff

Google Gives Authors of Original Content the Spotlight

“We know that great content comes from great authors, and we’re looking closely at ways this markup could help us highlight authors and rank search results.”

This is a quote from Inside Search – the official Google Search blog.

Originality is Art

Authors are artists.  They provide unique perspectives that make online content worth reading, listening to, or watching.

Everyone is an artist if they are willing to share their expertise and originality.  Google is now encouraging this by giving authors the recognition that they deserve – regardless of where that content is profiled.

As Mashable author Ben Parr points out, “The new highlighting places a picture of an author to the right of an article he or she has written, along with a link to his or her Google Profile.”

All of this is consistent with Google’s efforts to give the creators of original content the recognition they deserve, which presumably will encourage them to create even better content worth sharing with those searching for it.

Welcome to the  Democratization of Media

What is emerging is the democratization of media – with both the source of the content and the media outlet sharing the spotlight.

Google is interested in indexing the best original content that can be shared in search results.  Now they will be providing an incentive for experts in every field to step forward and make the effort to share what they know.

Will you be one of them?

Expertise is Differentiation

Consider this.  When price and product-service offerings appear to be equal, the tie-breaker can be your reputation as an industry expert.

To help you accomplish this objective of sharing your expertise, Google is now giving you free PR.

In every industry there are plenty of experts.

Will you be the one that steps forward?

As with everything Google, this will take a while to rollout.  Nevertheless, Google has already noted that they will be accessing your Google Profile to locate this content.

So dust off your Google Profile and start creating more original content.

Then just be patient and the spotlight will indeed shine on you and your small business.

Leave a comment below or share this with your social community on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or Stumbleupon.

If you are new here, consider subscribing to learn more ways to profitably grow your small business online.

Until tomorrow,  Jeff

Photo Credit: Photo Gallery

Quality Online Content is Not Enough

“It’s not enough.  Sorry, it’s just not enough.” This is a quote from a video by SEOmoz – a top SEO blog.  The 10 minute video would not embed well, but you can watch it here. It’s a true commentary that speaks to the fact that being relevant for search engines now demands much more […]

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Your Interactive Expertise Distribution Site

A blog is an interactive site that distributes expertise to a community. Just don’t call it a blog, because that term may no longer be relevant. What comes to mind when you hear the words blog or blogging – a string of random thoughts or a well-crafted piece of content that helps a specific community to […]

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Free is Free – or It’s Not Free

When you treat your friends and advocates as customers, some will become customers. Those that don’t may spread your message to future buyers. The old model is treating customers like royalty, while encouraging others (via marketing) to become customers so that they can enjoy the same preferential treatment.  The web in general, and social media […]

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Blekko Search Slashes Out the Best Content

Have you searched the web for too long already and still cannot find what you are looking for? If so, upstart search engine Blekko may do the trick.  Blekko uses slashtags to get the job done.  These are tags that eliminate spammy results to bring you the most relevant content. There Are Lots of Search Engines […]

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Creativity is Just Connecting Things

The title of this article is a quote by Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Is it a valid statement? Here’s a personal example that will help you to decide for yourself. First Start with Awareness Too often we think of creativity as a complicated process that only works when the stars align – when everything is […]

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How to Write an Article Faster

Writing faster is writing better. You want to write faster to make the most of your time.  Though, it’s interesting that your best writing happens when you make the effort to speed up the writing process. Here’s how. Have the Intention to Write Fast This simple tip for writing faster may be the most important. […]

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How to Stay Top of Mind with Prospects, Customers, and Advocates

Staying top of mind with prospects, customers, and advocates is essential for growing your business. There is an easy way to do this that requires almost no effort.  In fact, it may not require any effort at all. A couple of months ago I was the keynote speaker for a diverse group of small businesses in […]

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Klout is Influence

In the early days of modern civilization (before the Internet) – there was an expression that it’s not what you know but who you know. Back then, information, power, and therefore influence, were localized. If you were in-the-know, you had influence.  And that influence could be wielded to accomplish objectives. Information is now readily available […]

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