Article Marketing & Online Marketing Strategies from IdeaMarketers - Where Your Ideas Shine

Customer Service Tips

Most people are so busy looking for new customers that they neglect the customers they have. Anyone who knows anything about business knows it's easier to increase the lifetime value of a happy customer than it is to obtain new customers. The following articles were submitted by our experts on the subject of customer service.

3 Customer Service Ideas to Earn Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty
by Official Customer Service Expert, Digital Info Diva
Customer service has never been worse than it is in today's business environment. With companies trimming their budgets as much as possible, there isn't the time or money to spend on customer service skills. If it can be automated, it gets automated no matter how inconvenient it is for the customer.

5 Simple Tips for Dealing with Nasty Customers
by Official E-Business Expert Jason Tarasi
If you've been in business very long, you've likely heard it all! You know, the irate customer who is going to sue you over the nineteen dollar product that they claim is bogus; the one that’s going to “shut your business down” because they conjure up in their minds that you might have breeched your privacy policy, or the one that takes complete advantage of your money-back guaranty. My favorite has to be the one that calls and screams vulgarities into the phone for apparently no reason.

Challenging Customers – Love Them or Leave Them?
by Official Small Business Expert Sandy Reed
If you own a small business, you will likely run across some customers who try your patience and may even cause emotional turmoil and undue stress. Here are 7 tips, from a Soulpreneur's perspective, to help when you encounter disgruntled customers.

3 Reasons Why You Better Know Your Customers...or Else
by Official Advertising & Marketing Michele PW
Do you have any idea how much money you're losing (yes losing) by not knowing who your customers are? Find out why you need to have a SPECIFIC customer in mind...or you could end up losing your business.

Business & Personal Tips from Our Experts

One of the funnest parts about representing a fantastic group of experts is looking through their articles and blogs and learning from all their insightful tips. These are a few I ran across today that I wanted to share with you.

Global Meeting Planning Tool
Shared by Terri Zwierznski, official self employment expert
Planning a teleclass or schedule a meeting with folks around the globe? Try this handy scheduling tool. Enter up to four cities and get a color-coded chart you can use to pick the best time for all of your participants. Click here to learn more.

Your Secret Key to Information Marketing Success - Teach to Learn
by Adam Urbanski, official information marketing expert
"After spending a day mingling with a lot of successful professionals, entrepreneurs, and information marketers I had experienced sort of an “a’ha” moment around why some people don’t start their own information marketing businesses sooner… and how to overcome this challenge. So I mustered whatever energy I had left at 2 in the morning to record this quick video message for you. Go ahead and watch it now…"

Use a Blog and a Journey to Publicize Your Book
Blogs are a great way to publicize your book. How about a blog and a journey? HERE'S AN EXAMPLE of how Susan Klopfer is marketing her civil rights book on Mississippi-- Click here to learn more from our Self-Publishing Expert.

Work From Home: How to Write Quality Articles Fast
by our official home business expert Jeff Casmer
To write articles as a hobby is one thing; to develop marketing copy for your work from home business is another. Perhaps you know how powerful articles can be when it comes to not only generating leads for your business but also increasing your inbound links and, hopefully, your ranking in the search engines.

A Little Secret That Produces BIG Results
Jason Tarasi, our official e-business expert says, "What if I told you that with each passing day, you are losing dozens of subscribers to your newsletter? As you read this, you are probably losing potential customers, and taking money right out of your own pocket. Don't panic, I have a secret I want to share with you. It is important to remember that what separates the top Internet marketers from you, is using small, but effective techniques not known to the masses. Click here to find out Jason's secret!

How to Get Unstuck
by Stephany Alexander, official dating expert passed along this article by Karen Cross on her blog:
Ever thought to yourself something like "I feel so stuck?" This usually happens when we feel like we're not moving forward in our work or lives. We feel like we've lost momentum, which leaves us feeling unenthusiastic, unmotivated, and ultimately unhappy. The problem is that when you're in this place, you usually become even more frustrated...

Car Buying Tips for Women!
Peter Robinson, our official car buying expert says, "I have seen a lone woman drive into a dealership, park, walk around for a while, and finally go up to the receptionist and ask for some assistance. I find this curious, as women directly influence 75% or more of ALL car sales. To watch trained attack-jackals…er, sales associates, virtually ignore her because they believe that she is not the decision-maker is almost surreal. No one can just ‘walk around’ out there!! Who does she think she is?

Search Engine Optimization - No Nonsense Tips

I just read one of the simplest, no-nonsense, yet powerful reports on search engine optimization. And best of all it was FREE! :)  Be sure to pick up your copy of The Easy SEO Report. It only takes about 15 minutes to read, yet it's definitely time well spent.

New Categories on IdeaMarketers

We've just created some new tech/internet article categories on IdeaMarketers.com. So if you write on these subjects, this is a good chance for exposure in our new categories. Also these topics are available if you or someone you know is interested in being one of our experts. The expert platform program gives you exposure as the "official and exclusive" expert on all articles within your selected category. There are many more perks with this program... details are here.

- Affiliate Revenue
- Audio Streaming
- Autoresponders
- Cellular
- Ebooks
- Ecommerce
- Email Marketing
- Ezine Publishing
- Fax
- Podcasting
- PPC Advertising
- Social Bookmarking
- Video
- VOIP

Author a Book in 12 Hours

Yes, you can author a 100 page best-seller in less than 12 hours. I'm about to reveal to you a proprietary system that has been recognized all over the world... This system is so powerful that it will turn you into an overnight expert. But first. What do the following have in common...

 

• Adobe Universities around the globe
• Top midtier companies
• Leading e-publishing companies
• T Harv Ecker's Organization
• Bob Proctor's Organization
• Amazon
• The top Internet marketers

Give up? Don't worry, no one has guessed this at any of Glenn's live events either!

Here's the secret... They all recognize the Entrepreneurial Authoring Program as the best authoring program today. It's your chance to join a select group of people who will experience, through Glenn Dietzel's Entrepreneurial Authoring Program, how this system will either jumpstart your career or take your business to the next level.

The Entrepreneurial Authoring Program will change forever the way you view yourself! There is simply no more powerful program today that can change your life...and your financial future.

Find out more Go now, positions are filling quickly!

P.S. This system has changed the lives of thousands of people globally. And now it is your turn to prosper. The Entrepreneurial Authoring Program is the most powerful authoring system ever put together...created by teachers for those who are scared to write and have no time but want stand out from the crowd!

Get the Media to Do Your Marketing For You

Visibility Expert Nancy Marmolejo has just announced her latest teleclass to help entrepreneurs position themselves as sought after, recognized experts.

Nancy enjoys a flurry of free PR and effortless marketing, now she's ready to share that with others.

How to Get Free Publicity and Attact New Clients With the Power of Your Expertise, taking place April 1 and 8, will show business owners how to take what they know and turn it into a marketing strategy that will attract new clients and free publicity.

She created How to Get Free Publicity and Attract New Clients to meet the needs of people who want the information she teaches in a short time frame. (Nancy’s coaching program, Spotlight U, offers an intense 6 months of coaching and mentoring for a select group of entrepreneurs.)

Over 2 teleclass sessions, she’ll cover how to:

-  Identify which of the 4 stages of expertise you’re currently in and how to quickly move into the “credibility spot” (without credibility, no one will listen to you)

• Learn over 29  quick and simple ways to become a recognized expert in your field (and how to quickly implement at least 1 in the next week.)
• Clearly understand the scope and value of your expertise so you can strategically use it to create products, form joint ventures, and open doors to bigger opportunities
• Discover how to create your own Visibility Blueprint with your best content topics and a timeline at your fingertips
• And much, much more.

Nancy is known for her creative, spirited style. Her teleseminars are always fun and informative, with plenty of opportunities for “spotlight coaching” , her version of the hot-seat.

Learn how to get the media to do your marketing for you by checking out the class now… remember space is limited and it is sure to fill. The class starts April 1, so act now!

Live Happily Ever After

Live Happily Ever After!

Four experts with a combined total of 126 years of devoted marriage discuss the 5 Myths that Get in the Way of a Happy Marriage and 7 Tips for Living Happily Ever After. Panelists include IdeaMarketers experts: David Evans, Dr. Neill Neill, Nancy Gerber and myself.

Whether you're married or single, you'll benefit from this audio. As Dr. Neill said, "we're hardwired to be in relationships." Someday you're bound to be in a relationship and these tools will help you make it a happy, lasting one.

This is an audio file you can listen to at your convenience... available 24/7 at Happily Ever After.

On a personal note, yes, that's me and my hubby Greg in our younger, thinner years! :)

RSS Feeds for Your Articles

Hi! I made a few updates to IdeaMarketers that I think you'll enjoy if you're one of our writers.

1. Now you can have an RSS feed for your articles and use that on any site, blog or service that accepts a standard .XML RSS feed. You may get your feed URL by logging into your account and going to "Columnist Syndication" under the Syndication column of the menu.

2. You can feed your ideamarketers articles into Facebook using any RSS Feed application like the "Simply RSS Feed" application on Facebook. For instructions, go to "Feed Articles Onto Facebook" under the Syndication column of the menu.

3. After you've initiated your RSS Feed by performing either #1 or #2 above, your RSS feed will appear on your articles and on your writer profile.

4. Because our home page is on a periodic update, sometimes bids don't automatically appear on the home page after they are placed. So we've added an option under the "Manage Account" column of the writer member area that says, "Is Your Bid Not Showing? Click Here."  This option will refresh the home page so that your bid appears.

I hope you find these options helpful. Drop me a note and let me know what you think or if you have any suggestions for improving the site. I'm always open to ideas.   

Get Free Advertising on IdeaMarketers.com!

I bet you have some Christian friends - right? If you do, you can earn some idea dollars very easily. :) Here's how it works. I need help announcing my new book, "You're Here for a Reason: Discover & Live Your Purpose" and am willing to pay you to help me! For every person you send who downloads the free excerpt, I'll give you an "idea dollar" on IdeaMarketers. You can then use those idea dollars to promote your articles, press releases and books on www.IdeaMarketers.com

The book is a compilation of 52 lessons that were released in my year-long Christian coaching program last year. It will be available on Amazon.com and BarnesAndNoble.com soon. But there's no need to wait for its release. All you have to do is refer people to the address below. (Replace "YourEmail@Address" with your email address and make sure you use a valid email address so I can contact you to give you your idea dollars!)

http://iamjoyful.com/purpose/book.php?refer=YourEmail@Address

Example:

http://iamjoyful.com/purpose/book.php?refer=marnie@marniepehrson.com

Or you can use our "Tell-A-Friend" form here and it will associate anyone you refer with the email address you use for yourself on the form.

When you put your email address in the URL, it will track anyone you send to the page as your referral. For every person who comes to the site and requests their fr.e.e excerpt, you'll receive an idea dollar. So if 10 people come through your link, then you'll receive $10 in idea dollars. If you refer a hundred people who request the excerpt, you'll earn $100 in idea dollars! So if you have an email list or a web site or just tell some friends how to get their free download, you could easily generate some serious idea dollars!

If you don't have an Ideamarketers writer account, be sure to get one here so we can add the idea dollars to your account. Please use the same email address in the URL above as you're using on your ideamarketers account so we can match up the referrals with your account.

You're welcome to grab sales copy and/or the book graphic from the sales page and use it on your website or in your ezine to encourage people to come get their excerpt.

(Please, no spa@mming. We don't count duplicate entries or bad addresses. We'll periodically tally and distribute funds.) If you have questions, let me know. You may contact me at webmaster@ideamarketers.com.

What Is a Platform?

At IdeaMarketers we talk a lot about building a platform for our experts. That may be a new term for many, so a definition would be in order. There are several types of platforms:

1) It can be a raised surface or "stage" upon which something is presented. 
2) It can be a political platform from which a candidate establishes his presence and proclaims his message. 
3) In technology, a platform is an underlying computer system upon which application programs can run (like Windows, Mac, Unix, etc.) 

But we're not talking about physical, political or software platforms. We're talking about platforms of expertise. Still, a promotional platform like the ones we create for our experts cover many of the same elements of the previous three mentioned.  

1. We hold our experts up in the spotlight. We give them prominent position on our site, quote them as experts in blogs, articles and press releases. We promote their expertise via teleclasses, interviews, blogs, podcasts and more. We offer them a stage from which they can showcase their expertise.   
 
2. Like a political platform, a successful expert will have a well-defined message.  They will be able to clearly articulate what they do and who they help. Nancy Marmolejo (our visibility expert) calls it your "medicine." It's the healing solution you offer the world. You hold the cure for your target market's needs. For example, Nancy Spivey's core message is transformation -- transforming lives, homes and neighborhoods. My core message is "highlighting truth and talent."    
 
3. As with computer platforms, your platform of expertise is your underlying message upon which everything is built. Your message should filter through everything you do and impact all your systems, products and services down to the interaction you have with your clients.

Creating your platform starts with some soul searching. What are your talents? Where do you shine? What do people see in you and say, "Wow, how do you do that?" or "How do you know that?" Besides what you're good at, also consider your past pain. It too will play a significant role in your core message.  

For example, dating expert Stephany Alexander created www.WomanSavers.com, a revolutionary woman-to-woman "rate-before-you-date" network after being jilted herself. Her innovative site combines her savvy tech talents with her desire to save other women from suffering her same fate. 

Do you know what your core message is? If not, check out www.vivavisibility.com and get Nancy Marmolejo's free 7-part audio series. It will point you in the right direction. If you're like me and want to dig even deeper to a core spiritual life purpose and closer connection with God, you might be interested in my latest book coming out in a few weeks, "You're Here for a Reason: Discover and Live Your Purpose."

If you're interested in learning more about establishing your platform of expertise, Nancy Marmolejo and I were interviewed on Phil Davis' "The Name Game." You may listen to a recorded archive of it here. Just click on the 3/11/08 Make a Name for Yourself.