Is your copy a bit lifeless? Marketing flat? Michele PW is here with tips and tricks to get your marketing and copy back on track.
05.13.08
Posted in Business, Marketing at 9:01 am EDT by Michele PW
Who would have thought that at almost-age 40, I’d own my first KISS shirt? Thanks to my good friend, Nancy Marmolejo, VivaVisbility.com, who bought it for me after seeing my fab photo with KISS star Gene Simmons.
I must say wearing it gives me a whole new perspective on life. I keep feeling like I should be blasting my 80s hair-band music and digging out my lighter. Ah, those we’re the days.
Anyway, back to the matter at hand. Believe it or not, I have a couple of business lessons you can take away from me wearing a KISS shirt (I’m nothing if not resourceful). Here goes:
1. First, Nancy is brilliant at this anyway, but I need to give kudos to her regardless. She saw I had posted my photo with Gene and decided to mail me the shirt. Before I even got it, she told me she wanted me to post a photo of me with it on my blog, which I’ve done. She wins because she gets additional publicity. I win because I get a KISS shirt (and an opportunity for a blog post).
So, what’s going on in the lives/business of your associates, partners, prospects, clients, etc. you can tie in to make memorable for them? Maybe it’s sending them a recent article about something going on in their industry that would really benefit them. Maybe it’s a book that just came out that addresses a challenge in their lives (a challenge you might not necessarily solve in your business). Or maybe it’s just something fun, like a KISS shirt. At the very least, you get a bunch of goodwill (who doesn’t love a gift). At best, you might end up being mentioned on their blog or other promotional vehicle.
2. Second, how many other 70s-rock bands out there can you still buy a shirt (a NEW shirt no less) with their logo on it? And, even more telling, how many are still cool to wear?
Like I talked about in the post below, KISS isn’t a rock and roll band, it’s a rock and roll brand. And it’s a brand that truly has stood the test the time.
So, what can you do to transform your business into a brand? A brand that will last? A brand where your clients will happily wear shirts with your logo on it?
That’s something to think about. (Because, clearly, if you ARE able to transform your business into a brand, you’ll be able to reap the rewards with more customers, sales and money.)
Anyway, enough about business. I need to go turn up some head-banging rock music.
Michele PW (Pariza Wacek) is the author of Sales Letter Secrets: Rev Up Your Business With Copy That Sells! Tired of your competition making money hand over fist while you struggle to sell ANYTHING? Click here to discover their secret so you can put it to work for YOUR business.
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04.10.08
Posted in Business, General, Marketing at 7:01 pm EDT by Michele PW
Yep, there’s a photo of me with Gene (yes, THAT Gene Simmons from KISS). He spoke at the recent Glazer-Kennedy Marketing Summit in Nashville. And along with getting my photo taken with him, I also got an autographed copy of his book ‘”Sex, Money, KISS,” which I read on the airplane on the way home.
So, what did I learn from Gene? (Other then his rather controversial views of women and marriage?) Well, he’s quite the entrepreneur. Here are two gems you can instantly apply to your own business:
1. KISS isn’t a rock and roll band, it’s a rock and roll brand. I’m probably dating myself here, but my first memory of KISS was seeing the other kids in elementary school carrying around KISS lunch boxes. What other rock and roll band had their photos on lunch boxes? Most lunch boxes back then were Disney and Warner Brothers characters, not rock and roll characters (and make no mistake about it, Gene IS a character).
When you read the book, he has this very interesting little side bar in there. When he was on tour, he was very concerned with things like having the KISS logo on the stage so people would see it, and that the promoters would correctly reproduce the KISS logo in the newspapers. Can you imagine some other popular bands getting bent out of shape over those details? Paul Stanley, the lead singer, focused more on the music and the songs, but Gene said while he was interested in the music, his number one concern was the business side of the music business. Which leads me to the second point.
2. Gene is a businessman first, rock and roll singer second. How many of you out there are a coach/consultant/graphic designer/speaker/writer/doctor/lawyer/bookkeeper, etc. first, and a businessperson second?
There’s a reason why KISS has made hundreds of millions (if not billions) of dollars over the years and why other rock bands don’t. There’s a reason why KISS is still touring and no one thinks it’s ridiculous that a bunch of 59-year-old men put on make up and platform shoes and sing rock and roll. Is it talent? No – they’re good of course, but by no stretch of the imagination are they the best musicians out there. It’s because they’re a rock and roll brand, not band.
So, how can you turn yourself into a brand? I would suggest one of the first places to start is by flipping your thinking around and turning yourself into a businessperson first and whatever it is you do second.
Michele PW (Pariza Wacek) is the author of Why Isn’t My Web Site Making Me Any Money? 10 Easy Steps to Make Your Web Site Go Ka-Ching! If you have a Web site and no sales, In 30 minutes or less you can quickly and easily pinpoint EXACTLY what’s wrong with your site and what you need to do to transform it into a money-making machine! Click here to learn more and get your copy.
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03.10.08
Posted in General, Marketing, Online Marketing at 1:05 pm EDT by Michele PW
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, I’m sure you’ve heard something about the whole social networking craze. Myspace, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Digg and so on.
And as a busy entrepreneur, you’ve probably been wringing your hands trying to figure out how to work social networking tasks onto your already overcrowded to-do list.
Well, you’re in luck. Here are 5 strategies to successfully add social networking into your day and start reaping the benefits.
1. Make social networking a priority. Social networking CAN make a difference in your business. It can help you develop leads, turn prospects into paying customers, increase your sales and grow your business.
BUT, you got to work it if you want to see the results.
Rather than looking at social networking as a burden or a “should” in your life, look at it as an opportunity. This is an opportunity to build relationships and make a difference in people’s lives. If you look at it that way, it might make it easier to spend the few hours a week growing your social networking network.
2. Block out time each week. I know, I know. You already have too much to do. But do your best. Even if it’s only an hour or two a week, that’s still better than nothing. Just block out what you can, even if it doesn’t feel like very much, and do something.
3. Use the 80/20 rule. If you only have one or two hours a week, then it’s REALLY important to make sure you’re spending your time wisely. Surfing different MySpace pages or spending hours watching YouTube videos is NOT a good use of that time. So take a few moments and put together a plan on what exactly you want your end results to be, then make sure you’re doing the right tasks to get that result.
In addition, don’t try to be everything to everyone. You don’t have to be on every social networking site on the Internet. In fact, it’s better if you aren’t. After all, remember it’s about building relationships. You simply don’t have the time to build relationships on dozens or hundreds of social networking sites. It’s better to pick a handful (or even one or two) and just focus on them (hence the 80/20 rule, spend 80% of your time on a couple, then 20% on the rest). Overall you’ll get better results.
4. You don’t have to do it alone. There’s no reason to think you have to do all the social networking tasks yourself. You can hire someone to help you.
You see, there are certain things you MUST do as part of social networking (for instance, answering personal messages or emails that are clearly meant for you). But there ARE tasks that don’t require your personal touch. So if you hire someone to do those other tasks, now you can focus your time on what you need to be doing. So you’ll get more done in the social networking world, and you’ll start to reap the benefits faster.
5. Give yourself a break. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your social networking empire be. Know it’s going to take at least a few months to get yourself established and start seeing results.
Above all, the worst thing you can do is not do anything. If you only have a couple of hours and you aren’t in a position to hire someone, that’s fine. Spend a couple of hours and get your profile up. At least get started and get some momentum. Eventually, as you start seeing results, it will be easier for you to justify carving out more time and/or hire someone to help you out. And then you’ll REALLY be able to see your social networking commitment take off!
Michele PW (Pariza Wacek) is the author of Why Isn’t My Web Site Making Me Any Money? 10 Easy Steps to Make Your Web Site Go Ka-Ching! If you have a Web site and no sales, In 30 minutes or less you can quickly and easily pinpoint EXACTLY what’s wrong with your site and what you need to do to transform it into a money-making machine! Click here to learn more and get your copy.
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02.13.08
Posted in General at 2:19 pm EST by Michele PW
I’m going to start by coming out and saying it – I am NOT a fan of the Patriots. So I couldn’t have been happier watching the Giants kick the Patriots’ butt all over Glendale on Sunday. (The only thing that would have made me happier is if it had been the Packers doing the butt-kicking, but I digress.)
That aside, whether you’re a Patriots fan, Giants fan or couldn’t care two figs about football in general, there’s still an important lesson here that can help you with your business and life. Here it is:
The Giants played to win.
And the Patriots played not to lose.
When you play to win, you play with passion. That’s what happened with the Giants. They played with an all-out intensity, sort of like they were playing the last game of the season with the world championship on the line. (Oh wait, that WAS the case.)
The Patriots, on the other hand, were flat. Cautious even. In many cases, they looked like they were just going through the motions, like they were only mildly interested in the final outcome.
The Patriots had no business losing that game. They had more on the line then a Superbowl ring, they also had a chance at a perfect record, which almost NEVER comes along.
But instead of going all out, they played not to lose. Almost like they already HAD the perfect record wrapped up and were trying to keep from losing it. And the Giants played like they had nothing to lose and everything to gain.
And look who walked away with the win.
Michele PW (Pariza Wacek) is the author of Sales Letter Secrets: Rev Up Your Business With Copy That Sells! Tired of your competition making money hand over fist while you struggle to sell ANYTHING? Click here to discover their secret so you can put it to work for YOUR business.
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02.07.08
Posted in Business, Marketing at 4:38 am EST by Michele PW
If you prefer to listen to this post, click here.
If you’re like many entrepreneurs, the thought of marketing makes you slightly sick to your stomach. And it’s more then a simple like or dislike of marketing, it’s the idea of trying to fit it into your to-do list. You already have a million things going on, how can you possibly fit marketing in?
So, instead, you end up not doing anything…until you run out of work that is. Then you desperately race around, trying to cram as much marketing as possible into as short amount of time as possible to try and ramp up your business.
Business picks up, you stop marketing again.
As I’m sure you already know, this isn’t a great way to grow a business on any level. But what do you do? You’re already overwhelmed with everything you have to do in your business, not to mention everything you have to do in your life, so how can you possibly fit marketing into that?
Never fear, that’s what the below 3 tips are designed to do, get you out of marketing overwhelm and into marketing superstar.
1. Make marketing a priority. Okay, don’t stop reading yet. This one might be tough to swallow but it has to be said. Marketing your business HAS to be a priority. If it’s not, then you will doom yourself Read the rest of this entry »
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02.06.08
Posted in General at 7:48 pm EST by Michele PW
Have you ever seen “A Daily Show” by Jon Stewart on Comedy Central? As you might imagine (the fact that it’s on Comedy Central is probably a giveaway) it’s a political satire show.
Anyway, a few weeks ago, Jon had a couple of segments dissecting the media coverage surrounding our presidential election. Namely, showing how the media is blowing things out of proportion. For instance: about a half dozen journalists reported Republican candidate Mitt Romney to have “exploded” at a fellow journalist. Jon showed the “explosion,” and as far as I could tell, Mitt didn’t even raise his voice.
(Bear with me, we’re getting to what this has to do with the recession shortly.) So why would the media report Mitt “exploding” when he didn’t? Well, it’s probably because “exploding” sells more air time then “spoke firmly.”
Think of it. Remember how many marketing professionals (myself included) trot out the whole “your marketing message is competing against more than 3,000 other messages daily?” Well, the media are right up there competing along with the rest of us. Not only are they competing against other media outlets but they’re also competing against people choosing to watch “Boston Legal,” play on MySpace, read “People” magazine and even pay attention to your marketing message. How on earth are they going to cut through all that clutter?
How do you think?
Case in point – Which headline would cause you to pick up a newspaper:
“Democratic candidates discuss the issues civilly”
or
“Democratic debate descends into an all-out brawl with candidates pulling hair, biting and throwing spit balls”
You get the picture.
So, what does all of this have to do with the recession? Well, again, you need to remember, the MEDIA WANT TO SELL NEWS. And reporting ‘”Well, we’re in a recession but it’s pretty mild and a lot of people are still making money” again sells less papers then “People are jumping off of buildings as they lose money left and right.”
You’re probably going to hear more and more about how bad the economy is the closer we get to the elections. And the unfortunate part of this is it could become a self fulfilling prophecy. Consider this:
“I had a bad month, it must be the recession.’
or
“I had a bad month, I better get out and do more marketing.”
Which is more empowering? Which one do you think will cause you to help your business pick up faster?
I know for myself and for many of my fellow entrepreneurs (either clients or colleagues) business is great. No recession in sight.
Now, I’m not telling you to put blinders on. Always be aware of what’s going on around you and what’s going on in your business so you can adjust as necessary. But, I’m also saying, while the media don’t necessarily lie, they are prone to exaggeration. And know that from what I’m seeing, the economy is STILL good and plenty of business owners are STILL making money.
Michele PW (Pariza Wacek) is the author of Why Isn’t My Web Site Making Me Any Money? 10 Easy Steps to Make Your Web Site Go Ka-Ching! If you have a Web site and no sales, In 30 minutes or less you can quickly and easily pinpoint EXACTLY what’s wrong with your site and what you need to do to transform it into a money-making machine! Click here to learn more and get your copy.
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01.28.08
Posted in General, Notes from PW, Public Relations at 1:15 pm EST by MichelePW
Yes I did it again. Another marathon. Except this one was a half marathon in Phoenix (a mere 13.1 miles) versus the 26.2 mile jaunt I did last June in San Diego (and yes, I’m signed up to go again).
I don’t run the marathons, I walk or walk with a little running. 
This time was a success because I completed it in 3 hours and 6 minutes, averaging about a 13-minute mile or so, which was my goal. (Actually, my goal was a 15-minute mile so it was better than my goal). I also considered it a success Read the rest of this entry »
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01.26.08
Posted in Business, General, Marketing at 12:03 pm EST by Michele PW
The thing about Cabo, Mexico, is you’re surrounded by a lot of entrepreneurs. From the people peddling their wares on the sidewalk to the wait staff and crew members serving you (and working for tips), it’s a great place to study what to do if you want to put more money in your pocket.
The best case study took place on a snorkel cruise ship. We had already paid for the cruise, so they weren’t trying to sell us anything. Instead crew members were trying to up their tips. Here are 5 things they did and what you can do in your own marketing to increase your sales: Read the rest of this entry »
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01.22.08
Posted in Community Relations, General at 9:00 pm EST by Michele PW
In case you don’t know who the Blue Man Group is, they’re a group of three men who are (what else) blue, and together they perform this quirky show with no speaking, a touch of the odd, irrelevant humor and lots of really jamming percussion-based rock music. You might remember them doing Intel commercials a few years back. (Ironically, their show is based on poking fun at modern society, so for them to be in any commercial is pretty funny.)
Anyway, the Blue Man Group is on the road right now and their travels have taken them to the surprising place of Prescott Valley, Arizona. You may have heard of Prescott Valley, but my guess is probably not. Prescott Valley is part of what’s known as the Quad Cities, which includes Prescott, Chino Valley and Dewey/Humboldt, and if you add all the people up together you’ll maybe get a population count of 100,000 if you’re lucky (and if you include Read the rest of this entry »
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01.15.08
Posted in General, Notes from PW at 11:33 am EST by Michele PW
Of all the things I learned in Cabo, one of the most interesting (and probably least useful) is that tequila is made from a cactus called agave. Agave apparently looks like a cross between a century plant and an aloe vera plant. My biggest regret is I didn’t actually see an agave plant growing in Cabo.
When I learned that tequila is made from agave, my first thought was “I wonder who would look at a cactus and think tequila.” Upon further reflection, I decided that was a silly question. Human nature being what it is there probably isn’t a plant, root, berry, flower, seed, stem, moss, fungus, precious metal, etc. that someone somewhere hasn’t tried making an alcoholic beverage from.
Now, according to all the nice Mexican waiters we met, if you drink Read the rest of this entry »
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12.29.07
Posted in General, Notes from PW at 2:25 pm EST by Michele PW
Happy Holidays! I hope all of you are having a fabulous holiday season.
As for me, I just returned from Cabo San Lucas Mexico. As you can imagine, December was a nutty month. Hubby and I got an opportunity to join some friends in Cabo for a week in one of their condos.
Talk about a dream. The condo had a FULL view of the ocean and at night we could leave the screen door open and listen to the waves crash against the beach. Especially for this landlocked Midwestern and now Arizona girl, that was an amazing experience. (No, Lake Michigan does NOT count for water views.) It was like a dream come true.
We had a fabulous time (maybe a little TOO fabulous 
but what happens in Cabo stays in Cabo is what I say). However, trying to take off for a week in the middle of December was a bit of a challenge needless to say (especially with my business growing as fast as it is).
I’ve picked up some great article ideas and will probably get some blog entries up about my trip (although I certainly won’t be sharing all) keep an eye out.
Michele PW (Pariza Wacek) is the author of Why Isn’t My Web Site Making Me Any Money? 10 Easy Steps to Make Your Web Site Go Ka-Ching! If you have a Web site and no sales, In 30 minutes or less you can quickly and easily pinpoint EXACTLY what’s wrong with your site and what you need to do to transform it into a money-making machine! Click here to learn more and get your copy.
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12.28.07
Posted in Business, General at 2:24 pm EST by Michele PW
Setting goals — Your ticket to success
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You know that old saying — if you don’t know where you’re going, any path will get you there. That’s what happens if you don’t take the time to figure out what your goals are and WRITE them down. There’s power in writing things down. Trust me, I’m a writer. I KNOW.
Figuring out your goals is probably one of the most important and one of the most overlooked steps for creative professionals starting their business. Ideally you should put together a business plan. However, I have yet to meet a creative professional (including myself) who has one. (In fact, if you do have a business plan, please contact me. I’d love to chat with you about it.) Second best is getting your goals down on paper. Here are some things to include.
* Your personal mission statement. What do you want to accomplish in your life? Not just as a creative professional, artist or writer, but as a person. Knowing your mission will make organizing your time much easier.
* Your creative or artistic goals — both long-term and short-term. What do you want to accomplish in three months? Six months? This year? Five years from now?
* Your financial goals — both long-term and short-term. Don’t forget to write down how much money you want to make.
* Your plans for your business — both long-term and short-term. Break it down the same as your creative or artistic goals — three months, six months, one year and five years. Include a marketing plan Read the rest of this entry »
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11.27.07
Posted in General, Notes from PW at 4:50 pm EST by Michele PW
Happy Thanksgiving to all my American subscribers. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it’s all about good food (definitely one of my favorite things) family, friends and giving thanks (plus we have football thrown in for good measure, especially when it’s the Packers playing the Lions and the Packers are having a kick-butt season!). This year, hubby and I are spending the day with 93-year-old Grandpa (yep, he just turned 93 and still as healthy as a horse).
Anyway, back to what Thanksgiving is really about, which is family, friends and giving thanks (not the food, although that’s a close second). But what I especially want to talk about is giving thanks or gratitude. Gratitude is something that doesn’t get talked about nearly enough (except for this time of year) and it’s really one of our most powerful emotions because it has the capability to change your life (especially when you practice it on a daily basis). In fact, I think it’s so powerful I decided to write a short article on how you can use this practice to improve your business and your life. Enjoy!
Michele PW (Pariza Wacek) is the author of Why Isn’t My Web Site Making Me Any Money? 10 Easy Steps to Make Your Web Site Go Ka-Ching! If you have a Web site and no sales, In 30 minutes or less you can quickly and easily pinpoint EXACTLY what’s wrong with your site and what you need to do to transform it into a money-making machine! Click here to learn more and get your copy
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11.26.07
Posted in Business, Community Relations, General at 4:46 pm EST by Michele PW
I love Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday. Family, food, friends and football thrown in for good measure. But I digress.
What I REALLY like about Thanksgiving is it’s about giving thanks. And I think gratitude is one of the most powerful emotions out there. Why is it so powerful? Because it has the capacity to change your life.
My business and life are going great right now, better than I had planned, but it hasn’t always been that way. There were plenty of times where things were looking pretty bleak. During one particularly bleak time, a friend told me to just start listing everything I had in my life to be grateful for. Now, when things are looking pretty bad, it can be easy to say “everything sucks, I have nothing to be grateful for.” But, if we’re honest, we know that isn’t true. There’s always something, no matter how small, that is in your life you can be grateful for, and sometimes you just need to take a step back to see it.
What’s so amazing about gratitude is it’s Read the rest of this entry »
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11.12.07
Posted in Business, Copywriting, General, Marketing at 12:39 pm EST by Michele PW
Dear Readers,
Wow. I just got back from Dan Kennedy’s Info Marketing Summit, and as great as it was, I am simply exhausted.
I’ve been to a number of Dan Kennedy’s events over the past couple of years, and I think this is the best one yet. Not so much because of what I learned (although I always pick up new tips and ideas) but the connections I made.
As one of the quotes said hanging on the wall of the conference said, “An entrepreneur is the loneliest person on earth.” As an entrepreneur, you’ve probably experienced this yourself. Your friends, spouse, mother, etc. don’t really “get” what it is you’re doing. You can’t talk to them because not only do they not understand what it’s like to be a business owner, but they also probably have no idea how exactly you make money.
Now that I’ve been regularly going to these, I’m making “connections from my connections” so I’m meeting more people, collecting more leads, getting more ideas on what to do with my business (and my clients’ businesses) and just plain enjoying spending time with people who “get” me and what I do.
Michele PW (Pariza Wacek) is the author of 5 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make That Kill Their Sales…And How To Prevent Them. Ready to turn lookers into buyers and watch your business skyrocket? Click here to learn more about this special report, free for a limited time.
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