Social Media Connection, Even For Your Blog Webinar

It’s not too late to register for my upcoming 60-minute, free webinar called Social Media Connection…Even For Your Blog! It’s scheduled for Wednesday, November 4, 2009 from 1:00 PM ET to 2:00 PM ET. This is something you don’t want to miss if you are looking for simple ways to maximize your visibility of your WordPress blog or website.

Here are just some of the topics that will be covered on this webinar call:

• Which popular social media plugins are available for download to your WordPress blogsite

• What the definition of social bookmarking is and how you can apply it to your own blogsite to increase traffic

• How to get clients to stay on your blog site once they have come to you via social media

• How article marketing can also connect you with social media marketing

I wouldn’t pass up this opportunity as I reveal what tools you need to connect your social media marketing and see how these tools increase your site traffic.

So reserve your spot now for this *FREE* info webinar!

Click here to register.

What Makes a Good Webinar?

After holding my second webinar last week, I didn’t take into consideration how the participants perceived how well (or how poor) the class went. I had a colleague suggest to me to deliver a survey to those on the call to see how they felt about it and whether or not they received any value from it. This will be a great idea to follow through on after my next webinar or teleclass!

However, I do want to share with you how others view what a good teleseminar or webinar should be like. This is what I compiled from other coaches and VAs:

• A webinar is an ideal means of conveying to a captive audience the value you deliver as a host and the relevant expertise you can share, which in turn, can bring in new clients that want to work with you. If a webinar is performed well, a participant should be able to walk away with information they can use.

• What will help make the webinar interesting is to arm your participants with an agenda beforehand so they already know what you are going to deliver and they are on the call to “catch” what you have to say. What will make that audience happy too is knowing they will receive a follow-up recording of the webinar or call. I know of several participants that went back and listened to my most recent webinars. Then they contact me to discuss their needs or ask questions.

• A speaker should feel like that he/she is conversing with the audience; sort of like having an interview with the callers. I personally like to get to know my participants by having them introduce themselves at the beginning of the call. You want to make your callers feel welcome and comfortable.

• Have fun with the webinar. Adding a sprinkle of humor throughout your call will also grab the attention of your callers. I have definitely had to break out the humor “card” when I felt like my audience was starting to fade away from me!

• Be sure that you are speaking to your target audience. Even before you have the webinar, you want to promote your event that YOU know will target those you want to bring to the call. Otherwise, you are doing yourself a disservice and not “preaching” to the right audience. You will get little or no response after the call.

So before you schedule your next webinar or teleseminar, take into consideration these participant tips so you can deliver your expertise to your audience and keep them on the call. Better participation leads to more potential clients for your business!

Your Planning To-Do List for a Teleclass or Webinar

Before you decide to hold your own *free* or paid teleclass or webinar, be sure to sit down and write out a to-do list beforehand. Trust me…I’ve done this before and plan on hosting more and more *free* and paid webinars in the future.

Take these five tips in consideration in the planning phase of your event:

1. First off, research a topic or create a survey and send to your target market to find out what they want to learn more about. You can also “google” key words that will help you search the top sites or articles that would identify what your market is looking for in terms of resources.

2. Listen in on a few telecalls or webinars to get an idea of how to host a call. Usually you start the call with what the call is about. If there is a guest, they will be introduced, followed by the objectives of the class. The call ends with what the caller needs to do to take advantage of the offer or bonus. I even recommend having the offer in the middle AND the end of the call.

3. Subscribe to a *free* or paid conference line with call recording capabilities. You can always use this recording as a complimentary download or bundle it with another offer and sell it as a product.

4. Design and host a landing page (and I recommend using WordPress for this). This is the page where you make your pitch to have them sign up for your teleclass or webinar. Some will use testimonials, bullet points, objectives and bonuses on this page. Also, make signing up simple. Use a web form that requires a name and email address only. Include a 1-year subscription to your newsletter in order to keep them on your mailing list.

5. Lastly, send a broadcast or special announcement to your existing subscriber list, to the listservs or online network groups you belong to. You can even subscribe to a teleclass announcement service such as Planet Teleclass. Then watch the registrations come in!

But before you follow the five steps above, take inventory in your business and your personal life and make sure you are ready to host your own teleclass. If you plan the date, the time and you’ve done everything you can to market the event, e sure you are ready to “sell” yourself on the call. Remember, your listeners are picking up on whether or not you can clearly convey that you are an “expert” in what you are teaching or informing your audience about.

Go “Back to School” to be Your Own WordPress Expert

Go Back To School To Be Your Own
WordPress Expert!

Who says you cannot go back to school and learn a new skill, especially if that skill is a well sought after content management system and self-hosted program known
as WordPress?

You NO LONGER have to be intimidated by the thought of using WordPress for your website or blog.

You can now be your own WordPress Expert!

Join me, Aletha McManama, your WordPress Expert and Website Builder, and I will demonstrate to you via a live webinar presentation a sample training topic from a beginner’s standpoint, all the way to an advanced WordPress user level.

As a lot of us are visual learners, and we don’t learn a thing by listening to hours and hours of boring audio recordings that we purchased (HUGE WASTE of MONEY!), then being a part of this webinar would be perfect for you!

I will cover on this webinar call the following topics:

• Benefits of using WordPress for your blogsite or your client’s blogsite (for those who just don’t know)

• A brief tour of the WordPress dashboard (beginner level)

• Creating additional users in your WordPress dashboard (intermediate and advanced level)

• Downloading and installing a plugin (intermediate and advanced level)

So don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about WordPress training opportunities during and after the call. If you do, the call will be recorded and videotaped so you can download and listen to the presentation later on, but it would be so much better if you can be there “live” and on the phone with me!

So reserve your spot now for this *FREE* training webinar call on Thursday, August 6, 2009 at 3:00 PM EST (12 noon PST)

Click here to register.

Can a Joint Venture Benefit Your Business? Part 2

In my last newsletter issue, I covered what the definition of what a joint venture is and the advantages of forming a joint venture with a business partner or partners. Again, I’ve listed the definition in case you didn’t see if the first time.

Definition of a Joint Venture:
A joint venture is working together with another interested party so that both sides can benefit from the combined effort. This can be a project that is for a set period of time or even long term.

So in this article, I want to cover how to form a joint venture and some key points to keep in mind when you are forming this joint venture.

Here is a list of a few ways to form a joint venture:

1. A good place to begin is to try networking in discussion groups/forums. This is a great way to get your business and name out there and get recognized as a key player. You can build relationships with other business associates and learn about their business and what they offer.
2. Ezine (Newsletter) directories are another great resource to finding joint venture partnerships. Most newsletter publishers will welcome the opportunity of a joint venture providing it parallels with their business and your approach is professional.
3. You can also perform a search with the major search engines to find potential joint ventures. Just implement your targeted keywords and visit the websites. When you find ones that you would consider, look for the contact information and contact them.
4. You can search for sites that promote link exchanges, cross promotion forums and ezine exchanges. Many of these types of sites are interested in joint venture partnerships.

Key Points to Remember:

• When searching for a joint venture, capture as much contact information as possible, including the phone number, if given.

• After you have formed a joint venture and worked out all the details, its good business sense to build on your new relationship.

• Always make sure that the products your partner will be promoting for you are all in working order.

• Pay your partner the proper commission that you both agreed upon and that he/she gets paid on time.

• Always treat your business partner with respect and professionalism, be honest and upfront at all times. Remember in a joint venture you are instilling trust with one another. If you agree to promote your partner’s products or service, make sure you follow through on your commitment.

WordPress Website Packages Now Available

It’s official! I just rolled out late last week WordPress website (or blogsite) design packages to those small biz owners looking for an all-in-one solution to their website and online marketing needs. You will find these design packages on my new website, WordPress to Website.

Come check it out. Let me know if you are interested in learning more about WordPress sites. Of course, please pass this information on to your business colleagues and clients that need a quick and easy website solution!

Can a Joint Venture Benefit Your Business? Part 1

Absolutely! I wish I had thought about partnering with another like-minded business individual sooner than I did. Here are some tips on how a joint venture can benefit your business model:

Definition of a Joint Venture:

A joint venture is working together with another interested party so that both sides can benefit from the combined effort. This can be a project that is for a set period of time or even long term.

Advantages of a Joint Venture:

• This is a specific targeted form of marketing, so you can capture a selective niche’ audience.

• You increase your income potential and profit margins dramatically.

• Depending on the type of joint venture, most of them will cost you next to nothing.

• People have a tendency to respond better to endorsements, rather than buying a product or service outright.

• You can build credibility from other successful marketers and establish new business relationships.

• You can endorse products or services on your website or newsletter and receive a percentage of the sale (affiliate marketing).

• If you are advertising a joint venture in ones newsletter, you are not paying for the ad, shipping or printing.

• When you promote a joint venture on other business websites, you are gaining link popularity.

In my next newsletter, I will cover how to form a joint venture and some key points to keep in mind when you are forming the relationship with one or more business partners.

WordPress Website Design Packages Coming Soon!

I know this may be a little early to promote now, but I wanted to go ahead and let my blog readers know that I will be putting together WordPress website and blog design packages together very soon and will be promoting here on this website and also promoting the packages on my new website, WordPress to Website. My new site is still in its planning stages, but it will be fully functional soon.

Right now, the WordPress to Website site is my teleclass promotion that anyone can still sign up for and be a big part of a ground-breaking call that opens up the concept of using WordPress not just for blogs, but also for a fully functional website too.

So be on the lookout for these website packages to come your way soon! I CANNOT wait to share them with you.

A Joint Venture Opportunity

As a professional Virtual Assistant and website designer, I have the opportunity to work with other colleagues in my industry to form a joint venture (or JV) and offer a complete package of services that would include all of our expertises rolled up into one deal for small business owners. And I’m not just talking about two people here. We’re talking four individuals that have a lot of creative services that would round out what a client would need.

So not to let the cat out of the bag too early, I will tell you that I will be offering WordPress site packages, coupled with training services for the program. As the venture starts to shape up, I will share my experiences in how well it’s coming together. I believe that not only will it be a fun, collaborative effort, but it will also be an opportunity to make another source of income for our businesses. Really…it’s all about making multiple streams of income and this is just one of the many avenues that I will be focusing on this year.

WORDPRESS TO WEBSITE Preview & Training Call, July 9

Come join me on Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 3:00 PM EST for a Preview and Training Call on:

WORDPRESS TO WEBSITE:

Demystifying the Common Misconception that WordPress is Just for Blogs!

On this preview webinar, I will share with you:

• The common misconceptions of WordPress and how you should dispel of them

• How you can use WordPress for your business website and your blog

• Key features of the WordPress platform

• Hosting companies that support instant install of the WordPress platform

• And many more tips to share!

So reserve your spot now for this FREE preview call on Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 3:00 PM EST

Click Here to Register.

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