Dear Oprah,
After hours (and hours) of planning, scripting, taping in various locations and then another 2 hours trying to upload, filling out a really long application..twice -- I found out after the deadline, from your web tech support team that my video didnt post.
But I am not discouraged.... and with that....I put this video out into the universe anyway...
Sincerely,
Patrice
K. Patrice Williams JD
Small Business & Marketing Strategist
www.kpatricewilliams.com
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Increase Targeted Traffic to your Website: Forum Posting
Case Study: I have a good friend, that owns a Concierge Service. He has a website and has set up his social networking sites (Twitter, Facebook) to reflect his company name and brand. What's extra special about my friend is that he really KNOWS and understands his target market. Because he was in the unique position to have been a professional driver for his nitch.
He has identified their
Awesome, but there is a missed opportunity here. Why not post intelligent answers/responses/comments on the Articles themselves. The technique is called forum posting, and it is a method to increase targeted traffic to your own website.
This example also works for Authors, for example, I have a book, 6 Simple Steps to Avoid Foreclosure (available on Amazon.com). When my target market is fearful of foreclosure, they usually go to a search engine like Google for a search related to foreclosure. They end up a forum posting where someone else has asked the question, or they post the question, "how can I save my home from foreclosure", or a similar question. And they will find my intelligent response, which will also include my Name and website information.
K. Patrice Williams JD
Author- 6 Simple Steps to Avoid Foreclosure
http://www.avoidforeclosuremanual.com/
Or Available in Paperback on Amazon.com
Targeted traffic that has a concern about foreclosure is now driven to my website.
To take it a step further, you can create seperate, unique bit.ly's (http://www.bit.ly.com/) which is a shortend, identifyable url to your website, for each post. Keep every post url in a spreadsheet with its associated bit.ly so that you can track what articles drove what traffic, which gives you more detailed information about your customer.
He has identified their
- Gender
- Professions and Titles
- Income
- Passions, Worries and Frustrations
- Spending Habits: what they buy, eat, drink, what magazines and newspapers they read
Awesome, but there is a missed opportunity here. Why not post intelligent answers/responses/comments on the Articles themselves. The technique is called forum posting, and it is a method to increase targeted traffic to your own website.
This example also works for Authors, for example, I have a book, 6 Simple Steps to Avoid Foreclosure (available on Amazon.com). When my target market is fearful of foreclosure, they usually go to a search engine like Google for a search related to foreclosure. They end up a forum posting where someone else has asked the question, or they post the question, "how can I save my home from foreclosure", or a similar question. And they will find my intelligent response, which will also include my Name and website information.
K. Patrice Williams JD
Author- 6 Simple Steps to Avoid Foreclosure
http://www.avoidforeclosuremanual.com/
Or Available in Paperback on Amazon.com
Targeted traffic that has a concern about foreclosure is now driven to my website.
To take it a step further, you can create seperate, unique bit.ly's (http://www.bit.ly.com/) which is a shortend, identifyable url to your website, for each post. Keep every post url in a spreadsheet with its associated bit.ly so that you can track what articles drove what traffic, which gives you more detailed information about your customer.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Using Facebook for Business - Part 1
This week my 65 year old mother joined Facebook. Within 12 hours she connected with 35 friends and family members. No figure, according to istrategylabs.com, Facebook users have grown to over 100 Million in the Unites States alone. What does this mean for us business owners...... if our target market is on facebook...we need to be on facebook as well.
Okay....lets start with the basics.
1. If you haven't already, create a regular facebook account (www.facebook.com)
2. Fill out your profile page, include your what schools and colleges you attended, what years you graduated, where your worked...it will help your friends, family and business associates find you
3. Find your friends, family, current and past business associates (http://www.facebook.com/find-friends/?ref=sb). As you can see from the picture below...google has built in features that will make this easy. This can be done a number of ways...if you can import your contacts from a number of email accounts including Outlook, Google, Hotmail and Yahoo. You can also upload a contact file or sync facebook with your phonebook.
You are welcome to connect with me on Facebook....lets see if you can find my fan page.... in the search button, in the search box type: K. Patrice Williams JD. See you there.
Okay....lets start with the basics.
1. If you haven't already, create a regular facebook account (www.facebook.com)
2. Fill out your profile page, include your what schools and colleges you attended, what years you graduated, where your worked...it will help your friends, family and business associates find you
3. Find your friends, family, current and past business associates (http://www.facebook.com/find-friends/?ref=sb). As you can see from the picture below...google has built in features that will make this easy. This can be done a number of ways...if you can import your contacts from a number of email accounts including Outlook, Google, Hotmail and Yahoo. You can also upload a contact file or sync facebook with your phonebook.
You are welcome to connect with me on Facebook....lets see if you can find my fan page.... in the search button, in the search box type: K. Patrice Williams JD. See you there.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Business Email- Etiquette
After receiving a few too many odd, unprofessional business emails this week -- I've decided to post a reminder about email etiquette:
1) Spell check your emails before you send them. I haven't seen an email program without a spell check program. Misspelled words in a business email is not only distracting to the reader, but also makes but the receiver of the email wonder about your intelligence. (Harsh—I know—but TRUE!!)
2) Be short and to the point—we’re all busy!
3) Use the subject line - readers of your email want to know at a glance, what the email about.
4) Use an email footer. Its free advertisement for your company. Example:
K. Patrice Williams, JD
Author, Speaker, Business Consultant
http://www.kpatricewilliams.com/
5) Try to respond to business emails within 24 hours.
6) NEVER use all caps in the subject line or body of your email. It's annoying, distracting and in the email world, its code for Shouting. If you're not shouting at your email reader, then don't use all caps. (Yes—I was shouting TRUE on point one)
7) Don't forget the attachment. There is nothing worse that pointing the reader to review an attachment and then not attaching the document.
8) Last reminder, instead of trying to convey a complex idea over email, sometimes it's better to make a personal call to the reader.
1) Spell check your emails before you send them. I haven't seen an email program without a spell check program. Misspelled words in a business email is not only distracting to the reader, but also makes but the receiver of the email wonder about your intelligence. (Harsh—I know—but TRUE!!)
2) Be short and to the point—we’re all busy!
3) Use the subject line - readers of your email want to know at a glance, what the email about.
4) Use an email footer. Its free advertisement for your company. Example:
K. Patrice Williams, JD
Author, Speaker, Business Consultant
http://www.kpatricewilliams.com/
5) Try to respond to business emails within 24 hours.
6) NEVER use all caps in the subject line or body of your email. It's annoying, distracting and in the email world, its code for Shouting. If you're not shouting at your email reader, then don't use all caps. (Yes—I was shouting TRUE on point one)
7) Don't forget the attachment. There is nothing worse that pointing the reader to review an attachment and then not attaching the document.
8) Last reminder, instead of trying to convey a complex idea over email, sometimes it's better to make a personal call to the reader.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
The Awakening
When I lived in Washington DC as a student at Howard University, I would visit Hains Point frequently and read or study near "The Awakening" or as we called him...the Sleeping Giant. Hains Point was a popular hang out spot for students, intellectuals, thinkers.....to look out over the Potomac River...... ponder life, laugh, talk....and sometimes...get a little drunk!
I am an Ex-Resident of Washington DC and a Howard University Alumni, which is to say, I'm sure no one cares what I think, but I vote to move the giant from National Park!!
Okay--that's the end of my rant, back to more intellectual matters....
Pushed into my Purpose
Pushed into my Purpose, is not only a book written by Wanda Childs, Owner of Blessed 24:7, but it also describes many of us who have experienced professional transitions at work.
To most, I suspect, being laid off, is devastating. For others, like me.....it is pure liberation -- but with a bonus, also known as, a severance package. I really loved my colleagues, my supervisor, city officials, service providers and the people I served.....at Citizens Housing (CHC), a non-profit affordable housing company based out of San Francisco. But the truth is, working 40-50 hours a week at CHC and then working another 20-30 hours a week for myself, was simply........draining.
CHC going out of business, although sad, in effect, was an amazing opportunity for me to run my own family of companies, full time.
Although, I admit that I have a great disposition by nature, it's been kicked up about 10 notches. I am downright thrilled each day. I go to bed each night, smiling. And anxiously hop out of bed each morning and go into my cute home office (that I lovingly refer to as 'the money pit') with the 'L- shaped' desk, mustard colored accent walls, white boards and mini-water fountains, tricked out computer..... and get to work. All the passion, energy, love and vigor that I used to put into Citizens Housing, now gets put 100% into my own projects and companies! It's like living out a dream.
Kippy, my Nutritionist and Reiki Practitioner believes that we are in a global transitional shift right now, layoff's force folks to find their true passions in life. I agree, but takes a bit of self analysis and courage for most of us to figure out what we really want to do, our passion, and then to go for it.
Living out our passions, may mean a reduction in income in a new field, going back to school or starting a company. But then again, there is no better feeling than doing what you love each day.
To most, I suspect, being laid off, is devastating. For others, like me.....it is pure liberation -- but with a bonus, also known as, a severance package. I really loved my colleagues, my supervisor, city officials, service providers and the people I served.....at Citizens Housing (CHC), a non-profit affordable housing company based out of San Francisco. But the truth is, working 40-50 hours a week at CHC and then working another 20-30 hours a week for myself, was simply........draining.
CHC going out of business, although sad, in effect, was an amazing opportunity for me to run my own family of companies, full time.
Although, I admit that I have a great disposition by nature, it's been kicked up about 10 notches. I am downright thrilled each day. I go to bed each night, smiling. And anxiously hop out of bed each morning and go into my cute home office (that I lovingly refer to as 'the money pit') with the 'L- shaped' desk, mustard colored accent walls, white boards and mini-water fountains, tricked out computer..... and get to work. All the passion, energy, love and vigor that I used to put into Citizens Housing, now gets put 100% into my own projects and companies! It's like living out a dream.
Kippy, my Nutritionist and Reiki Practitioner believes that we are in a global transitional shift right now, layoff's force folks to find their true passions in life. I agree, but takes a bit of self analysis and courage for most of us to figure out what we really want to do, our passion, and then to go for it.
Living out our passions, may mean a reduction in income in a new field, going back to school or starting a company. But then again, there is no better feeling than doing what you love each day.
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