Friday, July 30, 2010

Understanding & Focusing On Your Audience

Good day and I hope things are going well for you on the other
side of the screen. I've had some interesting exchanges this week
with prospects, customers and friends. One of the topics was
about better understanding your audience.

You know it's not uncommon for a small business person and
especially an online marketer to believe that the world's their
oyster. I've been guilty of this in the past myself. I know I'm a
good marketer and creative thinker and process person. When folks
used to ask me who needs my services, I would respond "Everyone!"

While there may have been some elements of truth to that claim,
the truth is I am most successful in companies that are founder
led and where there is a noticeable vacuum in marketing and/or
operations. Typically, the companies that I do best with have a
founder who is trying to spin many plates by himself. It's only
when some of those plates start to fall and impact his business
negatively that he begins to understand the value of having a
right-hand man to spin his marketing and/or operations plates.

So now when people ask me who uses my services I am very clear to
tell them small to medium sized businesses which are founder led
and have vacuums in marketing and operations. This narrows the
audience for me and also helps me to quickly qualify potential
new clients. If they don't really fit the mold, then I do not
pursue them as aggressively as I might chase another that better
fits my audience focus.

Knowing your audience is invaluable. Now it's easy if you
manufacture pipe valves. You know who needs them. But if you
offer soft services or generic products, then you really need to
get your arms around your audience.

Likewise, if you are selling an info product, it really pays to
know who can benefit most from your information and experience.
For instance, if you have a product that helps people make money,
you need to carefully consider how to narrow that audience.
Keeping a narrow focus makes it easier to market your product and
lowers your cost of customer acquisition, too.

Knowing who your audience is means you must make sure your
supporting web site sales letter or sales presentation or
marketing collateral is also written to that specific audience.
If you have multiple audiences, it might help to have multiple
landing pages on your site and multiple presentations and
brochures written for each audience.

Understanding this can help you run a more productive business.

It also may show you developing niches for your services. For
instance, over the past 5 years I see I have worked with lots of
folks in the health niche. This includes private coaches,
nutritionists, diet authors, exercise gurus, doctors, etc. Now I
look for opportunities in that market.

So think carefully about who you are trying to sell to. A wide
funnel may seem advantageous, but you have to go through a lot of
prospects to make a sale. A narrow funnel produces more leads and
sales.

I wanted to share a review of a product that really helped me out
this week. It's called Topaz Moment and it's great for capturing
high quality stills from your videos. You can read about it here:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/topazmoment.htm


Until next time,

Steven

P.S. : Click the link below to share this with a friend:

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Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Can You Hear the Crickets Chirping?

Inertia is a killer.

Back in 1993, I clearly remember standing on the balcony of my hotel
room at about 7 pm. I was staying on the 15th floor of the Adams
Mark Hotel in downtown Tulsa. As I looked out at the evening sky,
I could hear the crickets below. It was that quiet.

Lord, I thought, tell me this is a nightmare and when I wake up
in the morning, I will find myself back home in my apartment in
New Jersey.

But as time passed, I got used to Tulsa and now 15 years later,
I've made a life for myself and I'm reasonably happy with that
life, too.

But there have been several times in my life where inertia has
set in and stifled my dreams, my career, and my relationships.

Inertia is a killer.

You either get complacent about your situation or you become
fearful of change. In either case, you become inert and go
nowhere fast.

I'm lucky. I've always had good, caring people in my life who
know how to nudge me forward. And then I've got God, too. My ace
in the hole. If I listen, I get good advice. Then I have to make
the decision to either stay where I'm at or risk change and see
what happens.

Which brings me to your online presence.

Is your site churning out new subscribers, sales leads, inquiries
and compelling people to take action, or is your site sitting
there listening to the crickets to chirp?

I want to make a suggestion to you today.

Check out this review:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/ebooks/magicseobook.htm

This crossed my desk this morning and I felt compelled to share
it because it might help you to get off your butt and take some
action. Buy the ebook. Read the ebook. Take action.

If you purchase it through my affiliate link in my review, let me
know and I will send you a free copy of my ebook, Rocket Science
Revealed, where I explain how I created one of the most popular
web sites on the Internet -- CoolToolAwards.com. It's a $47.00
value -- free -- only when you purchase your copy of The Magic
SEO Book through my link. Just buy it and send me your Clickbank
receipt via email.

What's that sound? Is that opportunity knocking on the door or is
it just a very large cricket?

All my best,

Steven

P.S.: Do a friend a favor and click the link below to share this
email with them:

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Schneiderman Marketing, LLC, 1811 South Baltimore, Suite 203, Tulsa, OK 74119, United States

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Pursue Your Passion/PhotoShop Summer Deal

Good morning and I hope all is well. I'm excited today because I
have another magic show this evening for a friend's son. I love
performing and bringing smiles to people's faces and it sure beats
what I do by day -- marketing consulting. Now a few months ago
you would never have heard me say this ...

If you've been a long-time subscriber, you know I have been
easing my way back into being a part-time magician on weekends
and in the evenings. It's something I've done as a hobby since
the age of 5 -- which is almost -- OMG -- 47 years.

When I was single and lived in NYC I took advantage of
opportunities to perform, but as I grew older and joined the 9-5
workforce, I stopped performing and withdrew from my passion. It
wasn't until a few months ago when I was asked to perform at a
local church picnic that I began to realize I was missing
something.

My pastor and friends told me that I needed to pursue my passion
because they could see how I lit up when I was performing -- how
much joy it brought to me -- and, in turn, how much joy I gave
others through my performance.

Funny, how I lacked that objectivity all these years to see the
truth.

So last week it was a 30 year old birthday party and this evening
it's for children. We're going to have fun!

I know I have said this before, but so many of us make our work
our passion, and we forsake all other things and become
workaholics.

Stop a minute.

Think hard about what else brings you joy outside of work.

I know, I know. You are passionate about what you do.

But it's work.

Surely there must be something else that brings you joy -- a
hobby or concern that makes your heart race, your demeanor
soften, and brings a relaxed smile to your face.

My advice is to go for it.

---------------------------

A subscriber wrote to me telling me about his desire to design
his own web sites, covers, and marketing materials with
PhotoShop, but he says, "It's just too damn cumbersome!"

I agree. PhotoShop is a bear to learn. There's so many bells and
whistles.

The good news is you don't need to learn everything. You only
need to know a little to be able to do a lot. I know many of you
have bitten the bullet and purchased PhotoShop. It's quite an
investment in time and money. But so few of you actually use it.

I'd like to make it easier for you.

Here's a special deal ...

Every online marketer needs a collection of PhotoShop action
scripts to create professional looking product shots. My favorite
collection is Cover Actions Premium from my friend, Hazran.

What makes his collection different is that he adds to his
catalog of incredible actions and templates every single week.

Also, he creates actions that can generate combo shots featuring
ebooks, DVDs, CDs, magazines, etc. laid out on a table, in a box,
in a shopping bag. You name it. He also responds to special
requests.

You can't find a better collection anywhere!

So here's the deal -- click the link below to read the review and
see some samples of the actions:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/coveractionspremium.htm

Then click on the links in my review -- yes, they are my
affiliate links -- and when you make your purchase, send me a
copy of your receipt via email to info@schneiderman.net and I
will send you links to download two must-have products:

PhotoShop CS Mastery Video Series
http://www.resellerproducts.com/photoshopvideos/

Project Mini Site
http://www.minisitedesign.com/

And as a special bonus for the first 10 buyers, I will include a
copy of my ebook, Designing Ebook Covers.

That's nearly $100.00 worth of bonuses.

You have to trust me on this recommendation. Hazran's PhotoShop
actions are trade secrets. Not a lot of people know about them. I
am giving you an insider's tip. Buy his actions and your product
shots will look 200% more impressive than anything else out
there. He also provides many pre-designed templates so you don't
have to start from scratch. He makes it easy to get started.

The bonuses I am offering will also help you to learn and master the
key features of PhotoShop and help you to understand how to
design a credible and powerful mini site. And my ebook will show
you how to design a proper ebook cover.

OK, there you go. Remember, to get your bonuses, you must
purchase Cover Actions Premium through my affiliate link:

http://www.coveractionspremium.com/ezmempro/index.php?afid=24

Then send me proof of your purchase and I will send you download links
to the bonus products.

All my best,

Steven

PS: Share this email with a friend by clicking the link below:

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Schneiderman Marketing, LLC, 1811 South Baltimore, Suite 203, Tulsa, OK 74119, United States

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Are You Like The Invisible Man?

Good day, friends, and I hope all is well on your side of the
screen. Life is H-O-T in Tulsa with the heat index hovering
around 110 degrees. Yikes! Now that's hot. Whoa. I don't even
want to step outside of my office today if I can help it.

So how is the economy impacting your business? I am projecting I
will be down about 20% this year, maybe flat with last year,
maybe worse. It's getting harder to make a buck, no matter how
good you may be. Companies and individual business owners are
freezing their projects and limiting their spends as much as
possible until the economy reverses its current trend.

It's troubling to watch this trend because it simply shows how
many business people lack common sense about their marketing
tactics and strategy. When a business stops advertising and
marketing, they lose their awareness and visibility, thus
becoming invisible to their prospects and even to their existing
customers.

Now if your competitors are becoming invisible, what do you think
you should do?

Bueller? Anyone? Bueller?

Right, if your competitors are becoming invisible, you need to
focus time, money and energy on becoming and staying more visible.

By adopting this "hey, look at me" approach, you take advantage
of your competitors' stupidity in going dark with their
advertising and marketing and become the single bright spot in
your own universe, attracting leads, prospects and repeat
purchases. It may also be a good time to raise your rates because
without any visible competition, you may appear to be the only
game in town.

Now I am seeing many small businesses stop their spending on
local Yellow Page ads. I think this is a good move. The Yellow
Pages are dead. Simply get the lowest cost text listing in the
big book and divert those dollars to the web.

Where on the web? Take advantage of low-cost social media
marketing like blogs, Twitter, Linked In and Facebook among
others.

Start building your email lists for prospects and customers. It's
always easier to sell to an existing customer than to cultivate a
new one. Start strengthening your relationships with existing
customers. Make personal calls and arrange lunches and office
visits to review their business, what's changed since last you
serviced their account, and look for new opportunities to add
value.

Develop a lead generation program. Write a newsletter and start
emailing it to your lists monthly to let them know what's new,
provide meaningful advice on how to survive during tough times,
and share success stories about how your customers are using your
products and services to grow revenues and improve business. Brag
about your features, advantages and benefits. This will produce
leads and give your staff a reason to follow-up by phone.

If you are not using an autoresponder service to manage your
email campaigns, may I suggest another alternative that gives you
most of the power of email marketing without the ongoing monthly
cost. For some this may be the preferred way of email marketing:

http://www.emailmarketingassistance.com/groupmail.htm

As far as writing newsletters goes, I have become very adept at
quickly studying a client's business and writing a series of
emails that may be used as a newsletter. I've written about all
sorts of business topics from insurance, finance, software,
ebooks -- you name it, I've written about it. I'd love to help
you write those newsletters.

Normally, the cost of 12 (one year) newsletters is $1,000.00 but
for the first 3 people who contact me, I will do it for only
$500.00. This is a good investment. Let me craft the right sales
message that will make people return to your web site, lean in to
get more information, and pick up the phone to talk to you.

Until next time,


Steven Schneiderman


P.S.: Stay visible during tough times. Social media and email
marketing are the perfect solution when money is tight. If you
haven't looked at these helpful products yet, now is an excellent
time to take action:

350 Social Media Strategies: These seven reports cover the 350
most important things you need to know about Twitter, YouTube,
Stumble Upon, Yahoo Answers, Digg, Linked In and Squidoo.

http://www.resellerproducts.com/350socialmediastrategies/

Facebook Social Ads Exposed: This ebook explains the whys, hows,
and what not to do with Facebook and Facebook advertising which
is rapidly displacing Google AdSense in terms of audience, ease
of use and effectiveness.

http://www.resellerproducts.com/facebooksocialadsexposed/

Twitter Explosion: This is a collection of 32 videos which
explain how Twitter works, how to create and manage you account,
and how to use it boost your visibility and popularity.

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/ebooks/twitterexplosion.htm

Wordpress 201 Revealed: This is a unique collection of videos,
MP3 music files, blog templates and plug-ins which you how to tap
into the power of blogging with Wordpress.

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/wordpress201revealed.htm

Add one or more of these tactics to your marketing arsenal today
and watch your visibility, awareness, and business grow rapidly.

Schneiderman Marketing, LLC, 1811 South Baltimore, Suite 203, Tulsa, OK 74119, United States

Friday, July 09, 2010

Summer Time Relaxation and PhotoShop Tools

May this email find you and yours well and eagerly awaiting a
pleasant and relaxing warm, summer weekend. Times may be tough
for many of us, but there is hope that things will pick up soon.
To relax, my family and I are enjoying our new Roku box and
subscription to NetFlix.

Roku is a small black box that connects to your TV and wireless
cable connection, instantly providing you access to streaming
movies and on demand programming and events. The box costs only
$79 and installs quickly and easily. Netflix is the world's
greatest bargain for movie entertainment. After spending around
$100/month on DVD rentals at our local Blockbuster, I now have
access to 17,000 movies at the click of a button and can rent
DVDs one at a time for only $8.99 month. You can receive a free
30 day trial for both Netflix and Roku, and I believe there is a
$20 off coupon if you sign up for both now. My full review is
here:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/services/netflix.htm

I'm always on the lookout for new tools to make my day to day
work faster and easier. One such tool is SmartDraw VP (Visual
Processor). If you have a need to create charts or flowcharts for
projects, this is the by far the best tool in its class. The
charts literally draw themselves and are also great for business
presentations. I can't say enough good things about this. Check
it out here:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/business/smartdraw.htm

If you design marketing materials or web sites for a living, then
you know you can spend a lot of time during the concept and
mock-up phase. If you are not careful this can cost you money and
time. I recently came across Balsamiq that essentially enables
you to create something similar to a napkin drawing. It's super
easy to use and a lot of fun. Kind of like etch a sketch for
business.

http://www.balsamiq.com/

If you have PhotoShop and wondering why you can't create graphics
that looks as good as the pros, it may be that you simply need
the right tools to help you. I know PhotoShop is cumbersome and
I've met many people who were so discouraged that they even
stopped using it. Look at these tools designed to help you get
more bang for your buck with PhotoShop:

Web 2.0 Covers, Version 3
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/web20covers.htm

Premium Header Pack
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/premiumheaderpack.htm

Fast & Easy Video Squeeze Pages
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/fastandeasyvideosqueezepages.htm

IM Web Graphics Pack
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/imwebgraphicspack.htm

Easy Banner Maker Pro, Version 2
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/easybannermakerpro2.htm

Killer Text 3
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/killertext3.htm

Animated Web Graphics Pro
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/animatedwebgraphicspro.htm

Also do not forget this great video training series that shows
you how to use PhotoShop quickly and easily to do some really
amazing things:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/photoshopcsmastervideotutorialseries.htm


OK, until next time,

Steven

P.S.: Help a friend and share the good tips and recommendations
from Steve. Click the link below to forward this email to a
friend right now:

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Friday, July 02, 2010

Cool Tools for The Summer!

Hope all is well with you and yours as we approach this fabulous
holiday weekend in the States. It's a great time to celebrate. I
just hope the weather holds up. They forecast rain and my family
and I want to watch fireworks!

If you are a long-time subscriber, then you know I have been
focusing a lot of my creative energy on getting back into
becoming a performer -- a comedy magician -- and I had my local
debut at a local coffeehouse last week -- my first public performance
in nearly 30 years.

I had a blast and judging from the laughter coming from the
audience and the comments from friends and family who attended --
almost 80 people -- everyone had a great time. It was nice
allowing my creative juices to focus on something other than
marketing for the past two months, and I hope this begins a
second career for me. I simply enjoy it too much.

Over the past few weeks, I have been asked to review a ton of new
products, and I want to encourage you to read my reviews on
CoolToolAwards.com. Some of these tools are very unique, easy to
use, and can help you with your marketing efforts.

15,000 Media Contacts: Imagine if there was a tool that helped
you write a press release, and then enabled you to print it,
email it to a database of 15,000 media contacts, or submit it
online to a variety of PR web sites. Typically, you'd need a
bunch of different tools to accomplish this bit of magic, but
this tool does it all:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/pressreleasesoftware.htm

In Contact: This tool enables you to create professionally
designed email newsletters and marketing communications and then
blast them to your list. Who needs an expensive autoresponder
service? Check it out here:


http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/emailmarketingsoftware.htm


Logo Design Studio Pro: If you want to create your own logos --
or logos for projects or other clients -- this is the only tool
you will ever need. From its library of well designed artwork to
its ease of use to its power-packed features, you can create
vector graphics in no time at all:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/logodesignstudiopro.htm

In addition, there is a new ebook cover software tool called Web
2.0 Covers - Version 3. Yes, there have been two other versions
sold in the past, but this new one includes improved graphics and
more diversity in its images. You don't need PhotoShop (though it
works best with it). Any software capable of opening PSD files
(the lower priced PhotoShop Elements is excellent as is the free
GIMP program) will work. Check out the samples here:

http://www.resellerproducts.com/web20coversv3/

Other items I strongly believe you should be looking at include:

Wordpress 201 Revealed: Wordpress is now the preferred way to
launch a new web site because of its ease of use and excellent
content management system. This collection of training videos,
MP3 music files and graphical themes and powerful plug-ins will
empower you to launch your Wordpress site with style and
substance.

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/wordpress201revealed.htm

Project Minisite will show you the power of mini sites, how to
set them up and make them work for you. It not only comes with a
great video training library but with all the resource files from
the lessons so you can follow along step-by-step. This is easily
one of the most important and critical skills a working
professional needs to know. Why hire someone to create your mini
sites when you can learn to do it yourself?

http://www.minisitedesign.com

Lastly, if you own PhotoShop but really aren't using all of its
key features, it's time to get some quality one-on-one training:

http://www.resellerproducts.com/photoshopvideos/

Next week I will have new reviews of some great products that
will help you map your web sites and prototype your web pages look and feel.

All my best,

Steven

P.S.: If you found any of this interesting, please take a moment
to forward it to a friend clicking the link below:

http://getresponse.com/forward.html?x=a62b&m=lwcJ&s=BM46r&y=H&