AWeber and Feedburner Unite!

February 5th, 2008

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Finally, there’s a good way to track your current subscriptions in Feedburner, while using the functionality of Aweber.

I’ve been using both of these services for some time now, although separately, because I like to see all my blog subscribers in one area. This morning, AWeber announced that they’re now working directly with Feedburner, allowing subscribers that signup through AWeber (using their blog broadcast service) to show up in your feedburner subscriber page. Hooray!

Why is this so important? Well, for one thing, you can’t customize Feedburner emails, templates, or subject lines — but with AWeber’s blog broadcast services, you can! Also, if you’re running promotions, you’ll be able to run deals especially to your blog subscribers.

If you know me, you know I’m an AWeber Junkie - and this integration is something I’ve been pining for a long time. So, if you’re using Aweber and Feedburner, check out the blog broadcasting services — it’s a valuable tool to connect to your readers, and integrating it with feedburner will allow you to maintain accurate subscriber rates.

 

*Image, Pleased with a Christmas Present, by Flickr user joelwillis

Like this post? Check these out:

• 10 Must-Have Plugins for Wordpress (7)
• A Blog Subscription Rant (0)
• How to Create Products for Your Service-Based Business – Part 2 (0)
• How to Create Products for Your Service-Based Business - Part 3 (2)
• How to Create Products for Your Service-Based Business (2)

Posted in Business | No Comments »

A Blog Subscription Rant

February 2nd, 2008

If your customers are online, then you need a blog - plain and simple. It helps with your SEO, it helps people to know and trust your business, it’s an excellent promotional platform, and so much more.

Then, why is it so DIFFICULT to make subscription options prominent?

I’ve been actively searching for a couple days now to find a particular type of blog — I have a new product coming out at the end of March, and there’s a corresponding blog. Now, I’d like to have quality outgoing links - but I’m having a difficult time signing up to these blogs because of poorly-placed subscription options… if I can find them at all.

Don’t get me wrong - I understand why a blog might not want a big orange RSS subscription feed button… it may be completely off a website color-scheme. It’s also not easy to place, if you have no php/html knowledge.

I get that, I really do.

But, it’s a standard for a reason: so I can find it when I want to subscribe.

There’s an easy way to prominently place your feed on your blog, FeedBurner. It gives you many options so you can copy/paste the code right into your blog for different readers, and it also will give you the option/code to give your readers an email-based subscription as well. And, on top of that, it also gives you tools to track your subscribers. It’s also free, which makes it whiz-bang, in my book.

Blogs Must Offer Subscription Options for Everyone

I know I’m not like a lot of users; I use an aggregator in MS Outlook 2003 - it’s called RSS Popper, and I love, love, LOVE IT. However, that means that I need the direct RSS feed link - and not something for Google, Blogline, or Yahoo Readers.

I’ve seen so many bloggers use JUST the Google/Yahoo buttons and not the RSS… and in order to find the feed link url, I had to click on of the buttons, find the feed url in the address bar, then copy/paste into my aggregator. Way too many steps for me, and if it weren’t such a whiz-bang blog, I wouldn’t have bothered.

So, if you have a blog, make it easier for readers to subscribe. It’s very easy to forget a website address, even if you’re very interested in the content.

~Erin

PS. If you happen to know a particularly WHIZ-BANG Virtual Assistant Blog, please let me know in the comments! I’d be eternally grateful!

Like this post? Check these out:

• 10 Must-Have Plugins for Wordpress (7)
• AWeber and Feedburner Unite! (0)

Posted in Blogging | No Comments »

Blog Renovations

February 1st, 2008

Do you Want More Marketing, Less BS?

It’s been awhile since we’ve updated this blog on a regular basis, but that’s all about to change. We’ve rebranded the TrinityJacobs ‘Behind the Scenes’ Blog into “The Marketing VA” — so, take a minute to update your RSS Feed link by clicking here, and if you subscribe by email, please visit this page to resubscribe.

Thank you for your loyal readership!

~Erin

Posted in Blogging, TrinityJacobs | No Comments »

Does Your Business Go through Feast-Or-Famine Cycles? Your price structure may be at fault…

December 11th, 2007

Many small business owners find their business goes through ‘feast or famine’ cycles yearly. This is increasingly difficult to cope with, especially if you’re trying to build a business in addition to a full-time job. While there can be many culprits of this feast-or-famine cycle (customer service that isn’t-quite-there, seasonal products, etc), there may be a cure.

As James D. Brausch discusses in his article, “The $200 Horse,” we oftentimes devalue our services.

How Do we Devalue our Services?

To be frank, it’s easier for us to price our services low because there’s no need for justification. Think about it: it’s much easier to sell coaching services at $75 per session than it is to sell it at $300 per session. $300 is a sizable investment for some people, and we feel that people won’t pay the price. This however, is dead wrong.

You can, and should, offer better results at a higher price.

Some entrepreneurs have difficulty grasping the value of an eBook, pricing their eBook at $5 or $10. Then, when they learn that some eBooks go for upwards of $110, they ask, “How does a book sell for so much?”

It Solves a Problem. Like that eBook, you too will solve a problem. And, your issue is not finding people who will pay your fee, but rather people who want the exact results you’re offering. Sure, you’ll have to do some marketing, but I’d much rather market more and get clients aligned with your results, then having 50 clients who don’t match my services.

It’s only when you understand the type of customer you want, will you understand the value of your pricing. In fact, often times you don’t want the type of client who is only willing to spend $50 for an hour of your time. You want the client who is willing to spend $300 for an hour of your time, because they know how much your service is worth or how much you help them.

As James said:

His grandpa had to sell a horse fast. It was a great horse, but his situation required that he sell it… and fast. So he priced it at $200 and told as many people as he could about it.

It didn’t sell fast. In fact, it didn’t sell at all.

He finally started to ask people why they weren’t interested. It was a great horse. It was a great price. Why didn’t it sell instantly?

He received the same answer over and over. The prospects just weren’t interested in a $200 horse. Who wants a $200 horse anyways?

He changed the price to $1,000 and sold it instantly.

If you sold your services for $300 an hour instead of $50 and hour, how many clients would you need to fulfill your monetary quota? How much more time would you have to do other things, like create your products and write your ebooks?

Maybe $300 really is too rich for your market. It’s up to you to find that ‘perfect pricing’.

In the end, you’ll have better clients who will be more loyal and understand the value of your services. Also, you’ll have more time to do other things, like create a product, write an ebook, or just spend time with family.

Like this post? Check these out:

• Is Your Business The Next ‘Sliced Bread’? (0)
• How to Create Products for Your Service-Based Business – Part 2 (0)
• How to Create Products for Your Service-Based Business - Part 3 (2)
• How to Create Products for Your Service-Based Business (2)

Posted in Business, Customer Service | 1 Comment »

The Solopreneur’s Guide to Delegation

September 21st, 2006

Working as a solopreneur is difficult, and getting help is often difficult. Finding out how an assistant (virtual assisstant or otherwise) can help you is instrumental in keeping your business successful. Delegation is the handing of a task over to another person; in order to do this, you should understand the few key points below:

1. Clarify the assignment with clear, unambiguous instructions

When you delegate, you need to be very specific about what you expect, and how you expect it to be done. The more specific you are about what you want, the better the chances are that your assignment will be done the way you desire.

2. Ensure the person has the necessary skills

You wouldn’t hire a woodworker to fix your toilet leak, would you? The same goes for your assistant, with one caveat. IF (and, that’s a big if) you’re willing to train a person in a specific skill (such as music notation), then have at it. But, if you don’t want to invest the time and energy into teaching someone every nuance of your trade - then you need to make sure you find someone with at least a little knowledge of your profession.

3. Specify how much responsibility the person has over the assignment

If you need portions of a larger assignment done, such as research for a book - then make sure that your assistant is aware of what you expect from them. If they’re responsible for an amount of research to be completed weekly, make sure they know that. If they have to have the research done in parts, or completed before turning it in… let them know.

The whole point of delegation is to remove time-consuming tasks off your plate. Begin by giving away smaller tasks, and then move on to more complex tasks as your relationship gels. In all effectiveness, delegation is more about partnership than
subordinate/superiority. When given the right fertilizer, your assistant will care just as much, if not more, about the end goal as you do.

4. Allow the other person to participate in the assignment

Listen to suggestions, and consider them. If you’re delegating a task and someone has a better/faster/more efficient way of doing it - use the technique if its’ appropriate. The way technology is changing, with calculated innovations and changes you’ll give your business the room to be very profitable.

5. Monitor the progress in regular intervals to allow time for remedial action if necessary

I’m not telling you here to monitor every breath and movement, but keep yourself abreast of the situation. Ask how things are going and where they’re at in the assignment. This way, if you see the task veering into the unknown, you can quickly steer it back on track without hurting any feelings… and without wasting precious time doing it all over again.

6. Feedback, feedback, feedback

Feedback is a crucial step - once the task is complete, if a good job has been done, let them know! And if something went wrong along the way, you need to be able to talk about that too. Take the time to speak or email your assistant with any concerns you had - and allow them the opportunity to do the same. This will not only help your VA understand the expectations in the future, it will also provide a good opportunity to realize what you could have done better as well!

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Problogger Group Writing Project

This post is invovled in the Problogger Group Writing Project. Visit the site for a multitude of how-to posts on every subject imaginable!

Like this post? Check these out:

• How to Create Products for Your Service-Based Business – Part 2 (0)
• How to Create Products for Your Service-Based Business - Part 3 (2)
• How to Create Products for Your Service-Based Business (2)
• 10 Must-Have Plugins for Wordpress (7)

Posted in Business, Solopreneur-ship, Virtual Assistance | 15 Comments »

Make Money Business Blogging

July 28th, 2006

Rita over at the VA Journal points us to Blog Printing, an all-in-one solution to turn your blog into a bound book. This could be especially useful for those who follow Patti Krakoff’s Blog to Book series. Has anyone tried this service?

From the FAQ:

What does the book look like?

We offer books in three sizes: 8.5″x11″, 8″x10″, and 6″x9″. They can be printed in black and white or in color. The books are perfect-bound (the professional binding used for paperback books). We provide a simple options page to add titles and an image to your cover, or—if you’re looking for something fancier—we let you upload your own custom front and back cover.

If I choose the black and white printing, is the cover also in black and white?

No, the cover is always printed in color.

Can you print my blog?

Yes, if it is on Movable Type, TypePad, WordPress, or a compatible platform. (If your blog supports the Metaweblog API, chances are we can read it as a “Movable Type” blog. The one catch is that not all implementations of the Metaweblog API allow us to get to your postings archive.)

Why can’t I print my Blogger blog?

Blogger.com recently changed the behavior of their server to only provide the 15 most recent posts. Full archive support is expected in the near future. When access to older posts is restored, we will re-enable blogger support after we have completed testing.

Posted in Blogging | No Comments »

58 Tasks to Give to your Virtual Assistant

June 23rd, 2006

1. Make Travel arrangements
2. schedule appointments
3. book event locations
4. brainstorm ideas
5. bulk mailings
6. check email
7. check voice mail
8. client communication
9. scheduling
10. email marketing

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Virtual Assistance | 3 Comments »

Home Business Woes

June 22nd, 2006

99% of my business is from [tag]home-based business[/tag] owners. It hasn’t always been like this, mind you, I remember the days when home-business was (perceived as being) synonymous with ‘living off unemployment.’ And, even though TrinityJacobs has always been [tag]home-based[/tag], I’ve never really referred to it as such. It’s been so long since my transition to 100% home-based, that I forget (especially in my self-made role) how hard it is moving from the corporate to [tag]self-employed[/tag] universe.

Quoth Des Walsh, from “Is Your Home Business Pushing Clutter into the Red Zone?” on the Thinking Home Business blog:

it was a great leap forward when I got to where a full time, dedicated secretary came with my position. I could just hand stuff over and ask for it to be organised. Not having to go through piles of papers, deciding what really needed my personal attention and what didn’t, made me aware of how much more efficient and effective I could be in doing what I was really being paid to do - which was not really about sorting papers.

When I set up my home based consultancy and coaching businesses no secretary came with the business. In fact, in the early days in business I kind of prided myself on being able to do a lot of the things the secretary used to do, like typing up letters and printing them out. I was also enjoying not having the responsibility of managing staff. But I recognise these days that I’ve been less than efficient in keeping the paper tiger under control.

Which is why every now and again I think wistfully about the days when I was privileged enough to have a secretary and other staff who were really expert in keeping my paperwork in order and rescuing me from clutter.

While I could go on a tangent on how virtual assistance is the perfect solution for the [tag]solopreneur[/tag], giving an extra set of hands, expertise, and some sorely needed extra time to those whose home and professional life blend so beautifully — I won’t.

We have a few professional organizers on our client list — and, like anyone else, they need help with their businesses. They may seem overwhelmingly perfecto-organized — but deep down they need the help with the nuts and bolts just like any of us. While some people excel with procedures, or ruby on rails, or closet organizing — it’s just impossible to do it all ourselves, and GROW, without having something (someone) to lean on.
~E

Posted in Business, Solopreneur-ship, Virtual Assistance | 1 Comment »

Monday Microsoft Tip

June 12th, 2006

Here’s your weekly [tag]Monday Microsoft Tip[/tag]

[tag]Reorganizing paragraphs[/tag] in [Tag]MS Word[/tag]

Have you ever been editing your document, and wanted to do a switch-eroo on your paragraphs? So you copy, paste, delete - and repeat for each paragraph you want to move? Well, [tag]Microsoft Word[/tag] gives you a nifty shortcut to do just this from your keyboard:

First, highlight the paragraph you want to move (You *can* use your keyboard to do this, just go to the beginning of your line using your cursor and press Shift+End and then press the up or down arrow until you’ve highlighted your entire paragraph)

Then, while holding down Shift+Alt, move the paragraph up or down using the arrow keys. With each click of the arrow key, the paragraph will jump over the adjacent paragraph.

Pretty neat, huh?

Until next time…

~E

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Monday Microsoft Tip

June 5th, 2006

Here’s your weekly [tag]Monday Microsoft Tip[/tag]

More [tag]Microsoft Word[/tag] [tag]Keyboard Shortcuts[/tag]

F4: Repeat your last action, including searching, typing, and formatting.
Shift-F4: Repeat the most recent Find command.
Shift-F5: Jump to the last change you made in the document.
Ctrl-F6: Toggle between open documents.
Alt-mouse click: Open the Research pane with information on the word or name you clicked on.
F7: Run the spell-checker.
F12: Open the Save As dialog

Until next time…

~E

Posted in Monday Microsoft Tips | No Comments »