ChrisKilber.com » Content

Targeting Niches Part Two

Chris — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 01:14:03 +0000

Last time I talked about the characteristics of people in context of products. I explained about related niches. Now to expand on that concept we can use the law of 6 degrees of separation. The 6 degrees of separation states that the levels where everyone is related is no more than 6 levels. The same way people are related, all niches to some degree are as well. But the angle here, is not the characteristics of people in context to products, but to the characteristics of people in context of themselves.

Let me explain. Remember these are broad brush characterizations and in no way are they always true. People who drive high end cars, Mercedes, Lexus, BMW’s typically can afford to travel to exotic destinations. It’s not much for them to hop on a plane several times (3-4 times) a year and go to a resort in some far destination and relax in a nice resort. The relationship was that because they drove expensive cars, they had money, and thus could afford to go on vacation frequently.

Another would be that because someone is a teacher or educator they typically are nurturers or amiable relaters. Because their nature is to help, teach, and make impacts on others lives. This would also include nurses and other care givers. Because of this their propensity to socialize and be involved with activities that help people are greatly enhanced.

One last one would be that people who dress in sharp clothes, the top of the line, male and female, probably have bought some expensive jewelry, watches, perfumes and cologne. Also we can also delve into shoes, handbags, sun glasses, and other accessories.

Here’s another application of using this knowledge that will become a large part of your arsenal in your prospecting basket. These relationships don’t necessarily have to be about products. They can be about interests as well. Someone interested in aviation may also be interested in sailing who may be interested in diving. Someone interested in martial arts may be interested in fitness, in nutrition, in exercise equipment. The amiable relaters may be interested in personal health which is associated with nutrition and fitness who by this association is related to divers and sailors. So do you see where I’m coming from. Just about any activity or interest is only a few levels away from many others. Even if you are not coming at it from the angle of products, knowing related interests can give you some common language that you can use to build a rapport.

So understanding some of these relationships can provide you common ground to talk about that will take your prospects out of apprehension when they fear you are going to sell them something into a relaxed stage where you can build trust.

Take the time to figure out what these relationships are from a product aspect as well as an interest aspect. You’ll be able to relate and connect with many more people than you think.

Getting the seal of approval

Chris — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:20:55 +0000

To get the seal of approval from your visitors, there are many ways you can improve your trust ranking with them, and make your blog more user friendly. The first thing to do is publish a picture of yourself, even with your family, on your blog. This allows people to put a face to words, and should be a golden rule. All too often, you will see a website that is clinical and not in the least bit persona; to the author. If you are willing to go out on a limb and show the world your face, then that speaks volumes. Another golden rule is video. You should use multimedia on your site if you can, and learning how to use simple software like Camtasia, or even software like Cam Studio (which is open source), is not too difficult.

Once you have put your face and your voice out there, you may as well go the whole hog and give people your telephone number. This is one of those situations when you may wish you had thought it through a bit better – but adding a telephone number to your site can really make people feel at ease. Whilst they may email you with any questions, or use Skype, they will rarely call you anyway. But giving people that option is awesome, and will reap rewards in the long term. You do not have to be a salesman, just a person.

Besides the above methods, one amazing concept that some bloggers forget about, is a newsletter system. Newsletters enable you to contact the people that are putting money in your pocket, so it is always worthwhile having. You can give people anything for free so that they decide to sign up to your newsletter, just make sure they sign up! One of the oldest sayings in the IM industry is “the money is in the list!”. It is a saying for a reason…

Free content? Just ask…

Chris — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:31:34 +0000

Too many people are afraid to ask for something that they consider as having great value. Whilst it may be valuable to you, it may be something that would take just a few minutes to another person. When you are looking for fresh new content, and you want it for free, then you will need to do some asking. Blog owners that add daily content to their site are already writing content about their niche, and about their blog, so they will not be too bothered about doing another article, just for you, which will link from your site to theirs. A backlink. Yes, that is going to be your bargaining chip, and it will be worth their time in writing your article.

You need to find the blogs that are updated regularly, and you can do this by searching Google for a related search term to your blog, and then ensuring you are limiting to blogs that have been updated in the last few weeks (in the left sidebar on Google search results). Find a good quality blog that has regular and not sporadic content being posted. Three to four times per week is ideal. This suggests that the blogger is a professional, and they value fresh content.

The best way to approach this deal is straight out asking them to write an article on your blog as a guest, and giving them the opportunity to add a backlink right at the end. You can play on the fact that you would rather an informed and professional article on the subject matter than to plagiarize their great work.

You will usually get a few hits per week at this. People are very willing to give up a few minutes of their time to write a 300 word post on something they write about every day. They will probably rehash one of their older posts – which is fine, because its going to be great new content on YOUR blog.

New Wednesday Webinar Training Series

Chris — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 19:17:41 +0000

Hello everyone! I’m excited to announce a new Webinar Series that I’m going to have each week on Wednesday at 8:00 CDT.

I know that there seems to be so many Webinars offered with what seems to be every night so this one will be a little bit different.

This is how.

1. This will be fast paced and will be limited to only 1 hour.
2. Each week will feature a colleague that I’ve met over the last 2 years who I consider to have some rock solid value to contribute to everyone on various topics for 1/2 hour and then myself for a 1/2 hour.
3. There will be a PDF link that will contain any of the links or resources mentioned in the Webinar.
4. An email address will be provided to ask questions. This will allow more content to be provided as well as allowing me and my guests to explain things in much more detail.

So this first inaugural week we are going to have:

Danielle Zach who is going to have a presentation about Business Mindset for Success.

You can register by clicking the link:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/984131465
or click the image below.

CLICK IMAGE BELOW to REGISTER

Come prepared to learn about Mindset and some Google secrets that will help you grow your business.

Using Translation Software on Your Blog

Chris — Sat, 15 May 2010 15:27:42 +0000

Old Ways
Every day more and more people are coming to the internet. Not only do I meet people seeking freedom, ways to replace the income from a traditional job, but there is still a HUGE wave of people internationally that are finally getting wired to the internet via phone, DSL, and cable. I’ve spent a fair amount of time internationally and have had a lot of experience where the only access I’ve had to the internet when I was visiting was through dialup speed at an internet cafe. Most people did not even have a personal computer let alone one that connected to the internet till a year ago. On subsequent visits to the internet cafes, the speeds have increased to a network that had at least 256kps. I now talk weekly to many people who now have DSL into their homes via Skype.

Today
Folks, this is for the first time opening the world of the internet to people that is in the range of 60 million over the last few years. I talk, work, and do business with people from all over the world. I am not limited to English either. There are many tools that do translations now so it is possible to provide your content to non-English speaking people. Though what I am finding is that English really is the language of the worlds business. The people coming to the internet, no matter what country, know they need to be able to speak or read English.

To the Rescue
Nevertheless, allowing people from foreign countries to be able to quickly translate your Blog into their own language can attract people internationally. They may be somewhat familiar with English but can read and grasp thier own native language much easier. WordPress plugins come to the rescue once again. There are a host of them out there. I can’t necessarily recommend one because they all have been written at various times and not all of them work with all themes. This is a time you will have to experiment and see what works for you. I however do recommend Wibyia. Wibyia is the software used at the bottom of this blog. There are many functions available with this toolbar and translation is one of them. This toolbar can be found at www.Wibyia.com .

Using Emotion To Draw People In

Chris — Thu, 06 May 2010 01:49:44 +0000

Emotional or Rational
People whether they admit it or not are not rational beings, especially when it comes to buying things and following things of interest. They are led with emotion. I know.. I know.. you guys think you are strong and would not fall for the emotion. But you too are led by emotion. As an example, picture yourself driving down the road in your own classic midnight blue convertible, top down, fancy blue-rays on, lumbering down a remote hi-way, on a sunny day. Now most guys would think this is cool. I know I would. So let’s examine what buying decision went into purchasing that vehicle? Was it because you could get fresh air? Air conditioning works great in my estimation. Was it because it was fast? Last I looked you can’t drive faster than 65 MPH in most places. Was it because you consider the older vehicles to be more dependable? Well today’s cars are much more dependable. The real reason… It’s because it looks cool! It’s because you can use is to attract the opposite sex and maybe get lucky! It’s because you like the rush of being pushed back into your seat when you accelerate. It’s because you like the idea of having everyone envious of you. It’s because you like to have people think your rich. It’s because you want people to think that the vehicle is just simply an extension of your personality, sleek, exotic, sporty, open, attractive, and sexy. So don’t tell me you’re not emotional. These are far from rational.

If you understand emotions you can find their triggers.

Stories
So why this little story here? Well people like to read about stories. And because they are emotional beings, they like to relate to stories and put themselves in the story. They like to compare themselves and they like to find people who are just like them.

The other benefit of using stories is that it helps your Personal Brand. Letting others know some of the emotional things that make you tick, and conveying stories about life, your family, your dreams, your plans, helps people relate to you. People like to know that there are people just like them. So remember, people love stories.

Conclusion
So in your Blog posts, your copy, and your email campaigns if can weave stories into them you will garner their attention much better than if you are more expository. Now this isn’t the easiest thing to do if your topic is something technical but if you can at least convey some of the benefits and consequences for not acting into a story line, you will have their attention.

Using RSS Feeds to Boost SEO

Chris — Thu, 06 May 2010 00:08:08 +0000

RSS Feeds
There are 101 uses for RSS feeds as well. I can’t necessarily give RSS feeds their due in this limited space but I can give you a background. RSS stands for Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication (it depends on who you ask). RSS is a XML format specifically designed to share content. Netscape originally developed RSS to distribute news headlines and then abandoned the concept due to the lack of popularity. In recent years RSS has become the standard for content syndication. RSS syndication has allowed for smaller content providers to gain exposure and increase their news and content distribution. The increased exposure has evened the playing field for content providers.

RSS Directories
In the same way there are site directories on the internet there are RSS directories as well. The more your content gets submitted the more links to your content plain and simple. What should you submit? All of it. Take the RSS out of your Blog site, all of your social media sites, all of your book marking sites, and any place you have backlinks.

Submission Toos
Where should you do it? Every place you can. Now here’s where you’re going to need some software to do this tedious task. Sorry, but this is tedious but you only have to do it once. There is a freebie but it is somewhat limited. (http://www.allscoop.com/tools/rsssubmit/) Ideally, you want something that goes to more that just these limited number of sites. The best one out there is called RSS Submit but is a hefty $114. It can be found at http://www.dummysoftware.com/rsssubmit.html. My recommendation, share the cost across a content syndication group.

Are You Going Mobile ?

Chris — Tue, 04 May 2010 15:44:38 +0000

There is one thing I’m sure most Bloggers are not doing yet and that is making their Blogs readable to mobile phones, including the I-Phone. More and more people are using their phones to Twitter and read Facebook, why not make your available in a format that makes it easy to navigate? If you get out their early and the average Blog, no matter how old and established it may be doesn’t, you have the advantage.

While most phones allow you to read existing Blogs remember they now have grown larger and larger in their footprint and it will require much more bandwidth to even open them. This is because most Blogs have a slew of plugins. So what is the answer?

Well as ironic as it may seem it will take a plugin. It’s called WordPress Mobile Pack. It includes a mobile switcher to select themes based on the type of user that is visiting the site, a selection of mobile themes, extra widgets, device adaptation and a mobile administration panel to allow users to edit the site or write new posts when out and about.

Now you can tout you Blog as mobile ready.

The plugin can be found at

Link: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wordpress-mobilepack/
.

Multi-Purpose Your Content

Chris — Sun, 02 May 2010 03:20:50 +0000

Content Strategies
Here’s really a great way to stretch and use your content by using multiple media formats. Think of it this way. After you’ve just got done writing a post for your Blog, while everything still is in your thoughts, click on your flip video camera and click the record button. Now I’m not saying to read it verbatim, but basically paraphrase what you just wrote. It only needs to be 3-4 minutes. This will allow you to emphasize and elaborate on some things contained in the written version. It will give the exact same content some life.

Video Syndication
Then shoot it up to www.Youtube.com or ultimately to www.TubeMogul.com. TubeMogul is a site that shoots the video out to 25 different video sites. You do have to go sign up for the 25 sites first and there is a little bit of learning curve, but I know you can do it. It’s only once though.

One thing you always want to do in the description of ANY video that goes anywhere is provide the full url to your Blog on a separate line. Anyone who sees a video done by you will also see the link to your Blog. The link also acts as SEO link juice and backlink from a highly PR rates website.

Powerpoint
Next, you can make a PowerPoint presentation of your Blog post. This really may only be 2-3 pages of some bullets outlining your written post. Then launch your Cam Studio (A cool freebie), Camtasia, or Jing, with the outline of your Powerpoint Presentation and talk into the mike and give a talk simply walking down each bullet. If you create a nice presentation, and end up having a series of them, you have a product.

Rinse and Repeat
Next, take that same outline in the Powerpoint Presentation and write two or three sentences different from your original post. It’s basically another version of your original, go to Squidoo, paste that new copy into a Lens Link in one of the videos, make sure you have back links to your Blog.

You don’t always have to do it for every post, but you can if you want. You can mix and match and rotate around what you do but the crux of the concept is to re-purpose the content.

Use Your Tribe for Hyperdrive
As always, if you are in a content syndication group, make sure to have them syndicate and comment on your external content as well. A large syndication group could put this into hyperdrive.

This technique is found in my 101 Traffic Generating Strategies.

If you’ve found this post useful or insightful please add a comment or share with Facebook or Twitter.

Don’t Stop Believin’

Chris — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 04:22:02 +0000

This has to be one of my favorites from the eighties, “Don’t Stop Believin’”, by Journey. Maybe it has something to do with me always rooting for the underdog. Maybe it has to do with the stories I hear where people are driven by their longings and passions to find a better way than their current situations find them. The lyrics always do end up with what motivates everyone, either positively or negatively, emotion. The characters in the song, you and I, are on a journey to fulfill our destines. As long as we continue to “Don’t Stop Believin’”, we can create and fulfill our destiny.

A case in point is the 5th grade choir who preform the song. They are from Staten Island New York, (PS 22 Chorus), and have achieved world wide accolades. They have been on Night Line, MTV, ABC World News, and many other shows. Hearing their worldly themes of love, cynicism, loss, faith and often betrayal sang with so much earnestness by such young children lends the lyrics an aching vulnerability that yanks at my heart strings and should brings tears to many eyes. What a great gift these children have given to the world for all of us to experience.

Just a small town girl
Livin’ in a lonely world
She took the midnight train
Goin’ anywhere
Just a city boy
Born and raised in South Detroit
He took the midnight train
Goin’ anywhere

A singer in a smokey room
A smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on

Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching
In the night
Streetlights, people
Livin’ just to find emotion
Hidin’, somewhere in the night

Workin’ hard to get my fill
Everybody wants a thrill
Payin’ anything to roll the dice
Just one more time
Some will win
Some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on

Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching
In the night
Streetlights, people
Livin’ just to find emotion
Hidin’, somewhere in the night

Don’t stop believin’
Hold on to the feelin’
Streetlights, people
Don’t stop believin’
Hold on
Streetlights, people