Sunday, January 16, 2011

There's Data in Them Hills!


It takes a while for most people to gain the right amount of exposure on the internet. The trouble that a lot of analysts have run into is, there is not a real measuring stick that can judge your progress short of some insight graphs and number of "friends" or subscriptions you have. The truth is that you may be getting a large amount of traffic to your website or blog and never truly see a benefit in the real world. That is why it is important to not let your content stand alone. What I mean by that is create a link from one piece of content to another. Guiding those who click on your video or blog through a maze of information that you choose to display. I call it building off ramps on the information superhighway.

I will cover this in more detail in my book but for now I want you to imagine your website as an on-ramp to the highway and your video is a rest stop. At a traditional rest stop you would offer a bathroom and maybe a vending machine. You could include some scenery and maybe even a place to have a picnic. The same is true for your video content on your website. Offer your viewer something other than one thing and offer it in a way that is inviting and pleasant. Then your measurement for success is how long the people spent at your rest stop? How many people used the bathroom? Did they buy candy? Did they take pictures of your scenery? Now you have an better idea of what your customer or client is looking for from you and you are able to offer better products and services in the process. You also want to be honest and genuine. As corny as it sounds it's all about caring and sharing in this new world of marketing. If you do not really care about the viewer they will not care about your product or service.

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Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Teaching, is the true key to success.

When you study for your masters degree, part of your requirement to graduate is to teach.  When studying kung-fu one must teach in order to achieve the level of black sash. The same process is in life and business. Any amount of success worth having can only be achieved when you take the knowledge you have learned and teach someone else. It is a natural progression of things in life that we usually see with parents and children. Although it can also be seen between siblings and friends. The point is to have success in anything you must be available to teach others and this blog will give you a few guild lines to follow to develop the teacher in you.

One of the most notable ways to become a teacher, other than the conventional way, is to mentor a teen or young adult. There are many programs you can join in order to do this. Other common ways are through your church or social club. The important thing is to develop good teaching habits and convey your subject clearly so your "students" can learn. First, be sure to know your subject matter thoroughly. This may require you to brush up on your material but you should be doing that anyway to stay ahead of the curve. In the quest to create our own position  a person must be dedicated to improving their skills on a daily basis. Second, you need to categorize your abilities into groups and write them down. Writing thoughts and ideas down will make them stand out in your mind. If you have a different method that does that for you, by all mean, do whatever makes you focus best. Just understand that this is a commitment to yourself and you are in charge of keeping that commitment and no one else. Diversification is also very important because the more you have to teach your student the more successful you will become as a result. Third, you need to engage with your network and help those who may need it and accept help when you need it. Now, this is not just a simple... "whoever needs help look at me!" method of engagement. What is is meant by that is, you have to care about people's needs in order to be an effective teacher. So, as you engage with people, note who has a need in your area of expertise and only offer information to those people first. Then as you help them, you will find others asking for your help instead of you offering it. Finally, you want to gain credibility. This is the tricky part to the process. Not everyone will rush to your side to learn from you so you need to let people know what and how you can teach. This will take time and effort. Often, conversations with people at social mixers and business seminars can generate a buzz about your knowledge that open the door to teach what you know. A great book to read about communication that can help is, "Fierce Conversations" by Susan Scott.

For far to long the school systems have left many unsatisfied with the education given. It is a responsibility as to invest in education and offer education to others who need it. It's the old fashion "give back to the community" ideology that is the is the untold secret to success. Please remember to follow this blog at the upper left side of the page and feel free to comment below. If there is a topic you wish me to address feel free to email projectbennyblanco@gmail.com.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Secrets Inside Bartering

Have you ever thought to ask your plumber if you could trade something for services. Or asked your mechanic if there was something he was looking for that you both could trade to get your car fixed. In today's economy the most beneficial action to save money and build relationships is the age old art of bartering. It is called an art because it takes a bit of skill to trade effectively and you also need to have a strong enough network of people you can trade with. In this blog you will go over some useful tips that will help you develop the skills of bartering.

Barter is defined by dictionary.com as; to trade by exchange of commodities rather than by the use of money. During times of struggle, like most are experiencing today, this is the most effective way to save money and not sacrifice a lot in the process. But, did you also know it is a highly effective promotions and advertising tool. Not to mention the perfect way to build strong relationships in your community. Let me give you an example. 
Susie is a massage therapist who needs to get her floors redone and she has decided on wood but does not have the skills to lay the floor herself nor does she have enough money to cover the cost of installation. 
Carl is a carpenter who works long hours and has been developing a bad back. He has been to see a chiropractor and was told he should get a regular massage treatment and the cost of a weekly massage is not in his budget at the moment.

As you can see these two people should meet and discuss how they can help each other. Once Susie starts working on Carl's back, he will tell everyone how good he feels. Susie will have her floor done and tell everyone who comes to her home how it was installed. The two of them will start a buzz about bartering and not even realize it. The biggest question people ask is how can Susie and Carl find each other in the first place to make this wonderful transaction occur. The easiest way to make a match up like this is to advertise on Craig's list or Facebook that you have a service for trade. Other ways to find people to barter with are at business socials or the old fashion way... the classified section. Of course when you barter you need to match the value of the services with what you are trading. Be sure to not under sell yourself and get what you really need out of the deal.

Now that the concept of bartering is understood, here are a few hints as to how you can find enough people to trade with where you can really see a difference in the money you are saving and the promotion you are getting:

  1. Become and member of a barter brokering group. These groups have brokers not unlike on Wall Street that help you connect with whoever you need to trade with. You simply tell the Barter Broker what you need and what you have to trade and they locate the person right for you to trade with. It's that simple. The service usually costs under $5 a month and you pay a very small fee per trade.
  2. List 5 things you are really good at and rate them from best to least favorite to do. Then start with the top skill and market it as a service to your family and friends in trade. This also ties into creating your own position.
  3. Offer trade for services with landscapers, accountants, plumbers, mechanics and ask them to spread the word. Even if they don't accept the deal, the fact that you asked will create a buzz that you have a service to offer and these professionals see a lot of people who they can tell.
Finally, a lot of people that are not fans of trade have not really looked at the things they need done other than paying bills. So, you really need to be sure you create a good network of people you can negotiate your skills with rather than wasting your time calling random businesses. This is why the barter service is important, just in case you cannot make time to meet people. The more businesses that trade with each other the better chance of helping to keep more businesses open during hard economic times. Your business's cash flow will open up and you will be able to budget much more effectively by bartering just a few services and getting your name out in the public in a new light. For more tips on bartering and how barter brokers work, visit Insidebarter.com