Last week I posted my answers to the social media questions that members of the Halton-Peel Chapter of Professional Organizers in Canada recently asked me. As promised, this week I’m posting the rest of their questions, along with my answers.

©Depositphotos / Vladislav Kochelaevskiy

Blogging

What would be the #1 Social Media tool you would suggest to start with?

The best social media platform for you is the one most used by the people in your target market. Regardless of which one you choose, I strongly believe that a blog should be the hub of all your social media activity. If you devote a lot of time and energy to developing great content for your Facebook page, but all of a sudden Facebook is no longer popular, or your page gets deleted due to some technical glitch, it’s of no value to you. Instead, put all your best content on your blog, where it can remain permanently, and post links to it on your social media accounts.

Is WordPress the best place to blog?

I am a huge fan of WordPress.

Do you post photos onto your blog as well?

Absolutely! Photos not only add visual appeal to your posts, but they make them pinnable on Pinterest. In addition, if there’s an image in your post, a thumbnail will appear when you share a link to your blog posts on Facebook, making it more likely that people will notice it and click on it.

Would you separate your blog from your website? For example, have your business website with your domain and then your blog on WordPress.com?

You can do that, but I highly recommend that you incorporate your blog into a WordPress site on your own hosting account. Because your blog is going to be updated more frequently than your website, that’s what’s going to generate the most traffic. Don’t you want those readers to be as close to the information about your services as possible?

Do you have to pay for using WordPress?

Not exactly. WordPress.com is a free service, but you are limited to the design themes and features they offer. If you want to customize a theme or use your own domain name, you have to pay for a premium account.

Self-hosted WordPress (often referred to as WordPress.org) is free software, but it needs to be installed on a hosting account, which you have to pay for. It is much more powerful, allowing you to choose from a much broader selection of design themes, or even to have your own custom theme designed, and offers a lot more bells and whistles.

For a more detailed explanation, refer to my Website Owner’s Guide for Non-Techies.

What do you blog about?

The possibilities are endless, but here are a few suggestions:

• The organizing products you use most often
• Organizing books you’ve read
• Answers to questions people have asked you in workshops, emails, or consultations

For additional content ideas, check out:

• Blog Energizer’s Blogging Calendar & Planner (free download)
• Professional Organizers Blog Carnival monthly themes
• Blog Post Ideas plug-in for WordPress (free with any WordPress Package from Organized Assistant®

I don’t want to give away too much of my knowledge. What would stop people from using the information and  organizing themselves?

Don’t be afraid to demonstrate your expertise! Yes, people hire you because of what you know, but it’s not the only reason. Many people lack the time, energy, or interest to carry out a major organizing project on their own.

Michelle Shaeffer wrote an excellent post about this very topic: Overcoming Secret Blogging Fears: If I Give Away My Secrets and No One Will Hire Me

Email Marketing

Do you send out Newsletters?

I don’t do a traditional newsletter, but I do have a mailing list through which people can receive my blog posts by email.

What tool do you suggest?

I really like MailChimp. It’s free if you have less than 2000 subscribers, and you can email them as often as you like at no extra charge. It’s also one of the easiest email systems I’ve ever used.

How does  MailChimp make money?

They charge for people with 2000 or more subscribers. If you use the free service, you have to put the MailChimp branding in it, but if you get a paid account, you can remove it. There are also other features available for a small fee.

Can you set up both Newsletters and a blog through MailChimp?

Yes, you can. I have one client who sends out a quarterly newsletter in addition to a monthly summary of her blog posts.

How do you get people sign up for your Newsletter?

You can put a sign-up box on your website and on your Facebook page.

Do you help others to create newsletters?

Yes, I do. In fact, I started offering VA services when I was a professional organizer and another POC member asked me to set up a newsletter for her. I help by designing templates, setting up mailing lists, editing and formatting content, and setting up RSS-to-email campaigns.

Virtual Assistants

What do Virtual Assistants do?

This virtual assistant focuses mainly on blogging – including everything from WordPress installation and theme design (for both websites and blogs), developing an editorial calendar, proofreading and formatting posts, sourcing images, ghost writing – anything to help you promote your business through your blog!

How do you charge for your services?

For new blogs and websites, I charge by the project. For other services, I offer hourly packages which are good for up to a year.

Websites

Would you use Go Daddy for building a website?

I don’t recommend using any site building software that is offered by a hosting company. Aside from the limitations, if you decide to change web hosts, there is no way to transfer your site to the new service, so you basically have to start over again from scratch.

Do you know anyone who can help your website to be on the top in web searches?

I am very skeptical of anyone who claims they can get you top ranking in the search engines, as there are just too many factors. Furthermore, with personalization of search results, different sites come up for different users, depending on their browsing history. The best thing to do is keep adding new content to your site, using the keywords that your target market is most likely to enter in the search box.

Other

Do you find QR Codes useful?

I have very little experience with QR codes, but I follow Stephanie True Moss on Twitter, and that’s all she tweets about.

Would you have any comments of benefits and ways of using YouTube?

That’s also beyond my area of expertise, but I know that video is becoming more and more important as a marketing strategy. If you’re interested in speaking engagements, it’s a good way to let people see you in action. Many organizers use it to demonstrate specific organizing products or techniques.

Big thank you to Chapter Secretary Blanka Smetana of Tidy Corners for diligently writing down all of the questions, and to Program Coordinator Michelle O’Sullivan of Saving Spaces for inviting me to speak.

If you have anything to add to my answers, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment! And if you have a question of your own you’d like me to answer in a future blog post, I’d love to hear from you as well.

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on More Online Marketing Q&A.

I published The Organized Assistant Resource on a consistent monthly basis from 2003 to 2008. Once I began blogging regularly, I found myself less interested in putting together a structured newsletter every month, and gradually reduced the frequency of issues before formally discontinuing it earlier this year.

Most online marketing experts still stress the value of “building a list” over and above the people who subscribe to your blog via RSS or email, so from time to time I’ve questioned whether I made the right decision.

Michelle Deo introduced me to a fabulous email marketing service called MailChimp in the Professional Organizers Blog Carnival for January, and I was so impressed with it that I’ve recommended it to a number of people and implemented it on behalf of several clients. I’ve also been using it for the monthly Blog Carnival reminders.

As I familiarized myself with MailChimp’s many powerful features, I was delighted to learn that I could create a special mailing list which would send subscribers an email every Friday with all my posts for the week from both Your Organizing Business and my other blog, From the Desk of Janet Barclay. Now, instead of receiving several items in your email or RSS reader, you can receive them all at one time!

To join our mailing list, simply enter your information on our home page. From time to time we may send out exclusive subscriber-only offers, so be sure to indicate if you are a professional organizer or are located in Southern Ontario.

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on Join Our NEW Mailing List!.

Today I continue my series for Improve Management Skills Month with a look at social networking, both online and offline. Mastering the art of networking will help you to build your brand, expand your reach, grow your business, and be a more confident individual. To determine whether you are networking effectively, ask yourself the following questions.

1. Do you hand out business cards without even introducing yourself?

Networking is not about one-way advertising; it’s about building and growing relationships. Don’t worry that there isn’t time at a networking event to talk to every other person in attendance – networking is about quality, not quantity.

If there’s someone there that you really want to meet, but they are engaged in conversation with someone else, patiently wait for your opportunity to talk to them. Don’t just hand them your business card and hope they’ll be so enthralled with it that they’ll look you up. People form relationships with other people, not with business cards.

A better way to make connections is to initiate a conversation and ask for the other person’s card. If they want yours, they will ask for it. It might also be appropriate to ask them to email you some additional information about something you discussed, in which case it is perfectly acceptable to give them your business card.

The online equivalent of this faux pas is to send out Friend Requests on Facebook, or invitations to connect on LinkedIn, without including a personalized note introducing yourself and explaining why you’d like to connect with that person. If you know the person already, it’s probably acceptable (kind of like saying, “Mary, can I have your business card?”), but it’s always a nice touch, especially if they may not remember immediately where you’ve met.

Twitter is a little different, because you can follow most people without their permission, but if you’re following someone with the hope that they’ll notice and follow you back, you need to try a little harder. Show your admiration and interest by retweeting some of their posts, and engage in conversation by responding to others.

2. Do you monopolize the conversation?

When you meet someone for the first time, do you talk only about your business, or do you ask about theirs? Even if they offer a product or service you don’t need yourself, it might be useful to someone else you know, and you can do both people a favor by making the connection.

Of course you want to let people know what you offer – that’s one of the goals of networking – but avoid sharing too much information. Watch for visual cues that the other person is getting bored or wanting to get away to talk to others.

In online networking, make sure that your status updates and posts aren’t restricted to announcements about your new blog posts, upcoming events, or other forms of advertising. It’s important to engage with others if you really want to build strong connections.

3. Do you add people to your mailing list without their  permission?

It just amazes me how many people think that it’s okay to start sending you their newsletter and/or promotional emails, just because you gave them your business card. I was recently at a networking breakfast where during the group discussion, someone mentioned how much this practice annoys them, and I agreed. Despite that, the person sitting next to me added me to her weekly mailing list, and I suspect that she added everyone else that she met too.

Of course, you want to increase your subscriber base, but that is not the way to go about it. I recommend that you take one of the following approaches:

• When the person gives you their card, say, “I have a weekly/monthly/occasional newsletter that I send that includes tips about organizing/special offers/information about my upcoming organizing workshops – may I add you to my mailing list?”
• When you get back to your office, email each person you met individually, tell them how much you enjoyed meeting them, and refer to something you discussed. Tell them about your newsletter and invite them to subscribe. Include a copy of a back issue to help them decide whether it’s something that would be of value to them.

When you add people without permission, even if they have the option of unsubscribing easily, you not only risk annoying them, but you put them in the awkward position of not wanting to offend someone they have just met. Is that really how you want to start off a new relationship? Sure, it takes a little more effort to email people personally, but it’s also a lot more effective. Remember: networking is about quality, not quantity.

This is less of an issue online, but I have occasionally had people start sending me their newsletters and e-flyers simply because we’d interacted through an online network, and not because I’d signed up for a free e-book or teleclass.

I could go on, but will save a discussion of opt-in, double opt-in, and opt-out systems for another post.

4. Do you forget to follow up with the people you meet?

Clearly, by following up, I don’t mean sending them your newsletter. I mean sending them a personal email, or perhaps a card in the mail, to reinforce the connection that you made. This is especially important if you offered to send them information about something.

It’s not about sending them your sales pitch, unless they specifically asked you to do that. If you really want to be remembered, why not send them an article about one of their areas of interest, to show that you were listening?

Online, once you’ve connected with people, make an effort to stay in touch. I realize that your time is valuable and I don’t expect you to send personal messages to everyone all the time. But if someone sends you a message on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or another site, take the time to respond. And be sure to acknowledge when someone receives an award or celebrates a birthday or anniversary.

The main thing to remember here is that networking isn’t about going out and getting clients. It’s not even about getting referrals. It’s about knowing the people in your network well enough that when someone asks you, “Do you know anyone who ….. ?” you’ll be able to connect them to someone. That will make people notice you, remember you, and appreciate you, and will ultimately (but not immediately) bring you new business.

One person I know who is a Master at networking is Michael Fletcher of Neworld Coaching. He goes out of his way to get to know every person in his very large network – what they do, what challenges they face, and what type of clients they’re looking for – without ever pushing his services, and it’s this very approach that has made his business such a success.

Recognizing that not everyone can afford business coaching, Michael has developed a 13-week online course called Small Business Group Coaching 101 where you’ll learn lots of important strategies to help you grow your business. This program includes weekly webinars, workbooks and other materials, and a one-on-one coaching session with Michael. If you sign up, please mention my name in the “Tell us about your company” area of the registration form.

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on Don’t Commit These Networking Faux Pas!.

As a business owner and manager, I’m sure that not a day goes by where you don’t have to write an email, a blog post, a proposal, or some other type of business document. Since everything you write is a reflection of you and your business, you need to make sure that your vocabulary and writing style are suited to your reader and that your spelling and grammar are flawless.

Today I continue my Improve Management Skills Month series with a few ways to ensure that your writing is the best that it possibly can be.

Before you send out any important correspondence, read it over carefully, checking in particular for the following.

Is your spelling accurate?

Don’t rely on your spellchecker to catch your typing errors! If your misspelled word just happens to be a valid dictionary word, your spellchecker won’t catch it. Furthermore, spellcheckers often don’t recognize certain words such as place names, and one of my former government co-workers created a letter template with a return address of “Hailstone, Ontario” because the spellchecker told her that was the correct spelling for “Hamilton.”

For quick checks, you can use an online dictionary site such as Dictionary.com. I like Merriam-Webster Online because I was able to add it to my search engine list in Firefox so I can simply type in a word to check the spelling without having to first navigate to the website. Sometimes though, you’ll need to refer to a proper dictionary, and it’s a worthwhile investment to have an up-to-date edition on hand. Not a week goes by that I don’t refer to my Oxford Canadian Dictionary.

Is your grammar correct?

Software is even less reliable when it comes to checking grammar, so you really need to be on your toes to avoid errors. Daily Writing Tips has an online Grammar Test you can take to see whether your grammar skills are up to snuff. Warning: it’s not as easy as it looks! Fortunately, the site also includes an archive of writing tips which includes punctuation, word usage, and much more.

Is your document readable?

Your writing should be easy for people to read, or they won’t bother. One way to do this is to avoid using overly long sentences and words that they may not understand, such as industry jargon and acronyms. There’s an interesting article on Wikipedia that explains the Flesch-Kincaid readability tests and how they relate to different types of writing.

Is your writing style appropriate?

Writing for the web is not like writing for print publications, because readers approach it very differently. People may not take the time to read dense blocks of text in a printed document, but they are even less likely to do so on a web page. The Longman Guide to Style and Writing on the Internet is an excellent resource for writing and formatting effective web documents.

Are you confident that your document says exactly what you want it to say?

Keep in mind that once you’ve sent off that proposal or ezine, it’s too late to make changes. Sure, you can send off a message saying “I meant to say…” but what is that going to do for your professional image? Is it worth missing out on an opportunity because your potential client thinks you are careless or don’t have a good eye for detail, or because he or she doesn’t understand what you’re trying to say?

If you’re interested in improving your business writing skills, you need to download Bad Language’s free ebook, 30 Days to Better Business Writing. It’s an amazing 116-page self-study guide that you can complete in just one month.

Even if you have excellent language skills, it’s very easy to overlook your mistakes because your brain already knows what you’re trying to say, so that’s what it sees on the page or screen. For your really important documents, it’s well worth it to have someone else review your writing before you send it out, whether it’s a colleague, a family member, or a virtual assistant.

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on How to be a Better Business Writer.

As promised, I’m back today for the second part of the January Professional Organizers Blog Carnival. If you’re not familiar with this feature, it’s a monthly collection of blog posts submitted by our readers. On Monday, we read about Christmas, New Year’s Resolutions, and time management, and today we’re going to learn about a few other topics to help you and your business.

Today we’ll start off with one of my favorite topics: technology.

For those of you looking at ways to eliminate or reduce your collection of business cards, Deb Lee brings us The Business Card vs. 7 iPhone Apps.

While we’re on the subject of handheld devices, Jacki Hollywood Brown tells us how she uses her iPod Touch to stay organized. Jacki says,

New technology can be expensive but if it is easy to use and increases your productivity it is certainly worth the effort.

Michelle Deo introduces us to a wonderful e-mail marketing service, in Friday Fave : MailChimp. I have just started using this service on behalf of a client and can honestly say it’s one of the best I’ve used (and I’ve used quite a few)!

Also on the subject of marketing, Janet Baker describes Two Great Ways for Professional Organizers and Virtual Assistants to Market their Business.

If you’re looking for new ways to support your clients, check out Stephanie LH Calahan‘s I’ve Had Enough and I’m Doing Something About It!. Stephanie explains,

I’ve had a lot of clients over the years that have waged war on their paper, but a while ago I received a letter in the mail that made me smile and say, “You GO Girl!”

Mary and I had completed a strategy session that included ideas for how she could manage the ever mounting piles of paper in her home office. She had good ideas about what she needed to keep and what to let go of, but over time, the piles had just accumulated and had grown to an overwhelming amount.  We came up with an idea that was fun and managed the situation really well.  I’ll tell you about it today.  See if you have any clients that could use this strategy.

If any of your clients are dealing with hoarding or other serious issues, you should read Geralin Thomas‘s post about the Harm Reduction Method. This topic is explored further in the book reviewed by Jeri Dansky in her post, Good Book: Digging Out. Jeri says,

This new book is a great resource for anyone dealing with a friend or family member – or a client – who has hoarding issues. The focus on harm reduction is something I’ve not seen elsewhere, making this one of the few “organizing” books I’ve read that taught me something totally new.

On the financial front, Janet Nusbaum answers the question, Do Coupons Really Save you Money?

Jane Veldhoven talks about managing a business and a house, something many of us can relate to, in Managing My Life – Whew!, and Lelah Baker-Rabe explains why Simplicity is revolutionary.

This month’s carnival closes with a caution from Lisa Montanaro: Don’t Fall Into the Trap of the Shoemaker’s Shoes: Benefit From Your Own Expertise!

Thanks so much to everyone who submitted a post this month! I am just delighted about the growing popularity of the Professional Organizers Blog Carnival, but I’m concerned about the amount of time it’s taking me to compile the rapidly increasing number of submissions, and for you to read them. Therefore, I’m going to try something new next month.

Since February is National Time Management Month, next month’s Carnival will be dedicated to the topic of Time Management, and only submissions related to that subject will be accepted. If you haven’t blogged on that topic recently, you are welcome to submit an older post – or maybe this will inspire you to write something new!

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on Professional Organizers Blog Carnival – January 2010 Edition, Part 2.

Internet Marketing is one of the most important tools in your business arsenal. Not only does it cost less than advertising in print and broadcast media, its interactive nature allows you to build relationships with clients and prospects without the need for time-consuming telephone or face-to-face meetings. Internet marketing is much more than just putting up a website! Your Internet marketing plan may include search engine optimization, email marketing, blogging, social networking, and other strategies.

There are lots of resources available to help you understand various aspects of online marketing, including this blog, but did you ever think it would be helpful to have that information neatly packaged into a 90-minute seminar? Do you prefer learning in a live group setting, rather than participating in a webinar or teleclass? Have I got news for you!

I am really excited to announce that I’ve been invited to be the guest speaker at the POC Toronto Chapter meeting this month, where I’ll be sharing some of my best Internet marketing tips to help you decide the best ways to market your organizing business.

The meeting is being held upstairs at Loblaws – Forest Hill Market, which offers free parking and is right across from the St. Clair West subway station. Come at 6:00 for networking and refreshments; the seminar itself will start around 7:00, and there will be plenty of time allowed to ask questions after my formal presentation.

There is no charge to members of Professional Organizers in Canada to attend, and guests pay only $15.00 at the door. I hope you will try to make it if you can, as it’s such a great value, and I’d love to meet as many of my blog readers as possible! I’m especially looking forward to reconnecting with POC members that I haven’t seen since I last went to Conference, in 2006.

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on Live Seminar in Toronto: Maximizing Your Internet Marketing.

Being the organized professional that you are, I’m sure you’ve started a list or database of potential clients who have inquired about your services, other entrepreneurs you’ve met at networking events, names you’ve collected at trade shows and speaking engagements, and other contacts. It’s great to have that information on file, but your business will benefit much more if you have a system in place for staying in touch with them on a regular basis.

I conducted a survey last year in which 95% of the participants stated that they subscribe to at least one newsletter, and 22% subscribe to more than five. Offering a newsletter is a popular and effective way to keep your name in front of people, because instead of just trying to sell them your services, you provide valuable information from which they can put to good use.

If you enjoy writing, you can craft your own newsletter and send it out, either by mail or email. If you decide to write your own newsletter, I strongly encourage you to ask someone else (me perhaps?) to go through it with a fine-tooth comb for spelling and grammar mistakes. No matter how strong your language skills are, it’s very difficult to spot your own errors, because your unconscious mind sees the message the way you intended it to read.

If writing is not your forte, or you’re just too busy to fit it into your schedule, you can still send out a monthly newsletter, thanks to two seasoned professional organizers, Debbie Jordan Kravitz and Tammy Burke. With their valuable service, you can easily send an issue of Organizer News to your mailing list every month. You can view a sample issue on their website, and your first month is free, so you can try it out and see whether it’s right for your business.

When you sign up for the service, you’ll receive:

• A Microsoft Word document which you can customize
• A PDF version of the newsletter that you can simply print and mail or attach to an email
• An HTML version that you can send out using one of the popular email marketing systems, such as Practice Pay Solutions

By the way, Practice Pay Solutions also offer tools for selling physical and digital products on your website, managing your affiliate program and a lot more. I’ve completed their certification program, and will be happy to help you get started.

If you’d prefer to use your own unique newsletter content, but don’t have the time, interest or skills to put it together, let’s talk. With my experience in the organizing industry, I can prepare drafts for you, on which you can apply your finishing touches, or even ghost write articles on your behalf. I can also design a customized ezine template to match the look and feel of your website, and suggest themes for your monthly newsletter. Here is a sample of a newsletter I created for one of my clients.

I can’t cover the topic of newsletters without mentioning that you should NOT add people to your ezine subscriber list without permission. It’s very presumptuous, if not illegal, and may result in your messages being blocked by many ISPs and email service providers. Instead, send a copy of a recent issue along with a personal message inviting them to sign up. Don’t worry that this will result in your list being smaller, as there’s little if any value in sending your newsletter to individuals who are unlikely to read it anyway.

Are you ready to send out your newsletter?

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on Tips for Creating Your Professional Organizer Newsletter.