Paul Barrs is one of Australia’s leading Search Engine Optimisation experts and takes us through the essentials of getting your healthy website ranking and being found by your clients and customers.
Author: Krishna Everson
Krishna Everson is a Health Promoter, Writer and Marketing Consultant and Trainer who works with health and wellness professionals who want to share their message, promote their service, or sell their product or book.
5 Ways to Leverage the National Health Calendar to Promote Your Health Business
Not a week goes by without an opportunity to promote a health message, product or service.
In the last week alone, we have seen National Palliative Care Week and Kidney Health Week, as well as World MS Day, National Sorry Day and Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea to raise funds for Cancer Research.
What makes these events so wonderful is they can increase awareness about important health issues and social determinants of health while providing you with an exceptional opportunity to leverage your health message, product, service or book.
Tapping into the health calendar is easy, and there are a variety of ways you can do this depending on your time, energy and resources.
Here are 5 of my favourites. With a little planning, they are easy to do, and won’t break your marketing budget!!
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HOLD A MINI EXPO OR INFORMATION SESSION FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS
We know that the best source of ongoing business is through your existing clients, so holding an event especially for them makes perfect sense! Try partnering with other local practitioners to provide a value packed information session for your participants. Aligning the event with a registered charity or fundraiser is a wonderful way to engage additional support.
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WRITE A BLOG HIGHLIGHTING THE CAUSE AND SHARE USEFUL TIPS TO PREVENT OR HELP THOSE WITH THE CONDITION *
Writing a health blog with a timely message increases the likelihood that it will be shared and invites interaction. Ideally your blog will be an element on your website, which you can use to stimulate traffic. Build engagement by inviting readers to comment about their personal experiences with the health issue or topic. Incorporate a call to action where prospects can contact you to get help with the issue or find out more from you as a practitioner.
*Always be mindful that you are not making false or misleading claims, and content is for educational purposes only. ACCC offers some health advertising guidelines here.
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OFFER TO SPEAK AT A RELEVANT LOCAL ORGANISATION OR COMMUNITY GROUP
Offering your services for free to a local group is a great way to reach new customers, and receive free publicity through their networks. It’s an opportunity to be promoted through their existing database, and through both yours and their social media channels, demonstrate your expertise and build your profile.
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RAISE AWARENESS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Even if you are too short on time to do events, talks or even write a blog, posting an image or infographic highlighting the cause is an opportunity to share something other than promotional speak through your social media channels. Social media should always include a mix of education, promotion, and value adding, as well as asking questions, and sharing a bit of humour! Time to mix it up!
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SEND A PRESS RELEASE TO THE MEDIA
If you don’t tap into the power of the media for health calendar events, I assure you that someone else will. A press release can feature the day itself, and event you are holding, or even tips to combat the issue.
SO WHERE DO YOU START?
Follow these steps to make the most of the National Health Calendar in YOUR health business.
- Check out the National Health Calendar for your country or state
- Record dates that relate to the work that you do
- Decide the most suitable methods to maximise the calendar date and topic
- Add it to your calendar allowing enough time for promotion if needed
- Plan the necessary steps
- Implement
- Rinse and repeat!
LEVERAGE YOUR EFFORTS BY REPURPOSING – a few suggestions…
- Doing a talk? Turn it into a blog post, a fact sheet or newsletter
- Doing a blog post? Turn its most valuable tips as a series of social media posts.
- Turn a series of tips into an infographic.
- Embed your infographic into your blog so it’s easily shared.
- Put your infographic on visual social media channels such as Instagram and Pinterest.
- Link your infographic back to your blog.
Need help to prepare your marketing plan, or implement these tactics with ease? Krishna can help or upskill your team! Send her an email at krishna@healthymarketing.com.au for an obligation free chat or phone her on 0458 639 559.
Krishna Everson is a health writer and promoter, who works with health enterprises to create online content that drives consumer behaviour toward pathways to good health.
Rediscover your point of difference…
Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater if you want to stand out from the crowd…
Every so often, we find ourselves revisiting our dreams and visions, so that we can carve out a destiny, and live a life that is more joyful.
Never before have we had more opportunity to create what we want, in line with our passion and purpose, to dream big, and pursue our grand plans.
But I have noticed something…
That in our clamour to re-invent, re-create, and re-design our businesses, that it is easy to toss out some of our greatest assets, the pieces of our ‘old life’ that we deem no longer valuable, or not part of our future direction.
Sometimes when we are looking to the future, it is so bright that a shadow can be cast on our greatest gifts and they get overlooked.
But, when I left the world of media publishing and sales, to enter the world of health and fitness (my passion), I said goodbye to the old corporate suit and hello to the world of lycra and spandex. As far as I was concerned, those paths would never cross again. If you’re like me, you’ve probably had a
variety of jobs and several careers. I’ve been a sales person, an advertising executive, an aerobics instructor, and a health policy writer. I’ve sold vacuum cleaners, sweated with the best of them, written millions of dollars worth of advertising, built a gym membership from 150 to 1400 and and been a part of health planning reform.
As we carve out our new destiny’s, pursue our visions and fulfill our purpose, I want to emphasise the importance of being all that we are. Of harnessing the skills we have developed over the years, and embracing every element that can help us to shine in our own unique way.
Our past careers and work lives are part of that. It is the unique blend of our background and experiences that make us who we are, shape our story, and highlight what makes us different. These differences are to be embraced.
What makes you unique? Let it shine!
When it comes to marketing, it is very important that you are able to stand out. This doesn’t mean that you need to yell and scream ‘look at me’, but it does mean that your potential prospects need to be able to recognise how you are different to your competition in a positive way, and that you are the right choice for them. This means highlighting your differences in way that is easy to relate to. All too often I witness brilliant backgrounds becoming lost in a sea of sameness, when there is clearly a gap in the market for their unique blend of knowledge and abilities. Never be ashamed of your past.
Embrace it in all it’s glory.
Can you stand out from the crowd?
Asking yourself these questions will help you to identify your uniqueness?
- How are you unique and distinct?
- What sets you apart from your competitors
- What is the main focus of your service?
- What is unusual about what you do?
- How does that benefit your customer?
- What can’t they get anywhere else?
- What can the get elsewhere, but no-one is pointing it out?
- What will your clients experience when they visit you? How does this differ to other similar services?
What do YOU do differently?
Can you complete these sentences?
I am the only one who works with people who have ___________________________
I use my story of _________________________ to relate to my clients
No one else is offering __________________________________
I am the only one who is prepared to guarantee __________________________________
I sound different to my competitors by staking my claim in __________________________
People seek me out because of my ____________________________________________
Stake your claim!!
I would love to hear about your coloured past! What unique backgrounds do you have? How did that influence what you are doing today? How does it benefit your clients now?
Share it in the comments below……
How to add a MailChimp subscription form to your Facebook page
If you are looking for an easy way to build your subscriber list, you can’t go past integrating MailChimp with your social media platforms.
In today’s post, I’ll take you step by step through adding a customised subscription tab to your Facebook page.
During this easy to follow video, I will show you how to position your Facebook subscription tab in two places:
1. At the top of your Facebook timeline below your cover image
2. At the side of your Facebook timeline with your other apps.
As an added bonus, I’ll show you how to create the custom 111 x 74 pixel image required for your custom tab using www.canva.com
Watch the HOW TO video step by step
Got questions? Add them in the comments below. If you would like more video tips, let me know what you are looking for. I love to make marketing easy.
Krishna Everson
Your Health Marketing Specialist
Your 5 Minute Marketing Self Assessment
Have you ever wished you could shine a light on exactly where to focus your energy, so that you could get the maximum out of your business without the guesswork?
The same applies to marketing.
This 5-minute marketing self-assessment has no wrong answers but will clearly identify where to put your efforts so that you can be more effective attracting the right clients, spend your energy on the right tasks and uncover your weak areas, in less time than it takes to have a cup of coffee! Continue reading “Your 5 Minute Marketing Self Assessment”
Cropping WordPress Images Made Easy
Visual Marketing
It’s a trend that won’t be fading in a hurry.
So what do you do if you’ve taken an image with your iphone because an opportunity presented itself, but it needs to be trimmed for maximum impact?
Image Cropping Made Easy
Here’s a quick tip.
Even though there are some amazing free image tools such as Canva and Pic Monkey, it’s not necessary to crop your images on your WordPress site.
Cropping WordPress images can be done directly on your WP dashboard.
This quick video will show you how.
Hope this hit the spot!
Cheers
Krishna
10 Surprising Business Lessons from a Lotus Blossom
One of the joys of Entrepreneurship is that inspiration can come from the most unlikely places.
I recently experienced the delight of watching a Lotus Blossum bloom that hadn’t flowered for 2 years. It was inherited from my mum after she passed away.
I shared this experience with my friends on Facebook, who followed along for the journey; delighting me with their likes and comments, as they came to appreciate the unexpected twists and turns of watching the magificant flower blossom.
What I didn’t expect, was that I gained many insights from this experience, personally and as a business owner, and I would love to share them with you.
10 Things I Learned Watching a Lotus Blossom Bloom
10. It’s possible to re-emerge after a period of dormancy
This was my first lesson. I couldn’t have been more surprised when I discovered that first bud. When a second popped up I was elated! I realised that when our businesses go through tough periods, that does not have to be our future. A bright future is always possible!
9. There’s always a place for optimism
Forget the naysayers who say it can’t be done! Your vision is there for a reason, and can bare fruit when nurtured. If you have a strong desire to make a difference and turn it into a business or project, I believe it should be pursued. Surround yourself with others who will acknowledge and support what it is you are trying to do. Get help if needed to see that dream realised. Our budding ideas need nourishment to come to fruition. Creating an optimistic environment for your business idea or project to flourish can make all the difference to the outcome.
8. If you know what you want, the how will take care of itself
When the Lotus bud popped it’s little head up, I knew I was going to see a Lotus flower. What I didn’t know was how it was going to happen. I didn’t know that it opened at first light, then retreated into it’s petals in the mid afternoon. I didn’t know it only flowered for 3 days. I didn’t know a pod filled with seed for future abundance would be left behind. When you decide what it is you are aiming for, allow your awareness to see the opportunities for making it happen, and embrace what it is you need right now. Don’t complicate things.
7. Everything has a season. Including business.
Now my Lotus plant has bloomed I have great expectations for her next year! But there will be a period of hybernation, during which time I will prune her, and nourish her, so that I can enjoy her abundance next summer. Our businesses also require pruning and nurturing. Trim what’s not working, nuture what is working, and what your clientele are asking for. When we follow the laws of nature, amazing things are possible. It’s a natural evolution.
6. We already have seed in our hand
Every business journey, even the failed ones provide seed that can blossom into new growth when planted. Each of my expired Lotus blossoms delivered 7 seed; that’s 7 potential new blooms. Our businesses are like that too. The seed you have in your hand may be an inactive subscriber list, filed documents you could turn into blogs, or a neglected client list. It could be content that can be re-purposed into a new product, an old workshop that could be re-energised, or a list of referrals yet to be followed up. Find YOUR seed, plant it, nourish it, and watch it bloom.
5. Things happen in stages
I watched my baby buds emerge from the murky water, expanding with promise into a heavily laden mature bud of promise, before eventually opening in the morning sun. She retreated into her petals in the afternoon, before waking again with the early light. This happened over 3 days before dropping her petals leaving a fertile seed pod behind. Our projects occur in stages too. Initally excitement and launch, then the building of activity and momentum, eventually waning as new trends emerge, and client attention goes elsewhere. Enjoy this process of evolution, evolve to meet the needs of your clients. Know that the potential is always there to create new things that meet the needs of your market.
4. Early to bed, early to rise – make time to recharge
My Lotus blossoms opened with the morning sun, and closed around 2.30 in the afternoon. Interestingly, this matches my routine as a I clock off around 2.30 to collect my daughter from school. But I have a tendency to stay up late, catching up on tasks, and not allowing enough time to rest. Whatever your entrepreneurial routine, don’t forget that rest is important to operate at your peak for both creativity and productivity. Use your time mindfully.
3. There’s always time for reflection
Taking time to watch, record and share the journey of my Lotus was an absolute gift. I was inspired, and so were others. Personally and professionally. Reflecting on our business can bring similar rewards. Celebrating our achievements, acknowledging our failures, recognising our limitations, maximising our strengths. Making time to review the various elements might include your product mix, sales processes, systems and operations. See it as an opportunity to be inspired and enhance what you do and how you do it.
2. Nature is never lacking
Fight it we might, but you can’t keep a good entrepreneur down. We are wired for it. That includes the soulful, heart-centred and introverted entrepreneur. You are not lacking. Your dreams and desires are here for a purpose. You don’t need to be loud and opinionated; simply consistent and visible, so those you can help know you are there. This can be done in a multitude of ways thanks to the gift of social media and the internet. Now is your time. It always was!
1. You have everything you need
What you need is either available within you, accessible outside you, or reachable beyond you. You simply need to ask. What do you need today? What is your dream? What will step you towards that goal today? Ask yourself what you need to do right now to move you towards what you want to create this year. Ask others who are in a position to help. The law of request will allow your needs to be met. ASK. What is it I want. What is it that my market wants. How can I deliver what they want. What do I need to do right now so I can give them what they want. I promise you the answers will be there. Then do it.
Another of the gifts from this journey is the various images that that were taken and shared. I was able to demonstrate how I was able to turn my own image into an inspirational meme at the top of this post. It was created with www.canva.com Check out how you can create your own.
So what do you think? Are you inspired by the things around you? Are you moving step by step towards your dreams and goals? I’d love to hear your story.
Share your insights below. xxx
3 Keys to Promoting Yourself When You Are Time Poor
One of the greatest challenges solo business owners have, is that they are doing EVERYTHING, especially in the beginning.
Now, although I highly recommend outsourcing, it’s not always possible; so here are my tips to get the most out of your marketing (online AND off), when you have limited time, money and energy!
Think SIMPLICITY!
KEY 1 Know why you’re doing this!
KEY 2 Choose methods that leverage
KEY 3 F.O.C.U.S your efforts
Know WHY are you doing this
It’s REALLY easy to be busy. It’s also EASY to waste time. So, have a plan, even if it’s a 1 page one, that identifies what you want (such as how many clients, how much income, how many appointments etc), and work backwards.
Make sure your intentions remain linked to your INNER WHY. Goals or intentions alone are never enough. It’s our inner why that keeps us going when we feel like giving up.
Oh, and don’t forget to celebrate when you kick a goal!
Promotion HOW TO’s that leverage your time
These are my favourite mix of online and offline promotional methods, why I like them, and how I keep them as simple as possible – after all there is only one of me!
Why I use it: My audience hangs out there. I am also very comfortable blending business with personal, because that’s how I tend to relate. Don’t be ashamed about the work you do. If you love it stand proud!
How I use it: In short bursts several times a day. I used to spend way too much time, but now I find it too noisy to stay on too long. I check my messages, notifications, and business pages, and respond to conversations I’ve been a part of. I have group notifications turned OFF (unless they are essential to connecting with my audience). It works alongside my offline networking. I tend to keep interactions brief and to the point, because I’m not into extended small talk in real life, so I don’t do it here either. It’s important to be yourself.
Why I use it: It’s short, targeted, wide reaching, easy to share, and can be managed in less than 10 minutes a day.
How I use it: I zip in, and look for mentions or shares from others and thank them first. Then I check my newsfeed (that info highway stream), and see if there is anything worth sharing (which I retweet), or commenting on (which I reply to).
Articles
Why I use it: It’s the best use of my time, because I can pop it in a newsletter, add it to my blog, share on social media, while it builds my written content, and drives traffic to my website through keywords. This content can be repurposed in the future in workshops, eBooks and even public speaking presentations.
Article writing is an essential skill for business owners because you can demonstrate your value easily and build your credibility. (I offer extensive training in this topic).
How I use it: I write an article about whatever topic is on the agenda, or is being discussed in my circles. I like to answer my client’s questions and concerns. I publish it in my email newsletter and on my blog, which can be easily shared on Facebook, in relevant groups, and on my Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus profiles.
Joint Ventures
Why I use it: Two heads (or more) are always better than one! It’s easier to create an impact, and deliver value to your client base, when you join forces with others. It’s a great way to expand your circle of influence. If you are new to business, create a joint venture as soon as you can.
How I use it: I joint venture with my graphic designer buddy Jeanne Treloar, because she is a branding genius. We share an audience, and we complement one another’s services. At the end of the day, our clients benefit more when our services work together, because they look great as well as increasing their visibility and reach. I have also partnered with a WordPress developer so that I can focus on training and marketing (which I love), and he can do the technical website parts. It’s a win/win/win – for me, my partners and my clients.
Workshops
Why I use it: I use workshops because I can share ‘how to’ skills to a group instead of just one on one, which is a slower process, and can get tedious at times. Because I have a teaching gift, and love to impart knowledge, it makes sense to use this method. The process of working within a group event creates buzz, and leads to referrals following the event. They provide value as a stand-alone offering, and can also lead to further work with participants.
How I use it: I only choose topics that are unique (I try to add my own spin on them), that can truly benefit my audience, as well as demonstrate true value. Workshops for the sake of them, without really understanding what your prospects want and need, will lead to disappointment, because it will be hard to get bums on seats. It’s essential to meet your market where they are at, and deliver what they actually want! So don’t forget to ask them what they would like you to offer.
Public Speaking
Why I use it: Public speaking is a wonderful way to broaden my reach to new people I’ve never met before. After all, not everyone is on Facebook! It’s a great way for people to experience me personally, and then they can make their own choice about if they would like to consider using my other tools.
How I use it: I never say no to a speaking gig! Once scheduled, I don’t just rely on the organiser, but contribute to the promotion of the event, so that everyone benefits. Always have an offer, a followup product, or an invitation to lead people to, following the event.
MY TOOLS
A WordPress website with an integrated blog
Social media accounts Facebook, Twitter, Linked In and Google +
MailChimp to manage my email subscribers
Business cards for networking and referrals
DON’T FORGET
- Stay connected to your inner why – your vision and why you started in the first place
- Set goals and intentions, so you know how you are tracking (and when to celebrate!)
- Network Online AND Off, wherever your tribe hang out
- Demonstrate your value using methods that highlight your strengths
Do you have tips for saving time and money? What are your favourite social media channels, and why do you use them? I’d love to hear then, so add them to the comments, or if you have any questions ask them and I’ll address them in future blogs!
WordPress Undressed – Choosing a WordPress Theme
As I pen this WordPress post, there have been 11,255,035 downloads of version 4.0 since it’s release on September 4. That’s a crazy statistic!
With managing your own website more simple than ever before with this powerful platform, it’s little wonder that around 25% of new websites are being built using the the WordPress CMS (short for Content Management System).
However, when it comes to choosing a theme (which gives your site it’s look and feel, such as colours, fonts and layouts), it’s easy to get trapped in the rabbit hole of finding the perfect theme for your website or project.
With more than 17,000 themes available, this post is dedicated to simplifying the process for you.
Questions to ask when choosing a WordPress theme
- What purpose is it going to serve?
- How do I want it to look?
- What functions does it need?
- How much skill does it require to operate
- Will it need additional customisation?
Continue reading “WordPress Undressed – Choosing a WordPress Theme”
How to Uncover Your Marketing Mojo Made Easy
I’ve been talking a lot about finding your marketing mojo lately. When your marketing mojo is activated, it becomes easy to promote your business, service, cause or passion without feeling out of place or pushy.
I’m going to cover how to uncover yours in 5 simple steps, but first I thought I would show you some examples of where I think it has been used beautifully, quite often the subject doesn’t even know they’re doing it, it comes so naturally.
Lets consider the jeweller, the personal trainer, the massage therapist, the photographer and the accountant.
In these 5 examples you’ll get a glimpse of what it means when you operate out of your mojo (your inner magic and influence) which comes easily, then I’ll share a worksheet you can download and go through the process of finding yours.
Continue reading “How to Uncover Your Marketing Mojo Made Easy”