Tag Archives: twitter

Content Marketing Tips Infographic for a Constantly Shifting SEO Landscape

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When things are constantly changing around you it can feel a bit chaotic at times and leave you feeling dizzy and confused. With all of the changes to the Google search algorithm, content marketers can feel like they are not sure where to turn next. Well, today It is my intention to share some tips that will help you feel a bit more stable in spite of it all.

The good news is that there are some things that will never change, and that is the basic fact that Google will always reward you for creating consistently fresh, relevant and well-written content. If that’s the kind of content you produce then you can take a deep breath, wipe your brow and keep on writing.

If, on the other hand, you have been ascribing to the school of cranking out a ton of sub-standard, spun content that’s been written offshore then this blog post has some news for you.

Sekari Search & Social Optimization has come out with a spiffy new infographic that visually illustrates what you should be doing when it comes to content marketing. It covers SEO, conversion optimization, tips for creating highly shareable content and much more.

You’ll discover that Facebook & Twitter are still to most popular social media channels, with Google+, blogging, Youtube.com and LinkedIn following behind.

What you can take from all of this is not really news rather it’s a reminder that best practices still work best despite and all of the changes–you should keep on creating quality content and sharing it in social media, on blogs and on quality content directories.

 

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Guest Post: Social Media: Balm or Bane for Authors?

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photo credit: JupiterImages

Today we’ve got another guest post about how authors can make the best use of social media without feeling overwhelmed. This is a topic that I know many writer’s struggle with including myself, so I hope you’re able to glean some helpful insights from Amy’s article.

Social Media: Balm or Bane for Authors?

By Amy Atwell

How many of you use some form of social media? Facebook and Twitter seem to be the bastions most popular with authors today. But there’s also LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, StumbleUpon and more. Social networking is what drives GoodReads, Shelfari and LibraryThing. Even Pandora radio lets you create a profile page and encourages a community of listeners.

Many authors find it all overwhelming. It’s a challenge to find enough time to write fiction, much less post and pin and tweet. So where is the sweet spot? Just how important is social media to authors?
If you’re serious about a long-term writing career, social media will continue to be an important and viable source of promotion and audience building. But, and here’s the key, it’s only going to work for you if—

1. You find at least one of social network that you enjoy.
2. You strike a balance between your online social networking and your writing.
3. You approach social networking with the same imagination and commitment you bring to your writing.

Doesn’t sound too scary, does it?
Here’s why I think it’s important—the Internet isn’t likely to disappear. Millions of people are on it, and millions more are buying smart phones and tablets because they can’t get enough of it. In some ways, our society is growing more fragmented, with less person to person interaction in real life. At the same time, people seek out and savor their interactions on social media.
This is where social media works so well for authors. Most stories have some element of human connection at the core of the story. A hero learning to trust. A heroine returning to confront her hometown memories. A family on the brink of disaster brought whole again.
The readers who love those kinds of stories are out there in social media as squawking and hungry as birds. Keep tossing out birdseed on a regular basis, and those birds will find their way to you. Readers who connect with you and your stories will become loyal fans. They will spread the word for you. Remember the old shampoo commercial? “And they’ll tell two friends, and they’ll tell two friends…” and so on and so on.

That’s the magic of social networking.

You may be a pantser when you write but plotting or, rather, planning ahead will save you a lot of headaches with social media. Make a game plan for yourself so you can make the most of your social networking. And if you’re not published yet, it’s not too early to get a jump start on this. By all means, start to build your tribe now.

1. Study the different social networks and decide which one(s) best match how you want to communicate with potential fans and fellow authors.

2. Secure your profiles on any (frankly, I would do all just in case) social network you plan to use. Ideally, use your writing name.

3. Find an image and write a short bio so your profiles are consistent.

4. Make a list of the topics you will discuss—and not discuss—on social networking. You want to be personable and friendly in your interactions, but remember anything you say can come back to bite you and your career.

5. Start slowly and blend in. Join in other conversations, repeat items of interest, help your fellow authors. Don’t just pop in and shout about your book.

6. Ask questions! Experienced users love to help newbies.

7. Set aside some time weekly, 30-60 minutes to seek out people to follow and friend.

8. Be gracious. Send thank yous to people who repeat your messages.

9. Tend your social network account(s) daily, whenever possible. Each day you miss, you will lose a bit of momentum. 15 minutes is all it takes, really.

10. Be prepared to adapt as the social networks grow and change.

I’ll mention that Facebook is in the midst of rolling out its new Timeline design. Both personal profiles and business (author) pages are changing. You can read a full article on it on Author E.M.S., the online business resource library for authors.

I hope some of that was helpful. I’m happy to field any other questions you might have about social media—so, tell me, what’s your biggest fear or frustration with social networks?

Visit Amy online at her website, Magical Musings, Facebook, Twitter and/or GoodReads.

 

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Pinterest: My Newest Social Media Obsession

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In addition to being a writer, I’m also an artist. I’ve got a passion for DIY crafts such as knitting and sewing, I love to cook and I appreciate fine fashion. Now I’ve found a social media site called Pinterest that allows me to indulge in collecting and “pinning’ images of all of my favorite things in one place.

Pinterest is one of the fastest growing social media sites. It’s an online pin board where members can collect, organize and share images of things they love.

Users create boards that they can give unique names to. After dragging the bookmarklet to your browser’s toolbar, you can just click on the ‘Pin It’ button whenever you see an image on a website that you want to add to a Pinterest board.

Pinterest has great potential for marketing when it’s done discreetly. For businesses and brands that have a visual focus such as fashion, food, art, design, etc., Pinterest has obvious appeal. However, even brands that are not product or visual image based can benefit from using Pinterest to communicate the personality and aesthetic of their brand image and philosophy.

If you are already posting images to Facebook and Twitter, you can easily work Pinterest into your routine, and you can even add a cool Pinterest plugin to your WordPress blog. The Pinterest RSS Widget displays the thumbnail images and titles of your latest Pins on your blog using the Pinterest RSS plugin.

Because Pinterest is still in beta testing, you’ll need an invite in order to join. Send me an @ reply on Twitter, @evelynwrites, with your email address and I’ll send you an invite.
Once you’ve joined, be sure to follow me: http://pinterest.com/evelynwrites/

Are you already on Pinterest? Please add me and I will follow you back.

 

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Do You Have Klout? How to Measure Your Online Influence

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I have been hearing about Klout.com for awhile, and I’ve been seeing those +K tweets on Twitter and wondering what that was all about. Well, now I have a new social media addiction thanks to my friend, LaShanda Henry of Sistasense.tv. She talked about Klout.com in a the SistaSense Circle group coaching program that I belong to.

Klout is a social media site that measures and identifies your social influence in social media. You can join for free and set up a profile. You give the app permission to link to your Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook profiles and then it uses that information to give you a score between 1 and 100. When I first joined Klout back in July I had a score of 38. Today my Klout score is 51–solidly in the middle of the pack.

I’m not quite sure how I feel about Klout yet, but I am learning about how it works and how I can leverage its features to get more exposure online.

One of the fun features is the ability that I mentioned earlier, which is to give people “+K’s,” which is kind of like the “thumbs up,” that the “Like” button on Facebook represents.

You can give people a +K to show your appreciation if they shared some of your content with their network, or if they shared something of someone else’s that you found useful. A +K can serve as a thank you for being helpful to you, or as an encouragement to keep up the good work they’ve been doing, or if they have influenced you in some way. +K is not about boosting your Klout score. It’s just about providing a medium for users to engage and build community around their topics of interest.

  • Here’s how to give your peeps a +K on Klout:
  • Log in to your Klout.com account
  • Type in the Twitter.com username of the person you’d like to give a +K to
  • Now you will see their Klout profile. In the area where it lists what that person is influential about, click on the “see all. . .” link. Now you’ll find a list of their topics and you’ll see the “Give +K” button to the right of each topic.

Once you’ve given them a +K you can then Tweet about it, or post a Facebook status update about it.

So far I’m finding Klout to be fun. I guess if and when I manage to boost my score beyond 51 I will see if it does anything to drive more traffic to my site, or increase my social medial following.

If you’re on Klout and want me to +K you, leave a comment. My Twitter username is @evelynwrites if you feel like returning the favor.

Are You on Google+ Yet?

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A few weeks ago I finally got a much-coveted invite to join Google+, which is Google’s shiny new social media platform that just came out of beta in early July. Now anyone with a Google account can join Google+.  I’ve been having fun playing in this new social media space, getting to know the ‘lay of the land,’ and I’ve been having a great time.

Facebook and Twitter were my first foray into social media marketing, so I am considering Google+ from the perspective of how I use those spaces and what additional benefits it might have to offer me.  What I have observed so far is that Google+ so far has been embraced primarily by early adopters—those of us who geek-out on new tech tools and can’t wait to see what the latest tech gadget has to offer.  So, I have been using it to connect with other business people who are using G+ because, frankly, my peeps—that is my friends and family are not yet on Google+, nor do they show much of an interest in joining.

Here’s a quick overview of what Google+ has to offer, so that you can decide it maybe you want to come on over and check it out.

+Circles

On Facebook everyone is your friend, on Twitter everyone is a Follower, but with Google+ as soon as you add someone to your network you place them in one of your existing circles, or you can create a new one to add them to.  Here’s an idea of some of my circles:

  • Friends—yes, actual friends that I know and have established a real relationship with whether or not we have actually met in real life.
  • Business contacts—colleagues, fellow business owners, collaborators
  • Blogs to watch—As a blogger I have certain blogs that I keep a close eye on for relationship building. I put those in this circle.
  • Clients
  • Acquaintances
  • Relatives

+Hangouts

Hangout is a video and voice chat application that allows up to ten people to do a video chat on whatever topic they choose. You  must install a little plugin, and your laptop must have video and a mic in order to participate in a hangout. You can either initiate your own, or visit, http://gphangouts.com, to find a public hangout that you can join.

+Sparks

This is a colossal feed engine that contains feeds from across the Internet on any topic you can imagine. Just type in your keywords and up pops all of this content that you can read and share with the people in your circles.

Google’s +1 Button

The +1 button is separate from Google+, but there is also a +1 button along with your posts. You can think of it as the Google version of Facebook’s ‘Like’ button. Clicking the +1 button means that you think that site is kinda awesome and you’re giving it the ‘thumbs-up’ vote. But another cool thing about the +1 button is that all of the sites that you have clicked +1 for are listed on a page on your Google profile making it sort of like your own de facto social bookmarking site. People can peruse your +1 page to see what you like and recommend, but you can also keep your +1 page to yourself by making it private.

+Mobile

As an iPhone user it’s more than a little bit irritating that the mobile app for iOS is not yet available. But if you are an Android user you can take all of Google+’s features with you on the go with the exception of hangouts , but they may be adding that functionality to the mobile app at some point in the future.

Breaking News: The Google+ iOS app for iPhone and iPad is now available in iTunes

http://mashable.com/2011/07/19/google-iphone-app/

My G+ conclusions

So, for the moment, I’m digging Google+. I use if for business networking, and research primarily. One of my business colleagues shared on G+ that she was going to ditch all of the business contacts on her personal Facebook profile and tell them to look for her on Google+ so that she could reclaim her Facebook profile for actual friends and family. I am watching and waiting to see how things shake out with Google+. I was on Facebook for years before anyone I actually knew joined, so maybe in time G+ will gain more mainstream appeal.

What are your thoughts on Google+? Have you joined yet? What do you like or dislike about the new social media platform on the block? Feel free to leave a comment.

 

Online Visibility: 11 Ways to get More Exposure for Your Blog in 2011

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Bloggers might sometimes get the feeling that they are fighting an uphill battle because theirs is just one of millions of other blogs out there competing for the attention of their prospective audience. But if you develop a solid marketing plan for your blog and take consistent action toward the goals you set daily, weekly and monthly, before you know it, your Alexa rankings will be falling and your Google page rank will begin to rise which means you’ll be attracting more visitors.

Let’s dive right in to 11 tips for getting your blog seen more in 2011:

1. Post consistently

Having a consistent posting schedule gets both your readers and the search engines used to visiting your blog more often.

2. Know the basics of SEO and how to optimize your blog and your posts for the search engines.

If you are running a WordPress blog there are several free plugins that will help you to maximize your blog’s SEO from both a structural and a content perspective. Optimizing your blog helps you get more traffic and better search engine rankings.

3. Comment on other blogs in your topic

Visiting other blogs in your niche or topic, reading the posts and leaving relevant comments is an effective way to increase your visibility with both the blog’s author and your fellow commentators.

4. Guest post on popular blogs in your topic

Guest blogging gigs are a great way to create a win-win with other bloggers in your niche. You help them out by providing content that is suited to their blog and audience, your presence on their blog helps get you exposure with a whole new audience, and the readers get to experience a new perspective.

5. Send out press releases

Whenever you are planning a news-worthy event, send out a press release. Not only might you attract media attention, but you’ll get a ton of high page rank back links to your blog and a nice, if short-lived, flow of traffic to your blog.

6. Host a contest/giveaway

Who doesn’t want something for free? Host a contest or a giveaway where you offer up a valuable product or service in exchange for your readers helping to spread the word about your blog.

7. Join or host a blogging challenge

A blogging challenge can have many benefits including increased exposure for the host and the participants, you get motivated and inspired to blog more to keep up with your fellow challengers and you get a little traffic boost and more comments as other members of the challenge make the rounds to the various blogs.

8. Offer a free product

If you are building your opt-in email subscriber list, offer a free product for visitors to your blog who sign up. Invite subscribers to share your premium with their friends and make sure that it contains a link back to your blog.

9. Be active in social media

Work your Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter profiles to send traffic back and forth. Use a Facebook Fan Page to share valuable tips and info with your audience, host events and invite your followers and be a trusted resource that people want to follow.

10. Video marketing

Video marketing is an incredibly powerful way to gain some valuable exposure online. Create a series of videos containing useful how-to tips, recipes, instructions, or advice. Include a link back to your blog in the description box and a compelling call to action in the video. Share your videos on all of the top video sharing sites for lots of traffic and visibility.

11. Article marketing

This tried and true strategy is still effective today, but you’ve got to be committed to creating a high volume of quality articles with links back to your blog. Write articles for some of the top websites in your industry to establish yourself as an expert and draw attention to your blog.

As you focus on increasing your online visibility remember those qualities that make you unique and set you apart. There really is no competition because you are one of a kind. The goal then is to get yourself out there in the marketplace of ideas so that you can shine your brilliance for the world to see. Being modest and shy will not serve you, so if you don’t have the gumption to get out there and share what sets you apart then you may as well fold up your tent and go home.

If you have a vision and a mission to accomplish, then it is your responsibility to share the message that you have been given with a world that is waiting to hear what you have to say. Make 2011 your year to break through. Those who succeed are those who never give up working towards their goals.

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It’s Your Time to SHINE! The First 2011 Blogging Challenge

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Regular readers of my blog know I’m not one to back down from a challenge, so when I heard that Julie Isaacs of the Writing Spirit Blog (I just *love* that name) is throwing down a blogging challenge to kick 2011 off as, “The year of the blog.”

Julie says that the goal of this challenge is to get bloggers in the habit of blogging consistently and meaningfully. Strategies for blogging consistently is one of the topics that I enjoy writing about, but honestly the one I most often feel challenged by. But, we tend to teach that which we most need to learn, and so I will continue to write on that topic in hopes that it inspires me and encourages my readers.

So what is the whole SHINE thing about? Well, your blog is the most effective way for you to increase your online visibility, establish yourself as an expert, and share your message with the world. Julie uses the word SHINE to illustrate this point:

Stand out
Help
Inspire
Navigate
Engage

During this blogging challenge, I’ll be blogging about my favorite topics, which include:

  • Online marketing for writers, authors, speakers and coaches
  • Using your blog to attract your ideal clients
  • Growing YOU as you grow your business

It’s pretty simple to join us. Just visit Julie’s blog and follow the steps Julie has outlined:

1.  Decide how many times per week you want to blog–preferably twice a week or more

2.  Add a comment on this post with your blog address, and how many posts per week you’re committing to

3.  Use the hashtag #SHINEonline to communicate with other bloggers who are participating in this challenge

4.  Sign-up below if you would like to get blog tips and articles sent to you, along with blog challenge updates, and information on free teleconferences.

5. Start blogging! & SHINE on with your bad self. ;-)

http://blog.writingspirit.com/2011/01/2011-shine-online-blogging-challenge.html

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Online Visibility: Are You Ready to Be Discovered?

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Online visibility is all about being found online by the target audience who is looking for what you have to offer. With millions of other websites competing for your prospective clients’ attention, your challenge is to find a way to rise above the ‘noise’ or the many distractions on the Internet, and show up consistently where your target audience is already hanging out.

What inspired me to write this post today was a meeting I had this week with a prospective client. He found me on social media and while he has been cooking up his project, he has been observing what I’m up to online. He visited my blog, my Facebook profile, Fan Page and Twitter and then he sent me a Facebook Inbox message to ask about working with me. These days I have not been publicizing my consulting services too much because my schedule is full to overflowing with producing lots of content for my fabulous clients. But part of my vision for the life that I intend to create for myself includes doing more consulting, and speaking. In order to achieve success in those endeavors I must continue to build on my online visibility.

Towards that end I am preparing to be a guest on a radio show called, “Being, with Ron Ash,” on Wednesday, January 19 at 9am EST. Ron Ash is an author and Pastoral Counselor. This will be my third radio appearance, and the previous two interviews came about because the hosts found my website and resonated with my vision and mission. Ron also found me on Facebook.

So, I guess what I am trying to say here is that you’ve got to be relentless about your marketing. Get yourself out there! Write about the topics that you are passionate about on your blog. Take a stand for something that you believe in and defend it. There will be haters out there, but there will also be people who are attracted to your authenticity and sincerity. And to that last point, be who you are. The world does not need any more copy-cats. For so long I felt insecure because I was always comparing myself to other people and feeling like I did not measure up. Thank God I have learned to get over myself, let myself off the hook and learn to love myself for who I am–warts and all.

The best way to get discovered is to be everywhere all the time. Participate in social media, work your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles. Network with your peers and get on the ‘radar screen’ of those luminaries in your field that you would love to work with. Comment on blogs. Contribute articles to the major publications in your niche or topic. Guest blog for a few of the high profile blogs in your niche. Submit press releases when you are doing something newsworthy, and, oh yeah, do something newsworthy! Submitting press releases is an amazingly effective way to generate buzz, which is what you really want.

While you are getting out there, make sure that your house is in order. Make sure of the following:

  • Your blog should look great and has lots of valuable content for your new visitors to consume.
  • If you will be sending our press releases, make sure you’ve got a ‘Press or Media’ page with links to your media kit on your blog.
  • Put your email list opt-in box above the fold and in the upper-right hand section of your website.
  • Create an engaging intro video about yourself and post it on your blog.
  • Create a Facebook Fan Page with a keyword-optimized title and post valuable content there.
  • Share your friends’ content and they will reciprocate.

Gaining online visibility takes time and commitment. It will not happen overnight barring your appearing on the evening news for some reason. If you intend to get discovered by prospective clients you’ve got to be willing to lay a strong foundation and put in the work required.

Remember, there is no one else out there like you. No one else can do the genius work that you were sent to this planet to do. If God has given you a vision then it is your responsibility to bring it to fruition. You would not be given the desire without also having been given the means by which to fulfill that desire. It is your job to take the first step in faith. Feel free to contact me if you want to talk about me working with you to boost your online visibility.

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Social Media Optimization: Strategies for Maximizing Your Social Media Presence

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Social media marketing can no longer be called a passing fad. If you look at some of the big players such as Intel, Honda, Coca Cola and thousands of other brands both large and small, who are using social media to engage with their audience and increase brand awareness, you’re sure to discover that social media can help you to expand your brand, interact and engage with your target market and grow your presence online.

With social media sites such as youtube.com becoming the second most popular search engine, and Facebook growing larger than the population of some countries it’s time to stop ignoring its impact and start embracing the potential of social media to have a positive impact on your bottom line when done right.

So, what is social media optimization? It’s all about optimizing your online presence to take advantage of social media’s potential to grow your business and expand your brand. Just as SEO optimizes your website to attract organic traffic from the search engines, SMO seeks to optimize your site to receive targeted traffic from social media sites. In this article we’re going to look at some ways in which you can optimize your sites and your profiles to boost both your search engine rankings and expand your reach and influence online.

1. Your Website

If you don’t already have one, create a blog which is optimized for your primary keywords.

Provide an email list opt-in form where visitors can sign up and learn more about who you are and what you have to offer.

Make it effortless for your visitors to share your content on social media by providing sharing buttons, Twitter apps, and Fan Page ‘Like’ boxes.

Provide an RSS feed so that visitors can keep up with your new content.

Use video to educate, entertain and inform your visitors.

2. Your Social Media Profiles

Make sure that all of your profiles are 100% complete. LinkedIn profiles that are complete rank higher than those that are incomplete.

Post a good, clear photo of yourself in your profiles (people don’t create relationships with a logo).

Create compelling content that your visitors will want to share.

Focus more energy on giving and providing value than you do on advertising your wares.

Present yourself as a trusted authority, and people will be attracted to what you have to offer.

3. What is your plan of action for social media?

Clearly articulate what you specifically hope to gain by being involved in social media.

Do you want more traffic to your website?

Are you trying to engage with your audience and create relationships?

Do you want to build a community around your ideas?

Are you trying to provide customer service?

After you establish those goals you can determine how you will measure success.

Go over these items and take an assessment of where you are right now with social media optimization and take a few actions today that will move you one step closer to having an online presence that is optimized to make the most of your connections on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Youtube.com.  Use these ideas to come up with a single goal to start with and then work towards achieving that goal as you expand your vision.

Social media marketing is an effective way to get your brand out there, get found and grow your online presence and your business. Are you making the most of this golden opportunity?

Want to get more involved with social media, but you don’t have the time, or the expertise to do it right? Ask about our social media management services. Contact me at ebb567 [at] gmail [dot] com.

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5 Tips for Keeping Clients Happy

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As a freelance consultant, my current clients are the center of my business. Some small business people struggle between the need to acquire new clients while keeping their current clients happy.

It costs far more to acquire a new client than it does to maintain one, so I choose to do whatever I can to offer the best service to the clients that I have managed to attract to my business. I have been blessed with some fabulous clients, so I do all that I can to make sure that they are happy and that I am doing all that I can to meet their needs.

I have learned the value of keeping my current clients happy, so in this post I wanted to share five tips on things that you can to retain your clients.

1. Meet your deadlines

You should always under-promise and over-deliver when it comes to completing projects for your clients. This not only provides value for them, but it shows them how much you appreciate their business.

Manage your workload so that you can comfortably meet deadlines and still produce quality work.

2. Say ‘Thank You’

Find ways to show your clients how much you appreciate their loyalty. Give them something of value related to the service that you provide that will help them meet their business objectives. Speak highly of them in a public setting, re-tweet their Twitter messages, leave positive comments on their site, and recommend them wherever appropriate.

3. Always provide the best customer service

If a problem comes up, do your best to resolve it to the client’s satisfaction. Remember that the customer is always right. Show how much you value their business by going above and beyond to rectify any mistakes or misunderstanding.

4. Check in on them

Communicate with your clients occasionally and see if there is anything you can do for them.  Set up Google Alerts for your client’s company name and shoot them a message when they have good news, or a mention in a magazine or a major website.

5. Ask for their feedback

Don’t be shy to ask how they are feeling about your work. Get their feedback to find out if they are satisfied and if they have any thoughts about things that you could improve on to make for a better experience or produce a better project for them.

Another benefit to keeping your current clients happy is that they are more likely to refer you to their colleagues. I was thrilled recently when one of my clients referred me to a business colleague of his. This referral has become a solid customer and a joy to work with.

People just enjoy being appreciated, and in a world where your competition is just a click or two away, forging lasting and loyal client relationships is an effective way to make sure that your business stays on track.

What are your favorite ways to show your customers and clients how much you appreciate them? Share your input by leaving a comment.

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