“Not enough time” is not a reason, it’s an excuse.

How much time do you spend on social media (for your business) every day? Do you wonder where the time goes and then fret that you don’t have enough time to create content or products or learn new strategies and tactics to grow your business?

The “I don’t have time” complaint has been addressed by me and others many, many, many times. And after seeing the infographic below, let’s look at it again.

Yes, social marketing takes time. All marketing, social or otherwise, takes time.

Yes, it’s about consistently marketing your business so you get the traffic, leads, gigs and opportunities to grow your business.

And, it’s vital to have a strategy so you don’t fritter away your day on social media. It’s got to work for you, not against you.

Can you really “rock social media in 30 minutes a day”?

I’m skeptical. Only 6 minutes to engage, promote and share each day on Facebook? Really? I don’t know about you, but to craft a decent status update and include a relevant image or quote and a call to action, takes me a bit more than 6 minutes and that doesn’t account for responding to comments and questions from previous posts. Or commenting on other people’s posts.

Then, there’s creating content for your blog, your primary real estate. That’s not included on the infographic, yet in my opinion that’s where you need to put the most effort and time in order to build your reputation and provide your readers and fans to easily share your message with their networks.

So what do you do?

The infographic provides a good initial road map.

• You start by identifying the social channels your clients are active on.
• Create a simple strategy for publishing long form content on your blogsite that tells your story about who you are, who you serve and how you do it.
• Identify the tactics you want to use to get your story out into the stream, in front of the right eyeballs.
• Automate where you can and schedule time that is realistic for your objectives. It may be 30 minutes a day, or it may be more.
• What tasks can you outsource and do you have the resources to do so?

My advice – that I share with my clients and students – is to budget a minimum of one hour a day for your social marketing, including attention to the content on your blog. That’s a total of five hours a week which is really not very much at all. By focusing on your content and getting it amplified around the Web, you’ll be able to create more paths to your virtual door and let in more connections and opportunities.

Below the infographic is a sample visibility schedule you’re welcome to download and adapt for your business.

Check out the sample Visibility schedule below. It’s a word document so you can modify it to fit your business and schedule.

I’d like to hear from you on the time and social marketing issue. How much time do you spend each day using social media to market your business? Do you think the suggested scheduled on the infographic is realistic?

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You’ll also witness me in all my experimental glory as I was distracted by my own voice coming in to my headset with a 10 second delay. At the moment, I couldn’t figure out how to turn off the audio so I carried on. A strange experience. And, that’s why I call these Hangouts “experiments” and “adventures” in learning how to use visibility tools. I’m learning right along with you.

Back to notification bars: Hellobar vs Foobar

As I discuss in the video, I’ve used Hellobar and I currently use Foobar. Both are excellent tools to use on your site to build visibility:

• Display time-sensitive notices
• Invite readers to opt in to your list
• Invite visitors to follow you on social media
• Promote specific blog posts
• Promote your products and services
• Promote a your new book and/or a virtual book tour
• Promote a sale
• Promote webinars, teleseminars, Hangouts and other events
• and more…

Click here to view the embedded video.

The possibilities for the notification bars are only limited by your imagination.

If you are using a notification bar or dive in to try one of these two tools, feel free to post a link to your site in the comments below so I can check out how you’re using it.

To get reminders about when Adventures are scheduled and when replays are posted, you can get on the list and/or follow me on Google+. Be sure to let me know you want to be added to my Adventures in Visibility Circle so you get the invitation directly through Google+.

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Guest post by D’vorah Lansky, M.Ed.

I’d like to thank Denise for graciously hosting me, as a guest blogger, in celebration of the launch of my newest book, 21 Ways to Launch a Successful Virtual Book Tour.

In this blog post, I’d like to share with you one of “21 Ways” to launch a successful virtual book tour. This tip comes from “Way #16: Make the Most of Your Blog Posts!”

In essence, your audio, video, and written blog posts are “virtual real estate.” In addition to providing informational, educational, or entertaining content, you can include subtle marketing material. For example, at the end of each of your blog posts, you can include information about yourself along with a compelling reason why people should come to your blog.

Respond to readers’ comments

During your virtual book tour, people will share comments and ask questions. Use this interaction as an opportunity to both illustrate your expertise and build a relationship with your readers. One way to encourage comments is to ask a question at the end of your blog posts. For example, you can ask the readers’ opinion of what you wrote or a specific question. Then respond to their comments. Authors who respond to comments generally get many more comments than those who don’t. This in turn helps with search engine optimization (SEO).

During your virtual book tour, you’ll want to visit each blog multiple times: at least once on the day you’re scheduled to appear there, as well as throughout the tour. These visits will allow you to respond to additional comments.

Add images to your blog posts

Adding images to your blog posts makes them more attractive and engages your readers. Such images will increase the likelihood of people reading through your post and possibly asking a question or sharing a comment. Adding images also makes it easier for people to share your post on Pinterest, thus broadening your reach. Be sure to include a photograph of you smiling with each blog post, as well as an image of your book. These additional steps will grow your branding and allow your readers to identify with you.

Create a Call to Action in your post signature

As part of your book tour, you’ll have the opportunity to build relationships with new readers. Include a call to action in the signature block at the end of each blog post. An example of an effective call to action is an invitation to readers to visit your blog where they can enter their names and email addresses in order to receive a free chapter of your book.

Create a signature template file

Create a template file you can use for each of your posts. To do this, open up a Word document and compose your blog post signature. Typically, this signature block includes 100–150 words, where you can include things like your name, credentials, book title, blog URL, how you help people, and a compelling reason why people should visit your blog. Offering people a free chapter of your book is an excellent strategy. Once you’ve created your signature file, save this as a template so you can easily copy and paste the content to the bottom of each of your blog posts.

Do you have a blog post tip you can share with our readers? Did one of these tips capture your attention? Scroll down and share your thoughts in the comments section below.

This post is being written in honor of a virtual book tour celebrating the publication of my third print book. You can enjoy the festivities by joining us on the tour to 21 blogs, in honor of 21 Ways to Launch a Successful Virtual Book Tour. Scroll down to access the virtual book tour schedule as well as a link to the book on Amazon. Thank you and enjoy!

D’vorah Lansky, M.Ed., is the author of 21 Ways to Launch a Successful Virtual Book Tour. Visit her book blog and check out the full schedule for the virtual book tour, celebrating the launch of this exciting new book: www.VirtualBookTour21Ways.com

D’vorah offers virtual book tour workshops and courses for authors, entrepreneurs, and virtual professionals. She has taught hundreds of people, across the globe, how to conduct successful virtual book tours. You can purchase her newest book on Amazon.

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There’s been a feeling of slowing down when I talk to other entrepreneurs. A desire to back off a bit and focus on fun Summer activities.

But we have no proof or statistics that this is actually true, so I decided to run a poll.

Will you help us out and select which response fits you best about how you market your business in the Summer? Are you a lazy marketer? Or on top of it year-round?

Believe me, I get it. The Summer is time to go to the beach, go on an Adventure away from the grind of daily life, or go camping with your pals and roast marshmallows over a campfire.

But what happens when Fall rolls around and you expect to run a successful launch for your new product or book, and you’ve been virtually absent for the last couple of months?

Please vote and share your views about Summer-time marketing, in the comments below.

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Now, I need your help. I could easily come up with visibility topics to share with you. However, I’d like to know what you want to know and learn about regarding increasing your visibility on the Web.  Some suggestions that have come are:

• Using Foobar and Hellobar
• Using Listly for visibility
• Speakpipe

What online visibility or marketing topics would you like to see on the list? Please let me know in the comments and be as specific as possible.  For example, you want to know how to create a community on Google+ vs. how to use Google+ in general. Make sense?

If I see a theme developing or a specific topic being posted by several people, those ideas will go to the top of the list.

To get reminders about when Adventures are scheduled and when replays are posted, you can get on the list and/or follow me on Google+. Be sure to let me know you want to be added to my Adventures in Visibility Circle so you get the invitation directly through Google+.

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That’s where Nestivity comes in and may be a good solution for you. I’ve been experimenting with it for a couple of days and it looks promising when you want to explore a blog-related topic or question in depth with your Twitter community.

Nestivity is in public beta and bills itself as “community with Twitter.”

Nestivity turns your Twitter handle into a “Nest”, a place for you to connect with your followers in a more organized and structured way.

You can get a free account or upgrade for more features and you sign in to your account with Twitter.

In a nutshell, you create “projects” which consist of discussions related to a project topic. Discussions can be inspired by a tweet or blog post or a question. You have the option to add images. A unique URL is created for the discussion and included with your tweets and those of the community who respond.

I’m experimenting with a discussion around a blog post about creativity published on The Future of Ink:

By using the embed feature, you can put the discussion on your blog, encouraging your readers to participate by clicking on the “tweet a comment” button.  This is a big deal for bloggers since you have an opportunity to get more visibility for your blog posts. They can spread further and attract new readers to your site. You’ll also meet new people on Twitter who are  interested in your content. Nestivity makes is easy to follow people who participate in your discussions.

To get set up and started on Nestivity, I refer you  to a thorough how-to post by Kristi Hines at Kikolani. Why recreate the wheel, right?

I’d love to know what you think about Nestivity. Does it look like a tool you’ll use? Check out the discussion I’ve posted about creativity and then post a comment so you can experience how it works for yourself.

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We were a few minutes into the conversation when the Hangout crashed. We scrambled to get back online and carried on.  Like I said in the first hangout, it’s an adventure and an experiment.

Rachna Jain is the author of Internet Marketing for the Rest of Us: Your In-Depth Guide to Profitable Popularity. We addressed some of the issues around focusing too much on building a web presence without creating a path to profitability.  And, Rachna talked about the concept of becoming a “category of one” and how that can help you with both popularity and profitability.

The video is about 22 minutes and has some important nuggets of wisdom from Rachna.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Enter to Win a Book

I have two copies of Internet Marketing for the Rest of Us, that Rachna has generously given me to give away to two lucky winners.

At minute 8:20, Rachna talks about Jain’s  Hierarchy of Business Needs which is illustrated below:

If you would like to enter the contest to win one of the two books, tell us in the comments below at what level you’re currently working, on the Hierarchy of Business Needs. You may be in the early stages of your business and at the second level of building a financial reserve. Or, you may wondering how you create a lasting legacy. What do you need to do to move to the next level?

If that’s too much info to reveal, go ahead and post a comment about why you want to win a copy of Rachna’s book. That’ll get you in the contest too.

We will review your responses and pick two winners to receive a copy of Rachna’s new book. The winners will be selected on Monday, April 28. If you don’t want to wait that long, you can get either a digital or physical autographed copy of the book right now.

Don’t miss the next Adventure in Visibility. Sign up now to get announcements and replays. 

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With that said, we all have room for improvement. If we’re taking the time to create this content, why not get more return on our efforts?

Here are nine ways that I’ve used to improve blog performance and get better results from my content creation efforts. You can integrate these into your blogging efforts right away!

1. Reader Attracting Headlines

After you write a headline, ask yourself. Is it compelling or dull? What can be done to make it more intriguing, interesting or engaging? Turn that post about “The Best Way To Remodel Your Bathroom” into “8 Tips For Remodeling Your Bathroom (With Less Tears and Cost)”.

2. Proactively link to your old posts in any new posts

Bridge the gap (for your readers) between your new posts and your old ones. Referencing previous posts with links in the text of your new posts allows readers to go deeper into a related topic. They’ll stay on your site longer and they’ll share more of your old posts in social media. So while you create each new post, proactively find opportunities to link to your previous work.

3. Make your best old content more discoverable

Providing content discovery vehicles is a challenge for all bloggers. Your old posts quickly fade from view. Consider creating a “top posts” section in your sidebar with links to the ones you want to feature. Or, you can create a “Start Here” menu item at the top or on the side bar that has a collection of your top posts. I’ve even created guides like my “Ultimate Business Blogging Guide” that is a blog post that includes many of my top posts on various topics. Be creative about helping readers discover your best posts.

4. Share your best old content in social media

Another way to maximize all of your efforts includes occasionally sharing your older evergreen posts in Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or LinkedIn. Evergreen posts are those that never get “old” in terms of the value they provide. My favorite tool for sharing old posts is to utilize Buffer. I load in some of my older posts or even guest posts (like this one) and allow Buffer to schedule and share them out. I use Buffer mainly for Twitter (and do the other sites manually).

5. Leverage your contacts for content

Make your blog a team vs. an individual sport! Ask some of your trusted colleagues if they’d be interested in contributing a post to your blog. Obviously the benefits for them include the fact that you’ll promote it and provide a link to their site. Make sure the quality is high (so reserve the right to edit it as needed).

Another way to get fresh content from your contacts is to interview someone who would be of interest to your audience. You can summarize the notes (in a compelling way) and/or provide a recording on your site.

6. Make sure your calls to action are clear, strong and focused

With each post, you should have a strategic call to action that supports your business goals. Whether it’s a invitation to a webinar, an invitation for a free consultation or to get updates from you in Facebook. Make sure you don’t provide too many different calls to action and that your important ones are clear and visible.

7. Commit to consistency

Nothing’s worse than finding a blog that is updated daily for a week, then weekly for a month, then every six months or so. Commit to a reasonable schedule, stick to it and give yourself a break every once in a while when things get busy. Just make sure you come back and post after that little break!

8. Don’t get stuck in a content rut

Guess what?? Blog content doesn’t just have to be the same type of post, written the same way, day in and day out. Mixing up post types, formats and media types can keep you interested and can keep your reader’s engaged. I mix in written posts of different lengths, different post structures, pictures, video, infographics and slideshares (amongst others).

9. Understand where your blog fits in your sales process

Last, but not least. Make sure you understand the role that your blog plays in your sales process. Are you using the content here to pull visitors from social media, the web (via SEO) and possibly via your email list to your blog? Where do they go from there? Do you have a clear sales process laid out on paper that shows where your blog fits in?

Learn my sales process in the upcoming “Purpose Driven Content” Webinar hosted by Denise. It’s Wednesday, April 24 at 10:00 am Pacific Time and you can register for free here!

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In this Hangout, I experimented with the screen sharing tool to demonstrate a simple way to promote your events on Pinterest, and the one mistake you do not want to make with your images. There were also questions about using Google+ Hangouts which I answered in the second half of the video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sites mentioned:

• Pinstamatic
• List of sites for creating quote images
• Get notices for future Adventures in Visibility Hangouts
• Connect with Denise on Google+

What tips and topics would you like to see covered in future Adventures in Visibility Hangouts? Post them in the comments below. Thanks!

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One minute presentation on what I love about Peru. Photo by Steve Cozart Photography.

Previously I mentioned I had been challenged to give a TED-style talk at a mastermind meeting. It was optional, but in keeping with my new approach to life, I took up the challenge. And it was a challenge for me.

When it came time to present the rough draft of what I’d written, my mentor challenged me again to go without the script.  It was uncomfortable, but I did it.

There is no record of that presentation, so I recorded and posted it here for you. I chose a small moment on one of my recent trips to Peru, to illustrate personal growth that can happen when one tiny decision is made, and how it can apply to marketing your business on the Web.

(7:26 min)

Text of audio (with pictures!)

Like many people, I’m a mix of cautious and curious. I like to think things through before I act.  I’m also introverted and have a tendency to social anxiety.

If I feel anxious about an outcome or like I may make a fool of myself or things may not turn out as I envision in my mind, I’m apt to say no without trying and move on to situations and activities where I have more control or skill or comfort.

Have you ever felt that way?

I know I’ve missed out on a lot of potential experiences because I’ve been too concerned about what other people may think of me. Or, I don’t participate because I’m afraid I’ll stand out and people will notice if I say something stupid or look silly.

I stand to the side and observe instead of participate.

In the space of three months, my life changed when I made one simple decision about how I wanted to experience my life.

I’m here to tell you that I have learned what it means to say “What have I got to lose? Give it a try”.

When I stepped off the plane in Puerto Maldonado, it was about 90 degrees and 80% humidity.  Walking across the tarmac to the tiny terminal felt like pushing through a wall of heat and my clothes were damp by the time my friend and I picked up our duffle bags.

Puerto Maldonado, Peru, on the Tambopata River

Carlos, our driver was there to greet us. With relief we climbed into the cool mini van.

My friend and I had arrived at the gateway of the Amazon rainforest in Peru and were expecting to begin our 3 hour journey to a lodge in the heart of a protected wildlife reserve on the banks of Sandoval Lake.

Instead, we were informed that we had a 4 hour delay while we waited for a couple who were on a flight coming in from Lima.

“Since we have some time, would you like to go to el Serpentario?” I was asked.

The what?

A sanctuary for rescued snakes.

Sanctuary for rescued snakes in Puerto Maldonado.

Uh, I guess so, I said, without enthusiasm.

It’s really interesting, Carlos told me.

My first thought was that I don’t like snakes.

Then I remembered the pledge I made to myself at the outset of my adventure.

Ok, let’s go.

Little did I know that “snake” really meant “boa constrictors” and “anacondas”.

To me those were scary snakes that poison people or squeeze them to death.

In that oppressive, tropical heat, Carlos took us on a tour, showing us other rescued animals, an owl, a blind feline that looked sort of like an ocelot.

Blind feline.

Then, we got to the building with the serpents.  I saw many big and small boa constrictors. Admittedly they are beautiful creatures when you study the patterns on their skin.

Then Carlos asked me, “do you want to hold one?”

What????

NO! is what I said in my head. No way!

Again, I remembered the pledge I had made before I left Los Angeles.

Denise trying to relax with a boa constrictor.

I stool still as a statue while Carlos took a 6’ boa constrictor out of its cage and put it around my neck.

I wondered if it was like other animals and could smell my fear.

What if it wrapped itself around my neck and strangled me death?

I tried to relax.

I touched its skin. It was cool and smooth.

I held its head in my left hand.

I was still trying, somewhat unsuccessfully to relax. I look pretty silly in the pictures my friend took.

But I did it.

I said “yes” because I had promised myself that I would say yes to everything that I didn’t think would put me in mortal danger.

I said yes, because I had said “no” and stood on the sidelines for too long.

I said yes, because when I thought about it rationally, Carlos was not going to suggest I do something that was dangerous. He didn’t want me to get hurt any more than I wanted to get hurt.

I said yes.

Plus, I had the words of my “glamour technician” aka hair stylist who I’ve known for 10 years, running through my head….

“If you don’t go, you won’t know.”

I added “if you don’t go for it, you don’t know”

Two trips to Peru changed my life.

The first trip reminded me how much I love adventure and showed me I can meet any challenge I set for myself.

The second adventure showed me how much richer life can be when I say “yes.”

Being a solo entrepreneur, I couldn’t help but equate a lot of what I discovered to business and my clients.

In fact, in my business life, on the Web, I’m more extroverted and adventurous than in my “real life”. I experiment and try new tools and marketing tactics all the time .

But a lot of my clients don’t feel that way and when I put the spotlight on how I behaved in my private life, you know, more cautious, less willing to put myself out there, I felt so much empathy for the men and women I mentor.

I think this is a common experience…

Have you ever had an idea or big goal you wanted to achieve in your business? You imagine what it will be like when you’re there, how great it will be, how beautiful and perfect and simple to achieve?

And then you start thinking about the details, what it will take to make it happen. How hard it might be, how uncomfortable.  That you’re going to have put a great deal of time and attention into marketing your thing?

You start feeling anxious and maybe a little fearful. What will people think of it? They’ll think I’m crazy or stupid. They’ll judge me. What if it doesn’t work, or I don’t make it. I’ll be a failure.

You think, “Maybe I’ll just skip it.” It’s too hard and complicated and it probably won’t work or I won’t be able to pull it off.

And nothing happens. You move on, feeling disappointed maybe, and also relief because you didn’t fail or make a fool of yourself. Right? You ever feel that way?

I have. And I’ve missed a lot of opportunities as a result.

What would happen if you said “Yes, what have I got to lose?” !

My passionate belief is that you can be successful building an attractive, powerful presence on the Web when you let go of fear and doubts and embrace uncertainty. When you say “yes” to trying and experimenting, even when the outcome is uncertain… when you open up to the fun and joy of sharing what you know and do so well, with those whose lives you can transform for the better… the results may surprise and delight you.

I said yes and I discovered that boa constrictors don’t eat people and they aren’t venomous.  It’s highly unlikely that a human would be killed by a boa. I surrendered to the experience and it’s now a special memory from my Peruvian adventure.

When you say yes to the prospect of revealing yourself on the Web and embracing a new path to more visibility, you may discover more fabulous opportunities than you ever let yourself dream of.

What have you got to lose? Give it a try… just say yes!

Have you ever said “yes” to something you would have normally said “no” to? What happened?

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