Lorac Virtual Solutions

Archive for the ‘Blog’ Category

There is so much information on the internet and much of it is a waste of time to read. I’m sorry but it’s true and many authors make that very same mistake when writing content for their blog or website.

An author’s website is important for increasing the number of books sales and to gain positive visibility of both the author and the book. It provides an important connection between the author and the reader and if managed properly will create an atmosphere that hopefully will continue for many years.

Having a website is the first thing an author must consider probably even before the book is actually written. Be clear in your mind what you wish to accomplish by having your website, whether it is for selling books or to gain a following of fans who are interested in what you have to say.

5 Things to consider when writing content or blog posts

1. What is the purpose of your content? Is it to inform, educate, amuse or entertain? Consider carefully why you are providing information and what is your goal? Most websites contain a page introducing the author, a book description, a contact page, testimonials, media information and a blog. Each page must supply the material promised.
2. Is it relevant? Don’t waste your reader’s time. If they are on a page looking for a description of your book then make sure that’s what they will find. Your blog will be the perfect place for you to really connect with your readers where you can let them learn more about you or where you can provide information important to them.
3. Is it interesting? Entertain ~ even if your material includes boring facts and figures there should probably be a story that can be told to make it convincing.  Turn the tables on yourself and consider if you were someone who landed on your site – would you stick around and read more or would you leave right away.
4. Is it too long? Keep it short and sweet and make sure the first paragraph grabs your reader’s attention. It’s really not any different than when an author writes a book – it’s important that your readers wants to continue. This is critical. Our attention spans seems to be getting shorter all the time so remember they are looking for information so give it to them as quickly as possible and don’t drag it out too long.
5. Did you succeed in your goal? It’s extremely important to evaluate and use the resources available to you to learn whether people stay on your site, buy your books or products or subscribe to your mailing list. Analyze regularly and update when needed, keeping your material fresh and informative.

There are many things to consider when writing content for your website that includes how to structure your text, font size, use of headings and sub-headings, when and where to place images and the much talked about search engine optimization or SEO.

Once a book has been written and published the actual hard work is just starting. It’s important to remember that as an author you are operating a business and there will be many components of your business you must attend to. Having a website and writing relevant content is just one of those components.

That’s why I am recommending authors or anyone who works with authors to attend a lively and interactive FREE teleseminar. Join myself, Corine La Font and Eunice Nisbett, all Certified Online Book Marketers on June 14^th where you will hear about the “10 things Authors do to Sabotage Their Books’ Success”.

You will learn of the pitfalls and mistakes many authors make and what can be done to avoid these disasters. You will receive tips and a lot of helpful information from experts in the industry on how to avoid making those “10 things Authors do to Sabotage Their Books’ Success”.

Register now and secure your seat.  Join us! http://theselfpublishingcenter.com/registration/

All the best,

Carol Ann Quibell, is the owner of Lorac Virtual Solutions, providing virtual solutions to business owners by assisting them with WordPress website creation,social media, business plans, online marketing and writing services.

PS:  Don’t forget to register today for “10 things Authors do to Sabotage their Books’ Success“

Should you outsource?

I don’t know if you are anything like me but I get myself really worked up about my business and try and do too many things and then don’t quite understand when things don’t work the way I want them to. It is so easy to think we can do it all!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but we can’t be everything to everyone, nor can we take care of every detail of our businesses and succeed.

I know what I want to accomplish and I am sure you do too but reaching that goal and following the necessary steps to get there are not always as easy as it seems. It takes commitment, proper planning, goal setting, and assistance when needed.

That seems to be the secret – know when to reach out for help or outsource when necessary. If you are spending hours of your time doing something you’re not skilled at why are you wasting your time?  You have to ask yourself whether your time would be better spent elsewhere.

It’s important to understand the process or steps needed to accomplish your goal but you don’t have to actually do everything yourself.

For example, I have designed my own business cards in the past and look after the printing of them.  However, why am I spending hours printing them out on my printer where they may or may not turn out to be perfect?  With a click of a button I can send them to the local print shop who I know will do an excellent job and I can pick them up the next time I am downtown.

Not only have I freed myself up to write this article which will be more beneficial to my business but I also will have very professional business cards to hand out to prospective clients. It’s about setting priorities and knowing your limitations. What are you wasting your time doing?

The cost of NOT outsourcing

It’s really easy for me to tell you to hire someone to take care of some of your tasks since I don’t have to pay the bill. You do.

But… rather than looking at the financial cost look at the actual cost it will be in relation to hours spent doing the job. Even more important is the cost of the lost time doing something that will benefit your business.  Maybe spending that time contacting potential clients, creating new services, learning a new skill or taking care of business commitments with current clients will be more beneficial.

Some typical outsourcing tasks for business owners

1. Website design and setup
2. Creating a logo
3. Marketing material – business cards, brochures, coupons, postcards
4. Opt-in creation and maintenance
5. Bookkeeping
6. Newsletters to clients
7. Email campaigns
8. Customer service issues
9. Correspondence
10. Social media campaign creation/maintenance
11. Posting blogs
12. Create surveys

Authors tasks for outsourcing

1. Website design and set up/maintenance
2. Conversion of books to digital products
3. Amazon author set up
4. Newsletters to readers
5. Social media campaign creation/maintenance
6. Blog posts
7. Book tour creation / implementation
8. Repurpose content into video, PDF, DVD, CD, eBooks
9. Marketing material – business cards, brochures, flyers

And the lists go on and on…………………..

Are you wasting too much time and not focusing on what really should be done?

All the best,

PS: Hiring a professional to create a website that reflects you and your business is extremely important.  The benefit of having LoracVS build you a WordPress website or blog is to free up your time and give you a professional platform your clients will respond to and Google will love. Contact us today.

Carol Ann Quibell, is the owner of Lorac Virtual Solutions, providing virtual solutions to business owners by assisting them with WordPress website creation,social media, business plans, online marketing and writing services.

It’s important to keep track of people who are interested in your products or services and one of the best and most popular online service to help you with this is AWEBER. I use it and find it easy to use and perfect for tracking. Click on the link below and test drive it for FREE!

The greatest tool for creating websites or blogs is WordPress for a variety of very good reasons.

1. Google absolutely loves WordPress!
2. Easy to make your content search engine friendly.
3. Google searches every page, PDF files, images, videos – all easy to accomplish.
4. Easy to learn and update yourself, making changes whenever you wish.
5. Many options available to personalize your site.
6. Hundreds of plugins to make your website do what you want it to do.
7. Easy to connect your site to social media and mobile friendly.
8. Professional look and feel – easy to create.
9. Brand your business with a one-time purchased theme.
10. Multiple websites possible from a single installation.

The popular content management system of WordPress can be used in a self-hosted or hosted version but we recommend the easy to use hosted service provided by Hostgator which is easy to get it up and running very quickly.

All the best,

PS: WordPress is the absolute best tool for creating your website!  Hostgator is one of the best hosting services available that makes WordPress set up even easier.  Sign up today for both and use the coupon loracvs2012 to receive $9.94 discount on Hostgator.

Guest Blogger Jerri Goranson shares information on Amazon Author Pages. For every author who has a book listed on Amazon completing the profile on Author Pages is important.  Below are answers to some of the questions you may have.

Question: What are Amazon Author Pages?

• Amazon Author Pages are dedicated in offering customers a new way to browse and shop favorite authors, discover new books, and much more. Each Author Page includes a bibliography, and should include a biography, author photo, discussion board, and more. More features to come.

Question: How do I locate an Amazon Author Page?

• Click on the author’s name on the book detail page or search for the author’s name from the Amazon.com Books Store. You’ll see an Amazon Author Page icon at the top of the search results with a link to their Author Page.

Question: What if I’m an author who doesn’t have an Amazon Author Page?

• If you’re an author with a book listed in Amazon’s catalog, you are eligible to join Author Central, a free service provided by Amazon where you can share information about yourself and your work and request an Author Page.

Question: What can I do if I see an error on an Amazon Author Page?

• The Author Pages Feedback form is available to alert Amazon of any Author Page issues or to submit any suggestions on how to improve these pages.

In preparation of your book launch, be sure to put energy into your Author Central page on Amazon. This is your place to shine, share your books, videos, blog posts, tweets, reviews and more.

#

Jerri is the Author of Book Marketing Virtually: How you can benefit from using an Online Book Marketing Specialist- visit her book blog at www.bookmarketingvirtually.com

I hope Jerri’s blog answered some of your questions regarding Amazon Author’s Pages and if you would like even more information on how you can promote yourself on Amazon contact us at LoracVS and we will do our best to assist you with your questions.

All the best,

Carol Ann Quibell, is the owner of Lorac Virtual Solutions, providing virtual solutions to business owners by assisting them with social media, developing business plans, online marketing and writing services.

Guest Blogger Janet Patten shares her knowledge on marketing your business with videos.

The 4 Key Elements to Include in your Business Videos

Janet Patten

If you aren’t involved in marketing your business with video, you should really give this avenue some serious consideration. This is the most effective and engaging way to reach your customers. Having videos on your website or social media sites such as Facebook or YouTube will help you to communicate your brand and increase traffic to your website.

There are a few key elements that every marketing video should have. Cover the points listed below and you will have a winning marketing vehicle that works well. Here are some tips on what to consider and include in your video.

1. Branded Intro- begin your video is with a screen that has your company logo, colours, website address and/or tagline. Make sure the design is clean, eye-catching and readable. The idea is to build your brand and to use this on all your videos to make them recognizable.
2. Main Content- the body of your video could contain a series of  photos, recorded video, PowerPoint slides or other graphics. This material should communicate your message and address problems or issues that you can solve for your customers. Use text callouts to enhance and highlight certain parts of the video. Try to include an area on the bottom or top that has your company name, phone number or website. Make sure that this area is readable and not obscured when posted on another site.
3. Audio- Pay attention to sound quality and user experience. Choose music that doesn’t clash with your message or cause a distraction. Make sure you have the rights to use the music and have it play softly. Try to fade in and fade out the music at the beginning and end if you are able. If you are using recorded voice audio, then make sure that there is no static or background noise.
4. Last Screen- At the end of your video you should have a call to action. Use text to direct people to your website or to call your business number, or direct viewers to a squeeze page to sign up for your offer. If you are posting on YouTube, you can add clickable links to the video or use the description area.

Be sure to include these 4 basic elements, and you will have a winning and high-converting video. This will help you build a strong brand and bring traffic to your website or offers.

Janet Patten is a Virtual Marketing Assistant and owner of Arcadia Creative Marketing, specializing in online local marketing and online video production. www.yourlocaleyes.com

#

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I have.

Carol Ann Quibell, is the owner of Lorac Virtual Solutions, providing virtual solutions to business owners by assisting them with social media, developing business plans, online marketing and writing services.