Business MMA: The Rowdy Roundtable

Hey Long Beach-area entrepreneurs and locals who naturally think outside the box! I’d like to invite you to join me IN PERSON for an exciting event next Tuesday, May 28, 2013.

Come bring your ideas and challenges that keep you up at night to the Business MMA: Rowdy Roundtable. Instead of “mixed martial arts,” we’ll be showing off our “mixed marketing arts”!

So, get ready to connect with other entrepreneurial-minded individuals in our friendly, intellectually-driven discussions. Come and pick the brains of featured speakers, participate in a “corporate cage match” and “go to the mat” with fellow entrepreneurs, discussing ideas. Possible topics include… read more

Posted in all, Analytics/Measurement/Reporting, best of, eCommerce, Future, game changers, how to, Message, Mobile Presence, Off-line Marketing, Online Marketing, Reviews, siri for business, Social Media, Website | Leave a comment

People Power: Part 2 Of The Melissa G. Wilson Interview

Thanks to FunnyAsADuck.net!Last week, I brought you Part One of my interview with Networking Is Dead author Melissa G. Wilson. The writing, publishing, and social media leader has shifted gears recently into full-time mentorship, and now spends her time helping others achieve success.

“It’s always about people first, opportunities, second!” ~ Melissa G. Wilson

Olga: What tools do you recommend to help keep track of contacts that you make and create deeper, more meaningful connections?

Melissa: I have my own guidebooks and I’m always offering them to others to give them a way to keep track of all the different people we connect with. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed. It helped me to stop confusing activity with… read more

Posted in all, game changers, how to, Message, Off-line Marketing, q&a, Social Media | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Networking Is Dead: An Interview With Melissa G. Wilson

“Don’t push into somebody’s life.  Invite them in.” ~ Melissa G. Wilson

I caught up with Melissa G. Wilson, author of fifteen books (five on bestseller lists), and CEO of Networlding—a publishing company that helps authors write, publish, and market books that turn into top sellers. After two decades of speaking, coaching, and writing books, Melissa is now mentoring others on what it takes to really make networking work.

In this two-part interview–based on the book Networking Is Dead: Making Connections That Matter–Melissa describes to me exactly what it takes to make the proper network connections, and… read more

Posted in all, game changers, how to, Message, Off-line Marketing, q&a, Social Media | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Getting A Foot In The Door: Using Yelp To Build Business

Dear Olga: Even though we’re an established physical therapy office, in our seventh year, we always need to generate new business in order to keep our calendar full.  Physical therapy isn’t a seasonal thing or an economic thing; it’s a year-round business. We recently hired a new physical therapist—as well as a massage therapist—and we’re prepared to take on more patients.

We really haven’t used social media as much to our advantage as we’d like to. We don’t do any advertising, and so, we get most of our patients through word-of-mouth. We also do area events (like a 5K run we’re sponsoring) and support local groups (including Tribe, a triathlon club). At this point, we want to be even more involved with student athletes and Crossfit clients.

All that said, what are the best no-cost ways for us to increase foot traffic and awareness? ~ Julie & Ismael F., Body Solutions Fitness and Therapy, Long Beach, CA

Assuming you already have the basics covered (e.g. strategic partnerships with doctors’ offices, membership in local chambers and clubs, etc.), the best thing to do is… read more

Posted in all, how to, Message, Off-line Marketing, q&a, Reviews, Social Media | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Entrepreneurs, Marketers, And Crazy People Who Dance On Street Corners: The New Art of Business

This past Saturday, I was a keynote speaker for the Santa Barbara Business Expo, the inaugural event and brainchild of Sandy Goe. I met Sandy last September, when she approached me after I spoke at the California Women’s Conference. At the time, the expo was just a dream of hers. She really wanted to connect business people in Santa Barbara in a different way.

Business As Art

Sandy seems to have really embraced the concept of business as an art form…and opening up new opportunities for artists of all kinds. It wasn’t just by incorporating visual artists and jewelers into the day—which was a pleasant surprise at such an event—but also her artistic ability to pull a wide variety of business people into a Saturday event on a gorgeous Santa Barbara day to learn about emerging web technologies, social media, SEO marketing, legal and finance, insurance, business tools, and best practices.

Art like this is, indeed, making its way into the business world. In fact… read more

Posted in all, game changers, Message, Off-line Marketing, Online Marketing, Social Media | Leave a comment

Face Facts: How To Allocate Your Money and Time To Facebook

Dear Olga: I get so distracted by social media that I feel like I’m not committing to other parts of my business.  What percentage of my marketing budget (and my time) should I be allocating to Facebook… or should I bother at all. ~ Alicia L., Handbag Designer, North Hollywood, CA

Free Creative Marketing Ideas, Iphone Reminders Location, How Can I Use SiriFirst of all, there isn’t one set answer to this question: for some, the spend on social media may be 5%, for others, it may be 95%. If you’re re-posting cat pictures and memes all day, though, it might be time to re-think your strategy.

Real Facebook Marketing Strategy

The first real question is what your ultimate social media goal is. Are you looking to educate people about your product, get new fans, sell handbags, get a discussion going, create a buzz, etc.? It’s helpful to understand your priorities–especially since the answer “F: all of the above” will surely drive you insane.

Strategy Marketing Consulting, Marketing Message Expert, Tips And Tricks For SiriIMHO, the top goal should be to drive people back to your site. You’ve gotta make social media work for you–not against you. Get ‘em to your site.

The second issue is… read more

Posted in all, Analytics/Measurement/Reporting, eCommerce, how to, Message, Online Marketing, q&a, Social Media, Website | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Starting Strong: The 27 Most Important Marketing Strategies For A Web Startup

Dear Olga: What are the most important marketing strategies for a web startup?
~ Nora M., Social Media Startup, Calabasas, CA

examples of marketing strategies, online marketing consultingFirst of all, every startup needs to keep in mind that there are still offline marketing strategies that work.  So, even though you’re a social media startup, you’ll probably get your first clients by meeting (and being helpful to) people in your real-world community and immediate circle. Then, you can ride that wave online.

Second, if possible, carve out a niche–geographically or by industry—so that you can have a targeted marketing strategy.

Third (in the world of social media especially) you have to understanding what your strengths are and how those translate into measurement.  In other words, you have to be very clear about what you’re offering (enhanced social connection, more friends, better feeds, etc.).

Beyond that… read more

Posted in all, eCommerce, how to, Message, Online Marketing, q&a, Website | Leave a comment

Are You Being Helped? How To Evaluate the Success of Your Content Marketing


Dear Olga: What’s the best way to evaluate the effectiveness of my content marketing efforts?
~ Erik D., B2B Technology Consultant, Seal Beach, CA

marketing ideas for small businessFirst of all, let’s define “content marketing.” I suspect that you’re using one or more of the following avenues:

  • Social Media
  • Photos and Videos
  • Articles
  • Blogs
  • E-Newsletters
  • Case Studies and White Papers

These types of content marketing can be measured in a wide range of ways: from… read more

Posted in all, Analytics/Measurement/Reporting, eCommerce, how to, Message, Online Marketing, q&a, Social Media, Website | 2 Comments

Feeling The Love With Live Tweeting

Last week, I went to see a rare West Coast Seth Godin presentation, brought to Costa Mesa by Linked OC and Bryan Elliott. The room was packed with hundreds of entrepreneurs and business owners (and those aspiring to get out of their current corporate positions), and the atmosphere was abuzz with Godin-esque excitement.

When Seth finished signing books and taking photos, he took the stage with his signature yellow glasses and shining ‘do.

Seth spent the better part of an hour alternating between his signature unconventional wisdom and silly slides of signs that led to a few great jokes. 

He talked about the purple cow, how all marketers are liars, the lynchpin, that we are all weird,  his tribes, and the idea virus…among other things…hitting the high points of all of his bestselling books.

I decided to Live Tweet from the event and was able to connect with fellow Godin-ites in the room—and beyond. The result was unexpected…
read more

Posted in all, Future, game changers, Message, Mobile Presence, Online Marketing, Social Media | Leave a comment

Embrace The F Word

Olga Mizrahi and Seth GodinSeth Godin’s musings are a bit like junk food to me. I take them in quickly, enjoying the tasty morsels. Because he understands new readers are coming in all the time, at times it’s too much of a salty good thing, and feels like stuff I’m munched on before from past works, hoping it tastes fresh again. Nevertheless, even when I get a bit of a Godin-overload, I am always craving more. A spark from Seth gets me going for days, and most likely it revolves around my favorite subject: Change.

I think Seth’s tribe is one of connection and so it should be no surprise that…

read more

Posted in all, Future, game changers, how to | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment