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Greetings!
Welcome to the second edition of The Maestro Monthly, an email newsletter published by The U.P. Web Maestro. The intent of this publication is to bring you news and updates on U.P. Web Maestro services, local business news, as well as general Web related business tips. (Please note: if you do not wish to receive this email or other messages from us, you can safely click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this email.)
Can Businesses Be Social?
by Nathan Lyle
If you haven't heard of Twitter or Facebook, it's likely you've been on another planet for the last five years. Just when you were getting comfortable with this whole Web thing, now everyone's talking about social media, tweets and photo streams. The real question, if you're a small business owner, is whether or not these new uses of technology have anything to offer your business.
It's not for you. A good rule of thumb to remember is, "new does not equal necessary." While there is always potential for new business in the changes technology creates, you should never assume that all businesses will benefit equally from the same tools. Typically, non-profit organizations or community groups will get more out of social media than your average mom and pop store, or big corporation. This is largely because a non-profit or community organization spends more of their time interacting with people on a personal level than does the average business.
Do you want your customers to have more frequent contact with you? Do you want your clients to know more details about your personal life? Do you have the time to participate in more groups and activities than you currently spend? Does your business reflect your personality? If a common theme here is the answer "no" then social media and social networking is not for you.
Okay, maybe it is for you. Maybe you've been looking for a way to change your business, or breathe new life into it. Maybe you've been wondering how you can leverage technology to multiply your personal presence beyond what's previously been physically possible. Or maybe you want to get to know your target market more deeply. These are just a few of the possible reasons social media really might be something for you to take seriously.
[read full article]
Five Reasons to Hire a Business Writer
by Bradford Veley
Want to know a secret? One of the best and most cost-effective ways to boost sales and profits during a recession is to hire a savvy, experienced business writer. An intelligent writer who understands your company, employees, the competition and market conditions can:
- Help increase sales
- Win new customers
- Build brand awareness
- Strengthen a sagging marketing strategy
- Enhance internal communication and productivity
Here are five reasons why hiring a writer may be the best investment you can make this year:
Business writers put their skill and knowledge to work for you. If you're like most business owners, you're an expert in your profession, but probably not as a writer. A professional business writer can help develop fresh marketing ideas and explain key concepts and processes to customers and employees in simple, streamlined language. A writer will take the time to prepare your website and printed materials correctly, the first time. That means you and your key employees are free to concentrate one-hundred percent on what you do best: running the business and making it grow.
A skilled writer targets your message to the right audience in an appealing way. Your company's image is important. A good writer will correct grammatical errors and replace worn-out clichés in your signs, website and printed materials with uncluttered, attention-getting text. Who are your ideal customers? What are their likes and dislikes? What motivates them? An experienced writer can tailor all of your company's marketing materials so that they speak in a unified, recognizable and consistent voice—your voice—to that target audience. A professional writer creates, with words, the emotional connection customers feel when doing business with you. And the fact is, with very few exceptions, most customers make buying choices based on their emotions—not price.
An experienced business writer provides a fresh perspective. The average business owner today is over-worked and stressed-out. It's nearly impossible to maintain an objective, 'big-picture' view of your company when you're up to your ears in it every waking moment. The problem, however, is that a balanced point of view is crucial to making the best decisions for the overall enterprise. A seasoned business writer can provide an invaluable second pair of eyes to help you see your business in a fresh way and redirect creative energy where it's needed most. A writer can identify missing materials, suggest alternative ways of getting your message out, spot communication problem areas and offer solutions. Are your internal documents, training and safety manuals easy to read and up to date? Is it time for a new company slogan? How about a regular newsletter to your customers?
A writer can reduce your work load. Your job is to work on your business, not in it. If writing isn't your cup of tea, don't waste precious time struggling with it or fretting because it isn't getting done! Turn those 'to-do' writing projects over to a business professional who writes for a living. You'll be amazed how quickly that overwhelming list can be whittled, item by item, to a very manageable size. Work will be fun again, and you'll probably sleep better, too.
Writers: the business world's most underrated and invaluable temps. Most business writers are independent contractors who get the job done and move on. No taxes or fixed overhead expenses for you to pay, no worrying about finding enough work to keep them busy. When the project is over, they leave. (Of course, most are very willing to come back when needed again!)
Let's be honest: like most entrepreneurs, you're an articulate, intelligent, decisive and energetic person. You're probably capable of writing passable business and marketing copy. But are you the best person for the job? And, more to the point: do you have the time? When it comes to an intelligent division of labor, hiring an experienced, results-oriented business writer may be one of the best things you do for your company, employees, family and your peace of mind this year.
About the author:
Bradford Veley (Marquette, MI) has been a freelance business writer/editor, cartoonist and illustrator since 1985. He can be reached by telephone at (906)228-3229, or by email at brad@bradveley.com.
For samples of his work and more information, visit www.bradveley.com.
Miscellaneous Maestro Minutia
If you received our recent payment authorization form in the mail and are unsure about the renewal dates for your hosting or domain services, you do not need to complete that portion of the form. Your payment dates and amounts will not change (except that domains are now slightly cheaper). If you have any questions, or would prefer to provide your information over the phone, please give us a call.
Our new blog, "Behind the Design" was launched recently. Check that out for random tidbits relating to Web design and small business.
In the next few weeks we will be moving our offices to 256 US Highway 41 East, in Negaunee Township. (Just a few minutes West of Marquette.) We will be sharing operating space with Tandem dog training, a business owned and operated by Mrs. Maestro (though if you call her that she'll likely roll her eyes at you.) Phone number and email contact information will remain the same.
We have updated our billing policy. If you like fine print or tend to pay late, you may want to take a peek.
Thanks for making it all the way through our second newsletter, and please feel free to let me know what you find useful or what you'd like to see us cover in future issues.
Sincerely,
Nathan Lyle
Phone: (906)228-5884
Email: nathanlyle@upwebmaestro.com
Web: www.upwebmaestro.com
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Business Tip:
$$$ on Advertising?
Use your website to save money on advertising.
Advertising on TV, radio and in print can be a huge hit to your budget. One of the advantages of a website is that it's easy to update and can be expanded as needed. Use your website to do as much of your promotion as possible, while using your other media outlets to bring in traffic to your website. Rather than spelling out your whole offer crammed into 60 seconds on TV, give them something tantalizing in 10 or 15 seconds focusing on your website. This works just as well for print. Instead of buying a large ad in the newspaper, buy a small one and run it longer. Remember, advertisements work as long as they're running, but if you teach people to visit your website for information you won't have to work as hard to get their attention in the future. Build your connection with your target market, create a community, and get more for your money.
Web/Technology News
Twitter Launches New Tool for Businesses
As Twitter continues to look for ways to actually make money, they've launched a new search tool and online manual for businesses. The hope is that more businesses will use Twitter to market themselves and provide a possible future customer base for Twitter through new services. The search tool is a widget that can be customized and embedded on your business website. Regarding posting "tweets" as a business, Twitter suggests in their manual that you use a "casual, friendly tone in your messages," and especially "don't spam".
Printable Batteries?
If we're going to be paying so much for printer ink and toner, wouldn't it be nice if we could at least print out more than just endless documents? Well, okay, actually the batteries are printed using a silk-screen printing method similar to that used for t-shirts and signs, not your home ink-jet printer... but that's still pretty neat in our book. Researchers recently announced a paper-thin battery that can be produced cost-effectively on large scale. It weighs less than one gram and is under one millimeter thick. It contains no mercury and so is at least somewhat environmentally friendly. Its voltage is 1.5 V.
Military May Ban Social Networking For Security Reasons
Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking sites may soon be banned within the Department of Defense, as the U.S. military cites security reasons. The Defense Department's concerns aren't new, but earlier arguments focused on bandwidth and secrecy while new concerns are being raised over security. At the heart of this is the worry that social media websites make it too easy for hackers to gain access to military networks. Even the best of firewalls and safety precautions are useless when compromised by the actions of someone behind those protections. All it can take to compromise a system is for one person to click the wrong link or download the wrong program or visit the wrong website. Just ask any parent of a teenager.
Firefox About to Surpass One Billion Downloads This Weekend
Firefox 1.0 was launched back in November of 2004, targeting Internet Explorer (which at the time held almost 90% of the market). Since about 2008, Firefox has risen to 30% of the market, while Internet Explorer has dropped to about 60%. (If it didn't come preinstalled in Windows machines, our opinion is that the percentage would be much much less than 60.) A year ago, Mozilla set a record of more than 8 million downloads of Firefox 3.0 in 24 hours. Currently people are downloading Firefox at the rate of about 20 downloads per second. If you're interested, you can watch the numbers...
Free Software
PhotoFiltre 6.3.2
If you're going to be working with a lot of graphics, you really should get Photoshop or Illustrator... but until you can afford either of those, there is a decent free alternative available. Download PhotoFiltre (it'll most likely be the English version you want). This software has most of the basic things you need for creating Web graphics: image resizing, resolution and mode changing, tons of tools and filters and the ability to add text to images.
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