Getting More Traffic

Just a little note for you to ponder: Companies who create, optimize and promote their blogs get 55% more traffic and 70% more leads than those who don't. So why are you not blogging?

Consistently that is! I know a lot of businesses that have a blog but have not added a post in over a year. So they say it does not work. Again, what or who is not working?

Remember doing a little each day or week will go a lot further than complaining and doing nothing.

Richard M.J. Jarosz on LinkedIn
Lone Keep Internet, Inc.

Not following Recommendations

Do you have clients that do not follow your recommendations then complain why your services don't work? I do as I'm sure most of you do.

I was speaking with one of my clients the other day. Potter Pest Control is a local Pest Control company serving the Monmouth County area. We started to compare notes on how well our clients actually follow our recommendations. Not many do...

Potter Pest comes in and strays to get rind of the nasty crawling things. He also educates the tenants as to the food sources for the bugs and suggests what and how to clean up. A month later he is spraying the same apartment because the place is still the same. And they complain the spraying is not working! Go figure!!

An example on my end is when I suggest to clients that want to use Facebook to promote their events, website and business that they actually use Facebook I get the rolling of the eyes. They say they do not the time or don't know how. But I will see plenty of posts about their stupid cats! With pictures! Just the other day I attended an event hosted by a client and he complained about the low turn out. So I asked did he create an event and invited people? His response was he thought sending emails would be enough. So I asked, was it? You should have seen the look he gave me.

Why ask an expect if you are not going to follow their recommendations?
Richard M.J. Jarosz on LinkedIn
Lone Keep Internet, Inc.

Write an Article?

Writing an article is essentially nothing more than sharing content online and making it available to everyone online - potentially, hundreds of millions of people. You'd write an article that revolves around a topic and share with it others.

Remember the WHOLE PURPOSE of writing the article is to share relevant/meaningful content that can really help someone. Content is the key here...this will by default position you as the expert in your field/niche market. Prospects love following from experts.

The article is NOT an ad. You're not selling any product inside the ad - you're providing relevant information that can benefit someone else who's looking for that information.

Keep the article content simple - the "average" person should be able to read the article from top to bottom and fully understand the message. Also don't be too lengthy - keep the article between 350-450 words. Most people have a relatively short attention span. Make sure the article can be read by a prospect in less than 5-6 minutes (note: most readers will scan the article looking for the "meat", but you get the idea here).

Prospects MUST be able to find the article - if not, it's a fruitless exercise right? That's where we at Lone Keep Internet may be able to help.

Richard M.J. Jarosz on LinkedIn
Lone Keep Internet, Inc.

Communication

Just picked up the book "Healing Wounded Relationships" by Martin H. Padovani. He says mass at St. Catharine in Spring Lake NJ once in a while and the church is packed when he does. The first chapter is on communications; usually between a couple or family members, but I thought why would this not work with clients and prospects.

He talks about why people don't communicate and goes into detail about all the reasons. I, however, came up with one and only one! People just don't want to communicate. Sad but this is what I have found out to be true. Examples of this are common. Take for instance a new client I picked up the other week. It's a wife and husband team. The husband hired us and passed it on to the wife. She does not know what is going on or cares to so she ignores the calls and emails and he just keeps saying the wife is handling it now. You guessed it, nothing is moving forward on their project. But I predict that in six months or so I'll get a call asking why nothing is being done.... So I'm documenting every attempt to communicate with them...

So return those calls and emails...
Richard M.J. Jarosz on LinkedIn
Lone Keep Internet, Inc.

Why are my Prospects not emailing me?

Because you have the wrong email address on your business card!!! Why do business owners not check this information before they pass out their cards?

Yesterday I was at the SUMMER KICK OFF NETWORKING EVENT at the Sheraton in Eatontown and collected over a couple of dozen of business cards from my networking efforts. I got home and emailed them all the lasted issue of the Jersey Shore Community Information Bulletin as promised. Three got bounced because the email address on the card does not exist! Yes I checked all three and I entered them correctly…

One, a start-up business, even had the website listed incorrectly. It has a “@” were a period should be. All it takes is a little step back and review the cards or have someone like myself review it for them. I do this for my clients all the time. Some clients even sent me a proof copy of their ads to make sure the information is correct. If they are spending money on the ad they want it as correct as possible. You know the Magazine or Newspaper never checks as long as the check clears and the client Oks the proof… right or wrong it get printed.

So keep that is mind have someone else check the printed material and test the email and website addresses.

Richard M.J. Jarosz on LinkedIn
Lone Keep Internet, Inc.

Still thinking about it!

This past week I have been doing some follow up with some prospects for Jersey Shore Coupons. I don’t know if you have been getting this run-a-round but the phrase “I’m still thinking about it” really gets me pissed off! Excuse my language but what other words would describe the feeling? Not about me but about the person I’m speaking with! A simple question deserves a simple answer. These are business people. If they cannot give a straight answer to a yes or no question what does this say about them and their business?


Friends have told me they “Rich they don’t what to hurt your feeling. That is why they don’t say no.” But wasting my precious time by having me call and call to get the same answer “I’m still thinking about it” is helping me? This does not even make sense.

I especially love it when Life Coaches give me this answer. Don’t they coach others to make decisions? How can I recommend others to them when they can’t make simple decisions about their own businesses? And I get a lot asking for referrals but I have yet to get a straight answer out of anyone of them!

Sorry off the soap box for now…..
Richard M.J. Jarosz on LinkedIn
Lone Keep Internet, Inc.

Working on your business versus Working in your business

While making sales calls for Jersey Shore Coupons to people I have known for years I got some strange comments! Looking like most of the people I spoke with were busy working in their businesses. Too busy to think about promoting or advertising their business. And you guessed it! They all were doing terrible…

Years ago I learned that I if spent all my time working in the business my income usually suffered because I had no new business coming in. Sandler Sales Training taught me to set aside a part of each day to build my business. At first this was very hard… But as time went on I got control of my schedule I found it was not too difficult to make the time necessary to keep my business growing. My frustration level starting going down and my income started going up.

So spend more time working on you business….

Richard M.J. Jarosz on LinkedIn
Lone Keep Internet, Inc.

Misinformation

There is so much misinformation available on the web nowadays... It's scary! But business owners can do something about. If they care to. I have spent the last two days making call to restaurants in Ocean and Monmouth Counties. I found what I thought was a good sources of currents establishments. Boy was I wrong! Most of the entries were just plain wrong or out of date. I even found some the restaurant domains for sale.

As a suggestion as a business owner do a google search on your business and check the results. Visit some of these site where you may be listed and confirm the information. If you can find a bad listing so can your potential customers! Once you find a bad listing contact the site owner and see what needs to be done to delete it or correct it. Sometimes it may just involve sending them an email with the correct info or just a phone call to correct the wrong information.

Are you letting customers not find you?????

Richard M.J. Jarosz on LinkedIn

How Rude!

As you know if someone contacts me I assume they want to hear from me. WRONG! Oh, so wrong... I save up all the email advertisements I get and about once or twice a month I give them a call just to touch base. See if I can help them, see if they can help me.

Well I just have to vent! This "Design" company has sent me three emails since the beginning of the month! So... I called them and OMG! How Rude! First, they did not even announce that I had called their company (personal number?). Second when I stated who I was and why I was calling I got this list of question: Who, What, Where etc.

I finally said "Wait a minute! You don't owe me any money. I was just calling in response to the emails you sent me" This prompted another line of questions. I answered all of her questions politely but still could not have a conversation with all her defensiveness. So I politely thanked her for her time and hung up!

I was looking to work with an additional design company but I would not send a single client of mine to her. So I just deleted all of her emails and blocked her email address.

Wonder how the economy is treating her?

Richard M.J. Jarosz
Lone Keep Internet, Inc.

Something for nothing and your chick for free....

It never ceases to amaze me! Contacted hundreds of friends on FaceBook who have businesses to let them know of a new Free Business Directory that their websites should be listed on. Specifically one of our sites.

Jersey Shore Coupons

All they has to do was click the link and add their website info. Guess how many took advantage of this FREE help? Yeap not a one! I actually had several "Friends" unfriend me for making the suggestion and trying to help them.

Am I missing something? Am I going something wrong? Or is it that nobody wants or needs help?

Please, I'm at a lost. Someone fill me in?


Richard M.J. Jarosz on LinkedIn

PS Maybe I'll have better luck on LinkedIn???

SW, SW, SW, Next!

Some will, Some won't, So what, Next! This true for about everything. Last night networking event was no exception. There was no one from Monmouth County that I did not already know. There were, however, a number of Non-BNIers from Middlesex County.

Why, you may ask? As I was talking to the quests they found out about the BNI International Networking Week event via LinkedIn or Meet Up. The director from Middlesex County took it upon himself to use those forms of Social Networking to promote the event as well has the organization.

It's the little things in life (and business) that makes a world of difference.

Happy Networking!
Richard M.J. Jarosz on LinkedIn

International Networking What?????

This is almost a continuation of the last article on Free Publicity and the way organizations go out of the way to keep their events a secret!

This evening I will be attending an event connected with BNI's International Networking Week at the PNC Art Center. And yes I am ranting! Yesterday I attended two different local Chamber events (one organized by a BNI member and both attended heavily by BNI Chapter officers) and there was not one mention of today's event. I checked the Asbury Park Press Event Listings and did not find it. Hell there was no request to place the event in the Jersey Shore Community Information Bulletin which is FREE!

I checked my emails for the past month and no mention of it. No event set up on Facebook with invites! I even asked BNI members over the last week, in my normal course of networking, if I would see them there... and you guessed it! Deer in the headlights looks are all I got followed by "What networking event?"

Don't get me wrong, BNI is a most excellent organization. But with the Corporate Office trying to turn this into the Premier Networking event World-wide for the last three years the local area director is not helping...

I'll report tomorrow on the attendance of this secret networking events

Richard M.J. Jarosz on LinkedIn
Lone Keep Internet, Inc.

Free Publicity

Did you ever notice people say they want one thing and always do the opposite! Well after compiling a list of over 60 Museums in Ocean and Monmouth counties I decided it would be nice to help them get the word out. I had no idea there were this many in our area. So I decided to call them to see if they were willing to supply the Jersey Shore Community Information Bulletin (JSCIB) with their upcoming events.

The majority of the numbers I found for these museums were either wrong or disconnected. Of the few that I was able to get hold of on the phone it turned out to be the County or City Clerks’ office. A very frustrating undertaking overall. Of the handful I actually reached two called me back and only one sent me the information required to help them promote an event that started yesterday.

In this era of cutbacks and closings I figured they would want to get the word out to raise their numbers of visitors. But what do I know?! Keeping their Museums and Historical Societies a secret may truly be what they are trying to achieve. In which case they are doing a bang up job!

Over the years I have been trying to work with my clients to have them avoid this same mistake. Are they making progress? I would like them to share that here with you. Giving them more free publicity...

Richard M.J. Jarosz on LinkedIn
Towne Crier - Get the Word Out

Google Alerts

Google Alerts is a free tool used by website owners to monitor their name, brand name, key industry terms and competitors.

Why Receive Alerts?
Google Alerts enable you to easily monitor the Internet for desired keywords, sending you email messages when these terms are being used.

For example, I use Google Alerts to monitor the word “Jarosz” along with “Lone Keep Internet” and “JerseyShoreCoupon.com” It’s one way to find out where news of me, my company and websites is popping up.

Google Alerts are useful to webmasters who don’t have the time or resources to be proactive about monitoring the Web for specific mentions. Google does the searching for you!

When signing up for Google Alerts, you can select the type of content you want Google to look for (e.g., blogpost, news articles, video, etc) and how often notifications are sent.

Give it a try it's Free! All you need is a Google account and that's Free to!

Richard M.J. Jarosz on LinkedIn
Lone Keep Internet, Inc.

People aren't afraid of success. They are afraid of the extra work success will bring!

Yes this quote is by me. In my line of work I'm always asking prospects and clients where they want to take their businesses. The answer is always the same. "To make more money but if my business grows so will my workload." So my next question to them is "If business is slow and income is down. What exactly are you spending your time on?" That is where the conversation usually ends. They would rather spend the time complaining about how bad business and the economy are instead of doing something, anything about.

For you college grads, "A body at rest will remain at rest unless an external force is applied to it." Thank you Sir Isaac Newton! Makes sense in Physics, exercising and even business! So if anyone is inclined to so something in the New Year about themselves or their business we at Lone Keep Internet are having a Dream Board session. It will be New Year's Eve at our offices in Asbury Park. Click here to find out more about our Dream Board session.

Richard M.J. Jarosz
Lone Keep Internet, Inc.

‘Tis the Season!

Happy Holidays my ass! Wikipedia, the free internet encyclopedia, defines Political correctness as a term which denotes language, ideas, policies, and behavior seen as seeking to minimize social and institutional offense. I don’t know about you but I take offense from the term “Happy Holidays”. My response is always “Which one?” And why don’t we use “Happy Holidays” in February when there are even more holidays? Should we not use the term “Happy Birthday” because a lot of us don’t want to be reminded that we are getting older? Of not! So why are we afraid of use the name of the actual days we celebrate?

Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish friends and clients. Happy Boxing Day to my English clients and friends. Happy Victory Day (Dec 16, Bangladesh) to our waiter in Venice, Happy Monkey Day (Dec. 14), St Stephen's Day (Dec. 26), Happy International Solidarity Day (Dec. 31), Happy Saint Nicholas' Day (Dec. 5), Happy Saturnalia for my pagan friends, Happy Winter Solstice Stephi and Connor, and for the rest Merry Festivus! This list can go on… But don’t they all deserve the respect to acknowledge something that may be near and dear to them.

What does this have to do with business? Glad you asked. Everything! If my friends, vendors and clients don’t know what is important to me should I feel good or bad about? Or maybe they should just say nothing like any other awkward social situation. But no… they jump in there and feel they have to say something because everyone else is.

Remember when your mother use to say “If all your friends jumped off a bridge would you?” Actually I did once… but that is another story. That saying never made any sense to me as a kid but now it makes perfect sense. I will not follow the crowd into the Political correctness abyss but be my own person and say what I feel.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Richard M.J. Jarosz on LinkedIn
Lone Keep Internet, Inc.

The Importance of a Mission Statement

We all understand the value of a tag line – a neat one line statement that others can use to remember what you do. However, a tag line does not always completely describe what you do or how you do it.

When more description is needed what do you do or what do you say? We all ramble on saying what we think the other person wants to hear or we can offer our “elevator speech” which is often nothing more than an extended tag line.

The best way to avoid the rambling is to generate a living Mission Statement. The actual act of writing a living Mission Statement forces you to think through an explanation what you do that will resonate with the prospect.

The Mission Statement will often:
- Contain a phrase reflecting standards
- Contain a phrase reflecting a unique approach
- Is written so that it can be provided and understood by the prospect
- Serves as a daily reminder for you and your staff
- Provides focus

Several examples of Mission Statements:

“The Comfort Keepers mission is to provide our clients with the highest level of quality of life that is achievable. We shall treat each of our clients with the respect and dignity they deserve, as though we were caring for a member of our own family.”

“The Potter Pest Control mission is to provide chemically safe, personalized and scheduled services that focus on prevention of infestations and to follow through in response to all requests for help until the client’s problem is eradicated.”

"The Ives & Associates mission is to fully understand and then capture the essence of what a company does and how they do it in a manner that is aesthetically pleasing, factually accurate and useful for branding and marketing purposes.”

“The mission of the Atlantic Center for Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine is to enhance that quality of life of every patient through the provision of alternative treatments and therapies and to assist the patient in identifying live style changes that may reduce the frequently or intensity of illness and discomfort.”

My thanks to Rob Robison, of Comfort Keepers, for letting me use his idea for this post. He presented this as an Educational piece at one of our BNI Shore Money weekly meetings.

Richard M.J. Jarosz
Currently working on the Mission Statement for Jersey Shore Coupons

Personal Brand Statement: 5 Winning Steps to Creating One

List your attributes
The goal here is to find the one or two things that separate you from your competition and make you unique. Keep in mind that the brand statement is only supposed to get people interested, and not say everything about you or your business.

Choose an audience
Creating a statement that is too broad and undirected to any particular group will most likely be wasted on any of your prospects. The purpose of a personal brand statement is to briefly list your primary skills, so it is necessary to target the industry where those skills are most useful.

Make it memorable
The statement of your brand should be something that others can remember easily since you need to be able to use it whenever a networking opportunity arises. Try telling it to a friend or current client one time and see if he or she can easily recall the entire sentence. If so, you’re off to a very good start.

Make your self-impression = other’s impression
If you have trouble brainstorming personal skills, ask close friends or current clients what they think your strengths are. Even after you have decided on a statement, it is a good idea to check with a friend to make sure that your idea of yourself matches what others think of you and your business.

Market yourself
I cannot emphasize this fact enough, when looking for clients you have to be willing to be your own advocate. A personal brand statement will not help you much if you are not telling people what it is. Make sure to keep it consistent across platforms, however, because using the same sentence every time will help others remember it and associate it with you. Having a short brand statement means that you will be able to market yourself quickly whenever a chance for networking arises.

Don’t procrastinate creating your statement. Since it is such a powerful marketing tool, you are going to want to spend enough time on it to make it fantastic and ensure that it projects exactly the image of you and your business that you want.

Richard M.J. Jarosz
Lone Keep Internet, Inc.

Personal Branding: Is It Right For You?

I get asked how an individual can brand themselves. Personal branding can single an individual out as an expert in their field. If you believe in your talent, in your skills and ability - it's easier to sell what you believe in. Your image is already created - you just have to market it.

How do you market yourself? You must become: A pro in your industry; an expert in your field. When branding yourself you must create a strong and consistent brand. You cannot skimp just because it's about you.

Strong brands are clear about who they are and what they are not. Which is why branding yourself can be an easy process. You already know who you are and what you are not. Strong brands are also consistent. It's easy to be consistent in who you are.

By branding yourself effectively you will:
- Establish yourself as an expert in your chosen field.
- Build a solid reputation within your industry.
- Increase your notoriety/visibility
- Improve your perceived value in the marketplace.

The key to successfully branding yourself and doing it effectively is to first establish a personal brand identity, message and/or look. Once you have done that focus that message on who you are and what you stand for within your chosen field or industry. Your final step is to get the word out through a variety of media channels that are viewed by the people most likely to be interested in your message.

As people begin to see your name and become aware of the benefits and knowledge that you offer, before you know it hundreds of people will not only know who you are but they will begin to seek out your services and expertise. They will identify with your brand which is YOU.

Richard M.J. Jarosz on LinkedIn

Gain a Competitive Edge by Establishing a Personal Brand

You can, by establishing a personal brand that allows you to differentiate and position yourself from the competition. Most businesses today are viewed as commodities, unless they provide some unique value, which competitors do not share. Your goal is to stand out.

Your Personal Brand
Defined: Your total perceived value, relative to competitors, as viewed by your audience.

Elements of your Personal Brand
Personal Appearance - Including Logo, Business Cards, Presentation Material even clothing.
Personality - Your values, goals, identity and confident behavior.
Competencies - These are cognitive, business, communication and technical skills.
The Differentiator - Offering a unique value proposition or benefit to your target audience.
Media Channels - Ways to introduce your target audience to your Personal Brand.

Constructing a brand with a mixture of these elements will have a positive effect on the people around you and your business. After producing a personal brand, with these elements, you must weave them into a message that can be consumed by your audience.

Growing Your Brand
Personal Branding is an ongoing development that exists throughout an entire life cycle. As your experience and competencies grow, your brand will become enhanced, much like in a product-lifecycle. Creating, maintaining and evolving your brand will help you command your prospective audience and positively communicate your perceived and unique message.

Corporate branding and personal branding are very well connected and for most consultants they are the same. The only apparent difference is that instead of marketing a product or service, a person is being promoted and sold to your target audience.

Treat yourself as the product and sell it!