The cheapest deal isn’t always the best deal.

When business owners start looking for service providers to outsource to, they sometimes seem to forget that little fact. Judging from many inquiries I’ve been getting lately, a lot of people are getting hung up on price.

Service providers aren’t all that different from light bulbs. We both brighten up your day, for one thing. For another, you always get what you pay for. Cheaper prices usually mean lesser quality.

If you’re still asking, “How much will this cost me?” you’re asking the wrong question. When it comes to outsourcing your business needs to service providers, the real question should be:

“How much will this profit me?”

If you pay someone to write an article for you, how many leads will that article bring?
If you pay someone to redesign your website, how many more visitors will the up-to-date look convert?
If you pay someone to write a press release for you, how much exposure will your business get?

It’s impossible to say for sure, of course. But I can tell you this: it depends on the quality of the finished product.

The wonder of outsourcing is that it doesn’t actually save you money. Instead, it creates opportunities for you to make more money.

So, doesn’t it make sense that price should not be a sticking point when you’re looking for someone to outsource to? Don’t you want to create as many money making opportunities for yourself as possible?

If you’re still looking for the lowest price, you have the idea behind outsourcing all wrong.

But please give me a call anyway. I can give you a great deal on a box of light bulbs I’m not using.

Are you thinking of outsourcing your web content? I help my clients build relationships with their “people” by writing professional blogs, articles and press releases, then publishing and repurposing them in strategic ways.

Check out my portfolio and read my client testimonials. Then request a quote for your content marketing needs.

Want to learn more about Roxy and Smokey? You’ll find that here

According to Chase’s Calendar of Events, June is Effective Communications Month. For internet entrepreneurs, that means it’s the perfect time to evaluate how effectively you’re communicating information on the world wide web.

A website that lists your phone number and an email address is no
longer considered “effective communication.”

Online communication tools like blogs, articles, and community forums have contributed to an internet culture that wants the information they need to be easy to find. And they want it right now.

The increasing usage of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter means internet users want to engage with businesses like yours in myriad ways.

The rules have changed. Are you keeping up? If you need some help, here are my five rules for writing web content that “wows.”

1. People use the internet because they want helpful information they can use right now. So give it to them. That will give you credibility with consumers.

2. Forget everything you learned in your English composition classes. When you’re writing for the web, write like you speak. Leave out the jargon and complex sentences. However, good grammar and proper punctuation are still essential.

3. Be consistent. It’s not enough to write a blog post or update your social media sites once every so often. Publish information regularly. Blog editorial calendars and marketing schedules can help you stay on track.

4. Be everywhere. Internet users expect to be able to communicate with you in multiple ways. Your website alone won’t cut it. Set up a Facebook page. Get blogging. Post regular tweets to your Twitter account. You might even want to set up your own social network to get your clients communicating with you, and with each other.

5. Remember that you don’t have to do it all on your own. Feeling overwhelmed by the myriad ways to communicate on the internet? Consider partnering with a virtual assistant to help you communicate more effectively.

Are you thinking of outsourcing your web content? I help my clients build relationships with their “people” by writing professional blogs, articles and press releases, then publishing and repurposing them in strategic ways.

Check out my portfolio and read my client testimonials. Then request a quote for your content marketing needs.

Want to learn more about Roxy and Smokey? You’ll find that here

What you may not know is how to work with your ghost writer so you get the results you’re looking for.

As someone who has been ghost writing web content for several years now, I’ve learned that not everyone understands how the ghost writer/client relationship works best. Take these three things to heart, and you will be on your way to getting more than your money’s worth from the ghost writer you hire.

Generic articles get generic results.

Many small business owners will approach a ghost writer for the first time by saying, “I need a 500 word article on such-and-such a topic.” Your ghost writer will be able to produce that for you, of course. But if that’s all the information you give your writer, you’ll likely get a generic-sounding article that anyone could have written. And, more importantly, that no one will want to read.

Web content is most effective when it is written in your unique voice and contains your one-of-a-kind ideas. Articles like that are the ones that will help you gain trust with your audience, and eventually turn them into clients.

To help your ghost writer produce a relationship-building article for you, give her some insight into your thoughts and ideas so they can be included. Alternatively, be prepared to add your own original ideas to the article after the ghost writer is done with it.

This is a relationship.

Once you’ve found someone you think you could have a good working relationship with, it’s worth investing the time to foster that relationship.

The longer you and your writer work together, the more she will understand your web content needs. As she learns about your business, she may even be able to help you plan your article topics and develop your article marketing strategy.

If the content you get from the ghost writer the first time isn’t exactly what you had in mind, don’t assume that using a ghost writer is not for you. Perhaps you need to communicate your ideas more clearly. Or perhaps it will just take some feedback to get her on the right track.

Maybe what you really need is a virtual assistant.

There are ghost writing services. And then there are virtual assistants who specialize in ghost writing.

What’s the difference? A ghost writer is just that.

A virtual assistant, on the other hand, has business sense and experience and can help you use the content she writes for you in strategic ways.

A virtual assistant can repurpose your content into blog posts, tweets, Facebook updates, ebooks, even teleseminars. If you don’t have a blog or don’t get social media, she can help you with that too. She can also help you find new places to publish your articles, and keep track of them for you.

The one article you paid for can be used in so many ways to find new prospects and win new clients. That saves you time and money, and makes you look really smart.

Business owners who decide to outsource their content often initially wonder if it’s worth the money they’ll spend. Or they wonder if the ghost writer will be able to produce the articles they need. By keeping these points in mind, you’ll be on your way to building a positive relationship with the writing professional you hire.

Are you thinking of outsourcing your content? I help my clients build relationships with their “people” by writing professional blogs, articles and press releases, then publishing and repurposing them in strategic ways.

Check out my portfolio and read my client testimonials. Then request a quote for your article and press release marketing needs.

Want to learn more about Roxy and Smokey? You’ll find that here

In fact, if you come right out and tell me that I’m wrong about something that’s important to me, you’ll probably be able to watch my defences go up right before your eyes. It will be a few minutes (or days, depending) until I’m ready to listen to anything else you have to say. Even if it’s for my own benefit.

I’ve notice the same behavior in my colleagues and friends too. It seems that none of us enjoy being told we’re wrong! So, I think it’s safe to say that the people reading your articles feel the same way.

One of my favorite articles to write addresses a mistake my readers might be making and helping them correct it. An article like that is a tool I can use to educate my market and show them how I can help solve their problems.

But if I’m not careful, it can easily sound like I’m telling them they’re wrong and I’m right. You have to admit, it’s pretty hard to educate your reader if you’ve just offended them!

So, here’s a trick I’ve learned to more subtly make my point.

When you describe a common mistake or negative situation to your readers, avoid using the pronoun “you.” If you address your reader directly, you could possibly put them on the defensive.

Instead, write in the third person for that portion of the article. Your readers will probably identify with the behaviour you’re describing, but not feel like you’re accusing them of making that mistake.

Then, when you go on to explain your solution to the problem, they’ll be much more open to what you have to say.

That means they’ll be more open to clicking on the link in your resource box and eventually buying your product or service too.

There’s something about being there, alone in the mountains with only the trees and the stars for company, that reenergizes me. When I leave my brother’s place, I always tell myself I need to do this again soon. But you can guess what happens, can’t you?  I get back to the city, to my schedule, to the busyness of everyday life and I forget.

I’ve learned that the best time to plan my next trip is on the drive home, while I’m still on that “Rocky Mountain high.”  I don’t plan all the details. I just decide when I want to come back and set a date. Simple. But that simple step sets the groundwork for my next visit and makes it much easier for me to actually do it.

For some of us, marketing is the same way. It can be a challenge to maintain momentum in our marketing because we have so many distractions pulling us away from it. There’s client work to be done, family needs to take care of. And the list can go on and on.

An easy way to maintain your marketing momentum is to plan your next press release, article, or blog post as soon as you finish the one you’re working on right now.

Wait a second! Before you tell me I’m out of my mind and the one you’re writing now is hard enough as it is… let me explain.

I don’t mean that you should plan out every detail of what you’re going to do next. But take advantage of the frame of mind you’re in right now to make things easier for yourself the next time you sit down to write.

Jot down a couple of notes. Set a date you will finish it by. Simple stuff, but small steps that will make it easier to get your next one completed.

Here are some reasons why this strategy works.

-    Your ideas are fresh in your mind so it’s easier to recognize how you can build on what you just wrote. Maybe next time you can elaborate on your blog post or turn that one article into a series. But if you just walk away from all those great ideas now, you’ll likely forget what they were. Write them down, right now, while you’re thinking of them.

-    You’re still in a writing frame of mind. Now that you’ve gotten those creative juices flowing (or even trickling) take advantage of it.

-    The next time you sit down to write, you won’t be faced with a blank page. Instead, you can begin working from the notes you already made. Because you know the brainstorming’s already been done, you’ll be more likely to sit down and finish it sooner.

If you plan your next move while you’re still on that marketing “high,” it will be easier to maintain your marketing momentum amidst the busyness of running your business.

If someone disagreed with you, you would just admit that they were right. When someone made a mistake, a nice girl (or guy) wouldn’t embarrass them by pointing it out – even if it was for their benefit. Someone wronged you? Tell them you’re sorry (for what, I’m still not sure) and then get over it.

As a basically “nice” person, I went along with it for a while. But then I began to realize that my being “nice” usually ended up hurting me, my friends and family. Even the people I worked with.

If you’ve been playing “nice” in your business, stop it right now. Because you’re not only not being fair to yourself. You’re misleading your clients/market as to who you really are. Your ideal client is never going to find you if you’re faking being something you’re not. And you’re going to miss out on all the fulfillment that you thought becoming an entrepreneur would bring.

Is being nice hurting your business? Here’s a quick “nice” quiz I came up with:

- Have you ever accepted work you didn’t really want because you don’t like saying no?

- Have you ever charged less than you really wanted to (or knew you should) because you wanted to be nice?

- Do you have good reason to disagree with a current trend in your industry but don’t want to say so because it wouldn’t be… well… nice?

- Have you ever not posted your true opinion on a popular industry blog or forum because you worried it wouldn’t be considered nice?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, your “niceness” is hurting you and your business.

Don’t feel too badly, though. I’ve been guilty of every one of those transgressions too at some time or another. So, you know you’re in good company.

But what is a well-intentioned, not-so-nice business owner to do?

First of all, set boundaries for yourself. I think knowing your niche is part of that. Know what work you will do, what you won’t do. You’ll be happier and so will your clients.

Know what you charge, and then stick to it. Your rates are no place to play nice. This is your business and if you want to stick around to help people in the future, you need to make a decent income at what you do.

And say what you really think. Please. The internet is already crammed full of boring ideas that have been nicely yet excruciatingly boringly repeated by too many other people.

Write articles that reflect your own opinions, not rehash someone else’s. Post blogs that get people thinking and questioning what they thought they knew. Let people know you – the real you. Not the nice you that you think we all want to see. Nice is boring. And it’s not really you anyway.

Which is all we’re really asking for. For you to be true about who you really are. To be honest with your clients/market about what you can do for them. To let us know if we’re your ideal client, or if we should save both of us a lot of wasted time and stress and just keep looking for someone who does think we’d be the perfect fit.

Doesn’t sound so nice, does it? Well, tell them you’re sorry and then get over it. Besides, once you stop being nice and start being real, you’ll be too busy enjoying your business and the people you work with to worry about it .

Why don’t you engage and give me a call next week?

Next Monday, I’m launching Office Hours with Denise. For two hours each week, I’ll be sitting here by my phone, eagerly anticipating your phone call.

You’re invited to call me up and chat about whatever’s on your mind. We can check out your blog or website content together. Talk about your upcoming book or the articles you’re writing. Working at home, starting an online business, homeschooling the kids, or even about our dogs. It’s all fair game.

Really, I just want to learn more about the people I’m hooking up with online, and I want to give you the chance to get to know me better too.

The hours will vary each week, because I’m a busy mom and dog owner as well as a full-time entrepreneur. But you can find out about my open office hours each week by visiting my Facebook page.

I’m looking forward to talking (for real!) with you soon.

However, thanks to the many opportunities now available because of the Internet, that’s all changing. It has become much easier for authors to reach a broader audience with their books and develop creative ways of earning an income from their writing.

If you’re an author who wants to better promote your book and earn more money, here are some of the ways you can do so. If you’re working with a publicist or with a publishing company, these strategies will compliment their work too.

Three Easy Ways to Promote Your Book on the Internet

Advertise your book all across the Web. Writing articles on your topic of expertise is an effective and simple way to start to gain recognition for yourself and your book. You can publish them at reprint article directories and websites that are popular with your target audience.

At the end of the article, be sure to include a resource box that includes a link to your website where readers can go to learn more about your book, download a free chapter, or sign up for your newsletter.

Build some publicity for your book. Press releases are another tool you can use to build recognition and credibility for you and your book. Press releases are no longer written just for the media outlets. You can now publish your press release all over the Internet so they will show up in the search engine results whenever someone searches on the topic of your book. To build some extra buzz, tie your book into a special day or event and write a press release about it.

Become a professional speaker. You don’t need to travel the country to promote your book with speaking engagements. Instead, offer teleseminars and webinars on your subject. This is a great way to build interest in your book and become known as an expert.

Now, Turn Your Expertise into a Money-Making Machine

Once you have a published book and are known as an expert on your subject, people will pay you for sharing your knowledge with them.

Here are some ways you can use your book as a springboard for creating other paid products and services. The more different ideas you develop, the more income earning potential you will have.

Compile the articles you’ve written into an e-book or a special report and sell it. Because a digital book costs so little to produce, you can set it at a much lower price than your book.

Create a paid membership site. Use a membership program like Wishlist or Ning to set up a community that people can pay to join and access your expertise as needed.

Paid teleseminars and webinars. If you’ve been offering free teleseminars and events, it may be time to add some extra value and start charging for them. Or you can record your free sessions and sell the recordings and transcripts.
Become a paid consultant. Whatever your area of expertise, you can probably hire out your experience on a consulting basis.

If you promote your book consistently, and work at developing new income opportunities, you can become a well-known author and earn a good income from your writing.

A lot of times people will send out one article, not get really wonderful results, and decide that article marketing is not going to work for them.

But the effects of article marketing are cumulative. It builds your credibility and your reputation over time. The more you write and submit articles, the more effective it is. Deciding after submitting one, two, or five articles that it’s a waste of your time, is premature.

Two other elements that impact the effectiveness of your article marketing are:

- the topics you write about

- the call to action in your resource box.

It’s important that the topics you write on are highly relevant to the service you’re selling. A lot of people don’t realize that. You will have more prospects and conversions if your articles are relevant to your audience.

It’s also important to include a specific call to action in your resource box. Make sure it’s low-risk and easy for people to do. Then there is a greater chance they will actually do it. Some examples of an effective call to action are offering a download of a free chapter, or inviting them to sign up for your newsletter.

Sound familiar? Doing business on the internet can be a little bit like that sometimes. Do you ever feel there’s a lot of action going on… but nobody asked you to the party?

In the movie, the main character is finally rescued by her brother who tells her the ultimate secret of becoming popular: Get one of already-popular crowd to accept you, and the rest will follow.

As someone who was never part of the popular crowd in high school, I can’t tell you if that advice is true or not.

But that is, very loosely, how things can work here on the web.

And right now, bloggers are among the most influential (i.e. popular) kids around.

If you want more recognition from your people, one of the best things you can do for your business is get it on an influential blog. Bloggers have loyal followers and, while a plug from a blogger in your niche may not make you an instant celebrity, it will help you build credibility, which is an important step.

How can you get your business on an influential blog? First remember that bloggers are always in need of interesting, high qualitiy content that will engage their readers.

With that in mind, there are a few ways you can get bloggers to talk about you and your stuff:

Blog tours – Plan to visit group of blogs with your book, product, service or expertise.
Guest blogging – This is when you write an exclusive article or blog post for a blog
Pitch a story idea to a blogger – Can you tie your business in to an issue that’s relevant/important to that blog’s readers?
Join the discussion by commenting on highly trafficked blogs in your niche

Just like the cool kids in school always knew, bloggers know they’re in demand. Many of them are pitched with story ideas and promotions daily.

If you really want to see your business on a particular blog, start out by visiting the blog, and getting to know what the blogger and his or her readers are interested in talking about. Then let them get to know YOU by commenting on the posts and adding value to the discussions that are already happening.

Because you’re right, there is a party going on. But you don’t need to wait for an invitation to join this one.