The Blog
Where Purpose-Passion-Profession meet—Destiny is Born
Where Purpose-Passion-Profession meet—Destiny is Born
Everyday I meet people that wish they could experience their Destiny and they can’t figure out how to walk into it. I found this Purpose Test several years ago and I wish more people would walk through this short Internal Gifts test and find where Purpose, Passion and Profession meet. Watch how quickly you feel like you are walking into your destiny. Think about it, if you could do what you love to do and send an invoice after, how cool would that feel.
Have you ever looked at Text Marketing?
Text Marketing has been able to generate results of 80 – 1 ROI.
- 89% of the Major Brands are going Mobile.
- 92% of American adults use cell phones.
- 98% of Cell phone users are SMS enabled.
- 39.2 is the average age of the Text Users in America.
- 67% of Cell phone users are willing to get reminders and alerts.
If you would like to more about this powerful tool email me at pat@patrickdougher.com and I will set up a training for you.
If you have the time to come Sep 4 2010 to MDResort.com North of Fort Worth TX from 11:00am – 1pm at a Lunch and learn follow this link for more information:
New Services from Doer Systems – TEXT Marketing
I have become a Reseller for Advatext in the DFW area and it is so exciting to have a tool for marketing your business that is so powerful. A couple of Keys to consider…
- 95% of Cellular users use TEXTING
- 97% of Texts are Read!
- ROI has been so far over 20 to 1 that I am afraid to publish it without looking like I am just exaggerating.
- Test it… Text “Doer” to 72727
Other Services We Offer:
- Keynote Speaker on:
- 7 Critical Keys to Marketing Success
- How to get the most from your employees and have them enjoy work more…Really!
- Setting up Mentoring Groups that operate like a Mastermind Group
- Keys to Accelerated Learning for the Information age
- Text Marketing…Does it Work?
- Sales Training…How to Read a Prospect in seconds.
- Business Coaching
- Done for you Marketing Solutions
- Website Design and development
- Text Marketing
- Content Creation for Websites and Podcasts
- Website, Podcast, Radio, TV Marketing and Promotion
- TV Show Host to create Infomercials for Clients
- Radio Show Host and Marketer to build your listeners fast using online tools
- Information Product Development
- Facilitates Mastermind Groups in the DFW area (A form of Alternative Board)
Contact Pat at Pat@PatrickDougher.com or his office at 817-368-6843
The Beginning of a New Sci-Fi Series… Coming Soon “SEED”
The Beginning of a New Sci-Fi Series… Coming Soon “SEED”
This is just for Educational purposes and an intro of a new series of the Series “SEED” coming on the Internet soon. Rob Skiba II is looking for investors in this concept. I know Rob well and he is worth investing in, in my opinion. Enjoy this 30 second promo and give me your feedback. Connect to Rob at http://www.seedtheseries.com/trailer.html
Larry Allen of International Collectors Associates tells why Gold is Still a Good Value
Larry Allen of International Collectors Associates tells why Gold is Still a Good Value
Announcer: If you are an investor worried about government spending and inflation, you need to consider hedging with precious metals. The expert in the business is Larry Allen with International Collectors Associates.
Larry Allen: I was here when gold hit previous high in ’80 of $875. Gold currently is trading in the $1240 range so it kind of leads some people to say, “Well, we’ve never been this high. Those sheer numbers, that’s correct.
But if you really dissect it and you start thinking about, “What did that car cost me in 1980, or that house cost me?” It was a fourth or a third of what they cost today. So if you factor for inflation, it would not be unusual to see gold $2,000 – $3,000 even currently. Our projection is that we will see those type of numbers over the next couple of years.
Announcer: Call Larry Allen today at (866) 211-8971 and ask for their complimentary information package or log on to mygoldportfolio.com. That’s International Collectors Associates (866) 211-8971.
Richard: Larry heads up the Precious Metals Group in International Collectors Association. Larry, are you there?
Larry: I am. Hey Richard, how are you?
Richard: I’m excellent. What a great day this is here.
Larry: Well, good.
Richard: How’s the weather there?
Larry: We’re in Durango, Colorado – a little corner of Colorado – and it’s beautiful. In fact, many of your listeners probably end up skiing out here or coming our way.
Richard: So International Collectors Associates is a precious metals company that’s been in business over 30 years, right Larry?
Larry: That is correct. A gentleman named Don McAlvany started this firm in 1972. It’s still owned and still run by the same family. We are a precious metals firm. We handle the gold, silver, platinum, palladium; any of the precious metals. We do also collectible coins, gold and silver IRAs. We also have a program for offshore storage with Switzerland.
So, been in the industry a long time. I’ve been with Don personally since 1980, so pretty well-versed in the precious metals area.
Richard: That’s great. So you guys have got some real longevity there. You’re not one of those dealers that just popped up in the last five years because gold started skyrocketing.
Larry: Yeah. Richard, it seems like everybody and his brother is a gold dealer these days. But we’re one of the old stalwarts. We’ve seen it through a lot of market cycles. So yeah, we’re not going anywhere; planning on being here a long time as well.
Richard: That’s great. Can you tell us some more about the benefits of dealing with International Collectors Associates?
Larry: One of the things – or a number of things – that we’ve always done that, hopefully, separates us from just a coin dealer, if you will, is we have produced an economic, geopolitic type of newsletter for years, almost going back to the inception of the company.
Richard: The McAlvany Intelligence Advisor?
Larry: Exactly. And Don is renowned. He speaks all over, not only nationally, but abroad. And then we also do produce every year a DVD on those topics as well. That’s something that we do provide. We have a care package we can talk about maybe towards the end of it that any of your listeners can call for that have samples of these things.
But beyond that, we also have a podcast weekly with interviews with recognized financial figures as well as our feeling and our take on the market.
So we’re competitive on our pricing and we are an A+ rated firm with Better Business. We believe that we do a very excellent job on the service in providing whatever type of precious metals interest somebody has.
We feel that we bring a lot more to the table than just that because we do monitor it. We have a few strategies. There are opportunities between the different metals in what they call strategy trading or compounding ounces. So we do a lot of stuff rather than just sell metals, gold coins and that’s the end of it.
Richard: So you’ve got a real expert there – Don McAlvany.
Larry: Indeed. He’s been in this industry for prior – even to ’72 to the inception of the firm. He was the National Sales Manager for years prior to that with International Investors, the world’s largest gold mining share fund. So yeah, his background goes pretty deep in this area.
Richard: That is awesome. What a tremendous resource you represent.
Larry: Well, we would hope to think so and we’d sure enjoy coordinating and marrying up with your interests. Hopefully, we can provide some good things for your listeners as well.
Richard: Well, we are all concerned about inflation, the way the government is spending money.
Larry: In the 30 years, I’ve been doing this, gold and silver have always been kind of an inflation hedge. These days with where we’re going with this administration and fiscal policies, and then you look at the trouble that the euro is in with all these foreign currencies, today I’m seeing more and more investors and businesses park assets in gold and silver for protection of the decline of the value of their currency. So it’s kind of becoming a currency hedge as well.
Richard: That’s tremendous. So not only does it have intrinsic value, but it can help you hedge inflation.
Larry: Indeed. A lot of people will look at it from the speculative standpoint that we have some great appreciation over the next couple of years or beyond, and I believe we do. But also, I think it’s just one of those to help you sleep at night as you watch the erosion of your spending power of your dollar for sure.
Richard: And the euro. The euro was highly celebrated just a year ago, and now people are saying it might drop below the value of a dollar.
Larry: Exactly. You have very fiscally responsible Germany [5:31 inaudible] Italy, Spain, and Greece which did hit the wall, if you will. So I know that there’s got to be consternation within the group of countries the represent the EU. Kind of like one keeps a very tight checkbook and the other one likes to write them, if you will.
Richard: Yeah. One’s a little bit more socialistic than the other I think.
Larry: Yeah. That probably comes into the equation as well.
Richard: You bet. And now, you do also work with self-directed IRAs. Is that correct?
Larry: That is correct. You can put physical gold in your IRA in a qualified capacity, and it’s actually very easy to do.
Richard: Well Larry, tell us more about the Swiss storage programs because I think some of our listeners are international and they would be interested in that.
Larry: Sure. We, for years, had done some placements overseas in Switzerland. Probably three to four years ago we constructed an actual program because we wanted it easy for an investor. You can invest as little as $10,000. It is held in a secured depository in Zurich, Switzerland.
Richard: You mean not in an American bank, Larry? [laughs]
Larry: No. Well, true. No, we chose, maybe wisely, not to go that direction.
Richard: Well Larry, what else would you like to say to wrap it up?
Larry: Well, I would just encourage folks, if they’d like to get our care package of information, we’d be happy to provide it.
Richard: You bet. What number should they call, or how do they get in touch with you?
Larry: Our toll-free number here is (866) 211-8971. My name is Larry Allen. Website is www.mygoldportfolio.com. We do have a complimentary packet of information that we’d be happy to send to you.
Richard: And again, that number is 866…
Larry: 211-8971.
Richard: 211-8971.
Larry: Correct.
Richard: That is great. This is a direction that a lot of people need to take not, of course, with the majority of their assets, but we’re recommending that at least 10% be put into hedging. We don’t mean hedge funds [laughs] because we’ve seen what happened to those in the last five years.
Larry: Indeed.
Richard: Something that is a hard asset, that has intrinsic value like precious metals. So Larry, you’ve been of great assistance today. We really appreciate you coming on the show. Again, Larry Allen with International Collectors Associates, and you can reach him at (866) 211-8971
Use Social Media to Promote Your Business
As the market determines how social media will ultimately impact businesses, you should be positioning your company to take advantage of this new wave of advertising. Depending upon your marketing strategy, you may decide to just test the waters or jump in with both feet. Either way, develop a marketing plan for your social media endeavors. Be sure that you have a policy for anyone (even the owner) that participates in online conversation. Remember, you want to promote a positive corporate image and attract high quality customers and employees.
At our seminars on social media, we present an overview of how to get started in social media. We concentrate on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Blogging as these are popular, fast-growth platforms that look like they are here to stay.
Social media takes time. Beginners spend approximately 2 hours a week. After a few months, the amount of time spent jumps to about 10 hours a week. Those who actively practice social media marketing, commit 20 hours a week or more to keeping up with their social media activities. As with any initiative before you start, make sure you can devote the time and energy needed to have a consistent presence. Starting small with steady growth is preferable to a big splash then fizzling out.
Many people are struggling with an effective social media strategy and evaluating the social media return-on-investment. There are some who claim you can make money with social media, but quantifying the revenue has been difficult. For most, social media is a model for positive promotion, reputation monitoring and networking. Remember, social media is an extension of the more traditional forms of networking. So approach your social media communications with the same integrity and etiquette that you would use in face-to-face exchanges.
LinkedIn – A business-oriented social media site used for networking. You can create your personal profile and make a company page. You approve people that want to link to you and send invitations to others to link. Once linked, you get notification on posts, groups, updates and other details about your connections. LinkedIn is powerful for connecting to business professionals, researching companies and participating in industry and topical groups. You can send your Facebook, Twitter, Blog and other posts directly to your LinkedIn page
Facebook – Originally used as a social networking site for college students, Facebook has gained acceptance and influence for all ages. On Facebook, it is easy to post pictures, videos and personal information. Users connect by posting information on walls. You have to accept invitations from friends and choose what information to share. Facebook accounts are created by an individual, but you can make a company page linked to your personal account to promote your company. Use Facebook ads to promote your company by designing an ad and choosing the demographics that will view the ads. Ads can be pay-per-impression or pay-per-click. The fasting growing Facebook demographic is women over 55 years of age.
Twitter – A social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-bases posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author’s profile page and delivered to the author’s subscribers who are known as followers. Find followers that are interested in your industry, products or services. Follow those who tweet information of interest or value. Use tweets to drive followers to your blog or other social media sites. Send tweets on a variety of topics, but don’t just tweet advertisements or your followers will dwindle.
YouTube – A video-sharing website on which users can upload, share, and view videos. Most of the content on YouTube has been uploaded by individuals but some media corporations offer content. Users can watch the videos and registered users are permitted to upload an unlimited number of videos. Use YouTube to upload video blogs, interview, tutorials and presentation to name a few. YouTube content can be used on your website or blog to provide information through video. Some markets prefer video and recording demonstrations, instructions and interviews can be a powerful addition to the printed word. Photos can be uploaded to YouTube, set to music and made into a video with captions. On your YouTube account you can monitor how many views each video has received and allow viewers to leave comments.
Blogging – Blog comes from the term web log. A business blog is a website with regular entries of information, commentary, and events. Blogs can be maintained by a single individual or group. There are many group blogs on broad topics of interest Blogs are mainly text, but often add graphics, music or video for meaning and content. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. Most blogs allow readers to leave comments in an interactive format, but it is important that comments should be reviewed before being posted to your business blog. Blogs should be professional and well written. Your posts should be used to establish your expertise in an industry or on a topic. Use other social media sites to drive users to your blog where you can explore topics more deeply. Microblogging is another type of blogging, featuring very short posts.
Want to try social media, but don’t know where to start?
Try LinkedIn first. It’s easy to get started, find connections and add content.
Then try Facebook. It’s a bit more complicated, but worth the effort. Once you get your personal page and some friends, make a company page and suggest it to your friends.
Now you’re ready for Twitter. Set up your account and tweet once or twice a day. Remember to make your tweets interesting and minimize advertisement.
Now start blogging! Use the other sites to drive traffic to your blog. Create content that can also be used on your social media sites, web pages and newsletters.
Ms. Hester is the CEO of LAN Systems which provides IT solutions in the Greater Metro Atlanta Area. LAN Systems is dedicated to providing business technology that works for people. In 2004, Mary founded Intelligent System Solutions, Inc. (ISS) which provides high-tech consulting, sales and service to utility customers. Mary brings extensive experience managing a support and service group renowned for its “Best in the Industry” rating and standards. She is an expert in customer loyalty and retention. She has designed and delivered numerous training courses and workshops on a variety of topics.
Social Media Strategy – Why Should You Have One?
Social Media Strategies – Why Should I Have One?
Well… it’s the next big thing, doncha know? It really is. Social media is currently unavoidable and is causing a storm in the marketing world. You can either stay in the dark ages or you can get with the times, and judging by the very real and impressive results some companies are getting, we would recommend the latter.
But there’s no point jumping on the bandwagon in a keeping up with the Jones’ kind of way. One of the reasons many strategies fail is because a company gets impatient, doesn’t take the time to think objectively about what they want to achieve and how they intend on doing it, then quickly lose focus when they don’t get the results they expect. Others become a little too obsessed with their Twitter interactions and forget about the actual work… As Buddha suggests, “Take the middle path.”
A good social media strategy requires a lot of thought and planning – you need to think about your goals, you need to include your entire company when embarking on this relatively new route to market, you need to prepare content and set aside time to put your aims into practice.
Because we all like a good list of top tips, let’s put it like this:
#1 – Social media is a MASSIVE opportunity for building your brand. Massive. MaHOOsive. Imagine a whole network of people orbiting around your business, getting included in the processes and feedback of your ideas, providing free advertising for you through the phenomenon of word-of-mouth, making your company into a familiar brand. Now, it won’t always work like this, but the opportunity is there. You can make a dent in your visibility and increase the stretch of your marketing campaign’s arms by reaching the largest amount of customers possible through the various platforms of social media – a reach that is incomparable to what you have been doing before.
#2 – Social media has a place for everyone. Where do you belong? Well try out Facebook, Twitter, Digg, Reddit, Del.icio.us, Scribd or a gazillion more of the social media platforms out there. Have a good browse, there are many subject specific niche sites which may focus your results more effectively, such as Hugg (ahhh) for environmental issues, Kirsty for fashion and design, Sphinn for search and interactive marketers, Tweako for guides and tutorials and Autospies for, you guessed it, everything automotive. And there is a ton more if you just look – some are not very well publicised, some are not very active, but hey, it’s up to you to find the best forum for your content.
#3 – Social media is a cheaper alternative to traditional advertising. It takes narry a penny to set up accounts for email, a blog, or any of the sites listed in #2. It takes man power and man hours to manage, but very little, if anything, to maintain. There are tools to help things work more smoothly and integrate all your different areas of networking which charge for services, but it is possible to run a social media campaign for next to nothing. You are reaching your targeted demographic (and beyond) for the price of your broadband…
#4 – Social media allows you to see what your clients are saying about you. It’s no secret that posting certain opinions on social media sites has got people into trouble with bosses, spouses, friends and the law, but a bit of honesty is extremely healthy for marketing. People hang up the minute they realise there’s a market researcher calling, yet they’ll freely publicise their opinions on products and services online. In fact, most people jump at the chance to give their two pennies’ worth. As long as you respond to bad feedback in a productive and professional way, you can use this information to increase your offerings based on cold hard facts, and end up giving your customers exactly what they want.
#5 – Social media makes us all equal. Social media has a great levelling power. If you’re a little local business, trying to branch out into the big bad world of the web – great, you can achieve much wider popularity than just advertising in your home town, doing what you do best, providing great personalised services. If you’re a fat cat company, struggling with a public face like a blank wall – great, you can interact with your customers on a personal level, make yourselves accessible and friendly and show the world you’re not just a corporate suit. The fact that everyone from your little niece to your doddery granny is getting online and getting involved with social media means that everyone has a voice, and everyone has an opportunity to be friends. Ah, isn’t that nice? Now go sell yourself.
Ikroh is a Search Engine Optimisation company that is 100% ethical and hugely passionate about our clients and their success online. We work as a close knit team on a one to one level with all of our clients – an uncommon strength in the web marketing field.
We offer a complete range of internet marketing services, including SEO, Pay Per Click advertising, Web Audits and Social Media.
www.ikroh.com
Smash your competitors by 1 week social media strategy
What is social media? Why we need social media? What it does for businesses? What benefits can we get from it? Is it worth using? bla bla bla.
These are obsolete questions because everybody is now well familiar with the term social media networking and how businesses are being flourished all over the globe. With cost-effective, striking and focused social media networking, companies had brought great revival on virtual world as well as offline world because it directly affected traditional marketing styles. People now prefer online social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, Bebo, MySpace, Friendster etc for the promotions of their goods and services and creating burly bond with the local as well as global world.
I insist you to go everywhere where you think your audience is. Do not stick to single network. If you are on Facebook, try digging out Twitter too and interact with your Facebook fans there as well. It will be an attraction for new fans or followers seeing you interacting so pleasantly with people. In short, we all know it; now let’s find some smart ways to smash your competitors in a very less time. Say, a week time and your business will be able to develop a remarkable position on different social media networks.
Start blogging
Create your brand’s official blog in the first place without delaying a second. When you will have your official blog and link it to your Facebook profile with customized options available, it will automatically establish your credibility when they will see you actively working on your blog, sharing news and information and being buddy-buddy with the blogger world. Atleast a week time you will require and you would be able to have quality blog, stuffed with interesting and informative content.
Let me remind you one thing, it’s not outer appearance of your blog theme only that would insist them to come back. It will be quality of your content. Your blog theme matters a lot though.
A week dedicated to customer service
Customer service is a great part of social media networking. It’s all about human business, how you treat your niche, how you solve their problems, how you listen them and come up with some solutions. You have to maintain a win-win situation. Neither can you let down your customers, nor the grace and dignity of your business.
Ask them what problems they face, and give some smart solutions. Listening is most important and justification is even more.
Fulfill your corporate social responsibility
It is the best way to serve your society or community as well in the cover of your business’ success. You can start a virtual corporate social responsibility program on social media networks like Facebook, twitter, Bebo etc. Spread about it on your blogs as well. There are hell lots of issues that need awareness, and all you need to have some time to talk about them.
It will bring good-will for your brand in the hearts of your niche, because of the positive image you show. It is less expensive and most influencing. Time is the cost.
This is a week social media strategy program, feel the difference after a week. You will get more energy for your business, more people in your business and more good wishes for your business.
For further details please feel free to visit our web site http://www.socialfactory.net
Keys to having a Website that is a Prospect Magnate with Jennifer Bagley of Compliments International and Patrick Dougher
Keys to having a Website that is a Prospect Magnate with Jennifer Bagley of Compliments International and Patrick Dougher
This is a great interview with Jennifer Bagley the CEO of Compliments International on Learning From Leaders TV show on Channel 34 in the DFW area. Jennifer and I talk about the Keys to converting your website into a Marketing Magnate for your company attracting prospects for you to convert to clients. This show is about 28 minutes in length and is worth the view. If you would like to visit about your site to see what needs to be done with your website to make it more attractive to the search engines and your future clients email me at pat@patrickdougher.com.
Fear of Social Media: See no evil
What’s stopping you from including social media in your marketing plan? Is it a fear of the unknown? Many companies often react this way. It’s a common human reaction to things that are considered new or unfamiliar. Moving your brand into a space that enables direct conversation and engagement with your consumers can be a scary idea for many businesses. How would you react if customer sentiment turns negative?
Here are some pointers on how to manage unexpected or negative comments and why you need be there to respond:
Listen – as with all marketing, listening is the first step to understanding your customers. Listen to what is being said about your brand.
Have a plan – it’s important to consider how you will respond to different situations, this will avoid feeling shocked or unprepared when comments appear. You should build hypothetical response scenarios into your social media strategy.
Stay calm – seeing negative comments can insight panic, try to stay level headed and think carefully about the best way to respond.
Get your facts straight – make sure that your response is accurate and truthful, you’ll only have a backlash to deal with if you are found to be hiding facts.
Be transparent – this shows that you believe in your brand and will openly respond to critics. Mag Nation did this well recently when they openly posted a negative comment, that had been directed at them, with their response and then tweeted it out to their followers.
Be true to your brand – don’t change your voice. If your brand has a particular personality, maintain this in your response. Why suddenly change to a corporate, dry tone and confuse fans and followers?
Be true to your brand – don’t change your voice. If your brand has a particular personality, maintain this in your response. Why suddenly change to a corporate, dry tone and confuse fans and followers?
Even if you are scared of social media at first, keep in mind that it will get easier with time and experience. It is also important to remember that it is better for your brand to be aware of comments, both good and bad, to ensure you get a chance to respond to them. Being scared of what people may say doesn’t stop them saying it, it just means that you are choosing to ignore it. As previously mentioned Mag Nation’s recent response was handled well and met with positive comments from their readers. See Mag Nation’s full response here.
Do you have any examples of well executed responses?
I am a Social Media Coordinator at Daemon Group, a Sydney based integrated communications agency specialising in brand, employee to business communications, marketing and digital. I love the endless development and opportunities within the social media world. Working within this industry keeps me motivated, challenged and inspired.
