Blog

The First-Timer’s Guide to Start Writing a Book

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On June 21, 2018
  • authors, Books, publishing, writing
The decision to write a book is the first step, but the goal is to finish the book. It may seem overwhelming to begin this daunting task, or so exciting you don’t know where to begin. Writing a book can be compared to running a marathon. It takes some planning, […]
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Entrepreneurs You Should Follow

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On June 12, 2018
  • entrepreneur
Learning from successful people is really a no-brainer. Although it is impossible to exactly duplicate another person’s success, you can glean some valuable principles that can work for anyone. Here is a list of some favorites we recommend following, including a few personal friends.   Richard Bransonhttps://twitter.com/richardbranson Richard is the […]
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Time for a Mid-Year Review: What’s Working and What’s Not

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On June 8, 2018
  • business review
When it comes to any type of business, the idea is to work smarter, not harder. Business owners often conduct reviews at the beginning or end of a year to ascertain how productive they have been. This is a good thing, but what about performing a mid-year review? There are […]
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How to Promote Your Business with a Book

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On June 2, 2018
  • publish
In the year 1900, with less than 3,000 cars in the whole of France and the Model T Ford still more than a decade from its debut, Edouard and André Michelin published the first edition of a guidebook for motorists. The Michelin Guide contained useful information such as road maps, […]
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Content Ideas for June

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On May 26, 2018
  • content ideas
School’s out for summer! Get ready to enjoy hot weather, vacations, bikinis, shorts, flip-flops, and plenty of your favorite cool drinks. And, just take a look at how families in the United States are planning to spend their summer:   Over 4 in 5 parents of children younger than 18 (81%) […]
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What is Included in Digital Marketing?

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On May 17, 2018
  • digital marketing
Let’s face it: digital media is everywhere. Today’s consumers access information any time and any place they want it. Digital media is steadily blossoming source of news, shopping, entertainment, and social interaction. You are not the only voice talking about your brand; friends, relatives, peers, and the media all have […]
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Checklist for Launching Your Business

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On May 13, 2018
  • checklist, Launching your business
When inspiration hits and you have that sure-fire, guaranteed idea for a great business, what do you do next? How do you fire your boss and open your own successful enterprise? There is more involved than just ideas and theories. Launching a business is hard work and requires careful calculating […]
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Top 10 Books for Solopreneurs to Read in 2018

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On May 13, 2018
For years now, society has been striving to balance life and work. Professional advancement and business trips tend to steal energy from personal goals and values—and vice versa. Passion runs dry and burnout abounds. Enter Solopreneurship. These folks seem to have mastered the art of life-work balance. They set their […]
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How to Develop a Content Marketing Strategy for 2018

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On May 9, 2018
Every business that desires to be successful is concerned with formulating the right content marketing plan. How will I create the content I need? What website adjustments must I make? What social media channels will I focus on to connect with my audience? How often will I post content to […]
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What is ‘Bottom of the Funnel’ Marketing?

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On May 5, 2018
The common saying “life is a journey, not a destination” can also be applied to the world of sales. As you know, it can be a journey to move a consumer to a loyal customer. As a marketing funnel is designed, the top of the funnel is large and open, where […]
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What is ‘Middle of Funnel’ Marketing?

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On May 1, 2018
  • marketing, Middle of Funnel, Middle of Funnel Marketing
Reaching your target audience is simply the tip of the iceberg when your goal is to make them a lifelong customer. Marketing strategies are numerous during the top of the funnel marketing campaign. Once a consumer is aware of your brand and services or products you offer, their interest transitions […]
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What is Top of Funnel Marketing?

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On April 26, 2018
  • marketing, top of funnel marketing
The traditional model of the sales funnel works for marketing in all types of industry. You may have read that in a perfect business environment, we would enjoy a sales ‘cylinder’ – everyone who enters at the top becomes a customer. Alas, that isn’t so. However, with quality top of […]
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Content Ideas for May

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On April 22, 2018
  • content ideas, marketing, May Content Ideas, website
May means the full onset of spring, and that means increased mobility. As warmer temperatures and dryer days become more frequent, we find ourselves getting out every chance we get. Let May be the month you do a thorough examination of your website and content to ensure everything is mobile […]
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How A Marketing Funnel Works

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On April 21, 2018
  • business, marketing, Marketing Funnel
The marketing funnel is a valuable tool to help companies structure their marketing and sales efforts into a cohesive strategy that literally ‘funnels’ leads or prospects into a purchasing process. Different parts of the funnel work to move a potential customer along in this process. If you’re new to the […]
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How to Research Your Book Topic

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On April 9, 2018
  • Book writing
As a small business owner, your goal is to promote your business and gain new customers or clients. To do so, you have to build a customer base through advertising. While there are many ways to advertise and publicize your company name to the community, try using your own creativity […]
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Content Ideas for April

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On April 4, 2018
  • content ideas
April means Spring! And spring means…Spring cleaning! Yes, I’m sure some home spring cleaning may be necessary, but I’m talking about cleaning up your content and website. Why not do a review of how your content has performed by measuring responses, shares, retweets, and other metrics? Popular pieces can always […]
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What Can You Expect from Online Advertising?

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On March 8, 2018
  • Online Advertising, online marketing, Pay Per Click, Search Engine Marketing
You may or may not be familiar with the term or concept of online advertising, sometimes called Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Other terms in use are paid channel marketing or pay-per-click (PPC) marketing. All these terms are used to describe the same concept – the practice of purchasing or “renting” […]
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8 Ways You Can Make Digital Marketing Work for You

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On March 3, 2018
  • digital marketing, marketing, seo, social media marketing
Pop icon Madonna may have been “living in a material world” in 1984, but today we are truly living in a digital world. Moreover, any business that wants to succeed must give “proper credit” (see long lyrics) to digital marketing. Digital marketing is simply utilizing the worldwide digital information space […]
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18 Tools Every Writer Can Use

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On February 26, 2018
  • Brainstorming Tools, Editing Tools, Multimedia Tools, planning tools, Social Media Management Tools, Writing Tools
Every writer has their favorite tools that make the process of sharing our thoughts with the world easier and more appealing. No doubt, you have your own list and have read through countless others. This list of 18 tools every writer can use highlights simple tools that practically anyone can […]
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Content Ideas for March

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On February 21, 2018
  • Blogging Ideas, content ideas, Content Ideas for March, March Content Ideas
The windy days of March mean spring is in the air! Shake off the cold fingers of winter and get ready to warmer temperatures and fun celebrations. Use the suggestions below to crank up your business communications afresh with fun content ideas for march relating to your particular business niche. […]
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How to Write Emails that Convert

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On February 16, 2018
  • Emailing, Emails, Emails that Convert, marketing
Email is an important component of online marketing. And yet, there is more to email marketing than simply typing a message and sending it to the world. Why should you invest considerable effort in writing emails that convert? The worldwide number of active email accounts is expected to reach almost 5.6 […]
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Today’s Pay-to-Play Social Media Advertising

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On February 11, 2018
  • digital marketing, marketing, social media, Social Media Advertising
With all the tens of millions of users with free accounts on social media, have you ever considered how these platforms are making money? Of course, the answer is advertisements – social media advertising. More free users mean more people to see paid advertising, meaning more money the platforms can […]
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How to Select a Digital Marketing Agency

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On February 6, 2018
  • business, digital marketing, Digital Marketing Agency
Selecting a digital marketing agency for your business is not a trivial undertaking. You are seeking to establish a long-term relationship with a company that will design and probably implement a social marketing strategy that reveals your business to the world. That’s a big deal. Not just any company can […]
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How to Use Your Book to Build Your Business

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On January 31, 2018
  • Book to Build Business, business, marketing, Marketing Strategy, publishing, Writing a book
Regardless of your particular industry, as a small business owner, writing and publishing your own book is a highly effective strategy for building your business. But writing and publishing the book is only the beginning of leveraging it as a key marketing strategy. This article is not about marketing your book […]
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3 Reasons to Have an eBook to Drive Leads

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On January 27, 2018
  • Content Marketing, ebook, leads, marketing, quality leads
Businesses die without leads. Leads are air, water, all the things that are vital for survival. Without leads, your company has no prospects for selling your products or services. A steady flow of leads is key; but how to you achieve that goal? Using an eBook to drive leads is […]
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Content Ideas for February

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On January 23, 2018
  • content ideas, February Content Ideas, February Holidays, Valentine's Day, writing content, Writing Ideas
February is the month of love because of Valentine’s Day on February 14. Therefore it’s a great month to write about romance and love. But you don’t have to be a romance writer to use love in your blog posts. As a business owner, you can leverage the love month […]
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How to Match Social Media Goals to Business Goals

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On January 18, 2018
  • business goals, social media goals
Rare is the business today that does not utilize social media as a major aspect of their marketing strategy. While most generally agree that social media is a vital tool by which to communicate with vast audiences and potential customers, relatively few have a set of social media goals by […]
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5 Elements Every Website Must Have

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On January 12, 2018
  • Elements, website, website elements
Your website is not just a digital brochure for your business. In our digital information and commerce age, a website is now your digital storefront that exists for several important purposes, including: Getting found– Your website should be optimized for search. Establishing trust– Your website is a key element to building […]
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Why Should Your Marketing Mix Include Video in 2018?

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On December 29, 2017
  • Marketing Mix, Video Content, video marketing
Everyone knows that video is the perfect storm consuming social media attention in 2017. And there’s no reason to expect its demise. It follows a familiar pattern that social media users have witnessed as networks and the internet have grown more powerful. Back in 2016, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg summarized […]
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The Most Important Step You Can Take to Improve Sales in 2018

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On December 24, 2017
  • Buyer Personas, improve sales, Marketing Persona
When composing blog posts, I imagine writing them to Rachel, David, Bart, and Leslie. Could one of them be you? Most likely. Rachel, David, Bart, and Leslie are personas representing real people who read blogs of this type. They were created from raw data and not a few educated guesses. […]
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Content Ideas for January 2018

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On December 20, 2017
  • content ideas, January Content Ideas, January Holidays
New year, new you! It’s time for making New Year’s resolutions, so why not put a solution in front of your blog and social media audiences? Can the resolutions they may consider making be helped along by what your business has to offer? How can your products and/or services improve […]
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10 Steps to be Seen as an Expert in the Next 12 Months

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On December 16, 2017
  • expert
Do you think becoming an expert in your business niche requires countless thousands of hours of labor and experience? There was a time when this was the case in industry; and it may still ring true in certain pursuits. But in today’s fast-paced digital world, deliberately focusing on some basic […]
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How to Do a Social Media Audit

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On December 11, 2017
  • Audit, social media, Social Media Audit
The word audit brings thoughts of taxes and the IRS and generally has a negative connotation. But, audits can be a useful tool for your business, and not just concerning finances. Have you ever conducted a social media audit? It’s a simple review of the important aspects of your social […]
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5 Skills You Must Master to Sell More

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On December 6, 2017
  • marketing, sales, sales skills, sell more, skills
Sales is a tough profession. Moreover, it is currently undergoing foundational changes. Now, the buyer is in charge, overt pressure is avoided, and technology is transforming how the new sales force is conducting their profession. Only the cream of the crop in sales will survive. So how can you be […]
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Pinterest Strategies for Solopreneurs

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On December 1, 2017
  • marketing, Pinterest, Pinterest Marketing
Is your brand on Pinterest? Boasting 70 million users, and a large portion of those being brands, bloggers, and businesses, Pinterest is an often under-tapped channel for social media marketing. While Pinterest offers many opportunities to expand your reach and meet your audience, it does have its own special notes and […]
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How to Create a Writing Habit

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On November 26, 2017
  • Professional Writer, writing, Writing a book, writing content, Writing Habit
An old Spanish proverb speaks powerfully to the habit of writing: “Habits are first cobwebs, then cables.” How often have you began to set a regular practice of writing only to brush through the cobwebs holding you and never go back to it? Many aspiring writers struggle with this; in […]
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Blogging Ideas for December

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On November 21, 2017
  • Blogging Ideas, content ideas, December
The holiday season is upon us! December is a great time of family gatherings, celebrations, gift buying, and end of year business decisions. Hopefully, most of those important strategic plans are already laid for the coming year. If not, this month is a busy time of nailing down last minute […]
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The State of Mobile

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On November 16, 2017
  • marketing, mobile, mobile marketing, State of Mobile
The invention of mobile technology has taken the business world by storm. According to an article by Statista, the number of mobile phone users is estimated to rise to 4.77 billion through 2017 and will likely pass the 5 billion mark by 2019. Mobile connectivity and communication has transformed how businesses […]
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How to Use Small Business Saturday

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On November 11, 2017
  • marketing, small business, small business saturday
Small Business Saturday, November 25, 2017, started as an American Express initiative to encourage consumers to patronize smaller local businesses during the holiday season. It has grown to become a major part of the three major holiday shopping days. Smack in the middle of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, since 2010, […]
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Why Self-Publishing?

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On October 31, 2017
  • Book writing, entrepreneurs, Self-Publishing, writers
The booming industry of self-publishing has transitioned writers into entrepreneurs as well. Not only have you finished the great task of writing a book, or series, you now have the creative freedom to self-publish and take on the endless possibilities. Although this may seem frightening to go against the traditional […]
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How to Start Writing a Non-Fiction Book

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On October 28, 2017
  • non-fiction, non-fiction book, writing
Writers of fiction in some ways have an advantage. A story forms in their creative minds, and they are able to regurgitate it onto the page or screen, arrange the pieces into a cohesive pattern, and the work is almost complete. When writing non-fiction, more effort is needed. The information […]
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You Can’t Improve What You Don’t Measure

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On October 25, 2017
  • analytics, digital marketing, Measure, social media
Just because you feel better, doesn’t mean you are better. Often a circumstance may boost our confidence, but later we realize we are not where we truly want to be in life. This is especially true in digital marketing, where numerous factors can impact your success. In order to effectively […]
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November Content Ideas for Blogging

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On October 17, 2017
  • blogging, November, November Content Ideas
November – fall is in full swing, colder temperatures are here, and the two busiest times of year are approaching: Thanksgiving and Christmas. Content marketing that includes Thanksgiving and Christmas themes should be in full swing. Why not share some ideas of your own or those from readers about favorite […]
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Your Guide To Completely Overhauling An Online Business

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On October 6, 2017
  • online business, Overhaul
Buying an online business is the ultimate solopreneur challenge. Here, you’ve been given a (not so blank) canvas, and now it’s up to you to drive the business forwards. From branding and sales, to business growth and monetization — where do you start? Fear not: here’s our guide to completely […]
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Why We Love Self-Publishing! (And You Should, Too!)

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On October 1, 2017
  • publishing, Self-Publishing, writing
The word ‘publishing’ sparks images of rows upon rows of books, stretching along loaded shelves. Bibliophiles browse manifold selections of every possible genre with wide eyes and eager wallets. When self-publishing and/or traditional publishing is mentioned, however, opinions are as strong as a bibliophile’s unwavering attraction to the printed page. […]
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Fourth Quarter is Here…Are You Ready?

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On September 28, 2017
  • giveway, Marketing Strategy
Is your marketing plan ready for the fourth quarter? A strong plan will push you into 2018 with the momentum that will allow you to continue to grow. As your business enters the fourth and final quarter of the year, look back at the year’s marketing activities, evaluate the results, […]
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Blogging & Content Ideas for October

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On September 24, 2017
  • Blog, content ideas, october, October Content Ideas
October means beautiful Fall leaves, falling temperatures, and Halloween! This spooky fun-filled holiday is one of the most important holidays for retail sales. Consumers seem to be quite liberal in their spending on candy, costumes, decorations, themed housewares, and more. It’s a great time to produce articles and videos around […]
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15 Best Blogs to Follow About Blogging

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On September 21, 2017
  • Best Blogs, bloggers, blogging
Blogs about blogging are as numerous as blogs themselves. Everyone seems to have jumped on the blogging bandwagon and those who write about the art and science of blogging are varied and remarkable in their person as well as their writing advice. The title of this post may be somewhat […]
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How to Create a Compelling Brand Story

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On September 16, 2017
  • Brand Story, Brand Strategy, marketing
Storytelling in business isn’t about your everyday ordinary yarn. Brand stories that motivate consumers reveal the unexpected, challenge action, and resoundingly strike an emotional chord within. Your brand story should be an important element of your brand strategy because it strongly influences the brand experience. It’s not just rote copy […]
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15 Social Media Campaign Ideas for Solopreneurs

  • Posted by Donna Amos
  • On September 11, 2017
  • entrepreneurs, social media, Social Media Campaign, solopreneurs
As a solopreneur, you want to promote your business effectively on social media. But, how is the best way to do it? While consistently posting a variety of quality content on your channels is a great way to establish a presence and a following, a social media campaign can provide […]
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