Tag Archives: Gail Z. Martin

by Gail Martin | February 1, 2012 · 9:51 am

Six Ways to Make Your Book A Reality This Year

By Gail Z. Martin

So you want to write a book? Congratulations. Now it’s up to you to bridge the gap between “wanting” and “doing.”

The hardest part of writing a book is making the commitment to set aside the time to do what needs to be done. That’s not just the writing; it’s also making sure that it’s proof read and as well-edited as possible. If you decide to go the traditional publishing route, you’ll need to research and pitch your proposal to agents, and once you sign on with an agent, he/she will then pitch your proposal to publishers. It can be a lengthy process.

If you decide to self-publish, you’ll need to format the book properly, determine things like cover art, and decide whether you’re going to do a paper book print-on-demand or just create an e-book (and handle the conversion, either or both ways). There will be plenty of research and decisions involved. And once your book is complete, you’ll need to plan for promotion, even if you have a traditional publisher. Writing the book is only the beginning!

Still want to do it? Good. Here are six things you’ll need to do to make your book a reality this year:

Set aside time each week to write, and set a weekly goal of how many pages you want to write. You may not always reach your goal (or you may even exceed it sometimes), but the goal keeps you on track. You can always do more, but try not to do less.
Start researching now. Start learning about what agents and editors do, what types of ebook formats are out there, how print-on-demand works and who the major players are.
Think about how the book fits into your business, and whether you’re willing to change your business model to take full advantage of the book (for example, adding speaking engagements to your calendar, making time to create and send press releases, write articles, be a guest blogger or pitch yourself as a radio guest.
Make connections with other authors and ask plenty of questions to see how they got published, what they would do over, and what they’ve learned the hard way.
Consider using a “book shepherd”, someone knowledgeable about the publishing industry who can help you finalize your book, determine your publishing options, and even pitch it to agents if that’s the route you want to go.
Take a hard look at the time and effort you’re willing to put into this project, as well as the money you can invest. The price of book publishing has come way down with print-on-demand and ebooks, but it still requires some investment to hire a book shepherd, get an editor (if you self-publish or need help with the fine points of grammar and punctuation), format your book and create a cover (if you self-publish), and promote your book.

Writing a book is a fantastic step toward achieving your dreams, promoting your business and exploring your creativity. Make this the year that you make your dream come true!

“Like” my Thrifty Author page on Facebook and enter for a chance to win a prize package of author resources: The Thrifty Author – https://on.fb.me/srVa13

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Filed under Gail Z. Martin, Marketing

Tagged as 30 Days to Online PR and Marketing Success: The 30 Day Results Guide to Making the Most of Twitter, DreamSpinner Communications, Facebook, Gail Z. Martin, Linked In and Blogging to Grab Headlines and Get Clients by Gail Z. Martin, online shopping cart, Paypal, self-publish, Six Ways to Make Your Book A Reality This Year, Squareup.com, Thrifty author

by Gail Martin | January 25, 2012 · 10:46 am

First, Show Me the Money

By Gail Z. Martin

Before you commit to any shopping cart program, think about what you need from your cart. How will you accept payment?

First, determine whether your volume of transactions justifies having a merchant account. A merchant account enables you to take credit cards directly over the Web. Without a merchant account or an intermediary service, you won’t be able to do business over the Internet, since you can’t accept cash or checks.

You can create a merchant account through your bank or though one of the many services that specialize in credit card sales. Merchant accounts usually enable subscribers to rent/purchase a wireless credit card reader. This makes it possible for you to accept credit cards during in- person events as well as through your online shopping cart. On the down side, traditional merchant accounts are expensive, charging a monthly fee and a per-transaction surcharge that may exceed the sales of a beginning retailer.

Square is an alternative to the traditional merchant account. Square is free to join (www.Squareup.com). As of the writing of this book, the Square credit card reader is also free. Square provides a small card reader that’s the size of a postage stamp with a plug to connect to a smart phone through the headphones jack. The Square app can be downloaded for free from iTunes or from the Square Web site. Instead of a monthly fee, Square charges a low per-transaction fee. It also provides the ability to accept a credit card number without swiping the card through the card reader. Square charges a slightly higher per-transaction fee for cards that are keyed in instead of swiped through. Square provides a very viable alternative for companies that have a relatively low transaction volume or that may not use a card reader every month. It’s easy to use, secure, and at the time of this writing, works anywhere within the continental U.S. (Square says they are working to make Canadian and other international transactions available soon.) To use Square, the merchant have either a smart phone or a tablet PC (like an iPad) and have access to secure WiFi. These wooden spools are versatile items that can be used in various DIY projects, from garden tables to bookshelves. Or, they can be used for their original purpose – storing long lengths of wire or rope. Grab these and let your creativity flow!

If you are new to online commerce, you may want to begin with PayPal. PayPal is an online service that allows you to accept credit card payments without requiring you to have a merchant account. Instead, PayPal creates a buffer between the merchant and the buyer, safeguarding the purchaser’s card information. The buyer creates an account that stores his/her card information. Using the PayPal interface, a buyer can purchase by using the email address linked to the account.

However, buyers can only pay with PayPal if the merchant is also signed up with the service. And, merchants can only get paid if their intended buyer is a PayPal user. It is also possible for a PayPal user to pay directly from a bank account, and payments can be direct deposited into the merchant’s bank account. PayPal is free to buyers but charges a transaction fee for sellers.

(Excerpted from the brand new book 30 Days to Online PR and Marketing Success: The 30 Day Results Guide to Making the Most of Twitter, Facebook, Linked In and Blogging to Grab Headlines and Get Clients by Gail Z. Martin)

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Filed under Business Planning, Gail Z. Martin

by Gail Martin | January 18, 2012 · 9:33 am

The Wisdom of Crowds—WWW Style

By Gail Z. Martin

Foursquare is an intensely local social media application that makes going about your business or going out for the evening a shared experience treasure hunt. Foursquare users use the site and text messaging to share their current location as they patronize businesses, retailers, entertainment venues. They can become the “mayor” of frequently-visited sites, and can gather their friends to join them on a spur-of-the-moment basis. Foursquare rewards users who are out and about in their local area—and the local companies they frequent benefit as well.

Groupon subscribers can sign up to get special online deals from local businesses. Subscribers indicate their local area and their willingness to receive emails and social media alerts to short-lived discounts from local merchants. Companies sign up to provide limited-time special deals that are only available via Groupon. In some cases, deals are only available if a specified number of people show up to claim it. Groupon makes bargain hunting fun and social while retaining an intensely local flair.

LivingSocial is another site that offers a daily deal from local businesses with up to 90% off the regular price. Once a subscriber buys the daily deal, he/she has the opportunity to forward the deal to friends, and if one of those friends also buys, the original customer gets the deal item for free. It’s a fun way to publicize specials while encouraging customers to tell their friends about your company.

Yelp, Local.com and Citysearch are other sites that capitalize on the concept of “local.” Not only can they help others to find your company more easily (both online and in person), many of these new locally-oriented sites also encourage customers to rate their recent experience. Don’t let that scare you off. If you provide good service and a good product, you have reason to expect most of your ratings to be positive. Those that aren’t positive provide valuable feedback for you to make improvements, and a highly visible arena in which to demonstrate your great customer service to woo back a less-than-thrilled former customer.

Your neighbors, customers and prospects are online, and they respond to businesses that reach them where they spend their time. Customers also like getting relevant messages and discounts when they’re on the move. Create your own highly local online PR and marketing strategy and reap the benefits!

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Filed under Gail Z. Martin, Marketing

Tagged as 30 Days to Online PR and Marketing Success: The 30 Day Results Guide to Making the Most of Twitter, Big Dreams and Hard Work Blog, Facebook, foursquare, Gail Z. Martin, internet, Linked In and Blogging to Grab Headlines and Get Clients, online neighbors, online PR

by Gail Martin | January 11, 2012 · 9:32 am

Social Media Becomes a Local Resource

By Gail Z. Martin

Google AdWords offers specialized services to target customers within a 20-mile radius from your business. AdWords permits you to add or exclude areas, and can integrate your targeted AdWords campaign with text messaging.

Facebook can serve as a showcase for your community activity. When you host an event that benefits a local charity or sponsor a local sporting team, promote before, during and after the event with updates, photos, Web video and testimonials. Encourage attendees to become part of an ongoing conversation. Many companies successfully use their Facebook page as an instantly updateable second Web site to let their community know what’s going on and to share information and updates.

Twitter has been used by local charities to mobilize volunteers for projects or to alert donors to immediate needs. Animal rescue groups and humane societies have used Twitter to match shelter animals with new homes. Schools have demonstrated Twitter’s ability to alert parents to unplanned closings or to request badly needed supplies or last-minute parent volunteers. Businesses tweet about their upcoming live entertainment, dinner specials, or daily discounts.

Twitter can also help you promote upcoming local events, share photos and video via links, and give your online press releases a broader readership as you tweet news and provide links to coverage you’ve received in local online publications. Your blog can also be an effective part of your online marketing program by sharing the story behind your achievements or by providing deeper insight into what’s happening with your business, which deals and events are coming up, or the news of your industry as it impacts local customers.

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Tagged as 30 Days to Online PR and Marketing Success: The 30 Day Results Guide to Making the Most of Twitter, Big Dreams and Hard Work Blog, Facebook, Gail Z. Martin, Google Adwords, internet, Linked In and Blogging to Grab Headlines and Get Clients, online neighbors, online PR

by Gail Martin | January 4, 2012 · 9:31 am

The World Wide Web is Also Local

By Gail Z. Martin

You can also use online PR and marketing to cultivate a local audience by making sure that the content you post has a very local focus. Make your blog, Web site and social media pages the go-to location for your friends, neighbors and customers to see local news first. Create contests that encourage your neighbors and local patrons to send in photos of themselves, their kids or their pets. You can bet that when their photo is posted they’ll shoot off an email to several hundred of their social media contacts and drive traffic to your site.

Capitalize on the local angle of your social media pages, blog and Web site by running your own online banner ads to highlight your company, products and services. Use Facebook ads that target readers within a geographic area or with locally-focused keywords. Don’t overlook paid advertising in online publications to reach local readers. Realize that you’re also reaching consumers at their laptops and on the go as they read the publication—and see your ad—via mobile devices.

Mobile advertising is a growing element of online marketing. Many local companies have gone from asking customers for their email address to asking for their mobile phone number—and permission to send coupons, event news and updates via text messages. This can work especially well for entertainment providers, such as nightclubs and theaters, that benefit from customers making a spur-of-the-moment decision on what to do and where to go based on mobile advertising. Likewise, letting your customers know about a special deal, an online-only coupon or a newly available hard-to-get product via text message can result in sales you’d otherwise miss. Sites like AdMob and MakeMeSocial specialize in helping companies add text messaging to their online marketing mix.

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Tagged as 30 Days to Online PR and Marketing Success: The 30 Day Results Guide to Making the Most of Twitter, Big Dreams and Hard Work Blog, Facebook, Gail Z. Martin, internet, Linked In and Blogging to Grab Headlines and Get Clients, online neighbors, online PR

by Gail Martin | December 28, 2011 · 9:29 am

The Local Side of the World Wide Web

By Gail Z. Martin

So much as been made of the opportunities opened up by the Internet for companies to deal globally (or at least, outside their local market) that many companies don’t realize that the Web has a local side as well.

Your neighbors and customers, as well as prospects in your geographic area, go online as part of their everyday routines. They read online newspapers and magazines, search for information with Google, shop from online retail and wholesale stores, and download books, music and software. If your business isn’t part of the range of information they see when they go online, you’re missing out on sales.

Some business owners feel that by having a Web site they’ve done what’s necessary to attract their online neighbors. But most Web sites are fairly static. Few businesses update their Web sites with the frequency with which social media sites, online newspapers and magazines or blogs add new information. Internet search engines favor recency and relevancy. That means that information bubbles to the top of search results when it is very closely related to the search term (thanks to keywords) and recently posted. The twin factors of recency and relevancy often work against Web sites because most sites don’t change frequently enough.

Here’s where online PR and marketing can play a huge role in assuring that your business gets it share of attention from local customers.

Online PR about the local activities your company sponsors can help your business connect better with local customers. Does your company host special events such as educational seminars, workshops, or grand openings? Do you participate in community programs, such as sponsoring Little League or holding a charity food drive? Do you offer daily or weekly specials or have live entertainment? If so, these are all very locally-focused reasons to post online PR.

Many companies send press releases to their local offline newspaper or to local paper magazines. True, some of these publications also have online related sites and some of those local press releases may find their way onto the Internet. But many companies forget to target their news to online-only local publications, which means they are missing out in two ways: they miss readers of the online publication and they fail to derive benefit from the search engine hits on their name/topic.

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Filed under Gail Z. Martin, Marketing

by Gail Martin | December 21, 2011 · 8:29 pm

THE POWER OF “LOCAL” ONLINE MEDIA

By Gail Z. Martin

Many people resist integrating online PR and marketing into their promotional mix because they see themselves as “local” businesses. Yet online PR and marketing can be intensely local, depending on how the strategy is focused.

True, your company may not be interested in wooing customers that are thousands of miles away, or perhaps you’re unable to provide your service or product long-distance due to licensing restrictions or the tangible nature of what you’re selling. But don’t forget—the people in your local area go online every day to get information, and when your business is absent, you’ve taken yourself out of their decision-making process.

Creating a local-intensive online PR and marketing presence requires focus. It also requires understanding how to use online PR and marketing tools to reach a geographically defined audience. In addition, it requires that your content and online activities all underscore the local nature of your business in a way that converts the people in your geographic target area into customers.

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Filed under Gail Z. Martin, Marketing

Tagged as Big Dreams and Hard Work, Gail Z. Martin, local business, marketing, online PR, promotional mix

by Gail Martin | December 14, 2011 · 10:36 am

What I Learned From Christmas Specials

By Gail Z. Martin

OK, I’m a total sucker for Christmas TV specials, especially the ones I grew up with as a kid. You know—Frosty the Snowman, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Year Without a Santa Claus, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. All the Rankin-Bass specials with the stop-motion animation. Once the tree is up, I want to curl up in my jammies with a bowl of popcorn and watch through all of the DVDs (and VHS) copies, preferably with my husband, kids and dog close by. It’s just part of the holidays to me.

It occurred to me that I’ve been watching some of these specials for 40-some years (amazing that they look so good on TV screens much larger than the show’s producers ever expected). So I guess it’s only logical that they’ve made an impression on me. As we go through this holiday season, here are some things I’ve learned from holiday specials.

Even a miracle needs a hand. (Twas the Night Before Christmas)
Don’t judge a reindeer by his nose (Rudolph)
You can be whatever you want to be—even if you’re an elf who wants to be a dentist (Rudolph)
Don’t overlook the needs of others in your rush for the perfect holiday (Berenstain Bears)
We all need a little Christmas, right this very moment (Muppet Christmas)
Bumbles bounce (and so can you) (Rudolph)
Learn to love your noisy neighbors (Grinch)
See with your heart, not just your head (Twas the Night Before Christmas)
Buy presents early to avoid mayhem (Jingle All the Way)
Count roll before leaving on vacation (Home Alone 1, 2, 3)
Don’t plug in too many Christmas lights (Christmas Vacation)
Keep the cat away from the Christmas tree (Christmas Vacation)
People matter more than profit (A Christmas Carol)

Whatever holiday you celebrate, may it be merry and bright. And if you’re interested in staying informed about special educational needs and disabilities, be sure to check out this special educational needs and disabilites blog.

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Filed under Gail Z. Martin, Gratitude-Giving

Tagged as Big Dreams Hard Work Blog, Christmas, Collaboration and Gratitude, DreamSpinner Communications, Gail Z. Martin, happy holidays

by Gail Martin | December 7, 2011 · 10:32 am

Collaboration and Gratitude

By Gail Z. Martin

When you’re adding to your gratitude journal, don’t forget to include all those with whom you collaborate. Think about collaboration in the broadest sense. Who enables you to carry on your life as you know it? (In other words, if your life and business were a book, who would be in the acknowledgements?)

Here are some ideas:

Partners, joint-venture and otherwise
Vendors, suppliers, and your landlord
Family, friends, cheerleaders of all sorts
Sales, marketing, web development, technical and repair professionals
Employees and contractors
The accounting and administrative folks who help you stay on top of things
Your medical providers who keep you running on all cylinders
Your gym buddies, walking group, fitness trainer, yoga instructor or the nice lady behind the counter at the Y
The people who bring you what you enjoy in your free time—authors, bloggers, reporters, YouTube video creators, social media friends and others who touch your life every day.
Supporters of all kinds: your daycare provider, dog walker, mail carrier, FedEx delivery person, the barista who makes your morning espresso with a smile, the dry cleaner who knows how you like your cuffs pressed, the parking lot attendant who keeps an eye on your car, and the co-worker in the next office, desk or cubicle who covers for you when you have to miss work

All of these people, in large and small ways, hold together the fabric of your life. If you had to move to another city, or if something happened to any of them, you would feel a loss and see a hole in your “normal” day.

So why not take a moment to say “thank you” for their help, friendship, support, cheery wave, encouragement and good work? It’ll make you feel good, make them feel great, and help take the edge off the holiday season rush. Even better—it’s a priceless gift that costs nothing, requires no wrapping or shipping and has no environmental impact. Say “thank you” today and see what happens!

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Tagged as Big Dreams Hard Work Blog, Collaboration and Gratitude, DreamSpinner Communications, Gail Z. Martin

by Gail Martin | November 30, 2011 · 10:30 am

Your Gratitude Log

By Gail Z. Martin

Well, it’s November, and Thanksgiving is on everyone’s minds. But as nice as Turkey Day is (and a shout out to all my Canadian friends who had theirs in October), gratitude is not just for Thanksgiving. In fact, a growing number of research studies show that people who make it a habit to feel grateful and express gratitude experience lower stress, higher contentment and greater resilience.

How do you get started? Try making a list of what you’re grateful for—and make sure to include intangibles as well as things. Here are some ideas to get you started:

People, pets, mentors, helpers, heroes, role models, family, neighbors
Weather, nature, beauty in all forms, art, music
Surprises, serendipity, and grace
Accomplishments, lessons learned, experiences never forgotten, goals, dreams and progress.

Gee, all that and not a “thing” in the list. Did you know that people who spend money and time on experiences report greater long-term satisfaction than those who sink all their disposable income into things? Nothing wrong with having things or even having nice things, but the truth is, most of us have way too many things and we’ve forgotten we even have much of what’s shoved into drawers and closets. So sure, go ahead and add the things for which your grateful to your list, but realize that compared to the first four categories, “things” don’t have the same lasting impact.

Now that you’ve made your list, try adding at least one thing to it every day. Make it a daily habit to reflect on all the items on your growing list (using a journal makes this easy). And realize that there is some reason for gratitude in every situation—even if it’s just a breath of thanks that whatever it is, isn’t worse.

Oh, and the next step? Amplify the “gratitude benefit” by expressing your thanks to the people around you. Call, email, write a note, send flowers, bake cookies or just give a hug. You’ll find that gratitude is catching. Pass it on.

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Tagged as Big Dreams Hard Work Blog, DreamSpinner Communications, Gail Z. Martin, gratitude benefit, Gratitude Log

Tag Archives: Gail Z. Martin

Six Ways to Make Your Book A Reality This Year

First, Show Me the Money

The Wisdom of Crowds—WWW Style

Social Media Becomes a Local Resource

The World Wide Web is Also Local

The Local Side of the World Wide Web

THE POWER OF “LOCAL” ONLINE MEDIA

What I Learned From Christmas Specials

Collaboration and Gratitude

Your Gratitude Log

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