You can produce the most compelling, interesting video online, but without a clear call to action, your video is just pure entertainment. Whether you want a viewer to buy your product, sign up for your list, or take another action, you have to tell them what you want them to do.

A call to action can take many different forms. Do you want the viewer to click on a link, click the “buy now” button, watch another video, or take some other step? Know what you want from your viewer before you even create your video so everything you do points to that desired end result.

Some people believe that if you push your message on your audience, they will resist any kind of “sell” and turn away. While you want to avoid the used car salesman approach, remember that when you have the solution to your audience’s problems, you’re doing them a favor by sharing it with them.

Your call to action can take many forms. Here are some examples:

• Click here to download your free report on X.
• Click here to visit X and sign up now for more information!
• Enter your name and email below to sign up for the free teleseminar now.
• Fill out the form below to request your free consultation.
• Enter your information below to apply for this special program.

The logistics of creating a call to action within in a video will vary depending on the type of video you use, the location of the video and the rules of the site where you are hosting your video. Here are some ideas:

Mention in Video – You can include a call to action within the video itself. Create the video to capture the attention of your audience, give them the information they need and then tell them what action to take next.

Text on Video – Another way to tell your viewers what move to make after the video is to add it across the screen of the video. This text can be a link to your website or an explanation of any other action you’d like them to take.

Clickable Video – By using ‘Flash’ software or YouTube’s video tools, you can create video that, when clicked on, can link the viewer to the desired page.

The most important part of your call to action is ensuring it fits with what your audience needs. When the call to action matches the exact needs of your audience, taking your recommended next step will be a natural next step for your viewers.

Are you ready to learn how to use video effectively in your marketing? If so, join me on Thursday, February 2nd for a free teleseminar with video marketing expert, Lou Bortone, about Easy Biz and Video. Sign up by going to:

easybiztelesummit.com

If you have an online business, then you’ve likely considered video marketing. Once you’re convinced of the power of video marketing, the next step is to decide how to use videos to promote your business. Here are just a few examples:

Education – Use video to educate your market on the use of your products. Lead them towards the sale by answering their most frequently asked questions and objections.

Case Studies – If you’re involved in some kind of before-and-after (website design, fitness, SEO, etc.) case studies are an excellent way to demonstrate your expertise. Seeing an example helps the potential customer understand exactly what impact your service or product can have on their business.

Testimonials – Ask your customers or clients to give you quick 1-minute videos of their feedback. You can also interview them about your business for a more structured testimonial.

Product Reviews – Video brings an added element to product reviews, particularly if you’re reviewing a physical product. But hearing you talk about a book or piece of software is effective too.

Webinars – If you provide webinars or other video presentations to your market, capture them via video and offer a replay to generate leads or even sell as a product.

Commercial – Done correctly (meaning compelling with a clear call to action), commercials for your product or service can be very effective.

Business Overview – One of the first things many people look for is who they are buying from and what they stand for. Let your potential customers learn about you and your business through a business overview.

As you can see from the list above, there are many ways to use video to promote your business. Just creating video is not the only step to effective marketing. You must craft a video that responds to the wants and needs of your market. They are looking for solutions to problems and questions. It’s your job to figure out how to use a video to solve issues, answer questions, provide the right solutions and lead them to the next step.

If you want to learn how to create powerful video for your business, check out my upcoming FREE teleseminar with Lou Bortone, Online Branding Expert and Video Marketing Strategist. Click here to find out more!

It’s time for the January Easy Biz Teleseminar call for coaches and we’ve convinced Kim Clausen to join us once again – this time to share behind the scenes ideas that lead to success.  It’s the time of year to make plans about how your coaching business will grow in 2012 and highly successful coaches know that having a solid plan is absolutely required to reach your dreams.

Here’s what Kim says:

“ Too many business owners
haphazardly invest their time, energy
and money without planning and forethought
and often end up feeling frustrated because
they see only marginal success for their efforts.
Then they get frustrated, overwhelmed
and start to think that maybe they don’t have
what it takes to be a successful business owner.

But it’s not your fault.  All you really need is a plan.”

Join global marketing expert Kim Clausen for this free call.  Kim will show you how to create a powerful plan for your coaching business, and make it so simple that you’ll have a new level of confidence, energy and excitement moving forward into 2012.

Here are the details:

Date:      January 12, 2011

Time:    1-2 pm ET (10am pacific, 11 mountain, 12 central)

Registration:  http://easybiztelesummit.com

The Easy Biz Teleseminar is a monthly series that I host in order to help coaches succeed.  My expereince is that planning is one of the keys that can turn a business from survival to flourishing.  If you’re not planning for the future and your business growth – it probably won’t happen.  As I tell my clients, enthusiasm and hope are not business strategies.

Join Kiim and I for this powerful call.  We will make time for questions and answers at the end of the call so try to be there in person if you can.  Of course the call will be recorded and will be available at no charge for one week only.   Be sure to register at http://easybiztelesummit.com in order to get access to the recording.

Hope to see you on the call!

You probably already know that there are different steps involved in writing and creating a good business plan. A proper business plan is a valuable tool for your business or company and can help lead you on a path to great success. The more you know about the different components that go into creating one, the better your business plan will be.

One important part of the business plan is your Statement of Purpose. The statement of purpose shows you know what you want and you are willing to do what it takes to get it. These are qualities that are important to a successful business and it shows you are serious about your company and its success.

What is the statement of purpose?

Your statement of purpose is how you communicate with potential lenders or investors, business partners or even future employees. This is an important part of the business plan and should be taken seriously. You need to be direct, concise and to the point. Don’t waste words or will it up with “fluff” here.

The statement of purpose should include exactly what you want without “beating around the bush” or taking a long time to get there. You should be able to get your complete statement of purpose into about a page of your business plan. If your original is longer, keep revising and cutting until you can get it down to about one full page that describes what you want.

What should be included in the statement of purpose?

So what exactly do you say in your statement of purpose? Your statement of purpose should include a brief description of your company or business, your objectives, your company mission and your keys to success. You should describe the primary service or goods provided and your plan to provide those to the consumer as well as the rate at which you will provide it.

You should then include the current local market for your goods or services and where you predict the majority of your profit to come from. You will also include major achievements of the company or details that show why your business has the ability to thrive in the market and be successful.

Do you want to spruce up your business plan or create a simple, easy to use plan for your business in 2012? Join me for the Business Planning Work Day on Monday, January 2nd. Find out more information by going to:

www.solopreneur.biz/planning/

It’s time for the December Easy Biz Teleseminar call and this one is an especially important topic.   If you are running a coaching business, you need to spend some time thinking about your speaking skills.

The December Easy Biz expert is Felicia Slattery of Communication Tranformation.  Felicia will be explaining her ideas on how to make running a coaching business easier and then discussing how speaking can be the key to business growth even if your intention is not to become a public speaker.  Felicia is famous for her Signature Speech system that can rocket your business ahead like it did hers.  Whether you plan on public speaking, want to present teleseminars or webinars, need to be fluent on video or just want to be able to communicate well with potential clients, you need to hear what Felicia has to say.

Here are the details:

Date:         December 6, 2011

Time:       1-2 pm ET (10am pacific, 11 mountain, 12 central)

Registration:  http://easybiztelesummit.com

Felicia will be sharing the concept of a Signature Speech that allows you to take the best advantage of speaking in your own business.  She’ll teach us why this system is so powerful and the reasons to have a Signature Speech even if you have no intention of public speaking or have already been speaking for years.  Finally, she’ll be giving us the 5 steps to create your own Signature Speech so you can get started growing your coaching business by speaking.

The Easy Biz Teleseminar monthly series is hosted by Janet Slack of Solopreneur.Biz.  As always, she will make time for questions and answers at the end of this powerful call so try to be there in person if you can.  In any case, the call will be recorded and available for one week only.   Be sure to register at http://easybiztelesummit.com in order to get access to the recording.

Hope to see you on the call!

There are more changes coming soon to Facebook that will affect how you market your business there. Are you ready?

Marketing on Facebook is BOTH lucrative and tricky. If you don’t stay current with what works NOW, you could be wasting your time and efforts.

Register for this free webinar at http://solopreneur.biz/webinar

There’s a lot of buzz about marketing on Facebook with many people advocating that every business needs a business page. Recent Facebook changes make that less true than ever. Less than 37% of businesses are getting new clients or new business from the Facebook marketing they are currently doing. Don’t be in that crowd.

It’s much harder to know what notes to play when the song keeps changing! Facebook is a continuously changing tune…

The Next Facebook Changes Webinar with Janet Slack is the answer to help you adjust to recent changes and get ready for the ones that are next.

Learn what you need to know about:
the Timeline,
the Ticker,
Top Stories,
People Talking
and more.

You may have heard me say that I have used Facebook and other social media sites to double my business in the past two years. And I’ve been teaching others how to achieve similar results through my training class, Facebook 4 Biz: Ready, Set, Go!

Here are the webinar details:
Date: Thursday, December 1, 2011
Time: 4 – 5:30 pm Eastern time
Registration: http://solopreneur.biz/webinar
Recording: Available to all registrants

This free webinar will explain the newest changes to Facebook, how to use Facebook marketing in your business and what is coming soon.
You know you need to hear this! Get the honest truth about marketing on Facebook with straight talk and demonstrations from Janet.

Register now and then mark your calendar so you can be there in person to ask questions. http://solopreneur.biz/webinar

It’s time for the November Easy Biz Teleseminar call and this one gives you a method of making more money in your coaching business through taking care of your clients!

Our November expert is Kate Steinbacher from The Coaches Console. Kate will be explaining her ideas on how to make running a coaching business easier and then discussing how customer/client care can change everything. She tells me that it costs 150% more to find a new client than to keep a current one satisfied so I have asked her to explain her 4 step system for customer care. You’ll want to know how you can keep your current clients longer and how they can become your new sales team!

Here are the details:

Date: Thursday, November 3, 2011
Time: 1-2 pm ET (10am pacific, 11 mountain, 12 central)
Registration: http://easybiztelesummit.com

Kate will explain the 3 keys to business success and how her system allows you to spend LESS time on marketing in your business. What’s even more exciting is that despite it being easier, you can be making MORE money. Customer care will also make your clients feel like they are truly in a partnership with you and your entire business is likely to be more fun. Gotta love that!

There will be time for questions and answers at the end of this info packed call so be sure to be there in person. If you just can’t be there, this call will be recorded and available for one week only. Be sure to register for the call in order to get access to the recording.

Hope to see you on the call!

Warmly,

My friend Kathleen Gage — Internet Marketing Expert and Advisor — is revealing her top money-making membership program secrets so you can get your membership program up and running in record time.

I’m so excited to announce that Kathleen has agreed to do a complimentary webinar for us to share this valuable advice. You’ll be hearing about my new membership program soon enough and I learned exactly how to do it from Kathleen!

She’ll be getting you informed too on a FREE webinar packed with so much great content about how to create a money making membership program. Kathleen’s first membership program made her over $100,000 in record time so she does know her stuff.

She has agreed to share with you:

• Fast steps to starting your own membership program
• Why most people fail at this
• The #1 step you must take to make this successful
• How to market your membership program
• How to put your program on autopilot

Membership programs are the latest craze. It’s likely you have considered starting one, but you may not know where to begin. Kathleen does and is eager to share this information with us!

The call is on Tuesday, October 25th at 12:00 p.m. ET (New York USA), and you should plan on a full 90 minutes for Secrets of Money-Making Membership Programs since Kathleen has agreed to take all your questions as well as provide her best ideas.

Are you ready to build ongoing revenue?

Then go register now!

This call will be recorded so even if you can’t make it to the live event you can get all the great content delivered right to your inbox.

But you will want to be on the live session if you can. Kathleen is making a special offer for those attending live.

See you on the call.

Warmly,

P.S. – Membership programs really are an item to consider for your business. Set it up once and have regular monthly income from it – as long as you do it right. And Kathleen will make sure of that! Here’s the link again to join us at 12:00 p.m. ET (New York, USA) on Tuesday, October 25th:

http://www.kathleengagetrains.com/fixed-term-janet

My friend and colleague, Linda Claire Puig, has me wondering how she has grabbed so much wisdom and fun at the same time!

You see, she has an important free 75 minute training on Tuesday (Oct 11^th) called “Subject Line Secrets: How to Get Your Emails Opened and Acted Upon So You Can Have a 6-Figure Business and the Life of Your Dreams!” If wisdom and fun are a combo that work for you, you will want to be there.

Here’s the wisdom:

Your email subject lines are vital to your success.  If your readers don’t open your emails, they won’t sign up for your services, buy your products, or register for your programs.

It doesn’t matter how amazing or persuasive your information and product are.  If your subscribers don’t open your email and see your words, all you get is wasted marketing efforts and disheartening results.

Linda is an expert in subject lines and taught me tips that make a difference in my business to this day.  More than 3000 people have already signed up to learn from her on October 11^th.  Wouldn’t it be wise for you to be there too?

Here’s the fun:

Because she is such a wise biz person, Linda is giving gifts to you just for registering for this exclusive training! First, you will receive Linda’s “Subject Line Success Checklist” which is a $79 value.  Then you will also receive a fun series of short training videos from Linda about using newsletters and other emails to create a 6-figure business (videos that were shot in Italy as she runs her own 6-figure business abroad!).

And there is fun for me too.  Linda is wise enough to have a contest for those of us who are recommending her free training to see who can get the most signups. She’s giving us great gifts from Italy  – including time in her home there that goes to the big winner.  (I am currently in 5^th place so I am thinking more about the Italian pizza prize. That’s fun too!) If you sign up to help me, I guarantee Linda will help your business as well.

I’ll be joining Linda on the “Subject Lines Secrets” training for a dose of her wisdom and a side of fun.  I hope you’ll be there too.

WHEN: Tuesday, October 11, 2011, at 1 pm Pacific, 2 pm Mountain, 3 pm Central, 4 pm Eastern, 9 pm UK (London), 10 pm Italy, 7 am Australia (Sydney, Oct. 12)

Save your spot now!

We hear about people creating Facebook pages and that someone found someone else on Facebook. But what exactly is Facebook all about and does it have any benefits for us? Read on to find out about Facebook and if it indeed does something more than enhance your social life.

Facebook is one of the top ten Web 2.0 applications and social networking sites in the world. Started as a social experiment, Facebook was originally designed as a way for friends to keep in touch and create interesting profiles and pages for others to look at.

Many kids and college students latched on to Facebook. Members can upload pictures, leave messages on the profiles of others, and search for friends who have profiles. The problem with Facebook was the type of information people were uploading. College students uploading inappropriate videos at wild parties and such have caught on virally. This spoke to the poor judgment of the students as those videos would still be around when they grew out of the drinking phase and realized that it was no longer the “cool” thing to do.

Facebook is not just for the young teenagers and college students however. It is also a networking tool for business owners. It’s a great way to connect with other business owners and targeted potential customers. A plus for new businesses is that becoming a Facebook member is free. Every registered member gets a home page where they can then create a profile and add applications to their page for friends and other trusted users they designate to use.

Entrepreneurs can use their Facebook profile to tell others all about themselves. Many times, businesses never really have a chance for potential clients to learn more about the person or people who run the business. More focus is put on advertising, growing the business and promoting its products or services. With a social networking page on social sites like Facebook, customers and other business associates get a chance to find out about the person behind the business.

Anyone can join or create a group on Facebook. These groups bring together like minded people according to business, personal, or other social factors. Groups talk to one another; share business tips and create a useful connection in many different ways.

Businesses use Facebook pages to showcase products or give customers a place to ask questions and record comments about the products they have used. They can talk to each other and compare notes. Big businesses with famous brand names use Facebook to gain insights into consumer trends.

Facebook can be useful for communities trying to create a closer knit group of families. Homeschooling parents can create a network of support for each other and their kids. Facebook has a variety of uses both for business and personal reasons. So, now that you know more concerning Facebook, what will your page be about?

Want to learn how to use Facebook for business quickly, easily and properly? Join me for Facebook 4 Biz which starts tomorrow. Find out more information by going to: www.facebook4biz.com