 Twitter is easy and it’s fast. It’s pretty much a gateway into your business, your blog, your life. It’s a great way to get more exposure. But, are you using it effectively?
First of all, do others you regularly connect with know you are on twitter? You should be telling others about it. Your twitter handle, or ID http://twitter.com/MarketMommy}, should be on your blog, on your About Us page, on anything you publish, on your facebook page, in your e-mail signature, etc.
Do you have followers? How many people are you following? One of the most obvious ways to increase your relevant followers is to first seek out others who you want to network with. Find other mom business owners that you’d like to connect with, learn from, sell to, etc. When they get the notice that you’re following them, chances are they’ll check out your profile and maybe follow you back.
In my opinion, one of the most effective ways to make twitter work for you is to make personal connections with others. Read others’ tweets and respond to them. Reply and make conversation, build friendships. You should already have multiple things in common with those you are following, use that to your advantage. You can also use direct messages to exchange e-mail addresses and other information more directly.
Keep in mind that everything takes time. Building an effective network won’t happen overnight, but with a little effort twitter can be a lucrative networking tool.
I've worked with Swanky Moms before. It's a great site for moms, and offers some great advertising options for mom business owners. I've advertised both Announcements Galore and Market Mommy on Amber's site.
Now that the site's founder, Amber, has taken on a full-time job outside of the home she can no longer maintain the site like she wants to. So, it has been posted for sale. It's been posted on Ebay and the auction is live for the next six days.
If you've considered being a WAHM, but aren't sure where to start, this could be a great opportunity for you. All the details and site statistics are included in the listing. It is a well-established site. Click here for more information! 
 Do you have a business but don’t feel as though it’s moving forward like you want it to? Don’t feel like you’re making the money you should be making? Have you considered finding a mentor to partner with?
Jill Hart is a fellow Christian work-at-home-mom whose passion is to help other women work from home too. She is the founder of www.CWAHM.com, where she has spent the past 10 years helping other women work from home and build strong, marketable and profitable businesses. She’s also the co-author of So You Want To Be a Work at Home Mom.
“I'm dedicated to helping women like you find and maintain success in your business, your family, and your spirit,” Hart said. “What I've learned over the past 10 years is that many women want to work at home and find success and peace in their relationships with God and their families. But they don't know where to start! There is so much conflicting advice out there, it's impossible to know who you can really trust.” Hart has now complied all of her experience to create a mentoring program entitled SuccessFul Christian Women. The program will walk you through all the steps of starting, maintaining a successful business, and balancing it with your family and your faith.
The monthly program will cover topics such as:
· How to start a business;
· How you can find customers and clients;
· Easy ways to break down your barriers to success; and
· Honoring God in your business and your life.
When you join the program, you’ll get an initial 30 minutes on the phone with Hart, in addition to the monthly calls. Monthly membership levels start at just $37/month. For more detailed infor  mation, click here.
You’ve heard me say over and over how important strong branding and consistency are. You’ve also heard me say several times that effective marketing can be done on a limited budget. Mom entrepreneurs face their own unique set of challenges. Finding marketing and business supplies at a reasonable cost shouldn’t have to be one of them.
That is why Market Mommy has expanded our design services and now can offer you full service printing without the inflated full price. For a complete price list click here.
All businesses need to be able to present themselves in a positive, professional manner. Market Mommy can help you do that with attractive business cards, brochures, note cards, promotional items, postcards and much more.
Benefits to using Market Mommy for your design and printing needs include::
• All prices include FREE design work/corrections and up to 3 proofs! AND printing!
• Shipping is a flat $10 on all orders under $100
• Orders over $100 always receive free shipping!
• Don’t see quite what you’re looking for? We can quote ANY project!
• Need to reorder? Contact us for a discounted quote!
Here is just a BRIEF list of some of the things we can do for you and your business::
• 250 matte business cards $30
• 420 return address labels $28
• 500 sheets of letterhead $125
• 250 postcards $60
• 100 8.5 x 11 tri-fold brochures $100
Remember, these prices all include custom design work! You will not find lower prices on custom marketing materials anywhere!
We also offer magnets, flyers, envelopes, oversized postcards, presentation folders, stamps, lawn signs, car door magnets, t-shirts, calendars, gift certificates, posters and much, much more!
Contact us today to see how we can help you promote your business! Don’t forget, we also offer a referral program! Contact us for details and find out how you can earn credits for free products!
P.S. Mention this blog post and place an order before April 1 and you’ll save 10% automatically!
I am a lover of unique things. That's why Funky Finds is one of my favorite places on the web. It's a great place to discover unique items, but it's also a great place to advertise! Currently, Jessica and the folks at Funky Finds, are running a 25% off special on advertising! You can find their typical rates here.
This means there are banner prices as low as $7.50/month {150x50} or $15/month {150x150}. There are many other sizes and options available. And, the more you purchase, the more you save! Discounts will be refunded via PayPal once payment has cleared.
The options at Funky Finds are endless. They have a funky newsletter, offer recipricol links, giveaways, daily finds at their blog and much more! In fact, this is the perfect time to consider selling your products through http://funkyfinds.us/theshops/. Their current promotion offers users SIX FREE MONTHS with the purchase of one month (31 days). This means you can sell your products for seven months for as low as $1.99! There is no fee per sale or per upload. How great is that?!?
Be sure to visit Funky Finds and let them know that Market Mommy sent you :)
Who can't use more marketing tips? The Toliet Paper Entrepreneur has put together a fantastic list of 61 tips on their blog today. You can check it out here. And, of course I'm sending you there for a reason! Market Mommy is lucky enough to be one of the featured contributors! There really is some fantastic advice given by some great entrepreneurs, so be sure to bookmark it!
Happy Tuesday from snowy Ohio!
Today's tip relates to exclusive deals. They are a great way to build customer loyalty! You can offer them several different ways. Here are a few of my favorites::
- Newsletter:: If you are already connecting with your customer base on a regular basis, offer them a coupon code or special promotion. They will be more likely to open your e-mails and more likely to tell their friends that they need to be on your mailing list.
- Tweet:: There are several benefits to tweeting on Twitter. Networking with potential business partners is important, but so is building a customer base. Tweeting exclusive coupons and deals to your followers is a sure way to get more followers and more customers!
- Facebook Fans:: They are your fans because they like your business, your products, and your services. Give them an exclusive deal and they'll be an even more loyal fan.
- Existing customers:: Establish a referral program and offering exclusive deals to existing customers who refer their friends. By doing this you gain new and repeat customers at the same time.
The key is to make your customers, fans, followers feel special. Giving them exclusive deals and promotions does that. Having loyal customers is invaluable. Not only do they continue to purchase from you, but they also spread the word about your great products and services! And, of course I am going to offer my loyal blog readers an exclusive offer today. :o) Use SAVE20 at checkout to save 20% on any service, listing, or advertisement from Market Mommy! {Expires Feb. 15} 
Who doesn't want to improve? Do you ever find yourself in a rut and not sure what to do to get out of it? Survey your audience and customer base to help generate some new ideas. Ask them what they like and what they don't. Ask them what they'd like to see added or improved. There are some great free services out there to help you, like Survey Monkey and eSurveysPro. Constant Contact has a survey feature now as well, but there is a fee.
You can link to your survey from your site or blog, add the link to your regular newsletter or send out a dedicated e-mail asking folks to fill it out. And, if you want to beef up your chances for responses, offer them an incentive! For example, everyone that completes the survey is registered to win a free product!
While we're on the topic, why don't you take two minutes and fill out a brief survey about Market Mommy. Thanks!
It may or may not seem obvious, but consistent contact and interaction with your customer base is crucial. Do you have an address list, e-mail or otherwise? Do you use it? A regular newsletter is a low-cost and effective way to keep your brand in front of previous and potential customers. If there isn't a newsletter mailing option included with your web hosting, there are several options available online. There are several low-cost options {we use Constant Contact}, and some free ones too, depending on your list size. Regardless of what service you use, here are a few tips when writing and sending your newsletter.....
- Be consistent and send out communication on a regular basis.
- Be consistent and use your logo and company brand frequently.
- Have a purpose, include company updates, promotions, newsworthy items in your newsletter.
- Include coupons and/or direct links to your website.
- Include an option for subscribers to forward your newsletter to others.
- Be polite, don't spam!!
Need help writing or designing your newsletter? We can do that :o) E-mail us! 
Since many of us operate our businesses out of our home, I thought a great topic to visit would be creating a great home office space. The location where we complete our work is SO important! It needs to be functional and comfortable! Good office space helps us to be effective and to keep our sanity! Here are a few key components!
- Limited distractions! Your office probably shouldn’t be located in the center of your kitchen, or any busy room for that matter. Choose a room or location that is away from most of the home’s traffic. A spare bedroom or a basement make great options. If one of those isn’t available, you can still create an effective space by portioning off an area of a larger room.
- Adequate work space! If you need a table top or extended desk area to assemble products or mailings, make sure you have it. Use the top of filing cabinets or bring in a spare card table if you have limited funds or space to work with.
- Stay organized! Create a system that works for you! This goes for your hard copies and your digital copies! Keep your spreadsheets updated and in order and keep your filing cabinet the same way! Both you and your customers will appreciate it!
- Involve the kids! Making your office kid friendly will allow you to get some work accomplished while your children are close by. Set up a small area for them, with their toy computer, some quiet toys and books that will keep them occupied while you return a few e-mails and make a phone call or two.
- Details! Don’t forget about some of the seemingly small things. Good lighting, a comfortable chair and enough storage space are all critical elements. All of these can strongly effect your work environment!
Hope you are having a great week! 
Are you a Hybrid Mom? Click here to find out :)
Hybrid Mom is an online community,website and magazine for all women. They offer some great opportunities for mom entrepreneurs as well! Ways to network, newsletters, a marketplace and much more!
If you haven't declared yourself a Hybrid Mom yet, you should! 
According to Webster’s Dictionary, being persistent means existing for a long or longer than usual time. When it comes to creating and building your own business, persistence is one of those words of advice that keeps popping up.
Be persistent. Stay focused. Do not give up. Sometimes easier said than done, right? I’ll be the first to tell you that persistence isn’t always the easiest virtue to possess. But, if you stay strong and weather the storms, I firmly believe they will pass and you will reach your reward at the end.
Success doesn’t happen overnight for most of us. So, what do we have to gain by being persistent? Each day that you work to further your business you learn more, meet new contacts and gain credibility. You aren’t working for nothing, even though it may seem like it at times.
If you don’t believe in yourself, how can you expect others to believe in you?
This is a great quote from our 30th President of The United States, Calvin Coolidge::
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination are omnipotent."
Ok, before I get into today's tip, I want to revisit last week's tip. (It can be found here). I told you about HARO and all the great free exposure you can get by connecting with reporters. I wanted to revisit and prove to you that it works. I responded to a query last week and got in touch with Mike at The Toliet Paper Entreprenuer. Market Mommy can be found featured in his post today about Women Entrepreneurs. {Scroll down, we're #79} TPE has been featured on ABC, Fox News, The New York Times and much more. So, I would chalk that up as a success. If you're not on the HARO mailing list, I would recommend it!
 Now, for today's tip. You may have noticed the cute little tweets and retweet buttons gracing the top of my posts now. I've been searching for a week or so about how to add this little widget to my blog. The easiest instructions I found were here. {I used the code at the very bottom of the post} You really can't go wrong adding this to your blog. It's an easy way to get more attention and it is so convenient for your readers who want to share with their followers. Social media is a great {and free} way to market yourself, might as well take advantage!!
HARO, or Help a Reporter Out, is this week's Tuesday Tip. If you're not familiar with this you should be. Each weekday, Peter Shankman sends out 2-3 e-mails to subscribers. Each e-mail is packed full of queries from reporters looking for sources. The subject matter ranges from business and finance to lifestyle and health. You never know, you just may be the perfect source that a journalist is looking for! Free press is always a good thing! You can sign up for this FREE service here. But, please read and abide by his rules!
I subscribe to the Daily Buzz, and I highly recommend it!
Each day, an e-mail is delivered to my inbox that gives another valuable tip in regards to public relations. It is completely FREE (which we all love right?) and shows you how to build awareness for your brand and maximize your PR efforts, one tip at a time.
Build-A-Buzz is the brainchild of Marina Echavarria, a 20 year PR veteran and owner of Realm Media Productions, Inc., a PR Consultancy based in the New York area. You can sign up here, and make sure to tell her Dawn at Market Mommy sent you!
Many websites and publications that offer advertising space offer an advertising kit that includes demographics. These demographics give you details about their viewers and readers. It is great insight into your potential audience.
Make sure to take these demographics into consideration before purchasing advertising. They can give you information on age, sex, income, education level, size of household, number of children, geographical location and more. This vital information can help you determine if that particular venue is a good place to spend your limited advertising dollars.
For more definitions, visit our Quick Reference page on MarketMommy.com!
Today's Tip::
Do you have a referral program?
"If you get a satisfied customer, make sure to have a referral program. They refer a friend, a family member or co-worker and they get a freebie. Most of my business is referrals and repeat customers."
Today's tip was originally featured in the Market Mommy Free E-Newsletter. (Sign up here, if you haven't already!) The tip was provided by Monique at Lil' Sugarplum.
Do you want to be featured for FREE in our newsletter? Send your best marketing tip to Dawn at info@marketmommy.com and put 'Marketing Tip' in the subject line!
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