Working from a home office...

Do you work from a home office? Then you know just how difficult it can be some days.

For some reason, people think that when you work at home, you aren't really working. Sometimes even your beloved family falls into that mindset. Take today, for instance.

My husband, who is retired, is getting ready to go on the annual fishing trip to Montana. That means about 2 weeks of planning and packing in order to be away for 4 whole days. He thinks he's not bothering me with any of it... but somehow, having someone running in and out of the house all day looking for things really is an interruption.

About the time I've figured out exactly the right words to help promote a client's business, I hear footsteps overhead and the sound of someone rummaging around in the cupboards. The words fly out of my head and I go upstairs to help.

Then a very good friend called, asking me to go on an outing with her on Friday. She's retired too, so forgets that I need to keep fingers to the keyboard if I plan to pay the bills.

And then there's the neighbors. This afternoon our neighbor lady, also retired, came by to give me some plants for the garden. It was very thoughtful of her, but...

So, once again I've decided to quit fighting it. After the house quiets down tonight and my husband is fast asleep, I'll be able to concentrate and I'll get back to work. Then all I'll have to worry about is the cat jumping into my lap at an inopportune moment -- and the dogs reminding me that it really is time to go outside.

It's a very good thing that I am, by nature, a night owl.

How about you? If you work at home, have you trained family and friends to let you work during "working hours" or do you, like me, burn the midnight oil? Have you found great ways to cope with the "work from home" situation? If so, share...

OK, off to do stuff around the house until things quiet down...

Marte

P.S. If you've been sweating over how to get your emails read, go grab some great free information at emailpromosexposed.com

And of course, if you want some help with those emails, your web copy, a letter you need to mail, your personal brochure, or any other marketing piece, get in touch. Visit me at www.marte-cliff.com or email: marte@copybymarte.com

Grow your business by helping others

It just occurred to me that one of the best things about the internet is that we have the opportunity to help each other prosper. That's pretty neat, I think, and it isn't even difficult.

I'm talking about link exchanges. Everyone knows they need their web site to rank high in a generic search -- unless they want to pay for clicks. And while optimizing a site for SEO is fun and does do a lot of good, there's that external SEO to deal with.

And that's where friends come in.

While the big companies can hire someone to go out and get them links, most of us cannot. But we can trade with all the people we know and trust to do business well. We all have someone else who helps us do business in some way, or we have customers we can trade with.

For instance, if you run a small retail store, you have dozens of vendors -- some of whom are small enough that you could call them up and suggest a trade. You also have customers who buy from you regularly. Why not trade with them?

The same holds true for Realtors, Insurance Agents, Plumbers, Landscapers, Dog Groomers, Hairdressers, Chiropractors, Motel and Restaurant owners... in short, everyone.

The links you add can also be a source of referrals back and forth between your businesses -- which is a second benefit. Would you rather choose a plumber from the phone book, or from a list of "preferred vendors" on your favorite Realtor's website? I'll admit, you won't get a ton of business that way, but it certainly won't hurt.

One thing to keep in mind is the content of the links. For the maximum benefit, they should be from your keywords - definitely not from "click here." It will take a little extra effort to decide how to word a sentence to do that, but from everything I've read, it will be worth the effort.

Right now I'm working on getting links from "web copywriter" because I'm trying to raise the ranking of that page on my site. Location doesn't matter to me, because my clients come from all over the country, but if you have a local business, try to work in the name of your City as well as the keyword that will draw folks to you. For instance, link from "Boise landscaper" or "landscaper in Boise," rather than just "landscaper."

And that reminds me... if you link to a certain function of your business, be sure to link to the proper page. Just today I followed a link to find more information about something that was promised, and when I got there I got a home page with no clue about where to find the information. I left in disgust. I'm sure you've encountered the same thing.

That's my thought for the night. Let's all get busy and help each other tomorrow!

Yours for success,

Marte

www.marte-cliff.com
writer@marte-cliff.com

The growing REO market offers opportunity

It's a sad but true fact that many people are losing their homes this year. You feel sorry for those people, but there's nothing you can do about it -- unless you're as rich as Midas and you can bail them all out.

That said, there's no reason not to take advantage of the opportunity it presents to Realtors and a host of other service providers who deal with real estate in some capacity.

First, the real estate agents: If you can become expert at finding out the unknown facts about these homes, you can become a valuable resource for buyers - and you can advertise your expertise. Keep in mind that many agents are too lazy to dig until they learn the things buyers want to know. They're used to sellers providing information, and that just won't happen with REO houses. When you provide the extra service, you'll stand out from the crowd.

Then - the others. Another sad fact is that many repossessed homes are in terrible condition. They're either dirty or damaged or both. Some homeowners, upon realizing that they've lost their homes, go out of their way to leave everything in top condition -- others go out of their way to destroy things. I've even listed repo houses where the kitchen sink had been removed and rocks thrown down the well.

That offers opportunity for a whole host of other professionals. People like:

• Cleaning people
• Plumbers
• Electricians
• Painters
• Landscapers
• Carpenters
• and sometimes, even well drillers and septic installers.

The company listing their REO's may not be willing to pay for repairs, but often the new purchasers will want help with some or all of the cleaning and repairs.

If you're a Realtor, begin compiling a list of competent service professionals. If you're one of those professionals, make up a little brochure outlining your services and give copies to all the real estate people in your vicinity.

You'll be helping the new purchasers and helping yourself at the same time.

Until next time, I wish you success.

Marte

Why do you choose to open an e-mail?

Last week I wrote an e-mail promotion for a client who wanted to use the subject line: "Mother's Day Special." We did, and we got about a 15% open rate with a 6% conversion rate.

I'd like to increase her open rate on the next one and still maintain the good conversion rate. But how? I've thought about that a lot for the past several days.

What makes the difference between opening an email and deleting it without looking? The name of the sender, of course. And then the Subject line. We're all getting subject lines designed to trick us in to opening. Things like "Thanks for calling" and "Old friend found you." Those might get opened, but if you're like me, your annoyance at being tricked is enough to make you delete just as soon as you see it's bogus.

So what does work? I'd love to hear your opinions. What makes you delete without opening? What makes you open and at least give the message a glance? Was my client correct in stating that the email contained information about a special? Or should we have gone to a curiosity subject like "What does Mom want most this Mother's Day?"

What I do know for sure is that a steady program to build trust is vital. You absolutely must give your e-mail recipients something of value when you write. Not just a promotion, but information people can use. Then when they see your name in the send line, they'll open it to see what you have to say today.

After that, you have to be consistent. I've seen 3 or 4 internet marketers who started out well and have since fallen into the habit of "advertising only" in their emails. Now if they had something good to say I'd never know, because I delete automatically when I see their names.

So, do you have a rule of thumb? What makes you open or delete?

Looking forward to your answers,

Marte

Marte Cliff, Copywriter
www.marte-cliff.com