Online Marketing

Online Marketing: What's the Right Mix for You?

Date/TimeThursday, July 29, 2010, 2pm - 3pm

This webinar will be taught by Geri Stengel, founder of Ventureneer, and  teacher of Entrepreneurship and Growing Your Business at the New School in New York City.

In Online Marketing: What’s the Right Mix for You? a new, FREE webinar from Ventureneer, you'll learn how to build a cost-effective marketing plan that targets the right people at the right time with the right media.

Entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, and small business owners will leave the webinar understanding how to define and reach their particular markets.

Customers, clients, donors, and investors are just some of the target audiences you might want to get your message but effective marketing isn't about reaching the widest swath of people; it's about reaching the widest swath of potential customers or donors. To do that, you have to know who they are and how they get their information.

This FREE webinar will cover such basics as:

  • Know your audience. Which media do they use and why?
  • Know what you want to accomplish. Do you want to build awareness, credibility, traffic to your website, attract donors, recruit clients, all of the above, or something else?
  • Online media is an emerging field. Some people can learn to do it themselves. Other people need guides to show them how to do it. Still others need to have someone help them get started. Find out what's best for your organizations and the resources available to help you.
  • If you don’t measure, how will you know if you are hitting the mark? Learn to analyze results so you can adjust online media so it is effective for you.

Credit Cards: Can’t Live With ’Em, Can’t Live Without ‘Em: A High-Level Overview for Nonprofits and Social Enterprises

Date/TimeWednesday, July 21, 3 - 4pm ET
In today’s technology-driven world, donors want -- and expect -- to make donations to your organization or purchase something from it quickly and easily using a credit or debit card. You MUST be ready to accept their plastic card at any time, in any medium, by any method: face-to-face, email, fax, snail-mail or online. The same applies to social enterprises: To do business, you do plastic.
How do you know if your accounting system and website are optimized for plastic? Are there special rates that you should take advantage of? What does it cost your organization of this must-have payment option? How long should it take for donations to arrive in your bank account? What should you do when they don't arrive? Should you let a third party operate your merchant account or should you operate your own? Which bank offers the best service for your kind of nonprofit or social enterprise?
 
Topics this free webinar will cover include:
  • Card pricing criteria: debit/credit cards, card brand- and industry-specific pricing
  • Processor and merchant responsibilities
  • What happens in a plastic-based transaction, from soup-to-nuts
  • Avoiding fraud and chargebacks
  • Social enterprise e-commerce and online donation sites

You need to know what the standards are and what's new in plastic cards to keep up and then move ahead. This FREE webinar answers these questions and more.

 

LinkedIn for Nonprofit Organizations

Instructor
Marc W. Halpert, Managing Partner, Your Best Interest LLC

http://ventureneer.com/marc-w-halpert[Marc W. Halpert], Managing Partner, Your Best Interest LLC

Since leaving the corporate world eight years ago, Marc W. Halpert has started two companies offering specialized, paperless electronic payment services to optimize the cash flow of and speed of collections to:

  • retailers, small- and medium-sized businesses (Your Best Interest LLC)
  • professional and membership groups, and not-for-profit organizations (e-giving).

In his new business, Connect2Collaborate, Halpert uses his skills in networking and his LinkedIn evangelism to train and coach others. With Connect2Collaborate, the amazing businesspeople he encounters are offered the opportunity to become clients of his customized cash flow and payment services. Everyone benefits simultaneously: improved business cash flow results and new business collaboration.

He has been recognized for client service and is a frequent speaker at national, regional, and local conferences for small businesses and nonprofits. He has also authored articles on innovations in cash flow technologies. 

He serves as Lead Instructor and Area Chair at the University of Phoenix’s Fairfield County on-ground campus, where he teaches finance, management, human geography, and business ethics courses.

He holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Virginia and his M.B.A. in International Business from George Washington University.
 


DateJuly 14, 2010
Time

A profile that stands out is the first step in using LinkedIn to build your nonprofit's visibility and revenue. If used to its full extent, LinkedIn can source donors, prospective board members, and volunteers; showcase your organization; and take you into donor markets not otherwise tapped. 
 

The door will open for those who have the key. In this online seminar, you will learn to:
  • Optimize your private profile
  • Create a compelling organization profile
  • Join and participate in industry and other peer groups effectively.
  • Arrange to meet people you do not know, using connections: donors: board members, volunteers.
  • Add blogs, tweets, advertising, and presentations to your profile.
  • Ask questions of your peer group.
  • Become an expert answerer.

For those involved with nonprofits, LinkedIn enhances your continual networking, and can feed the donor pipeline. If you are a novice, come listen carefully. If you are a frequent user, come learn more. If you are anywhere in-between, get ready to jumpstart your LinkedIn presence.

Caution: “ah-ha” moments have been reported from this FREE webinar. As our students have said:

"Marc does a great job of making the complex simple and understandable for non-techies and drives home the basics of effectively using LinkedIn and other social networking for business. Among lessons learned: 
  • daily use and maintenance much like exercise or other habits; 
  • joining affinity groups for news and exposure; 
  • understanding and using apps." 
-- Peter J. Flierl, MSW, President of FBT Worldwide

"Marc Halpert is an engaging, friendly speaker who has mastered LinkedIn and its various nuances. It is well worth the effort to sign up for this webinar."
--Larry Wentz President at Wentz Consulting LLC

Will Facebook Replace Google Adwords?

Instructor
Jim Beach, TheEntrepreneurSchool.com

Jim Beach knows marketing, including online and social media. He has started businesses and has taught entrepreneurship around the world. At the age of 25, Mr. Beach founded American Computer Experience. From 1993 to 2000, he grew the company -- with no capital infusion -- to $12 million in annual revenue and to more than 60 permanent and 700 temporary employees, operating in 39 states and in three countries. 

Since, then he has started 8 other companies, in furniture, leather, fashion, online sales, and education. He now teaches MBA classes with a focus on search engine optimization. 
 


DateJune 24, 2010
Time

Google has built a $200 billion online ad business. For years, marketers and entrepreneurs have griped that there is no online marketing alternative to Google Adwords. 

But now there is.

In this online seminar, you'll learn how to effectively use Facebook ads, a completely different, less expensive, and very effective alternative to Google ads.

Ads on these two platforms are not compatible: Successful Google Adwords will not generate results on Facebook. Facebook is a different animal. It's much more targeted than Google. Should it be part of your advertising budget?

In this free webinar, we will explore how to create Facebook ads, how to make them effective, and how to measure the results.


Real Women Do Social Media

Date/TimeJune 15 through August 3, 12 noon to 1 pm ET; 15-minute Q & A from 1 to 1:15 pm.
Duration8 sessions, 1 hour 15 minutes each

Social media is being approached like medical research once was: If it's good for the men, then a smaller, pink pill must be good for women. No way!

Women invented social media. After all, who recommends more products and services than women? No one. If we're the originators of "word of mouth," shouldn't our businesses benefit from our invention? 

Extending women's communication skills to web-based information exchanges is a natural. Women have nothing to fear from such technology, as long as it's explained well, in plain English.  

And that's just what Real Women Do Social Media is all about: clear explanations with practical advice on implementing what you learn.

What don't most classes consider that we do? Well, how about:

  • Women don't have the time (or the inclination) to "poke around" or "figure it out." We're not stupid. We recognize the value of social media, but we want marketing tools that show measurable progress in a reasonable amount of time.
  • From a time-management perspective, women need to do the right things, at the right times for the right reasons to get the right results. No matter how much we've "evolved," women are still responsible for the bulk of child and family care. We have friendships to maintain, lives to shape and lead and, oh, there's that minor matter of personal time.
  • When women learn, they teach others. Hence, women want information that is easy to pass on. That's why the Real Women Do Social Media takes a common-sense, step-by-step, nitty-gritty approach.
  • Social media lends itself to the way women naturally communicate and share ideas. Historically, most storytellers were women. Women exchange "secrets" to build trust, which men do not. These nuances carry through online. (The good news is, we get to define whether a "secret" is something marginally personal or soul-baring.) Social media is all about being genuine, open and sharing. Sound familiar?
     
Real Women Do Social Media meets each week via phone and the Internet  Don't worry: All the classes are recorded so if you miss a session, you can catch up quickly. What you'll get in the course are:
  • Weekly 60-minute working calls and, for those who want more, Q&A following each call. Our instructor is gifted at drawing out questions without making you feel silly that you asked.
  • Assignments related to your business needs and feedback that will help you deal with your particular challenges.
  • Comfortable, travel-free classes via phone and Internet so you can join in wherever you are.
  • Real Women Do Social Media Case Studies (so you can learn from other women like you).
  • Access to recordings of all classes in case you miss a session or want to review.
  • Online, private Real Women Do Social Media forums so you can interact with one another and ask questions on the fly.
  • A step-by-step outline to create your own social media strategy once and for all. Good for at LEAST a year! You know how women like maps and men don't? Well, this is GPS on steroids.
  • Discounted access to Social Media Concierge Agents aka "social media elves."
  • Insider recommendations for no- and low-cost social media tools that will save you time and aggravation.
  • Access to a proven social media system that has worked wonders for women business owners like you.
  • A surprise bonus!

At the end of the 8-weeks, you'll have, IN WRITING and ready to implement, your own social media marketing plan. If you don't wish to implement it on your own, you'll also qualify for a discount on access to our team of Social Media Concierge agents.

Syllabus


LinkedIn in 4 Easy Steps for Entrepreneurs, Nonprofit Leaders

Date/TimeThursdays, May 20 through June 10, 12 noon – 1 pm ET  
Duration4 sessions, 1 hour each

It's back!

Because it works.


LinkedIn for the Uninitiated in 4 Easy Steps gives solo-preneurs, small business owners, and nonprofit leaders (yes, you are running a business!) access to the benefits of LinkedIn without overwhelming you with techno-babble. When you know how to use it, LinkedIn is a powerful, free tool for making the connections small businesses and nonprofits need.


The price is right and the results impressive ... with both LinkedIn and our class. That's why we're offering it again.


Nonprofits and small businesses need to use every tool available to tap new resources. LinkedIn is one such tool; Ventureneer's Vcourse, with personal attention to your questions and problems, is another.


"I had no idea that LinkedIn had such potential as a marketing and business development tool. Not only did I find the information presented useful in expanding my organization's reach, but the clients I serve have benefited immensely." Jaci Hirschfeld of FY Eye


 

Ventureneer's reprise of its popular LinkedIn for the Uninitiated in 4 Easy Steps will be held from 12 noon to 1 p.m. EDT on Thursdays beginning May 20 through June 10. The Vcourse, like our popular  webinars, will be taught by Marc Halpert.

"Thank you so much for your specific, detailed instructions and tips about how to maximize the LinkedIn profile networking tool. Even though your target audience was nonprofit, there was tons of helpful information applicable to for-profit businesses, too." says Emily Cox, of PowerwoRx.

LinkedIn is a marketing and networking powerhouse for small businesses and nonprofits. Ventureneer's Vcourse will show you how to use that power effectively.

  • You'll get one-on-one guidance from the instructor and your questions about your particular situation will be answered.
  • You'll meet -- virtually -- fellow classmates with whom you can brainstorm and network.
  • You'll develop an effective LinkedIn profile for your business, not learn about profiles in general.

In just 4 weeks, with minimal homework assignments, you will create and learn to manage your profile so it is attractive to the people you want to reach. When you finish the course, you'll have access to more than 50 million people around the world who use LinkedIn as a business/networking tool, that's 50 million potential customers, investors, donors, volunteers or board members.

That's a lot of reach for only $250 (or even $300)!

The Vcourse gives leaders of both small businesses and nonprofits an in-depth, hands-on experience that will result in a highly visible LinkedIn presence for their organizations. This is a practical, not a theoretical, course. 

A LinkedIn discussion group will also be set up so participants can network and converse beyond the confines of the course. And you'll know how to use it effectively.

The Vcourse format allows both the quality learning and the peer support that business owners and nonprofit leaders need to succeed. It is flexible and convenient. If you can’t make a class, you’ll have access to recordings and a copy of the PowerPoint.

Check out the curriculum.


Women Business Owners: Make Social Media Work for You in 7 Simple Steps

Instructor
Lena L. West, Founder & Chief Social Media Strategist at xynoMedia

Lena L. West is an award-winning social media consultant, blogger, speaker, journalist and technologist. She is also a columnist and blogger for Entrepreneur Magazine and an expert blogger for FastCompany Magazine.


DateApril 15, 2010
Time

You keep hearing about social media (should I blog or use Facebook – no, Twitter, right?), but what you hear just doesn’t add up or make sense. It works. It doesn’t. Do this, but don’t do that. You’re not concerned with what other people are doing – you just want to know where social media fits into your plan, and, more important, what advice you can safely ignore and what really works. 

This webinar will cut to the chase to quickly show you the seven key elements – from a perspective specific to women business owners – that you need to consider to use social media successfully. You’ll learn:
  • Why you have to not only create and write great blog content, but get out there and promote it so you reach your audience
  • Why it’s crucial to select the right social medium to have a chance of success
  • How and when to apply The Reciprocity Rule
  • Why you need to have something to say and be willing to step into the spotlight
  • And much more

By the end of the webinar you will have an understanding of what social media are available, when and how to use them effectively, what kind of content to create for different media and what tools to use.  


How Entrepreneurs and Nonprofits Can Make Search Engines Work for Them

Instructor
Veronica Fielding, CEO, Digital Brand Expressions

Veronica Fielding is the president of Digital Brand Expressions (DBE), The Findability PeopleSM.

DBE helps brands be found and well positioned on the Web with highly measurable, customized marketing services that typically include SEO, paid search, and social media.
 
DBE also publishes a series of social media how-to books for audiences new to the world of LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. The series includes Jump Start Social MediaSM for Professionals, Jump Start Social MediaSM for Small Business, and coming in September, Jump Start Social MediaSM for HR & Hiring Managers.
 
Prior to starting DBE in 2002, Ms. Fielding was an executive in the Interactive Publishing Division of Dow Jones/The Wall Street Journal where she spearheaded the development of education tools for private investors and was the president of an electronic publishing company that produced career exploration tools for teens.
 
Ms. Fielding frequently speaks with the media on topics related to search engine and social media marketing. She was recently quoted in a New York Times article on managing personal brands through LinkedIn and Facebook, was interviewed for Entrepreneur Magazine, and has appeared on major TV news feature programs in New York and Philadelphia.

DateApril 21, 2010
Time

Have you invested your time and money building a great website to attract clients, customers, and donors? Do you depend on Google to deliver these visitors to your site? 

If so, be sure that Google and other search engines can find it! Don't hide from the search engines: Help them find you.

Search engines only work for you if they recognize the value of your site when serving up search results to their visitors. To ensure that the search engines find your site, you need to take advantage of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques. 

You'll also want to leverage a completely different kind of search engine marketing: paid ads. And with so many people looking at what other people are saying about organizations, smart marketers want to have a presence on social media sites, too.

You need to understand and use the Findability Mix.
 
Google and the other search engines race to provide the most dynamic results possible to those looking for information. That information is gleaned from a mix of website listings, real-time postings from social networks, videos, photos, maps, product listings, and more.

If you want to be found, you must create different categories of content and put that content on the web in a way that makes sure search engines find you; you want to create the right "findability mix."

"Findability" techniques include, among other things:

  • creating active social profiles

  • optimizing your photo and video content

  • adding your business listing to Google maps

  • submitting your inventory to product searches

In How Entrepreneurs and Nonprofits Can Make Search Engines Work for Them, you'll find out how to use social media and real-time search results to make search engines find you fast. You'll learn strategies for becoming one of the top 10 results for your brand.


Small Business Owners, Freelancers, Consultants: Keep Your Project Pipeline Full Using LinkedIn

Instructor
Marc W. Halpert, Managing Partner, Your Best Interest LLC

http://ventureneer.com/marc-w-halpert[Marc W. Halpert], Managing Partner, Your Best Interest LLC

Since leaving the corporate world eight years ago, Marc W. Halpert has started two companies offering specialized, paperless electronic payment services to optimize the cash flow of and speed of collections to:

  • retailers, small- and medium-sized businesses (Your Best Interest LLC)
  • professional and membership groups, and not-for-profit organizations (e-giving).

In his new business, Connect2Collaborate, Halpert uses his skills in networking and his LinkedIn evangelism to train and coach others. With Connect2Collaborate, the amazing businesspeople he encounters are offered the opportunity to become clients of his customized cash flow and payment services. Everyone benefits simultaneously: improved business cash flow results and new business collaboration.

He has been recognized for client service and is a frequent speaker at national, regional, and local conferences for small businesses and nonprofits. He has also authored articles on innovations in cash flow technologies. 

He serves as Lead Instructor and Area Chair at the University of Phoenix’s Fairfield County on-ground campus, where he teaches finance, management, human geography, and business ethics courses.

He holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Virginia and his M.B.A. in International Business from George Washington University.
 


DateApril 13, 2010
Time

Social media's all the buzz these days but can it really help a small business professional or "solo-preneur? The answer is a resounding "Yes!" ... with the caveat that you have to know how to use LinkedIn strategically to increase your visibility and reinforce your professionalism. 

In this webinar, you'll get tips and straight talk on optimizing LinkedIn, the predominant social network for 60 million professionals and business people. It is targeted to the needs of small business owners, freelancers, and consultants who need visibility, recommendations, and accessible profiles to attract new clients and enhance relationships with peers, clients and vendors.

You'll learn:

  • How LinkedIn can enhance your personal network and build community; 
  • What critical steps a business must take so potential clients choose you; 
  • What are the best practices when making LinkedIn one of your networking tools.
  • The instructor, Marc W. Halpert, will answer these questions and share examples of entrepreneurs who overcame challenges by strategic use of LinkedIn's potential.

As a bonus, you'll learn The 5 Top Tips for the Care and Feeding of LinkedIn.

This is another in a continuous series of Ventureneer seminars Marc has offered, each one breaking records for attendance and resulting in high praise for the quality of the presentations.


Real Women Do Social Media

Date/TimeWednesdays (with the exception of March 4) from March 4 - April 21 starting at 7pm ET
Duration8 sessions

The Real Women Do Social Media Program is an 8-week program that takes you step-by-step through a proven social media approach that Lena West developed after working with women business owners for the past 4 years on how best they can leverage social media to meet their business needs. (And for 8 years before that she helped women entrepreneurs develop and implement Internet marketing strategies! She's no newbie!)

The program is VERY structured and each week we meet via phone and the Internet (of course!) to go over the week's lesson. Don't worry all the classes are recorded so if you miss a session, you can get caught up quickly.
 
And, because Lena knows that women learn best from other women, she has arranged to have some of her clients and close colleagues join her at the top of every class (only for amount 10 minutes) to tell you how THEY achieved social media success. They're going to share the good and not-so-good, what they wished they had known before starting to use social media and what they would do differently. (Yeah, the good, hairy stuff. No sugar-coating here!)
 
At the end of the 8-weeks (provided you do your 'homework'), you'll have, IN WRITING, your very own social media marketing plan and you'll be ready to implement.
 



Syndicate content