This week I asked our panel of experts a question that I get asked often from Virtual Assistants, Coaches, Authors, and Infoproduct Sellers…

“How do you decide how to price your products and coaching and what
if any struggle did you come through to charge what you're worth?”

I think you will like the responses.

Terry Dean of My Marketing Coach says:

I have to admit that pricing is one of the toughest issues we face in marketing.

Here's why. Price too low and you devalue what you offer. Some of your potential best clients might not even take a second look at the offer because the low price denotes low quality. In addition, you might not be able to pay for the advertising (both “free” and paid advertising have a cost of either time or money).

You can also price yourself out of the market you're serving. If you're delivering Walmart services, you can't expect to receive Saks or Nordstrom prices.

And the lowest price doesn't even mean you get the maximum sales. For example, I've tested products at $47, $67, and $97 several times. In all 3 tests where I ran these price points, $67 performed best for me…both in quantity of sales and profits from those sales. Yes, more people purchased at $67 than at $47.

Does that mean you should run out and price your product at $67? Of course not. That was for my audience and offer. It simply means you need to keep your eyes open to pricing. Lower is not immediately better for sales, profits, or the results your customers receive.

When I started out, my tendency was to undervalue and underprice what I was offering. It wasn't until I started networking with others who asked a fair price for the value they produced that I realized the mistake I had been making. I consistently undervalued what I offered…and honestly I still make this mistake regularly today with my products.

Here's an exercise everyone reading this should practice today. Buy a Robb Report magazine (or get one at the library).

Read it cover to cover. Look at all the ads. How does someone advertise a cooler for $1,200? What do they say about it? What benefits do they share? How is it unique?

Then look at the ads for the $25,000 watch, the $47,000 German Shepherd, or the $350,000 car.

What words do they use to describe them? What do the company logos look like? What about the other photos they feature?

Program your mind for real value, instead of just cheapest price.

What customers really want is for you to provide them with the benefits they're seeking. Sure, price factors in, but a product that can't fulfill their desires isn't worth it no matter how low the price.

Also think about which customers you most want to attract. For example, I would never do “cheap” coaching. One-on-one coaching with me is a minimum of $500 per month. That's not anywhere near the highest. In fact, it's the lowest I know of for someone with my experience and client base.

It's not cheap though. I know the value of what I offer…and what it can do for someone's business.

I also know the clients I'm trying to attract for direct coaching. They either already own an online business and want to increase their profits from it. It's simply an ROI purchase for them. Or they have previous experience owning or managing a offline business (such as a middle level executive). They know the value of coaches and consultants.

I'm not trying to attract brand new beginners for one-on-one coaching with me. That's not as entertaining and thought provoking for me as working in all these different businesses and maximizing their profits.

Now onto specifics for your product or service. The best way to judge where to start your pricing is looking at competitors who are paying for advertising. Don't base your prices on companies which only use affiliates or social media. They often don't do the numbers like a PPC advertiser on Adwords would do.

What are the competitors on Adwords charging for an equal product to what you offer? What about those in industry magazines?

You can use sites like Alexa.com, Compete.com, and others to judge the demographics of their website and make sure it's the same audience you want to attract.

Their prices give you the starting point to work from.

If you want to learn from Terry, but can't afford his $500/month coaching prices, be sure to check out Terry's Mentoring Club which is pretty awesome.

Kelly McCausey of Solo Smarts says:

The issue of pricing hasn't left my mind once since it was brought up late one recent night at NAMS 9. I was confronted with the truth that I haven't been charging what I should for a long time. It's not even like it was the first time I've heard it, but this time, I was ready for it. Ready to accept it and ready to act.

I worried some clients might panic, or worse yet – think I was getting too big for my britches. This fear turns out to be unfounded.

Since announcing my product and coaching rates are increasing soon, I've only received encouraging responses. A few have gone out of their way to tell me they know they've been getting a bargain.

As one gal put it, “I've been dining on steak but paying for a burger.”

It is great being appreciated and the input has helped get my head straight.

My homework this week has been to develop a repricing plan. I had to choose my new prices and decide which products will go through an increase first. It will be a two month process rather than a one time price jump. This gives my community a chance to act on old prices, gives my affiliates a chance to promote special bundle offers and through it all my business will gain a boost from all of the buzz and activity.

Pricing isn't a science. What we have to sell isn't measurable by hourly rates or physical weight. We can under price ourselves by underestimating the value of our products and we can overprice ourselves my overestimating our market's willingness to spend. Ultimately for me, I'm listening to what my people say and making decisions that take it all into consideration. I won't be the most expensive steak on the block, but I won't be mistaken for a fast food burger either.

That said, now would be a great moment to tell you that my One on One Coaching prices are heading for a significant increase in just a couple of weeks

Learn More from Kelly at Solo Smarts.

Bob Jenkins of Power Profits Mentoring says:

Pricing is the #1 problem barely-making-it coaches have in their business right now. Here's how I've learned to handle it.

First, I hired mentors along the way who have helped me “see straight” in regards to pricing. Specifically, the mentors who helped my mindset over the last few years have been Nancy Marmolejo, Adam Urbanski, Kevin Nations, and Therese Sparby. Today, one of my favorite areas to coach people around is their own sense of value in determining their prices.

Through their help and the feedback I got from my coaching clients I realized a number of ah-has.

Pricing by the hour discounts the amount of experience and expertise I'm bringing to the table. Instead, by focusing on the value of the benefits I provide to my clients, and the results they get through working with me, I can set a fair price that both of us can get excited about. I think of this as basing my prices on output instead of input.

Next, being the “low-cost leader” doesn't help build a reputation for quality. In fact, people's expectations of the work I do is impacted by their first impressions – i.e., how much does it cost.

Another problem with having the lowest (or lower) prices is it typically brings in clients and customers that don't value my experience and expertise, but more importantly, they don't value their own experience or expertise. When I charge higher prices than my competition, I'm typically attracting clients and customers who recognize that THEY are worth the extra investment. They are also more committed to their success and seeing a return on their investment at a quick pace.

The biggest challenge I had to overcome in my mindset was realizing my customers are completely different than me. For the first few years in business I priced my products and programs based on my history as a teacher, and subconsciously believing that all my prospective clients were living on a “teacher's budget.” That shift helped me approach sales conversations with more respect for my client's vision and goals, and less focus on their current circumstances.

Final note – I encourage my clients and anyone who is struggling with pricing to take action and revise later. Whatever your price is now, increase it by 25% immediately. Make a few sales. Then bump it up another 25%. Make a few more sales. Bump it up another 25%, etc. Do this until your conversions drop. This focus on price elasticity (cool economics term) will give you the freedom to raise your prices according to value and market response.

Want to learn more from Bob? Check out: Power Profits Mentoring

Melissa Ingold of Special Reports PLR says:

I think this is one of the biggest struggles that people have in business, and it all goes back to fear. They’re afraid no one will buy, or their existing customers or clients will complain or leave them, they’re afraid of getting too big, and they’re afraid people will find out they really don’t know what they’re doing. So they price their products and services so low they barely make a profit.

But what I’ve seen time and time again, is that if you charge what your products and services are worth, it increases the value of them in the eyes of your market. See, if your prices are too low, people will wonder why, and they’ll think that maybe you’re not very good at what you do, or your products aren’t very good.

I recently opened a 3 month coaching program to just a few people, and originally I was going to price it at $397 because I figured I hadn’t done one-to-one coaching in a while. But then I was like, no way, that’s too low for the value I’m giving. So I charged a $1000 and filled all the openings in just a few days.

The same with my PLR. Some people might think it’s outrageous to charge $47 for a package of PLR when so many people are practically giving it away these days. But what happens is (and I know this because customers have told me), those people go and look for cheaper PLR places, and that’s cool because we all want to save money where we can, but then they come right back to me because they just couldn’t find the same quality elsewhere.

When it comes to products, people are willing to pay more money for quality. Just like the shoes and clothes they buy for their kids, they’ll spend the extra money to buy the brand name quality items they know are going to last the entire school year.

So you have to show your potential customers and clients the quality they’re going to get. And that goes right down to the graphics you use on your sales page – don’t create this awesome ebook and then skimp on the ecover. If the ecover looks like crap, then people automatically think the product will be crap too – it’s just the way it is.

If you want to offer coaching, show them the value they’re going to get for their investment. Take the time to create a package(s) that outline everything they’re going to get, the benefits for them, and what they’re going to walk away with at the end of the program. Then when they see the price tag, they won’t run away, instead they’ll feel like they’re getting an amazing deal. People need to know exactly what they’re going to get for their money, so make it easy for them to say yes.

The same goes for services. You can’t just say, “Oh, I do writing, and transcriptions, and this and that”, you have to create packages that tell them exactly what they’re going to get for their money and how the package will benefit them. Will they get more traffic? Will they be able to release info products faster? Then tell them that! When you can show high value, you’ll be confident in your decision to charge higher prices.

Check out Melissa's Available PLR here: Special Reports PLR

Ronnie Nijmeh of PLR.me (< -click for a special free offer from Ronnie) says:

Instead of asking of “how much can I charge?”… I reframe that question to become: “how much value can I add?” and it changes the whole game.

$1,000 for a hamburger might seem ridiculous, but $1,000 for a new model second hand car might be a steal.

My #1 tip for you:

Don't compete on price. Compete on value.

Don't be the bargain basement seller. It cheapens your products and brand… and causes a flurry of doubts in the mind of your clients.

That's why I find pricing to be as much an art as it is a science. It's about balancing expectations with finances.

Another piece of the pricing puzzle is to have several price points for your funnel. The best way to explain this is to give you my Funnel Mapping Worksheet that's from my Expert Publishing System course. Sample price points are inside, which will be very helpful for those who want to see specific prices.

Long story short… I always have products at the low ticket tier… $4.95, $7, $17. This is to lower the barrier to entry and get clients to say “yes”. Once you get that “yes”, it's a lot easier to get to another “yes,” which is where you get into one-time-offers (OTOs), mid-ticket products, upsells/cross-sells, high-ticket offers, and membership options.

I know that there is always – ALWAYS – a loyal audience who's willing to invest in themselves and their business at the high ticket. For me, that means $500+… It's not unusual for me to offer $2,000 and $3,000 price points for a very select few who are a great fit. They happily invest because the value I offer for the price is so astounding.

But again, the number itself doesn't matter. You always have to angle your pitch on value, not price.

Ask yourself: “Is the value greater than the cost?” Because if so, then you've priced it just right.

If not, then stack more value. Here's my shortcut to add value:

1. Add additional mediums to the offer – audio, video, checklists, worksheets, mindmaps, presentations, etc

2. Add additional access to you – individual coaching, group coaching, live event tickets, etc.

3. Add services – done-for-you, installations, etc.

So those are my pricing tricks. Simple, but very effective.

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

Wow. Once again, I am amazed by my smart friends.

Pricing can be a huge issue, so I really enjoyed reading their insight. Between self-esteem/confidence issues, not understanding what your market wants, and basically knowing how to write copy that sells – there are definitely a lot of factors at play.

Because we're selling digital products and the info in our heads, I feel that setting your pricing is something to me that can feel so arbitrary. It's not like selling a house where you can clearly see the area comps and add up things like 4 bedrooms, granite countertops, cul de sac, good schools, and a pool. Digital stuff is harder. At least it is to me.

For instance, should I charge 99 cents or $9.99 for my Kindle book?

Well that depends on a few factors.

• What are my goals with this book?
• Am I using that Kindle book to generate leads for my business and get exposure? Or is its primary purpose income generation?
• Is it information that naturally leads people to transition into a program of mine?
• What's that market look like as far as what is selling and what's not?
• Does pricing cheaply reflect poorly in this instance or make me seem more accessible?

These are definitely things to know and understand.

My friends pointed out a lot of issues that I had planned to talk about, so I'll summarize a few of their points.

Product A & Product B – Same Product, Different Price

We see this all the time in the PLR products that we sell.

We can have two customers buy the exact same PLR product.

The two customers have the same content. Yet one sells it for $15 and struggles to make sales while the other sells it for $500 over and over again.

Why?  The only difference is in how it is being presented on the sales page.

The hook, the value, the results, your credibility, the proof.

If you have all of those things in place, your product's perceived value starts to increase to potential clients.

Heck, even the title of your product or the cover can make the difference between whether you can charge $5 and get nobody to buy verses charging $47 while making sales hand over fist.

I have one more thought that I'll share before I turn this over to you.

Membership sites.

One area where I've had success is in scaling up my membership site prices slowly. For instance, when Melissa and I launched PLR Toolkits, we offered it as a low price for 24 hours to fill in spaces quickly. This works well for me, for a few reasons.

1. We can get members quickly – so all expenses are paid and were immediately in the black. We see a profit from day one.

2. Member retention increases. Because those first members got in at a low price, they know if they quit, they have to rejoin at a higher price. So by scaling, it makes people think twice before letting their spot go.

3. We normally raise prices several times. This gives us the opportunity to mail several times to let people who missed out know that they can still get in before the NEXT price increase. So, there is a built-in reason to promote regularly as the membership numbers are building.

That's something that I've done on a few membership sites and it works really well for me and for my clients that have used this method, too.

Share your Thoughts, Please.

As a person who sells products online – and buys them, too – I'd like to know your experiences.

Thank you so much for stopping by.

Warmly,
Nicole

Today I would like to share someone who is very special to me.

Kelly McCausey.

See? That's me and Kel in the picture to the right. I'm squeezing her so hard that my face is squished.  (Taken at the NAMS Workshop in Atlanta) ->

Why do I love Kelly? Let me count the ways…

• Kelly was my very first mentor online when I joined her Mastermind Group – back in 2005. She held my hand and guided me while I asked every dumb question in the book… and then went and found some more to ask.

• Kelly asked me for my first interview. She interviewed me on her Podcast when I didn't even really understand what a podcast was.

• Kelly asked me to partner with her on my first course. Without her, I don't know how long it would have taken me to create my first product. There were so many obstacles that I didn't know how to overcome – especially back then before WordPress caught on. Plus, I had zero confidence. Kelly called me her “much afraid” friend and saw something in me that I sure didn't see myself. She challenged me with love and brought me out of my comfort zone.

• Kelly asked me to start a PLR site with her. Yep. EasyPLR.com was launched originally as a project with Kelly as my partner.

There are so many other ways that I could sing Kelly's praises.  But let's get into the topic of this post.

Podcasting.

When I decided that I wanted to start a podcast, the person that I wanted to learn from was Kelly. (you can find my podcast here on the blog or on itunes)

After all, Kelly has been podcasting consistently since 2003!

Yep. You read that right. Since 2003. She calls herself a “Podcast Pioneer”. She started podcasting before anyone but techie geeks even knew that WordPress existed (the first release was launched just a few months prior) and before RSS feeds were a thing. Most of us were still using FrontPage and Dreamweaver to create our websites. Yes, the dinosaur days.

She actually had to train people how to listen to her shows. The technology was that new and confusing. She even sold CDs of her shows for those who had a dial-up modem or who couldn't figure out how to listen online.

To me, the most impressive part of the story is her consistency. During that time, she has recorded over 450 episodes.

• 331 Episodes Produced on WAHM Talk Radio.
• She rebranded as SoloSmarts.
• 125 More Episodes Since then were Posted on SoloSmarts.

So, yeah. She's qualified to teach about Podcasting – and then some.

Well, I wanted to ask Kelly a few questions since many of you have been asking me about Podcasting lately. Kelly has a product that she just updated last month that can teach  you everything you need to know about podcasting – the right way.

-> You can check that out here: Podcasting Smarts <-

On to the interview…

Kel, you started podcasting back in 2003 before it was even called “podcasting”. You had an “Internet Talk Radio Show”. What the heck were you thinking? Did you use a cassette recorder? Just kidding, but really, Why did you start?

I DID use a cassette recorder! That with a little $10 phone tap that connected it to a telephone. Oh the memories… the stuff of nightmares! So glad it's easier today.

It was love at first listen for me and internet radio. I found a business show on World Talk Radio that occasionally featured a smart sounding work at home mom named Lynn Terry. When that show went off the air I felt lost.

A friend of mine, Alice Seba, suggested that I start up a show. My first reaction was ‘wha?' but I didn't have to be talked into it, the idea was very attractive. I imagined me interviewing all of the most interesting business moms out there and just went for it.

I was nervous though. I was only working on a business to make some extra money back then. I wondered if it were a bad idea to do something so ‘big' when I was only in it for a temporary purpose. Little did I know that internet radio would change everything for me.

What benefits do you personally get from podcasting? Do you make money or is it mainly for exposure, networking and traffic?

If I hadn't ventured into audio, if I were only publishing a website or writing a blog, I wouldn't have stood out the way I eventually did. A podcast is an amazing platform. I got to talk with successful people I'd never have had access to otherwise and that opened a lot of doors for me.

In the beginning I made an income directly from the podcast through sponsorship and selling ads. Over the years I had my own products to promote and I took fewer advertisers. Finally I let my sponsor go. It made more sense to focus entirely on my own funnel instead of sending my listeners to someone else.

So yes, it gives me exposure. It makes networking a breeze, ‘Hey, can I interview you?'. It is great for traffic too, my guests share links to their episode and I win new visitors from those who find my show in iTunes.

Kelly, the thing that I've struggled most with since I started podcasting is consistency (obviously!). How do you schedule your guests?

Scheduling goes best for me when I completely outsource it. Automate as much of the process as you can with forms and a scheduling tool (I use TimeTrade.com) and let the good conversation roll.

How has podcasting changed for you over the years?

It's easier!  Give me an inexpensive USB headset, Skype, a simple Mp3 recorder and free editing software and I'm good to go.

It's also easier to reach your audience.  More people know what a podcast is.  I don't have to educate my market one listener at a time like I did in 2003

What mistake did you make when you started podcasting that cost you time, money, or caused you heartache? How can my readers avoid making that same mistake?

I didn't have anyone to learn from. I could search all day long and not find anything because I didn't even know what phrases to search for. Thankfully it is not like that today.

1. Practice. Test your tools. Do it.
   My first ‘big' interview was a complete wash because I didn't have my equipment set up correctly. I had to write her and ask for another chance. She was a pro and forgave me my rookie mistake.
2. Keep your calendar well. Don't be late.
   I had an interview booked with a big name last year. I geeked to have her on my show. Well, I overslept and missed our meeting. It was all my fault for not checking my calendar the night before. She did not rebook Very humbling.
3. Lack of preparation will always bite me in the behind.
   I hate getting on the line with a guest without taking the time to investigate them and their projects. There were a couple of times I let myself get behind and end up doing just that. It's disrespectful to my guest and my audience. I schedule time ahead of my interviews to check a guest out. I visit their site, read their About page, check out their favorite posts and buzz around to their social media profiles. By the time I'm on the phone I feel like I've got a grip on who they are.

Where can we learn directly from you about podcasting? (Tell me where to sign up for your new podcasting course!)

Just this spring I started developing a brand new podcasting course and I put the final touches on it in August.

Podcasting Smarts

Podcasting Smarts is a full course with lots of demonstration that fill in all the technical gaps a new podcaster needs to fill.

I take you from brainstorming topics to publishing and promoting. They can have a podcast added to their blog within just a few weeks if they want to.

Thanks for asking about it Nicole!

Don'tcha just love her?

Here's that link again:

-> You can check that out here: Podcasting Smarts <-

And a 30% off Coupon Code: ‘urgency' is good until January 12th, 2016

Much love and appreciation for stopping by.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

PS. Do you have a question for Kelly? A comment? Please share below.

PS again. If you have a Favorite Business Podcast, please add it to this list Podcasts for Entreprenurs

If you've missed past Expert Briefs, you can click on the undies to see them all –>

Pinterest is a hot topic around the web lately, so this week I asked our panel of experts …

“Are you on Pinterest?
If so, are you seeing traffic from it?
Got any tips for my readers?”

Mark Mason of MasonWorld Internet Marketing Blog says:

I think Pinterest is really nifty, and is worthy of being part of my Internet Marketing social media strategy. But, I have decided that I don't have time to mess with it. So, I made another decision (that may be instructive).

I decided that since Pinterest does not require using “my voice” in the way that my blog, Facebook or Twitter does, that I could outsource it. So, I identified a (female) virtual assistant that I trust to “figure out what to do with my Pinterest account and just do it.” She has a lot on her plate, so no results yet.

This approach lets me get some traction in Pinterest without distracting me from more important tasks. Since I am not actually using Pinterest myself, I also get to keep my Man Card (the Man Police take your Man Card if they catch you using Pinterest in public).

==> Follow Mark on Pinterest

Alice Seba of Step-by-Step PLR Bundles with Photos and Screenshots says:

Pinterest has been very useful for a few content sites. They are on visual topics (food, fashion, etc.) that appeal to women so are perfect for the typical Pinterest user. The traffic has been quite decent for the amount of time we have put put in.

What I find particularly interesting is that Pinterest isn't really dependent on having a lot of followers to be fruitful. People readily search and browse pins by all users, so our pins are largely viewed and clicked by people who aren't following us at all. I believe that one account has about 12 people following it, but if we invest about 30 minutes or so, we can see hundreds of visits to the website from that. It's pretty awesome. That doesn't mean we won't put some focus into gaining a following, but we can take our time building a truly interested audience instead of worrying about follower numbers. If anyone is just getting started, I'd recommend they focus on putting out great pins instead of obsessing over follower numbers.

I have also seen a lot of advice from people stating you shouldn't simply pin your own images only. They say that you should mix it up and include images from different sources. I think this logic applies more to other social networks like Twitter or Facebook where linking to your own site over and over again could possibly get tiring for your followers. After all, a link like an advertisement that the social network user has to click through to enjoy.

However, with Pinterest we aren't talking about links. We're talking about visually appealing photos. From my experience, if your photos are appealing to Pinterest users, they are not going to care that they are photos from your own website. Of course, it makes sense to pin from other sources if you see something worth sharing, but I wouldn't spend time worrying about how much of your content you're pinning. It's just not a concern.

I am curious to see how copyright issues and concerns pan out for the site though and I think they will have some difficult stuff to deal with in the future. Regardless, I think Pinterest has tremendous value and will prove to be a useful tool for users and businesses alike for a long time.

==> Follow Alice on Pinterest

Kelly McCausey of Solo Smarts says:

I've been on Pinterest for awhile but I'm not a power user by any means. My pin boards are mostly bare right now.

Last month traffic on one of my niche blogs blew up and stats showed over 1000 new visitors came from Pinterest. That's an attention getter, right? I discovered one of our tutorial series had been pinned by a visitor (see below) and subsequently liked and repinned several times.

The tutorial was a five part series and just the month before I'd made an image for it and added it to all of the segments. I'm so glad I did – otherwise since the tutorial was video based, I doubt it would have received that first pin.

Now I'm much more thoughtful about the images I place with blog posts and I'm starting to get purposeful about having images with words. An example:

Social media was starting to feel sort of ‘ho hum' and Pinterest has sparked a creative direction so I look forward to seeing how it goes in the long term.

==> Follow Kelly on Pinterest

Jeanette S. Cates, PhD of Pinterest Made Simple says:

Pinterest caught me by surprise – not that I hadn't heard of it, but that I enjoy it so much!

My daughter first told me about it last fall. But I ignored it. My friend Lisa Suttora released her Pinterest for Ecommerce course. But I ignored it. But I kept hearing about it.

On my first visit I was hooked! I'm among the 65% of the population who are visual learners – and a lot of your subscribers and followers are, too.

While I haven't tracked specific business from Pinterest, I do know that I've reconnected with people I haven't heard from in years. And they are keeping up with my pins while I am repinning theirs. It's been my most enjoyable social media experience to date.

I'm sharing free Pinterest tips at Pinterest Made Simple.

==> Follow Jeanette on Pinterest

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

I love Pinterest. I'm naturally a visual person, plus, I AM a woman between the ages of 35-44, so I am their perfect demographic.

I could spend hours there for fun, but, like Facebook, I limit myself so that I can focus on the projects that I have planned that will directly impact my bottom line.

However, I do enjoy poking around Pinterest with my morning cup of coffee and in between power writing sessions.

BUT – this post is about using Pinterest in business, not just for fun. Which means we need to be strategic in using it, as we would in any other area of our businesses. Right?

Although not all who wander are lost, we do want to have a goal in mind whenever we use a new tool for our businesses.

Let me share this infographic again for you so you can see who is on Pinterest. That's primarily important to know, before deciding whether to even use it or not. For instance, if you sell “male enhancement” products or “hair growth pills for elderly men” – you may skip Pinterest entirely and focus on other avenues for marketing.

Pinterest – The Social Media Darling Of 2012: Infographic by Infographiclabs

There are a few things I'd like to point out that I find fascinating about Pinterest (both from a strategic angle AND from looking at my own stats).

1. High Percentage of New Visitors.

The traffic that I get from Pinterest to this blog is 73.68% new visitors according to Google Analytics. That's similar to the YouTube traffic I get to my blog at 87.5% new people and StumbleUpon at 91.59% new peole. This is completely different from my Facebook traffic which is 41.62% new people. So, this is NEW people coming to my blog. Assuming I didn't totally muck it all up and give these new people the impression that they'd find something like recipes here – this is a good thing. And, on average, they do poke around a bit while they're here. Not enough, though, so I'm going to work on that more.

2. You can pin videos!

Did you know that?! So if you're already doing YouTube marketing, get your butt over there now and add your videos.

Example:

You can see my video board evolve by following it on Pinterest here: http://pinterest.com/momnicoledean/videos-business-tricks-tips/

3. Make them laugh or cry.

Images that evoke emotion tend to get repinned more than any other type of graphic I've seen, even compared to most “Infographics” that are intended to inform.

So, if you can take a picture or create a graphic that evokes ANY kind of emotion,  your odds will increase in having it repinned … tremendously.

Make them mad, make them laugh, make them cry or gasp in surprise – and you'll get repinned.

4.  Be Consistent.

You can have a variety of topics on your wall – but like choosing a variety of niches – make sure you are reaching one MARKET. One person, in particular who would be interested in all of the things you're posting.  Basically stay consistent. You wouldn't put an “I love Rush Limbaugh” on the same account as “I love Stephen Colbert”. It just wouldn't make sense. Just as, if you are in the health field, you wouldn't likely have a fan board for Man vs. Food next to one about nutrition tips.  It would make people confused as to what it is that you offer and what you stand for.

So, I go back to my original words. Choose your strategy – even if you just take a few moments. Your Pinterest board reflects your business and you. Have fun with it and track your results and let us know how it goes.

Leave a Comment.

Be sure to post your Pinterest profile in your comment below and share your experiences, both good and bad, in your comment.

Have a wonderful day!

Warmly,
Nicole Dean (I’m on Pinterest: Nicole Dean Pinterest )

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Last time on Expert Briefs we talked about our biggest business lessons learned in 2011. This week we're looking toward the future when I asked our panel of experts …

“What's your prediction for how online business will change in 2012?”

Lain Ehmann of Business Love Potion says:

I think 2012 is going to be the year of QUALITY. We all know the tools – audio podcasts, videos, blogs — and for a while now, volume has been more important than quality. I predict that's going to change in a big way in 2012.

People aren't going to put up with shoddy audio/video quality because the novelty of those media has worn off. They want you to sound like a professional broadcaster, and to produce high-quality videos. They know it doesn't cost thousands of dollars, so the “homemade” look is OUT.

Your website should be crisp and clean and professional. That doesn't cost much either.

Proofread your blog posts. Format your ebooks before you send them to Kindle. With low-cost outsourcing solutions like Fiverr.com, you simply don't have an excuse for shoddy work — and your audience knows it.

There. I have spoken.

Mark Mason of MasonWorld.com says:

Here is my bold prediction. Facebook will IPO for more than $100M in 2012.

Swamped by the media frenzy and being too little, too late, Google+ will die. Google will not officially kill Google+ in 2012, but we will all agree that Google+ is dead (think Google Wave).

Dr. Mani of Internet Infopreneur says:

Y'know that age-old quote… the more things change, the more they stay the same!

That's my prediction for 2012 – online business in the years ahead will go back to the way it was in 1996 and thereabouts.

A focus on quality content that provides information, entertainment and value.

Products and services that were created to solve a problem and not just to make a quick buck.

Emphasis on relationship building to gain and retain attention than simply spraying promotions at anonymous audiences.

To those who entered online business around 2004, these things might seem ‘new' – and a return to those tactics a ‘change'.

Shannon Cherry of The Business Building Live Intensive says:

There's two trends I see for 2012.

The first is about value. Consumers are much wiser online than ever and if you over-value your offer, they will be more resistant than ever to work with you.

The second goes along with the first: relationships. Your value is as good as your relationship with your prospects. I'm not talking about how much you reach out to them via social media or email blasts. I'm suggestion you need to develop a deeper connection with them – a dialogue!

I think the Internet marketers who will excel will package the relationship into everything they sell.

Connie Ragen Green of Huge Profits Tiny List says:

As of this month I have now worked exclusively online for 5 full years. This means that I have finally been around long enough to be able to spot some trends and make some predictions based on my experience.

I believe the biggest change will be to the way online marketers relate to and connect with their prospects and clients. The ‘Big Box' style of impersonal customer service and generic thank you pages will be replaced with more personal interactions. I call this the ‘Mom and Pop' style of doing business, and it is much more effective in making people feel like they are appreciated.

Also, I believe that as more people come online to build a business, we will see prices drop even further as the competition heats up. This means that you must ‘up your game', creating high quality products and services at affordable prices.

This is all good news for anyone wanting to build an online empire. Simply bring your best ideas to the marketplace and treat each person you come in contact with as though you were interacting with them in person.

Rachel Rofe of RachelRofe.com says:

I think business is going to be even more reputation-based and that offering value will be more important than ever.

People are taking time to look at reviews before they buy products. The days of Clickbank-style launches where marketers can launch a crap product under a pen name, then re-launch with another pen name are dwindling.

Fast.

There are sites like The Warrior Forum and Earn1KADay that discuss products and how good/bad they are. Word is moving quickly.

Sites like Amazon (which I predict will only grow in popularity) also have the review sections, so business owners are forced to offer GOOD quality products.

Also, marketers are getting smarter than ever. They're unsubscribing from the hundreds of lists and they're getting sick of all the “noise”. They're getting picky with who they're listening to and only listening to those they trust most.

Marketers who take the time to communicate with their audience (via social media and email) will WIN. People want to feel special. They're so much noise out there, but a simple email can make you stand out in a huge way.

So in short… offering quality products and building long-term relationships with your customers (and treating them as people, not an asset), will be more important than ever.

Kelly McCausey of Solo Smarts says:

When I got your question my brain went blank – and then I felt panic. Shouldn't I be able to answer this? 2012 will mark my tenth year as an online business owner.

I'll just be honest. I don't have any predictions. Sure, online business has changed over the years but I can't think of any particular thing that will be different in 2012.

I hope I'm not alone in feeling inadequate to make predictions. Maybe this should be a goal for me in the new year, to build up my predicting skills?

I can make predictions about my own business… like I'm going to pick up my ‘Solopreneur are Smarter' banner and march it around all year long – inspiring as many people as possible to build awesome profitable businesses.

I can make a few hopeful predictions… like I hope that blog spammers will pack it up and go home FOREVER and that Google will release an update that gives my original, creative, aged content sites their traffic back.

A girl can dream, right?

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

Well, once again, I posed a question without really contemplating my own answer. Now I've gotta actually THINK!

So, what is my prediction this year? I actually have two of them.

My first prediction is that niche marketing will continue to be phased out. (At least niche marketing as I was taught it.) It will continue to be replaced with authority-type sites and community sites where people can interact. Way back when I started online (ok, not so far back as Dr. M, but still…) I was taught to focus on niche marketing which, at that time, involved getting into a variety of small niches, while driving traffic to them through the search engines. I have been watching that trend fall apart the last few years and have been interested in even watching and experimenting with my own niche sites to see what would happen.  Yes, I still have niche sites out there and most are under pen names. They still make some money, but … I just don't think that's the best place to focus now-a-days. I've seen it heading this direction for a few years, but I see it falling apart entirely now.

My other big prediction is that forums will become a thing of the past, especially free forums. I think it's getting impossible to attract people to participate in forums when they are competing with Facebook. It's just too hard. I don't know about you, but I go to Facebook multiple times per day, but I only go to my favorite forums a few times per week (if not less). I just can't see forums continuing to co-exist with Facebook without some real changes.

Of course there will always be exceptions to that rule, but that's what my crystal ball says.

I also definitely agree with Lain. Ugly sites and videos used to sell, but now a higher level of professionalism is expected.

And, I agree with Connie and Shannon and Rachel about relationships. I continue to buy from and do business with those who I trust. A large part of that trust is developed over time and is earned. It's not just handed over.

Well, that's the predictions from the all-knowing Nikeroonie.

So, what about you?

What are your predictions for this new year? Please share!

With much appreciation. And I wish you the best this new year….

Warmly,
Nicole

If you've missed past Expert Briefs, you can click on the undies to see them all –>

With the recent passing of Steve Jobs, it's made me, once again, think about my legacy in both my business and in my personal life.

I asked a similar question about making a difference last year here:
Are Internet Marketers Good or Evil? but I think this topic is one to think about on a regular basis.

So here it is …

How do you want to be remembered?

What IMPACT are you making?

What do you want people to say about you when you leave this earth?

What steps are you taking to get to that point of making a difference while you're here?

Mark Mason of MasonWorld.com says:

Wow — what a question. What do I want people to say about me when I leave Earth? Hmmm.

At the moment, I am sitting in the Cathay Pacific lounge at Taoyuan airport in Taiwan, about to head for Shanghai. I am watching Steve Jobs stories on CNN. After his passing this week, people had a lot to say about him. Most of the stories are about the impact that he had on Apple and technology. He certainly changed lives. It would be pretty cool to be revered and admired like that, but that sort of fame is not what I want for myself.

I just want people to say that I made their lives better.

I hope my family, friends, co-workers, clients and acquaintances look back on the time we spent together and are glad for it. I hope they see me as someone that made things better by loving them, doing the right thing, and having integrity.

Most of all, I hope they smile when they think of me.

Note from Nik: I already smile when I think of you, my good friend.

Connie Ragen Green of Huge Profits Tiny List says:

Thinking about our own mortality can be an uncomfortable topic, but I believe it is one that bears attention and exploration. I typically talk about my work with several charities and non-profits as the means through which I am leaving a legacy on this earth, but I believe it is more about the people who are closest to you in your everyday life.

My family has never understood exactly what I do each day, so I have taken it upon myself to explain it to them. I now have a daughter-in-law who works online full-time, and two teenage grandsons who earn all of their own spending money and savings.

In my mind, this makes more of an impact than anything else. I want the people who are closest to me to know that I made the effort to teach them how to have the time and financial freedom that comes from working online. This gives them the opportunity to share this knowledge with others in an ‘each one teach one' way. The years I was working 6 or 7 days a week and missing all of their daily activities did not make the kind of impact or build a legacy that I was proud of. Giving the gift of knowledge makes a difference people will remember and treasure forever.

I want people to say that I helped them to become the best they could be and to reach the potential they always knew was possible for them. Life is much too short, so we must make every second count as we deal with others in our path.

Note from Nik: You inspire me, Connie. As you know, I'm teaching my son about the business and he's working on his blog. I love that he understands that he has options in his life.

Jeanette S. Cates, PhD of Webinars Made Simple says:

I've approached this differently from most people, probably because my father died suddenly when I was 16. I swore at that time that I wouldn't put off life – I would live each day as if it were my last.

My greatest impact has been with my family. I have three wonderful daughters, each of whom I consider a friend. Our family is very close. My daughters' spouses are exactly the people I would have chosen for my girls (had I had any say in it!) and my six grandkids are being raised very much like their mothers were. My husband and I have been happily married for nearly 42 years. That is my legacy – wife, mother, GrandMom.

My business is an added bonus for me. As a lifelong learner and teacher, my highest calling is to teach and mentor. And I do that daily through my products and member sites, even when I'm not personally with them. I love my clients and students. I love seeing the light come on in their eyes – whether on a webinar or in person. I love seeing them make that first dollar online and watching so many of them go on to making millions (literally!) online.

Let me encourage you NOT to wait to make an impact. Don't wait to be remembered. Become memorable TODAY.

Note from Nik: You gave me goosebumps with this “Don't wait to be remembered. Become memorable TODAY.”

Shannon Cherry of The Business Building Live Intensive says:

You know, as my life has evolved and changed over the years, so has how I want to be remembered.

I have always thought I would be remembered as a fiercely loyal friend… but now add to that the word advocate.

You see, once my daughters were diagnosed on the Autism spectrum, I have to be their voice, as they had issues that impeded their communication skills. So now, my business, Be Heard Solutions, has even more meaning… to help people without a voice to be heard.

Note from Nik: Such a beautiful statement, Shannon.

Kelly McCausey of Solo Smarts says:

Can I come at this from a different direction?

What do I not want to be remembered for…

1. I don't want to be remembered as the kind of person who only cares about money. In business most feel like they have to be all about the bottom line, and while I do care about profits, I care more about the individual people I'm dealing with. I'm choosy about making recommendations and not quick to promote the ‘latest greatest' whatever. I probably miss out on some quick commissions but at least I can look back in pride, not chagrin.
2. I don't want to be remembered as being financially irresponsible. My business is heavily based on affiliates and partnerships. This past year I saw how easy it is to get behind on the books and how difficult it is to get caught back up. To keep it from being a repeating trend, I've had to up my game.
3. I don't want to be remembered as being inconsistent. Half the battle in an online business is being consistent. If I can't set an example in this, I've got no business trying to teach it to others.

There is something I do want to be remembered for. I want to be remembered for the company I kept. Good friends, high quality people, admirable marketers and the like. Considering where this is being read, I think I'm headed in the right direction there

Note from Nik: Kel, you know you were my first mentor and I owe you so much for taking ME by the hand and bringing out things in me that I was to afraid to do. I'll always love and appreciate you for that.

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

Wow guys. I really loved reading each of your responses.

When I asked this question, originally, I thought I new my answer. But now that I've read your responses, you've got me thinking even more about ways that I can make a greater impact on my family, my customers, my friends, and my world.

I want to be missed when I'm gone. But, I also want to be celebrated as someone who made a difference in people's lives.

Like Jeanette said, let's look at today.

How can I achieve these goals?

With my puppies, I hope they always feel safe, warm, and secure and know that I'll take care of them.

With my family, I want to raise children who are hardworking, kind, loving, and giving – and happy!

With my husband, I hope to be the person he thought I was when he married me, and more. He has always seen me in a totally different light than I see myself. A better, brighter light.

With my parents, grandparents, and extended family, I hope they know without a shadow of a doubt that I love them all.

With my friends, although I'm oftentimes “busy” – I hope they always know I'm here for them if they need me.

And, with my business – I hope the people I touch understand how much they mean to me. That I don't take this business lightly. And, although I can't possibly please everyone or personally connect with most of them, I do make every decision in my business asking myself “Am I making people's lives better?”

As far as a larger impact – I'm working on that one. I want to publicize and give free advertising to more organizations that I support, so I started to set up a page listing my favorite organizations and how you can help. I donate regularly to charities. And… I have a few other ideas in mind, that I'm not yet sure about how to proceed with them – yet.

So, Instead of rambling on myself, let's hear from YOU.

What are you doing to make the world a better place – and your small corner of it? What steps are you taking to make it happen?

Warmly,
Nicole Dean (and friends)