BridgetWright.com

The Practical Professional

You are here: Home / Archives for Bridget Wright

Insurance Marketer and Advisor

I worked in corporate America for 20 years before I transferred my skills to become a work at home mom. Writing content is something that I love and am good at, so I decided to help other moms who want to create streams of passive income. I share different passive income ideas and show them how to achieve it through my blog posts, guides and tutorials.

The Urgency for Life Insurance

by

Today was not as fulfilling to me as most days are in my line of work as a life insurance agent. Why? Well, because while I really do love helping people, there were 2 families today that I wasn’t able to help. Each of the breadwinners of those families was over 55 years old and insuring them was way beyond their budgets and what they could comfortably afford. That made me sad because they both said that they couldn’t afford the cost I quoted to them and their families would just have to do the best they can to make things work after they’re gone. Sad!

If there’s anything that I cannot stress enough to families over and over, is to get insurance when you can, preferably when you’re young(er) and in better health. I talk to people all day long, every day, and what I am hearing over and over is that people just aren’t aware of just how much insurance really costs. Listen, you do not need to buy insurance from me. I won’t be terribly hurt about it, but I do want you to get SOMETHING from somewhere, anywhere, any agent so you can make sure your family is prepared and protected when the time comes. Please, please, please make a priority to do this.

The Challenge of Blogging

by

When I first started blogging, I didn’t have a clue as to where to begin. I just knew that I loved reading, Googling (research), writing and sharing what I had learned. I may have actually been “blogging” before I realized what the term meant!

For me, blogging wasn’t easy in the beginning. There were a lot of nuances to the style of writing that we know today as blogging. Also, it wasn’t nearly as popular then as it is now. Now, there is a much larger assortment of books on the subject than there were back then (2000).

Read, Read, Read

In the beginning, I read a lot of books on the subjects of home-based businesses and freelance writing, but there was very little information on the subject of blogging. I went to several websites to learn about the term blogging. I wanted to know what it was, how it worked, how was it going to be beneficial to me and, most importantly, how I could create an income as a blogger. Now, on the internet, you can find a wealth of information about blogging, how to blog, how to make money blogging, etc.

Since there is an overload of information available online, I advise every new blogger (and veteran blogger) to be very careful to not get caught up in things that can take away your time and money and leave you with nothing. The new blogger has this thirst to learn everything, and sometimes makes the mistake of buying or signing up for stuff that doesn’t fit what they need. Trust me, I know this all too well first hand. I have made several mistakes in doing this by getting, buying or signing up for things that did not benefit me in the least. Why? Because I didn’t start at the place where I was: a beginner.

Every Blogger Needs to Learn

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being a beginner blogger. Don’t think that you have to know everything at once. There is not one blogger who “knows it all.” This journey is a work in progress and it’s always changing, shifting. What worked in blogging 10 years ago, may not necessarily work now. Some things are constant (good, quality content), while other things have to be tweaked and changed as you go along (keyword optimization, traffic generation).

If there’s a business ebook that you want to buy or a course that you’re thinking about taking, be sure that it will deliver what you’re seeking. Read reviews. Google the author’s name. Poke around on related forums and see what other people are saying. Check out the business’ Facebook or Twitter page. Ask questions. In other words, do your homework first. And after that, always follow your gut instinct.

The Buy Everything Syndrome

There are a LOT of bloggers and tutorials online that will show you how to get started and make money through blogging. Not everything is good, nor is everyone going to take your money either. You just need to make sure that the fit is right for YOU. Everyone learns at different levels and have different requirements for where they are in their business journey. If you find an online tutorial or course that you’ve paid for but you’ve gotten nothing out of it, that doesn’t mean that the business or blogger that you signed up with is a scammer. That just means that the course wasn’t for you at the time and you got nothing out of it. And that’s ok. This blogging journey is a live and learn process, so you’re going to make mistakes. Just understand that it’s very important to get a clear idea of the tools or resources that the person recommends and that it’s something that’s going to be beneficial to YOU.

For instance, if you are a newbie, you need a course designed to teach you the basics to get started. Going from a newbie straight into SEO, keyword tracking or monetizing your video landing page before you understand the basics is going to be a recipe for overwhelming disaster. Remember: everyone is at a different level in their business journey, everyone learns differently, everyone has different requirements and every teacher has different and unique teaching styles.

In the end, you want to have a solid foundation for growth as you start blogging. You want to be sure that you’re starting at a place where you can learn, grow, develop and change directions if that’s ever needed. Blogging is not necessarily a sprinting race to see who’s the best or the fastest. It’s a long run where you’ll slow down in certain spots (to learn) and speed up in others (to grow) so it’s important to take your time and get a firm grasp before moving on. You can and will make a lot of money by blogging. It takes perseverance, patience, learning, and tweaking. Just keep those things in mind. It can be done.

How to Create Repeat Business with an eNewsletter

by

Getting that repeat, consistent business is something that all business strive for. It’s much easier (and less expensive) to sell to an existing client than it is to gain a brand new client. Unfortunately, many online businesses believe that once the website is published and there are a few blog posts up, the customers are going to come in droves to buy the product or service being sold. Sadly, this is not the case. In order to really get loyal, repeat customers, it’s important to communicate with them often and give them something of value. One of the ways to do this is through newsletter marketing. Newsletters, whether in print or via email, are a timeless way to keep customers informed and build a solid customer base.

Sadly, this is not the case. In order to really get loyal, repeat customers, it’s important to communicate with them often and give them something of value. One of the ways to do this is through newsletter marketing. Newsletters, whether in print or via email, are a timeless way to keep customers informed and build a solid customer base.

In order to really get loyal, repeat customers, it’s important to communicate with them often and give them something of value. One of the ways to do this is through newsletter marketing. Newsletters, whether in print or via email, are a timeless way to keep customers informed and build a solid customer base.

In order to attract those loyal, repeat customers, you will need to do a couple of things:

  1. Communicate with them often, and
  2. Give them something of value

I started the practice of communicating through newsletters back in 1997, when I published my first non-profit Christian newsletter. I saw the positive results that the newsletter was having on my readership right away. People started donating more, there were more volunteer writers signing up to write articles and even ad sales increased.

I believe what makes this style of communicating so relevant is that it offers value and convenience to the subscriber. The e-newsletter can be referred back to (in archives) and the publisher gets to recap old information and introduce new information to subscribers.

Whether you’re offering a product or a service, as long as you’re providing something of value in the best interest of your customers, you can create customer loyalty for your business. Here are a few more tips on how you can make that happen:

1. Offer valuable, rich content to your subscribers. Don’t just give them a couple of quick tips, but offer real, solid information that they can use. Create information that makes them want to read next month’s issue.

2. Develop a newsletter theme and stick to it. For instance, if your current monthly theme is Mardi Gras, make your e-newsletter and banners lively and colorful. You can also create a “sale” theme that coincides with a certain time. For instance, if it’s Friday the 13th, have everything go on sale for 13% off on that day only.

3. Keep your newsletter brief but offer powerful, value-packed content. You always want to give your customer take-away value. If you have too much information or too many pages in the newsletter, it’s unlikely that your customer will read it all, let alone finish it. Although newsletters typically range from two to twenty pages, a comfortable, readable length would be 4 pages, including an order or response page. Which leads to…

4. Always place in the newsletter a call to action (CTA) from your customer. Whether it’s to request more information or to place an order, if you request something from the customer, they are likelier to respond. This works in most any industry, as long as you offer a relevant product or service to your customer base.

5. Create easy access to the newsletter. Also, make it easy to subscribe and/or unsubscribe and you’ll also begin to build trust. As you build a trust relationship with your customers, they will come back for more – – guaranteed.

While distributing a newsletter for your business is just one way to increase customer loyalty, always focus on what the take-away value is. Once this is realized, you will begin to notice repeat customers that ask for more and more.

5 Easy Freelance Marketing Ideas

by

Mind Over Matter

Maybe you’ve had this same out-of-body experience too: Sitting in your home office, staring at your computer screen, trying to “will” new clients into your inbox. You. Need. More. Work.

After all, you ARE a writing professional, aren’t you? Of course you are!

And you ARE a pretty darn good writer, are you not? Absolutely!

And don’t forget the vast assortment of LinkedIn accolades and “atta-girl’s” you get when you crank out those stellar literary delights. Un-matchable!

But the truth of it is, once your inbox stops pinging, it may seem like the love for your work has disappeared. No matter how much mind-melding you do at your computer screen, the work just…won’t…come. What to do? How do you keep the work consistently flowing, even when your writer peers are having the same troubles?

Good Times and Bad Times

Having freelanced for over 15 years, I’ve also experienced my fair share of dry spells as well as work over-abundance. I, too, covet those times when the work is plentiful, stacked with waiting list clients who are eager for me to weave my magic with their content.

But for those in-between times, I have to do a little creative marketing not only to acquire work, but also to maintain a steady flow of work. Here I’ve compiled a short list of some things you can try too to beef up your freelance work:

1. Write an eBook or a Guide

Ebooks are fabulous marketing tools, and awesome for dropping knowledge on your audience. Want to show off your smarts? You can do that with ebooks, without sounding obnoxious – – well, maybe you’ll sound just a little bit, but your readers will be so impressed, they won’t even notice. And, if the ebook is f-r-e-e, they won’t care about how obnoxious it is as they share its value with their Facebook friends.

2. Soft pitch to Social Sources

Speaking of Facebook, utilize the social services to the max. With your Twitter friends (TF) and Facebook friends (FF), go ahead and “Like” their status updates and leave tasteful, timely comments. It’s cool because other FF’s will also leave comments and may solicit your advice on stuff. Caution: Nix sounding sales-y.

3. Contact Past Clients 

Try not to sound too desperate when you make contact with them, but very pointedly, state your availability, and ask for their business. Update them on new certifications or skills you’ve acquired, including marketing, social network or list building skills.

4. Join your local Chamber of Commerce offline. 

The Chambers of Commerce meetings not only have the coolest white tablecloth luncheons, but also give you an opportunity to be the business speaker of the month. First, make networking a priority in the months beforehand while you learn names and faces. Start with your fellow luncheon guests, while you’re passing the breadbasket and politely smiling.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

5. Submit to Local News Mediums.

Rantings, ravings and soap-boxing diatribes are allowed here. Submitting opinion pieces to your local newspaper might make you popular! Now since that popularity will be relative, it’s best to find a clever way to connect your business topic with the theme of the news outlet. Ideas? Connect your business style with what the popular blogs or websites are currently discussing these days. Or, discuss a problem in an industry and offer your own solution to that problem. That should definitely get your blog some attention!

While it is true that freelancers enjoy convenience and flexibility, they still have to work pretty hard to acquire and maintain a client base as they wear different hats to keep their business afloat. No doubt that there are many, many perks in working from home, freelancers sometimes experience a work lull where they may wonder where their next gig is coming from.

Apply one or all of these ideas to your freelance business and see what happens. It’s important as a freelancer to have and use several different marketing strategies in your business to ensure a steady workflow.

Now, go put your mind-melding abilities to other uses like levitating the dog or the cat. They’ll get a kick out of that, for sure!

5 Ways to Tweak Your Online Professional Image

by

Many online marketers don’t think that it’s important to worry about their online image because they’re hidden behind a website or an email address. But that is not  true. While it’s true that people can’t see you physically, it’s not true that it doesn’t matter because it does. Each and every aspect of your online brand does matter because it affects how customers and clients view you and choose to do business with you. That’s why online marketers should take the time to carve out a professional branding image that adequately reflects them, their business and how they conduct business online.

Each and every aspect of your online brand does matter because it affects how customers and clients view you and choose to do business with you. That’s why online marketers should take the time to carve out a professional branding image that adequately reflects them, their business and how they conduct business online.

Your online image depends on your level of professionalism. I often hear online marketers say how they want to portray a “professional image” but they refuse to take an inventory of their personal images. This is seriously doubtful and questionable about whether or not they really do want to portray a professional image. Perhaps all they want to do is talk about having a professional image or maybe they think that it will just happen without any work. Not so.

I want to share with you a few things you can do to polish your online image and start working towards developing the brand that you want to see:

1. Photos

Have professional photos (headshots) done for your site. I don’t necessarily mean to spend a small fortune to have pictures made, but at least invest in having them done more professionally than just taking a few selfies with your camera phone. Seriously.

2. Content

Edit your online work. Even if you weren’t the best speller in school, that’s no reason for your online content to be riddled with misspelled words, incorrect grammar usage or to be unprofessional. I am all for personality shining through on a site, but p-l-e-a-s-e know and learn the difference usages of they’re, their and there. Even if you can’t afford to hire an editor, there are plenty of online grammar checkers you can use. I like and use Grammarly quite a bit for all of my work. And yes, it’s free.

3. Competition

Check out your competition. Are they missing areas that you can fill with your skills and talents? For instance, using videos and social media may be something that your competitors aren’t doing but could really make your site shine over theirs. By that same token, look at what they’re doing really well and use it to spark even more ideas for your site. Don’t copy though. Just be inspired by what you see.

4. Questions

Respond to questions. All marketers need to do better with this one. It is so frustrating to boast in having an online store and you don’t (or won’t) respond to customer’s inquiries. Failing to do this and seriously harm your online brand. Again, if you can’t afford to do it or don’t have the time to do it, consider scaling back your business and focus more on the customer’s experience versus making the sale.

5. Get Social

If you don’t at least have a business Facebook page or a LinkedIn page, I’m afraid to tell you that you may be losing a lot of potential business because of it. Social networking is what everybody’s doing these days, so definitely take the time to get up to speed on creating those relevant networks for your business.

Building your brand and portraying a successful image takes time to do. Start building it slowly and carefully and you will do well.

How do you portray your professional image to others?