Being an avid reader and writer myself I feel the contradiction that I still love reading good, old fashioned paperbacks but writing for sites online. Plus with a book inside me (as they say) just waiting to be written I, of course, am really interested in the way book publishing is going these days as I’m sure my first book will be an eBook. So I wanted to find out more about the background behind ePubdirect.com and the way it works plus learn more about Patrick Crowley himself.

Can you tell me simply what ePubDirect.com actually does?

In two words: Ebook distribution. ePubDirect is an award-winning eBook Distribution service providing global digital publishing solutions direct to publishers. Our powerful business intelligence tools and outstanding customer service deliver real results for our customers.

What was your background before joining ePubDirect.com?

Spent a year in an Irish IT firm after college and then did my year out travelling. Went to Korea, teaching English (of all the things to do) – which was a very strange experience. When I came back I spent 7 years in an Irish trade publishing company, working my way up to Sales & Marketing Manager. During that time I completed my Masters in Marketing, studying 2 years part time, and achieved significant growth in the areas of brand development, business development, strategic planning and online marketing.

Tell me what your average week involves as the Digital Content Marketing Manager?

I am responsible for managing the relationships between eBook retailers and ePubDirect’s client publishers. Spending most of my time on metadata, discoverability and inbound marketing, I collaborate with supply chain partners (mostly publishers and retailers) to maximise commercial opportunities. My focus is working with our client publishers to help them grow their sales and I spend most of my week dealing with people, which I enjoy.

We tend to have regular meetings every week and these are usually front loaded towards the start of the week, so everyone is clear on the immediate priorities. We are smallish team and it’s important everyone is aware of what other departments are working on.

Lately I have been spending a lot of time working with onboarding new sales channels like eChristian, Chegg, Valobox, EBSCO, Zola and eBrary. We have a vast distribution network of over 1,000 retailers and 25,000 libraries and we are constantly looking to expand this to help our publishers grow their sales.

However, we recognise that it’s not just about reach any more, and we understand that what has become crucial for publishers is maximising sales through each channel and providing visibility on eBook performance. This enables them to make business decisions around inventory, pricing, sales channels and ROI – delivering real return for the publisher. So, I spend a lot of time working with publishers on ‘eBook Insights’, our eBook analytics platform, which helps publishers increase their sales.

What do you think stands out about ePubDirect.com compared to any competitors?

Cheaper, Faster, Better. Leveraging the best technology will give publishers significant competitive advantage in the eBook market, which is why publishers choose ePubDirect. Our platform and suite of solutions was built from the ground up to maximise the online opportunities. This is exclusively what we do.

We love books, we are passionate about what we do and we listen closely to the needs of our customers. Unlike our competitors, we work in partnership with our customers, using our expertise and digital savvy to give our customers real return that will ultimately increase their bottom line. Our success is based on our customers’ success!

What is the export strategy for ePubDirect.com – presuming technology makes it simple to work worldwide?

ePubDirect was set up to connect publishers to a global community of readers, driven by our own passion for books and technology. A mission, we decided, that would depend on simplicity to succeed. Our culture is rooted in the belief that technology is an enabler, not an end in itself.

Our business is managing eBook distribution and sales, making it as easy for publishers as possible, enabling the pursuit of global opportunities that would have been unimaginable a decade ago. We were recently awarded a Supply Chain Excellence award for being best in class for business efficiency, customer service, environmental concern and innovation in supply chain management, but all publishers need to know about the sophistication of our systems is that they will take their titles to the world, simply, quickly and cost-effectively.

You’ve partnered with Random House – how did that come about and what does it mean for ePubDirect.com?

Well, the growing challenges around visibility in global digital asset distribution is pushing publishers of all sizes to seek out a partner to enable greater control in this capability and the Random House deal demonstrates the companies shared view of the importance of a fast and flexible digital supply chain, facilitating consistent and up-to-date information. We were absolutely delighted to be selected by The Random House Group for this partnership and it is a real endorsement of our service offering.

Do you still see a future for the good, old fashioned paperbacks?

Absolutely! eBooks are thought to be about 20-30% of the book market at the moment and some can see it climbing towards 50% in some cases, but I believe there will always be a place for the ‘good, old fashioned paperbacks’ as you call them. Some people still really love the look and feel of a book, the smell of it and the way it looks on a bookshelf, so I don’t see it disappearing, but eBooks will become an increasingly significant part of the publishing business as consumers attitudes and behaviours change.

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As you’re all very aware, I’m one of those folk who use [with abandon] proverbs related to the SME world. I’m quite candid in being a touch self-deprecating in this sense also…

So, this months’ proverb is one which has been used regularly as a book-title, presentation-header… and in plenty of boardrooms, meetings and countless other places.

What does “Staying ahead of the curve” mean to my business?

Loosely, it means that you’re managing the careful act of remaining adept, focused and aware of opportunities, before they arise and being absolutely prepared for them. You’re well-connected to your market by listening to your customer, client, or whomever you service. In fact, you’re so well ‘tuned-in’ to them that you know what they’re likely to want before they want it. You’re designing, developing and strategising your business’s service or product by anticipating the next potential market “swing”.

“They’re always ahead of the curve”

The oft-heard comment [sometimes with a loaded-tang of frustration]… Just how do they manage it?
Retaining and nurturing a culture of innovation in your business – whether that means just you or your team – is key to staying ‘ahead of the curve’. Recently I’ve heard a lot of commentary on the importance of supporting ‘intrapreneurship’ in larger corporations – well, here’s the thing, why don’t you foster that approach in your small business? Actively engaging your team [big or small] in looking for better, more customer-focused, more ‘forward-thinking’ solutions?

Are you in risk of becoming a dinosaur?

Because we all know what happened to them. Growth doesn’t just happen – you need to support it. How? By understanding your route to growth.

• New products?
• New services?
• New markets?

What does growth look like for your business? If you don’t know – find out. Businesses trundling along in their current market, with very little vision of future growth, or what it looks like, are often the first casualties when market changes – seen or unseen – happen.

Don’t leave yourself at risk of being a hostage to fortune. A constant systematic review process [I am a fan of three-monthly, however more regular is even better] ensures your business model is performing, monitors successes and appraises opportunities as they arise.

Remember to have a sense of humour

Not everything goes to plan. This is an absolute reality of business. Sometimes it can be catastrophic… oftentimes it’s simply that an unseen or unknown factor causes an obstacle / road-bump along the way. One of the key factors in business success is resilience [aka bouncebackability], being able to move on from a situation and taking the time to understand why it didn’t go to plan.

When push comes to shove… push back!

I’ve already blogged extensively about ‘growing pains‘… remember that in growth, there’s always pressure and at times, a somewhat testing experience. Be prepared and understand the hurdles of growth. Remember the reward will be achieving your business’s growth vision, and worth the incidental discomfort!

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The newer you are as a business owner, the more likely you are to not feel like an expert in your industry. I remember early on with my company, Egg Marketing & Communications, I was constantly amazed that anyone would believe in me enough to pay me to market their business! There was so much I didn’t know.

There still is, but I’m better at faking it. That’s right: my saying is: “fake it ’til you make it.”

How to become an expert…fast

Consider this: you start your business because you have experience and/or passion in a given field. For me, it was writing marketing copy and press releases. But what happens when a client asks you to take on something just out of your comfort zone? Do you say no and lose that revenue, as well as potentially lose the client altogether? Or do you figure it out?

I chose Route B. If I didn’t know how to do something, I learned. Fast. I taught myself how to write SEO copy, complete with meta tags and descriptions (remember those?) I taught myself how to put together email campaigns. And the more skills I learned, the more confident I became in those areas. Ask me now to take on a project in SEO or email, and I’m on it. No qualms. No hesitation. I don’t use the term “expert” lightly, so let’s just say I’m confident in what I do, and not afraid to try new things.

Why confidence brings more business

Think about the places where you spend money. Let’s use my dry cleaner as an example. I know nothing about what happens once I drop my clothes off (I assume little fairies get the stains out), but my wish is that the clothes will return clean and pressed. I trust the particular company I use because the owner is passionate — yes, about stain removal — and knowledgeable about what he does. He can talk for hours about the different chemicals available, and which is better for red wine stains versus blood. I don’t necessarily need to know all this, but you can bet I’m happy giving him money and entrusting him with my precious clothes.

That’s why as a business owner, especially a new one, it’s key that you exude confidence. Even if you don’t feel it. You want the people you’re trying to get as customers to completely have faith in your ability to deliver.

That being said, if you know you’re set up for failure, maybe because the project will take far longer for you to ramp up on a new skill, or because you simply can’t do it justice, turn down the work. It’s better to disappoint a client early than continue trying to get the job done, only to turn in shoddy work.

Becoming an expert takes time. But your clients don’t have to know where you are in the process. Give them a confident “yes” when asked if you can take something new on, then teach yourself a new skill you can add to your arsenal.

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Every business starts with a great idea, fuelled by passion and driven by a desire to succeed. As it grows, the survival instinct supplants new ideas, processes replace passion, and stress (if we’re not careful) blurs objectives. It’s a cycle you see most businesses undergo at some point in their development – often 2–3 years post-startup. Why?

It’s the human condition

We start a business to make life easier, get rich, fulfill dreams. The original creative process draws on all our energies. A new idea needs nurturing. Sometimes it is so new that it requires help to overcome the resistance of others or to educate others to buy into it. But because we believe in it, we do whatever it takes to make it work.

That’s when the web bites!

It’s so convenient, isn’t it? It’s the first thing you’re drawn to every morning. It pervades your life via your desktop and mobile devices. It sucks you in. After all, it’s your life-support system and it has all the answers. Or does it?

Undoubtedly, the Internet does hold a lot of answers, but how we use it and the expectations we have of it are key.

Increasingly, I see that we’re becoming expert at providing and consuming ‘light’ information on the web. As Internet marketing and interconnectivity become more sophisticated, we are bombarded with half-useful information that never quite gets translated into practical improvements in our business. It consumes a lot of time, while seducing us with fascinating infographics, pictures, videos and never-ending threads.

Clearly, a lot of marketing activity is designed to keep you hooked, under the guise of ‘relationship-building’. Why, then, do I increasingly feel a sense of entrapment?  I’ve let myself become consumed by a process, and I need to take back control.

Here’s my solution – something for you to try for a week. When you get up in the morning:

• don’t switch your phone on
• don’t go to your computer
• don’t think about researching a topic on the Internet

It’ll be tough, at first, but try to do it without calling your therapist or taking out your frustrations on the cat. Trust me: once you get through the cold-turkey phase, you’ll see some interesting things happening.

Five steps to e-freedom

# 1. You’ll start thinking for yourself

It’s been said that people who rely on Google for all their information are actually losing brain tissue. Think about it (if you can!). It makes sense. It’s the ‘use it or lose it’ principle that applies as much to our physical as our mental health.

# 2. You’ll remember why you have a business

You may think that’s obvious, but Internet ‘dumbing down’ can be insidious. Life changes, markets change, the environment changes. If you’re not regularly ‘refreshing’ your perspective, the initial impetus for your business may have shifted  – and left you behind.

# 3. You’ll notice new things

Apart from birdsong and the sweet smell of spring. You’ll also get a fresh take on how you operate and how you use your time. The absence of online ‘static’ will allow in fresh thoughts and better logic, and you won’t be governed by a ‘filter bubble’ restricting and distorting your view through Google algorithms.

# 4. You’ll de-stress and re-connect with yourself and others

While our creative faculties are neutralized by the all-pervasive Internet, we’re also succumbing to ADHD. Our children are growing up in a frenzied state of performance anxiety and disconnection, and billions of dollars are being lost in industry, due to stress-related problems. The online lifestyle feeds this process. Mindfulness, meditation, exercise and real communication are the only antidotes to this, even if we cannot escape the unknown dangers of permanent wi-fi all around us.

# 5. You’ll get your life back

Having real human connections and staying grounded are the best routes to success. When you are present and emotionally connected, you can stay in touch with why you got into business in the first place. Whatever your reasons, you won’t find them online. You’ll find them in you – if you allow yourself that respect and take responsibility for your journey.

These days, I switch myself on before I power up. I figure out what I want to achieve each day before I enter the online world, so that I can use it to my benefit. Like an artist faced with a blank canvas, it can be hard, at first, to decide what marks to make and what picture to create. But it’s so much more satisfying than painting by numbers – both for me and for those who come into contact with me and my work.

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I could keep going on and on with a list of things you should do, but you’ve probably heard them all already.

This article will be sharing some “little known” ways to take your business to the next level. You’ve probably heard most of the things on this list but you’re probably ignoring them because you think they won’t make any real impact. Or would they?

Here are 5 little known, but powerful ways to take your business to the next level.

# 1. Focus on customer marketing

“Customer marketing is a strategy used to capitalize on opportunities by increasing the profitability of each client” - Wisegeek

Trust me, this is not another marketing buzzword but the most powerful secret of the very best companies.

When all other companies are struggling with growing their company by 30% monthly by investing more into marketing, you can keep reducing your budget and still get better results with a 10% growth. The irony of this is that your growth rate keeps increasing as you keep reducing your marketing budget, to the point where you no longer have to spend on marketing any more.

Here’s why:

• Your customers become your best advocate; by investing more into satisfying them and creating a better experience for them, they will start telling their friends about you.
• Each customer spends significantly more with your business: a recent Helpscout infographic has revealed that loyal customers are worth 10 times as much as their first purchase. The same infographic revealed that 86% of consumers quit doing business with a company due to bad customer experience. In other words, focusing on creating a better experience that makes at least half of your customers loyal to you could improve your company’s worth by up to 600%  while doing otherwise could reduce it’s worth by up to 86%

One thing is clear though, no marketing tactic is as powerful as having the right customers that trust and are really loyal to you. They keep spending with you and recommending their friends and your business keeps growing without you having to do anything than to invest in customer experience.

# 2. Leverage multimedia content more effectively

When they say that multimedia is the future of marketing, most people start giving excuses like “I can’t make videos,” “I’m not good at multimedia etc. Those are all silly excuses, seriously.

The foremost presentation sharing website online, Slideshare, gets over 60 million unique visitors and over 3 billion slide views every single month. They are just that big; however, very few people are aware of the fact that they could have their slides hosted on Slideshare and capitalize on the exposure they get.

With the right tools – and I’ll be recommending a few – and with all the available data with you, it’ll only take a few hours to create your slide and have them ready to submit to Slideshare. It isn’t a video, you don’t have to talk or record your face and there are tools that make creating slides easy so there’s really no excuse for not benefiting from this.

Another kind of multimedia content you can benefit from is infographics. Of course, you’ve heard a lot about infographics before and how powerful they are for marketing, but how powerful can an infographic really be?

Data from Alltwitter.com has revealed that having infographics in your content can increase social shares by up to 832%; that’s 832% more exposure you could benefit from.

Tools for Creating Slides and Infographics:-

1. EWC Presenter: EWC Presenter is a recently-released tool for creating slides, infographics and other forms of multimedia content; it’s still new and in beta but it’s very powerful. I’m recommending it because it’s easy to use and can also be used to create both presentations and infographics. It is also free.
2. Piktochart makes it extremely easy for you to create appealing infographics; there are over 100 templates you could choose from and customize to create your own infographics.

# 3. Put more effort into reputation management

When you keep investing more in marketing every day, have you ever thought about the fact that a single blunder that you thought no one will pay attention to can bring your whole company down?

Very few people recommend effectively managing your reputation when you do business online, but it’s important to realize that the barrier to entry to use the internet is literally non-existent. Anyone can set up a blog today and start writing crap about your company.  And those little “rants,” especially when they start ranking for your brand terms in Google, could actually be costing you new customers.

Not everyone will be able to hire a reputation management agency, so here are a few tips for you to effectively manage your reputation:

• Prevent a disaster. 99% of the reputation disasters your company can encounter can be prevented – when your hands are clean, it would be difficult for anyone to damage your brand.
• Handle things in a timely manner. When a customer is pissed and you don’t address issues quickly, things can easily get out of control. No one is insignificant and the seemingly small customer you’re ignoring could have the power to cause some real damage. Make sure you handle things in a timely manner.
• Have a blog and social media accounts. Also, make sure people know about them. This way, if there’s a major issue about your company, you can resolve it before things go out of hand by making an announcement on your blog and social media profiles.
• Set up instant Google Alerts for your brand name. This way, you know as soon as something is written about your brand and can step in immediately. This alone could resolve a lot of reputation issues your company could experience.
• Monitor your brand mentions on social media. This can also be done for free by creating Social Mention alerts for free.
• Dedicate a team to reputation management and social media or hire a reputation management agency to help you manage your company reputation.

The best way to manage your reputation is by preventing issues from happening, so don’t be careless when it comes to your brand.

# 4. Automate the little things

The little things matter and you could save hours of your time and days of your sanity by automating them.

What exactly should you automate?

• Blog content and newsletter. Have them written and scheduled in advance so that you don’t have to worry about them or do it in a rush.
• Paying your team in advance. Especially if they are on a payroll, you can save yourself a lot of time by automating payment. If this sounds new to you, then you might want to familiarize yourself with ACH.
• Paying your bills in advance. This includes payment for your hosting, newsletter, SEO tools etc. You can save yourself significantly more by paying for up to a year in advance. For example, ask yourself how much it’ll cost you if your site goes down for a whole day because you forgot to pay your hosting bill. Depending on how much revenue your company makes, it’ll probably be a lot more than you will have to spend paying for a whole year of hosting.

There are a lot more things you could automate but, hopefully, you realize how powerful automating little things can be.

# 5. Embrace speed in all aspects

Data has revealed that a one second delay in your site speed could cost you 7 percent in conversions; the slower your site is, it also eventually creates a negative experience for your visitors and as a result sends them away.

The faster your site can be, the better; not only does it have SEO benefits, but it also ensures a better experience for your visitors and helps you make more money.

If you have any other suggestions to grow your business please let me know in the comments below.

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Much of the posts written about business development, planning and strategy, focus on looking forward [which is a good thing!] however a lot can be learned from what has or hasn’t worked, and why that might be the case. I’m a big fan of Eric Ries’ “StartUp Lessons Learned“, and find his views on innovation in start-up development laudable and forward-thinking. Ultimately, learning from what hasn’t panned out as we’d planned or hoped can provide us with rock-solid foundations for growth.

Based on many of the conversations I’ve had with SME clients, here are the top five “if I had my time over again” reflections, which, hopefully some of you might recognise [and act on!] or for those of you starting out, utilise as a starting point for your business plan/ R&D.

The 5 lessons of start-up

# 1. Spent time on carving out a tactical research project [without becoming obsessive]

Typically, there are four areas start-ups simply despise at the outset:

1. research
2. financial planning
3. marketing
4. and business planning.

Research is normally #1 on this list. Why? Because it involves subjecting yourself to an uncomfortable set of objectives – asking the questions of your target audience you may not want to know the answer to… doing surveys… desk research… and analysing competitors. The reality with research? It is a VERY necessary evil. Why? Because what you don’t know will always hurt you. Often start-ups head in one of two directions: either into an abyss of obsessive research [which has no start or end], or the ‘head-in-the-sand’ stance [my business doesn’t need research, it’s just that amazing].

My advice? Don’t become a research obsessive; do carve out a simple, strategic plan to conduct research which is relevant, targeted and clearly identifies the defining answers you need to determine your market scope, size and long-term potential.

# 2. Refined the USP

Here’s one most businesses battle with at start-up, and during growth. What is it, exactly, that makes us unique, different and what’s the value-add for my customers…? Well, the answer is: if you don’t know, how do you expect your customers to know?

Frequently businesses define, redefine and refine their USP – which can also change with time, depending on new offerings, products or services – revising your business model can also change your USP.

Where should I start? Think about ‘NOSE’ – customer needs and outcomes, and your solutions and evidence – what is compelling about your offering? Start with ten words and whittle it down. Remember: your USP should be succinct and impactful.

# 3. Done the number-crunching [and sought the right financing]

A tough one, and certainly a topical issue these days. However, not digging deep and ensuring your business has enough financial fuel in the tank could stress it beyond recovery. Many businesses at start-up spend time on ornate, fancy spread-sheets [sometimes not developed by the people involved… tsk, tsk] which bear little or no relationship to the business’s actual finances – its projected income and outgoings.

You don’t need to be an accountant… get down to brass-tacks and understand what your business’s financial income and outgoings are going to look like.  On the subject of projections – suffice to say, you should be conservative in your projected income [based on research and planning] and somewhat more generous with your projected outgoings. Do get help, like all other areas of start-up, if you don’t know how – ask for help from a mentor / consultant. It’ll be worth it.

# 4. Thought bigger

This sentiment often comes with experience – and the realisation that your goals may have been set a little lower than was justified…

Get yourself some audacious aims… if your long-term vision doesn’t make you feel a little jittery, it’s probably not big enough!

# 5. Built a growth plan / strategy

Often the idea of ‘growth’ at start-up is considered too “far off” – it really isn’t considered… wrong. Growth is the very essence of business development, and you need a plan / strategy to achieve it.

Even when you’re just getting going, know what growth looks like… and build a plan to guide you along the way.

… and finally, remember the key for any business: plan, do, review.

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The start (and the bad stuff over and done with)

I was advised by my techie friend, Ali Clarke at Webmentor.ie to join Twitter for the limited company I was a partner with (which is unfortunately no more), and thought, what a really silly name but I’ll give it a go. So I signed up to Twitter and was completely daunted by what to do and what to say. Where did I start? I can’t remember what I said but I know I followed a whole load of people – I just dived in. I got a lot of follows back although with hind sight I wouldn’t recommend doing that – follow and connect with people relevant to your business, be selective and strategic if you are doing it for business.

Getting picked on: I’d only been using Twitter for a week and our company got a mention in the newspapers. I was immediately descended on by a few business men picking holes in what we were doing. It was quite scary and lasted a couple of weeks. I was ready to give up on Twitter at that point – I was getting picked on and getting upset by people I didn’t know – it was horrible. However, a few wonderful people contacted me to give me support and they are still friends to this day – even though they are in each corner of the globe. Charlie and his Angels – you know who you are.

This early experience gave me a good heads up about Twitter. It made me realise I needed to watch out for these type of people plus be there to support others who were picked on. It has also given me an inherent disgust with those that bully online – from those that are anonymous trolls to high profile business people it is very sad to see it happen. Consider if it was happening to your daughter/son, mother/father, husband/wife, best friend – would you like that? Would you have the balls to walk up to someone in the street and say these things to their face? Just stop and think…..and have some respect for others and for yourself too.

Twitter news and questions

I get very frustrated when I see or hear people saying that Twitter is a waste of time – “who wants to hear what you had for breakfast?” Only last week I saw a celebrity on TV slating it. Obviously they don’t use Twitter or they would realise the infinite potential that is here and here to stay.

• News: News breaks on Twitter now – you will see it there first. Personally I heard about the assassination of Osama Bin Laden, Michael Jackson’s death, the Syria uprising in 2011 and Whitney Houston’s death. I followed the London riots on Twitter plus a lot more, even good news too like the Princess of Cambridge being pregnant.
• Questions: Twitter is also ideal if you need help with something. I’ve often had a technical problem that I’ll tweet and get loads of replies to. I also like to help people if I see a question that I know the answer to. It doesn’t take a minute but if it helps people then that can’t be bad. Answering questions can make you the “go to” person for your niche, whatever that is. I have gained business from helping people with social media and accountancy questions via Twitter. Just add a column to your Tweetdeck/Hootsuite with the words related to your expertise and you’ll often be able to help people you aren’t even following or that follow you. It’s a great way to spread your networking, even just by joining in with chats about that subject.

Work via Twitter

Anita Campbell of SmallBizTrends, Bizsugar and Tweak Your Biz

I started writing blogs in 2009 and Twitter was the ideal platform to promote my writing. I began to receive recognition for what I was writing although blogs were all new to me at that time.

• Tweak Your Biz: Niall Devitt approached me to see if I would like to write for Bloggertone (now Tweak your Biz) which he was just setting up with Facundo Villaveiran and Fred Caballero. I was amazed and very honoured to be asked, I couldn’t believe I had even been noticed by these guys. So I was there at the start of Tweak Your Biz and now I’m the Managing Editor, and both achievements I’m very proud of to this day. I love working with the community here and lots has been happening as Niall Devitt mentioned recently - Tweak Your Biz: When An Irish Business Community Goes Global!  A huge thanks to Niall for recognising something I was good at and enjoyed and for continuing to have belief in me still……even if I don’t always believe it myself
• BizSugar: Through being involved with Tweak Your Biz and my Social Media use I was then asked to be a moderator on Bizsugar.com by the amazing Anita Campbell who is also the CEO for TYB. My social network really started to grow then and led to me tweeting with lots of business people in other countries, especially America.
• Corpnet: Connecting up on Twitter via Bizsugar I then sent a DM to @Corpnetnellie asking if I could interview her and that interview led to me writing for Corpnet.com – all the way over in Los Angeles………from my house on a hill in Ireland. The internet and Social Media really have shrunk the world. I have interviewed many other business people from Ireland, America and the UK and even Jeff Bullas down under in Australia. All of these came from Twitter originally.
• The Ahain Group: Through Niall Devitt I was then invited to join The Ahain Group as an Associate. I basically look after most of the Social Media and content writing side…..plus the accounts now too. Watch this space as The Ahain Group is really going places.

Twitter platforms

• Tweetdeck vs Hootsuite: I prefer to use Tweedeck however I did recently dabble with Hootsuite but I missed some of the features so I headed back quite quickly. I need to have the columns these platforms offer to take care of the different accounts I look after. I also like the pop ups on Tweetdeck so it means I only need to look at Twitter if someone has spoken to me or one of the accounts I look after. I can then deal with anything promptly which I think really does help with Twitter. Sometimes if it takes ages for a reply then that person could have moved on to someone else for help or just find it a bit rude and that they’re being ignored.
• Socialoomph: I use Socialoomph to schedule business tweets because there is so much to get out there sometimes and it would be too time consuming. I find it really useful and there is a lot more to it which can make your social media life so much easier. But don’t’ just rely on auto tweets as Social Media is all about engaging with people – they can’t talk to a robot after all……well not yet anyway.

Lost & found pets

Everyone who knows me knows how much I love dogs and cats – especially my own pets. And if you follow me on Twitter I’m sure I annoy you with my auto retweets of @lostfoundpets. I would apologise for this but it is easy to filter out of your timeline if you don’t want to see them. Personally if there is anything I can do to reunite a lost pet with their owner then I will do it.

I lost a cat a few years ago and will never forget the devastation I felt. Not everyone is an animal person but for those that are I’m sure you’ll understand what I mean. I have been told that my Retweets helped reunite a dog lost in Tramore and hopefully there have been others too. Again it’s another aspect of Twitter to spread the word quickly and simply. Not just animals but also children or adults, wallets or laptops; it doesn’t take a minute to retweet something and you could help someone more than you know.

Again if you don’t like it then filter out – I have to filter out Football and Politics a lot of the time.

Fun stuff

Twitter can be good fun a lot of time. It’s great when watching something on TV and everyone can join in a conversation about it. Using hashtags you can connect with people you aren’t following – and not just with TV programmes but also conferences, particular subjects you’re interested in or weekly discussions like #kaizenbiz and #blogchatie. I recently

Wales win the Six Nations. Pic: telegraph.co.uk

got involved with #TNI on a Thursday night and it spread my network even further just chatting about holiday experiences. It’s fun and easy to do plus you’re networking at the same time……from your sofa.

I especially enjoy it during the Six Nations rugby tournament, and being Welsh I absolutely loved it recently when we beat England and won the Championship – the banter is always great fun.

Friends

And of course I’ve made loads of friends through Twitter – virtually and in real life.

• The #Twineups: In 2009 a few of us were drinking Pinotage and tweeting each other – what I like to think was the very first #Twineup as it was named at the time. This grew and eventually we met up in real life too. Miriam Ahern then suggested to me that we have a #Twineup for New Years Eve involving Bloggertone too - An Online Party New Years Eve.  We had no idea how big that was going to be. We had people from all over the World joining in including America, Asia and Australia, all celebrating New Years Eve at different times. It was brilliant and I’ve often done #Twineups since then but none as successful as that one.
• The Locals: I moved to Ireland 8 years ago only actually knowing one person. I then moved down to just outside Dungarvan nearly 5 years ago knowing no-one here. I wasn’t daunted by that at all as I’m happy in my own company plus I always seem to find friends. Although in those 5 years I have met a lot of friends in real life locally, as I’m not one to go out very much any more I found Twitter great to “meet” people online before actually meeting in person. I would say about 70% of my friends locally are ones I met via Twitter initially– all the Déise crowd are brilliant and there are always fun events going on which you hear about via Twitter. A big shout out to the Déise guys and gals.

The Interviews

The Cliff House Hotel, Ardmore, Ireland

I have done several interviews for Tweak Your Biz over the last few years and I have to say they are my favourite pieces to do. I have some favourites and have made some great friends through them.

• Cliff House Hotel: When I interviewed Adriaan Bartells from the Cliff House Hotel we had no idea the interview was going to do so well on Twitter – last time we checked I think it had received over 300 retweets. I took a snapshot of 60 of those RT’s at one point and they totalled 288,000 followers. It has been my most read and shared post so far I believe.
• The Secret Garden: I also interviewed Brian Patterson at The Secret Garden about how great he is on Facebook and that got into the Bizsugar Top Ten too. Both Adriaan and Brian have become good friends and I recently saw them both talk at a Social Media event – I was very proud of them as I’ve watched them grow on Twitter and Facebook and do it so well.
• Lorna Sixsmith: And recently I interviewed the amazing Lorna Sixsmith who is, among lots of other things, a fellow writer on Tweak Your Biz. I am in awe of her energy and knowledge, her tenacity and multi-tasking skills. I still feel exhausted reading through her interview.

I met all three on Twitter originally and wouldn’t have been in touch with them otherwise.  In fact I’d say the majority of my interviews have originated via contact on Twitter – another reason it has worked so well for me.

Twitter mates

And then there is everyone else I have met via Twitter, virtually and in real life. I’m not going to list everyone as it would be too long but you all know who you are. One person I will mention is Mel Schregardus – one of the original #Twineup ladies in 2009. Although we live 2 hours away from each other and only visit a few times a year we are in touch daily via DM’s or text and she has truly become someone I’d like to call my best friend. All because of Twitter.

I know I’ve just touched the surface of those 100,000 tweets but I could probably write a book of everything that has happened……hmmmmm, good idea maybe Anyhow until then if you are connected to me on Twitter then I hope you enjoy my tweets and I look forward to more connections in the future.

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Are you struggling to increase blog traffic for your business? My group blog, TweakYourBiz.com, reached the milestone of 100,000 unique visits during December, 2012, and in a blogging niche that is very competitive. Here are 10 critical tactics that you must do if you really want to increase blog traffic for your business.

Increase blog traffic for your business

# 1. Discover what works, then repeat, improve, repeat….

There is no silver bullet to growing blog traffic:

• It requires hard work and new bloggers need to have a long term mind-set. The more you are prepared to put in, then the more you will eventually get out.
• The graph is exponential, or, in other words, it’s slow at the start but gathers pace over time. Be assured that consistency does pay off and success will breed more success, and more traffic.

Again, there is NO silver bullet to growing blog traffic. You need to discover what works, repeat, improve, and repeat again. Your blog is Rome and if you don’t understand that – don’t blog.

# 2. Define your audience

It amuses me that so many bloggers who write for “no one in particular” are disappointed when no one reads their blog? If, on the other hand you would like actual people to read your blog, well then you will need to define who your audience will be:

• Some niches will be very competitive and others less so.
• And you will need to factor this in to your blogging strategy. Who are the competitors for your audience? How good are they? And what can you learn from them?
• I define a sub-set of my audience for every post I write. Are you part of this sub-set? 

# 3. Find out what customers need to know, not what you’d like to tell them

Many business bloggers struggle with coming up with ideas for blog posts, but what they don’t realise it that it’s not them that should be coming up with the ideas in the first place. I’m never stuck for ideas for content because I have a simple, but very effective, tactic for deciding what to write about – I LISTEN to my customers!

If you really listen, you will never be stuck for ideas for blogs. In fact, you will always have too many and the challenge will instead be deciding on which one will give the greatest ROI for your business.

# 4. Answer your customers’ questions and do it REALLY well!

Now here’s where the skill and dedication come in. When you search for answers to your questions, problems or challenges online, what content and which bloggers make the most impact?

1. Those bloggers who partially answer your question?
2. Or those, that might know the answer if you were to become their customer?
3. Or those that give you the best answer?

Visitors to your blog will only consider becoming your customers when your content proves that you’re the best. Bad content is not better than no content, it’s worse! If it looks like it took you five minutes!

Writing content that will get you customers takes time, skill and dedication.

# 5. Plan to publish often, not just when you feel like it

Remember Rome?

• To grow a large audience, you will need to publish at least 3-4 times per week.
• Frequency can be counter-balanced, to an extent, by increasing quality, but frequency remains a critical element in achieving growth.
• One way to increase frequency without increasing writing time is to select and invite guest bloggers.

# 6. Do keyword research and SEO, and do it for every single post you write

Keyword research and SEO are skills that all bloggers can learn and become proficient at.  There is very little rocket science involved (See our guide on blogging).

So why don’t many bloggers do it?

Probably because SEO is an extra task and the results aren’t immediate. That said, unless you want to blog with one metaphorical leg and hand tied behind your back, it’s another critical element of blogging success.

Not doing SEO on one post is silly, on ten, it’s stupidity and on fifty, consider yourself insane!

# 7. Research every single post you write

If you’re like me, and you prefer to read those bloggers that give the best answer, or do business with those companies that will give the best solution, you’ve probably already realized that our customers will expect the same?

I know lots about my space, but its still only a fraction of what’s to know.

• Therefore when I answer my customers’ problems through my blogs, I realize that researching every post is key to me in doing so.
• I don’t want to steal other people’s ideas, or content, and of course I will credit where appropriate (see networking below)
• My research not only makes my content better but it also educates me so that I become better at what I do.

Google can become the greatest teacher you’ve ever had, so use it. And wait for it, it’s free!

# 8. Learn how to create great headlines

Your headline is the first (and possibly only impression) you make on a perspective customer. They’re really that important.

Rather than me take you through how to create great headlines (Research, Google, again). Let me ask you a question, would you be reading these words, if not for my headline?

Related: Have you used the Tweak Your Biz Title Generator?

# 9. Format your content for the Internet

The online reader discovers and reads content differently.

• They don’t read top to bottom, they scan first.
• Therefore you need to learn how to format your blog posts for the internet.

(Again, see our guide on blogging)

# 10. Network like you mean it!

Great content will only get you so far, networking will take you the rest of the way!

Make sure to build a blogging strategy that includes:

• Leaving comments on other blogs.
• Linking out to other blogs and bloggers
• Engaging with and sharing content from bloggers on your social media channels.
• Guest posting and inviting people to guest post on your blog.

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It’s debatable whether the ultra-low cost and corporate ethos belong together, but it seems that battery air travel has become accepted with a sigh and a shrug by a large number of companies. 22% of Ryanair passengers are corporate travellers, according to CEO Michael O’Leary.

Is this a sign Ryanair is getting better, or a sign that we have no money? Both Easy Jet and Germanwings are perks to business travellers but as of yet Ryanair has promised them nothing special. Given its annual freight of almost eighty million people, Ryanair carries around seventeen and a half million people in suits to and from appointments per year. It’s easy to imagine a lot of smartly dressed, middle managers lying airily about which of the aeroplanes on the asphalt is theirs. After a few hours queuing they’ll be sucking in their tummies and folding up their legs.

O’Leary has previously announced his plans for standing room flights, for pay-as-you go toilets, and declared that environmentalists should be shot. At this moment in our recession the ultra-low way may simply be business reality, but it is probable that we will see Ryanair adopting some of the “sharey-carey” tactics O’Leary sees his competitors trying, in order to keep these corporate travellers flying in his airplanes, packed in like sardines with neckties.

There are plenty of these sardines out there, of course, and the other outcome is that these figures increase.

The other airlines

Ryanair’s ‘ultra-low’ personality is distinct in the industry, but there are plenty of other budget airlines. Easy Jet choose not to tell its passengers, ‘If you don’t like it, that’s your problem’. Instead it upsells as much as possible, using affiliates to market rental cars, hotels and gifts. They want the money from your pockets.

Virgin is known for its “rock and roll spirit,” as Richard Branson calls it. From Spring, Virgin will offer UK domestic flights under the name Little Red. The concept is to be more stylish than budget airlines and other ‘vanilla’ carriers. To be more of a designer brand than a supermarket own-brand.

However, its main rival won’t be Ryanair or Easy Jet, but British Airways. BA runs around fifty domestic flights in the UK. Little Red will have half as many, but hopes its superior marketing will do the trick.

Meanwhile, BA is experimenting with its long-haul in-flight entertainment. It is making attempts to get people to veg-out in their planes as much as possible, by extending the length of time people can access their movies and so on. Passengers will no longer have to wait until after take-off. From the moment they place their rumps in the seats they will be able to dive into cinema.

One billion pounds!

One way or another, all airlines want us to fly more regularly and in greater numbers. A recent CBI report says that every 1,000 passengers means around £1,000,000 for the UK economy.

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Are you dazzled and distracted? Some business opportunities make us feel like we’re kids in a candy store. When you are entrepreneurial by nature and a small business owner, you know that you have to keep looking for ways to keep your revenues at healthy levels. How do you recognise the business opportunities that fit you?

Case Study

*Joan (names and details have been changed to maintain confidentiality) is a small business owner who has just released her first product. It’s a small company so everyone wears multiple hats. But now it’s on the brink of growing rapidly over the next 18 months. It hasn’t always been clear that releasing this product was such a great money-making idea. In fact, Joan wasn’t at all enthusiastic when it was first proposed to her. So, she brought the subject to our coaching sessions.

We followed a process

Any opportunity can be analysed to see if it fits your business and you. It is simply a matter of being willing to listen to the answers.

Here are five questions to get you started:

# 1. Is this in sync with my business vision?

# 2. If I do X, which goal does this support?

# 3. Given my cash flow, is this a good decision right now?

# 4. Will this make money?

# 5. Do I really want to do it or do I think I am supposed to do it?

Related: The Art Of War – a 13 Point Plan To Mastering Business Strategy

The process is not a straight line

It is important to go through a process of evaluating the opportunity before jumping in. There is an emotional piece to the process that must be included in the decision-making process. It is easy to be caught up in the enthusiasm of the moment. You like and admire a potential collaborative partner. The idea is very much like something you have dreamed of doing. This is heady stuff!

For Joan, she was aware that her business gave her customers peace of mind and the tools for success in her services. This was a key differentiator and relationships matter deeply to her. The product had to be aligned with these values as well.

One way to begin an analysis is to ask why. This can remove some of the glitz that clouds effective decision-making. Completing a SWOT analysis can highlight a number of things such as how your product is different from your competitors to what barriers could derail the opportunity.

Related: Growing Pains and How To Manage Them

The rest of Joan’s story

Joan was used to a business model that had services as the central offering to customers. Shifting to a model that had both products and services was unnerving despite her stated intention to go this route. Joan also discovered that she had to trust her employees to execute the plan. Interestingly, they offered to do the majority of the work and report to Joan about their progress on a scheduled basis. Joan expressed feeling apprehensive that she could monitor this initiative while doing her regular work. To her credit, Joan was able to listen to their ideas, projections and analyses and accept that they had a market ready and waiting.

Story has a happy ending

Joan and her team not only secured funding and new customers but also have hired additional employees. By following the process, it was easier to manage the excitement and anxiety as well as the logistics and specifications of the product.

To recognise business opportunities that fit you, you have to be willing to set aside your excitement and ask the 5 questions to determine if it is worth pursuing.

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Images:  ”3d people – man, person with a road sign and text ” Great opportunity ahead. “   / Shutterstock.com“