by James Patrick
(Blog posted with permission from JamesPatrick.com)

FMI Spring 2012 Roundtable

At the recent FMI conference in Scottsdale, Arizona I had the opportunity to present on how talents can market themselves through a variety of online channels. On Day 3 of the conference I split the room up into four groups. Each group had a different moderator who led a focused discussion on the various topics:

1 – Blogging and Sharing Websites Marketing Efforts (Led by Dave Dreas)
2 – Personal Website Marketing Efforts (Led by James Patrick)
3 – Social Media Marketing Efforts (Led by Kimerbly Miller)
4 – Differentiating your Niche and Brand Online (Led by Teri Simmons-Crenshaw)

The moderators rotated between the four groups of people so that each group got a chance to discuss each of the four topics. Over the next month I will be sharing the key notes and messages discussed on each of the major topics for your takeaway and benefit. Hopefully by sharing these notes it can get your brain churning on ideas for how to improve your own marketing efforts.

The first discussion we will share will be Blogging and Sharing Website Marketing Effort which wasled by fitness talent and entrepreneur Dave Dreas.

The main topics of discussions for this topic were:

1 – Videos vs. written blogs.
It was brought up a couple of different times and it was thought that having a combination of the two (video and text-based blog content) helped to add variety and personality. Video can often be easier to consume than text, if done properly. The groups thought the video blogs need to be short and to the point but cover the topic necessary. Videos should also be uploaded to sharing websites such as YouTube and/or Vimeo with links leading back to the main website.

2 – Videos on the main page of the website.
Having videos be a part of the main page of the website is something which can engage your viewers or tell them what you or your product or service are about. It was debated a bit as to whether or not it was better for the videos to appear on the home page of the website or appear deeper in the website itself.

3 – Capturing information was huge.
The ability to use blogs and sharing websites as a way to capture your visitors or potential client’s information was discussed a lot and something that is very important. However it was also discussed that you must provide some sort of reason (or benefit) for a visitor to sign up for your blog and provide you their e-mail address. Illustrate what is in it for them. Bad examples of sites talked about were ones where you were immediately prompted to enter your e-mail address in right away without knowing why or what for. Most often people will choose to not enter their information in without knowing what is in it for them.

4 – Converting readers to clients
It was discussed how to leverage the blog to convert readers into clients. The groups thought that providing value would create a better experience for the reader and thus make them more inclined to be a client. After showcasing value, a call to action can close the deal.

5 – Putting Up Prices or Not?
Lastly, groups discussed the pros and cons of whether or not to put up pricing information on the website or to encourage visitors to contact you for more information. Some felt that putting the pricing up would help while others felt it may turn people away. Although there is no one definitive answer; one suggestion might be to offer a value-incentive to get people to contact you. One example might be a free consultation or free session to encourage people to connect with a lower level of risk on their end.

Dave Dreas is a fitness entrepreneur located in Scottsdale Arizona. He is part owner of Jeremy Scott Fitness which specializes in adult weight management programs and boot camps. His overall goal is to educate and inspire others to live a healthier lifestyle.

STAY TUNED TO THE UPCOMING POSTS ON THE OTHER THREE ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS.

James Patrick
www.jamespatrick.com