Are you looking for a business card that will make you stand out?  Why don’t you take a look at the mini card?

Although smaller than the typical business card, www.moo.com offers every opportunity to help you create cards that stand out.  The site is simple to navigate and execute a design.  www.usa.moo.com allows you to use your own images to create a simple, but very effective marketing tool.  You are allowed to write text or put an image in the front and write up to six lines on the back.   Templates can help the more graphically challenged.

Best of all you can mix and match to the quantity you desire without an extra charge.

Since we are all writers, what is the best way to promote the birth of a new book?   I can visualize  you putting a cliff hanger of a question on the front and on the back the name  of the book, your name, and your contact information.

Best of all, you can write or use up to 100 different images or text if you order 100 cards.

Pricing is very reasonable.  If you buy400 cards at a price of nearly $80, it comes to about $.20 a card.  100 cards cost as little as $19.99.

I have not had the chance to order some for myself.  However, if you should order them before I get a chance, let me know how you like them.

The vendor has suggested a number of ways to use these cards.  Peruse the site and good luck.

One of the hot new terms in our lexicon these days is the concept of a thought leader.  Those of us who have a specialty can now share creative thoughts, views and opinions with the rest of the world through social media sites.

If you happen to specialize in romance writing, for example, you can visit any number of writing sites to post your expertise.  Recognition for your contribution comes in the form of e-networking opportunities, which may parlay into meeting an editor or a literary agent.

So be bold.  Share your thoughts.  Just a note though.  Remember that your information has a far reach and therefore, you need to always remember what the image you are trying to create for yourself and make sure that publication of your thoughts are aligned with your desired image.

For those who don’t know what metatags are, here’s my simple definition.  Metatags are words that help search engines find your site, text, or video.  When you post your site, text or video, there is often a box where you can add metatag words separated by a comma.  So, how do you know what words to list?

For years most of us just put whatever buzz words were contained in the copy or words that described the bigger picture.  It was a hit or miss proposition, but since there is no limit on the metatags you can add, you just use your imagination and list every word that you think relates.  I just discovered a better way to get targeted results and erase the guessing.

On Google Adwords, there is a keyword tool.  You type in the word you think best describes your site, passage, etc., copy the validation code in the box (this is to get around bots using the site), and click Get Key Words.  Up will pop a list of key words and the number of hits.  If you select the more popular key words, there is a high likelihood that your site will generate more traffic. 

Here it is:

https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

If you thought about it, you could have guessed that the next breakthrough in sharing online is blogging through video.  You don’t have to wait any longer.  You can reach people more personally by video recording what you want to say and uploading it on www.blogtalkradio.com.

You will find that there is someone that wants to talk about almost every topic.  Unlike the written word, seeing the person and watching the mannerisms connects on a deeper level that the written word cannot.

I searched the site for people who spoke on writing.  And voila, there were many people out there sharing their writing insights. 

For busy people, I think reading is faster, but for those who want a deeper connection to personal stories and sage knowledge given, this might be what you have been waiting for.

You can listen to what’s posted or you can start your own talk show.  (How many of us have dreamed of this opportunity, but  never thought we would be lucky enough to reach millions of people.)  Best of all, all this is free.  So, get out your entrepreneur hat.  How can we use this social media outlet to further our writing exposure?  Can we use this on more than one level?

The Internet has given rise to a new marketing twist. Born as a direct result of online chatting is the concept of Inbound Marketing. To define Inbound Marketing, maybe we should start with the definition of Outbound Marketing, which is a concept we are most familiar.

Outbound marketing is when you —the vendor, the purveyor of goods or services — reaches out to the public for business.

In contrast, Inbound Marketing refers to you, the vendor, attracting people of like interests or needs by just existing. Inbound marketing is based on you putting yourself out there and people deciding that they are interested in your ideas, your humor, or your knowledge.

Here’s an example: An Outbound Marketing activity might be placing an ad in the newspaper or launching a direct mail campaign. We are waving our product or services in people’s faces to see if they are interested.

In Inbound Marketing, the perspective is the opposite. It is more like going to a cocktail party. You aren’t selling anything in particular. You are sharing information and ideas. People gravitate to you because of who you are. You are building a relationship online, which might someday lead to a business transaction.

The fluid nature of the Internet made this possible. It brings you in contact with people in all corners of the globe. There are social media sites in every industry and every avocation.

What is amazing is that these sites are not just for the very young or the tech savvy. www.linkedin.com boasts that the average person in their membership is between 32-45, earning about $79,000 per year and owns a business. These sites are generally free. All you have to do is sign up for a membership.

The most popular social media sites are www.facebook.com and www.myspace.com. Other business oriented sites are www.linkedin.com, www.brownbook.net, and www.jigsaw.com.

www.twitter.com has gained tremendous popularity in a short time. It is best characterized as a mini-blog because contributions cannot exceed 140 characters. As you blog you attract people with similar interests. Common interests creates an immediate connection, even if it is only tenuous.

There are several social media sites for writers, which I will post next time.

I have been blogging for a few months now and realizing that successful blogging is not successful without equal attention to all its parts.  Writing well and offering substantive content are certainly plusses.  However, there are other components…marketing related. 

A successsful blog includes reading other blogs and leaving messages.  Surfing the web to see what others wrote and their online presentation.  You are in a quasi competitive position.  You want people to read what you’ve written (otherwise why bother writing it in cyberspace), yet you never dreamed you would be competing for eyes.

To draw attention to your blog, you leave messages and add your blog address on other blogs.  Be sure to email all your friends, family and colleagues announcing that you have launched the best blog ever.  If they like it, they will pass your blog onto their friends. You offer contests. You link to other blogs.  You carefully select metatags and sign up with other search engines.  You join social networks and describe your blog on each of them.  Some examples of social networks are facebook and my space.  Others might be jigsaw.com, linked in, classmates, reunion, you get the idea?  You could run down the directory from your college or group membership.

One other thing that attracts readers.  That is if you have an edge to your writing. Maybe you write with humor?  Or maybe cynicism?  Your writing has to have bite.  You need to engage or incite people, so that it gets readers to think and revisit.  Or if you aren’t prepared to critique or write humor, try supplying straight fact or information. 

If you give a reason for people to visit, they will come and come back. 

If writing is the way you pay for food and keep a roof over your head, then you should have a website.  Think of your website as a virtual business card.  This “card,” however, differs in that so much more of your personality, your bio, your writing is out there for public scrutiny.   Smart writers understand that publishing their writing is only half a story.  Through a website is a pivotal beginning for marketing — the half of the publishing game.

Here are several good reasons how  a website can increase your exposure:

1.  You are reaching 1,463,632,361 potential viewers.  That’s about one-fifth of the world’s population.
2.   You can superficially bond with your audience by sharing with your viewers something of your life and interests.
3.  You can communicate with your virtual fans through your blog or forum. 
4.   You can request your viewers to subscribe to your site, which is a built in audience for selling your books.

5.   You will enjoy the creative process.
6.    You can add all sorts of sections to your website.  You can keep it strictly about writing?  Or if you have a passion for a topic,  you may use this website as your personal virtual library.  Add all sorts of interesting tidbits about music, literature, articles to show the full scope of your interests and writing skills.

Have you been wanting to create a website that doesn’t look like an amateur put it together?  Are you hesitant about designing a website because you think that learning the software is a bit overwhelming?

Well, last week I stumbled onto one of the easiest and sharpest looking web design sites.  www.wix.com is  user friendly.  It has great illustrations, which by the way, you can use these illustrations  as a template and insert your own copy.  It offers the flexibility of flash and hosts it to its server.  You can embed it into your facebook or myspace page or any other vehicle for that matter…or you can create your own freestanding webpage.

I give this site a double thumbs up!!! Let me know what you think. Oh and I think you’ll like this.  The site is free.

Are you a writer that seeks the company of other writers?  Can’t find a group nearby?

I came across a great site for people who want to connect with others with similar interests.  Try www.meetup.com.  Although I have not joined it yet (my cup runneth over), I did surf through the site and read comments.  Since it is a self-directed site, you can be in control.  You either join an existing club or form your own.  You can search by topic or geography. 

Group members often leave their comments about the group.  It seems whether you are there to make new friends in the area or joined to talk about a specific topic, almost all the comments were a strong endorsement. 

Here’s a review from Bryan-Carey on http://www.viewpoints.com/Meetup-com-review-3b7f

So if you are interested in spreading your wings, try something different.  Wouldn’t this make a great venue for a mystery novel?

LinkedIn.com is a fast growing professional social networking site that allows members to create business contacts, search for jobs, and find potential clients.   Members can create a profile that can be viewed by others within their network.  LinkedIn is a free business social networking site that allows users who register to create a professional profile visible to others. 

With over 24 million linkedin users, it is an incredibly effective way to develop an extensive list of contacts rather quickly.  Your network consists of your own connections, your connections’ connections (2nd degree) and your 2nd degree connections’ connections (3rd degree).   From these contacts, you learn of job and business opportunities.  The LinkedIn Answers allows people to post business-related questions.  Responses come from LinkedIn members.

Like anything else, you will have to put some time into developing the information for your profile and inviting contacts to join your network.  I’m not sure how many people really work the network to its full potential, but it is always nice to know that in case your memory starts to slip (too many faces and names over time), you just have to browse your contacts to jog your memory.

LinkedIn also provides you with an instant way of connecting with everyone when you have an important announcement to make such as your fourth father-in-law’s brother is Lee Iacocca.

Be aware that competitors also view these profiles.  Headhunters can snatch up your best employees.  I have noticed that people feel obligated to respond to invitations and asking for recommendations might be akin to begging.  This can be a bit off putting to some.

For writers, start your network on www.linkedin.com and be in position to do viral marketing when your first book is published.