7 Tips to Bring in the Wow Factor!

Photos have a huge impact on us because we’re highly visual creatures.

When you consider that over 90% of the information, we take in is visual, photography takes on a whole new perspective.

Think of how powerful your photos could be on Instagram, a popular social media platform that focuses on photography.

There’s even more to the power of photos because photos bring back different memories, experiences and emotions in just 150 milliseconds.

Emotions are important and move you to take an action such as double tapping on Instagram, joining your email list and commenting.

If the viewer feels nothing, they’re more likely to move on. When they feel emotion, they will spend their precious time with you.

Hailed as the social networking site for business professionals since its inception, LinkedIn continues to thrive in a highly volatile social media climate.

As of this writing, the site, nearing a generation into its existence, is awash with activity—a far cry from what it looked like back in the day.

As LinkedIn has changed, so have the ways we engage on it.

We no longer communicate purely for new business or new employment.

LinkedIn now holds a mirror to the human condition.

The Grand Connection has been nominated in two fabulous award categories for the Business from the Heart Conference and Awards Gala, hosted by our friends at Your Holistic Earth.

• People’s Choice Award Canada
• Impact Award

Many of our Grand Connection members have also been nominated and we are so proud of each and everyone of the nominees who influence and impact the world in meaningful, positive ways as entrepreneurs.

We are in the world of Web 3.0 now.

Just to review, Web 1.0 which began in the 1990’s was about sharing information.

Web 2.0 was about reading and writing, an exchange of ideas, and then became even more about interacting when social media started.

Now we are in Web 3.0 which is even more about interacting, building relationships.

In many ways it may still look like we’re in 2.0 because much of Web 3.0 development is happening on the “back end”, the web we don’t see.

It’s about search results.

Soon you will see the changes on the front end.

 

Wasn’t today a totally amazing and mind-blowing event? Thanks to Leading LinkedIn Expert JD Gershbein, our brilliant speaker for our GC Speaker event today.

LinkedIn is an ever changing platform that we, professionals and companies, should be on. It is also now favoring community builders and content creators.

During his talk JD shared lots of nuggets related to the following topics:

• How to build new insights to elevate their LinkedIn profiles,
• How to strengthen critical relationships and open more conversations with decision-makers; and
• How to capitalize on new growth opportunities.

How do you know when it’s time for a walk?

If you feel like you’re losing energy or steam throughout the day, it’s time for a walk.

If you’re indecisive as to what to do next — even after staring at your to-do list for a while — it’s time for a walk.

We are starting to put together the elements of this new program that will be launched at the end of October. Now is the time to come to our next grroup meeting and learn about it to make sure you are enrolled. Start off by getting your podcast added to the Grand Connection listings in the membership hub.

This cooperative package, FREE for group members includes:

• Podcast Listings (bonus if you already have 3)
• Group Podcast Page With Introduction Videos
• Be part of the subscribe/follow/JV list
• Campaign with boosted posts, press release and social reach
• Collaborative marketing through the group
• Livestream Interviews

Its time for the Grand Giveaway Fall/ Winter 2022! This is one of our grandest collaborative marketing events of the year. This is a great opportunity for you to gain visibility, build your email list, find new clients and meet grand connection collaboration partners.

Who can apply: Open to all members of the Grand Connection.

GET YOUR FREE BUSINESS GROWTH BUFFET RECIPES FOR GRAND SUCCESS FLIP BOOK

The Conference Flip Book With the Grand Recipes of Success (and all the recordings) is now available. Meet fellow GC Members and hear all the Grand Talks. Yes, this is FREE for you and we welcome you to share this valuable resource with your friends. We are so proud of this collaborative accomplishment from our members and especially Dave Howard of MomentStorm Media who pulled it all together.

Get Your Copy here

What marketers need to know about Google’s helpful content update

I’m glad to be back writing my newsletter the week prior to sending. I took a break from the (at times tiring) process of producing fresh content each week over the summer. But rather than stray from a weekly newsletter, which I’ve done since 2008, I cued up pre-produced batched content for the summer at the end of June, and then put the schedule on auto pilot to enjoy some time at the cabin. That’s the high value placed on consistency, which is key to ensuring content marketing works over the long run. Admittedly it’s a challenge faced by many bloggers, podcasters, video publishers and newsletter authors – how so best take a break.

I can’t honestly remember where I first heard the question,

“Are you being productive? Or are you just being busy?”

But it resonated enough with me that I jotted it down on a sticky note and attached it to my ring light (ever present for Zoom calls).

It has remained there at eye height as a constant check in reminder since.

You only have one chance to make a good first impression.

This first impression, and keeping your new visitors on your website is absolutely essential.

The hero section is the first thing people see when they visit your website. It is the area that shows up on the screen under your logo and menu, and is above the fold. (The fold is the part you have to scroll). This is one of the most important parts of your website to be done right because most people will leave if it loads slowly or does not deliver the right message.

Remember in school when the teacher would say “Keep your eyes on your paper”? Meaning don’t look at other people’s papers to get answers or ideas.

I read that phrase in a marketer’s email this morning and knew it could be helpful for you.

Just like in school where keeping your eyes on your own paper was a smart move, it is also a great practice as an entrepreneur. Don’t get hung up trying to keep up to the gurus that you follow. They’re not you!

Special thanks to Ed Katz and Jill Lublin for sharing their wisdom on publicity and inspiring us all to consider the benefits of this low cost marketing strategy that is accessible to us all.