As Fort Worth’s only Duct Tape Marketing Authorized Coach, a reminder about today’s Coaching Excellence Series with Social Media Gurus John Jantsch and Chris Brogan.  Today, Thursday, December 11 (Noon, CST), we will hear these two guys discuss a wildly popular and very intriguing subject:

Using TWITTER FOR BUSINESS

Register for FREE - it’s not too late!

Follow RANDY on Twitter

Follow DONNY on Twitter

Love this analogy, except I feel a bit of convention about it (actually I participate more in the social media than with my gym membership!)

Go here to hear David’s 5 Ways that Social Media is Like Working Out - good stuff.

As podcasts certainly can make up a part of your online media strategy, here’s a good friend talking and fellow Duct Tape Marketing Authorized Coach talking with an expert on PR - listen for some good ideas for PR campaigns!  (Thanks Michael - and see you next week!)

Don’t forget the FREE marketing workshop tonight in North Fort Worth - starts at 6:30p!

-Randy

* Speaking of great marketing and social media blogs, read Duct Tape Marketing - continues to be #1 - congrats John!!

This upcoming week, we are looking again at the role of social media tools and how it relates to your small business.  It’s Saturday, so I won’t post anything long, but I’ll go back to one of America’s small business marketing gurus.  John Jantsch, creator and founder of Duct Tape Marketing, offers this introduction for us.

As well, if you are in the Fort Worth area, the Marketing Twins are conducting two FREE marketing workshops at local libraries.  Follow the press releases below for more details.  Or email us:  themarketingtwins@1429creative.com

FREE LIBRARY WORKSHOPS (both 6:30-8p)
TOPIC:  How small businesses can understand the importance of using social media (blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) to enhance their business

Oct 6, Watauga Library:  http://www.prlog.org/10122318-marketing-twins-present-free-marketing-workshop-at-watauga-library.html

Oct 9, Summerglen (N. FW - Beach/Basswood) Library:  http://www.prlog.org/10122321-marketing-twins-present-free-marketing-workshop-at-north-fort-worths-summerglen-library.html

-Randy

Are you ready to hear us interview a GOLD MEDALIST this Wednesday?  Register for FREE to receive the dial-in # / passcode!

Registration begins immediately and will be initially open to the first 50 participants!

(Click image to Register)

FAITH & SPORTS SERIES: Inspiring Christian Business Leaders in the Marketplace

* * * FREE CONFERENCE CALL* * *

Today’s Press Release

If you own a small business today, wouldn’t you like to get your website ranked in the TOP SEARCH RESULTS? I hope your answer is “YES!” Savvy online shoppers and prospects have little use for listings that show up on page 2, 3 or page 5 of their online search. They primarily look for the Top 10 or so businesses listed! When your prospects are looking for you, where do you show up?

Here’s today’s questions for you:

1. Do you know how to optimize your website for top search engine ranking?

2. What is Social Media Marketing and what does it have to do with Search Engine Optimization?

3. How do I use Twitter for business?

4. How do you ensure your prospects CHOOSE YOU when they are ready to buy?

5. Is getting TOP SEARCH RESULTS all there is to great marketing? If not (and the answer is NO), then how do you integrate intentional SEO elements into an overall marketing strategy?

Ken Partain is a good friend and colleague and is YOUR answer to your SEO needs! He is a fellow Duct Tape Marketing Authorized Coach and in that infamous trio of DTM coaches in the DFW Metroplex (Ken’s in Dallas - Sandra’s in Arlington - and I am Fort Worth’s only DTM Coach). Ken has recently launched a brand new SEO site that will be YOUR resource for understanding the power of Search Engine Optimization! The answers to all the questions I just listed can be seen on Ken’s site - he’s a genius! Ken has helped clients all over the country in systematically raising their search engine rankings - and for most people, we know that means GREATER PROFIT and MORE CLIENTS!

Do you need some of that?

Go to Ken’s site from the promotional link (Get Top Search Results) over in the right sidebar under “Marketing Resources!” Be sure and tell Ken you saw this on MarketingTwins.com - if he gets enough business for all you guys, maybe he’ll buy me lunch!

* * * ATTENTION * * *

If you live in the DFW area, you will be interested in a FREE workshop Ken is presenting at the end of this month, Aug 27. Do y’all realize how amazing this is - an SEO expert in our area giving away FREE marketing and SEO advice! Here’s what Ken says about the event:

During this event you will learn:

• How to be found online
• What local search is and why it matters to you
• How people find you online
• The four major factors that determine your search engine ranking
• How to build relationships that matter - online and off
• How to build powerful incoming links to your website
• How you can dominate the search results for your primary keyword phrases

The first 45 minutes will include the presentation mentioned above. The following 45 minutes will be a site clinic where you can have your website evaluated live and in person and learn the most effective techniques for improving your search engine ranking.

Folks - it doesn’t get much better than this! A FREE SEO workshop - in this area - where someone will give you a FREE evaluation of your website in person on the spot! You can’t afford to miss this!! To learn more, go here and register for the event!

-Randy

FYI: We like our current TOP SEARCH RESULT: if you Google “small business marketing fort worth” - guess who shows up several times? That has taken alot of work from the Marketing Twins and feels good! Now if it were just that easy to stay in the top … more work ahead!

What a great week to learn from some great thought leaders!

ARE YOU REGISTERED YET FOR THESE EVENTS?

TO REGISTER FOR COVEY’S INTERVIEW WITH John Jantsch TODAY:

Go to the Duct Tape Marketing Webinar Registration Page HERE!

TO REGISTER FOR LYTLE’S INTERVIEW THE MARKETING TWINS on Thursday:

GO HERE!

UPDATE - Monday at 7pm:

I was at a local restaurant recently. As in many retail establishments, they offered a comment card for me to give my opinion. They questions were pretty typical (“how was our service?” , “how was the quality of our food” , “was our facility clean”, etc…). But one question stuck out to me. I had not seen this question asked in this way on other cards:

“Compared to __________________ restaurant, our restaurant is:

__ Not as good __ About the same __ Much Better

Our lives are full of choices and as consumers, we make a thousand choices a day. But as small business owners, we often want people to rate us (I’m a strong advocate for promoting online reviews through sites like InsiderPages, Yahoo Local, Yelp, etc…). But do we allow our customers the right to tell us that COMPARED TO OUR COMPETITION, HOW DO WE MEASURE UP?

I think this is a strong statement from the management of this restaurant that they know that their clients shop around and eat at other eateries. They are not so arrogant or naive to think customers are 100% loyal. So in allowing their clients to rate them in comparison to their competition, not only do they get a window into what consumers prefer at various establishments, they communicate trust and reality. We’re not just islands where people come to us because there is no choice. We live in a fast and furious culture where consumers are picky and they most definitely compare us to our competitors. How novel it is to ASK your clients how you stand up against the others. You might try asking!

Don’t forget 2 upcoming FREE events:

Monday, Aug 18 - Stephen MR Covey - Coaching Excellence Series - FREE CALL - ENROLL at Duct Tape Marketing site

Thursday, Aug 21 - Dr. Rick Lytle (ACU College of Business Adminsitration Dean) Talks with The Marketing Twins about Faith and Leadership in the marketplace! REGISTER FOR THIS FREE CALL - CLICK HERE!
 -Randy

The Marketing Twins are launching a new series of conference calls called “DOUBLE TAKE LIVE BROADCAST.” We are scheduling one or two FREE conference calls each month with special guests who will talk about their business or organization and the role that faith plays in their lives. We anticipate it being an encouraging time for people who dwell in the marketplace to find strength to persevere and be a bright light of faith. Whether you are an entrepreneur, own your own business, work in a cubicle, or somewhere in between, please dial in to this FREE 45 minute conference call. You can dial in from your home, your office, or even on the road.

Our first call is Thursday, August 21, 2008 at NOON (CST). We are so thrilled that our first guest is Dr. Richard S. Lytle, Dean of the College of Business Administration at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas. His topic is “Building a Distinctive Brand of Leadership with Power to Change What Really Matters.” This is going to be great! Dr. Lytle is a good friend and has been a mentor to the Marketing Twins since we were Marketing majors at ACU (we get to claim that we were in his very first marketing class at ACU!) Dr. Lytle leads COBA with intense Christian convictions and strong academic excellence and has been a favorite of COBA graduates for 18 years! We are blessed that he is taking a few minutes out of his busy schedule to share a word of encouragement for YOU. Won’t you join in and dial in from wherever you are? It’s FREE and only 45 minutes!

You’ll enjoy listening to what Dr. Lytle has to say about FAITH LEADERSHIP in the marketplace. Dial in and listen to Dr. Lytle share important principles important to anyone living out their faith day in and day out in the marketplace!

The call is FREE! Join us on Thursday, August 21 at Noon for the first DOUBLE TAKE LIVE BROADCAST!

You must register in order to obtain the dial-in # and passcode: REGISTER HERE

Randy & Donny Vaughn
The Marketing Twins at 1429 Creative

CLICK HERE: Small Business Marketing : Differentiate!

I posted this blog post early last month - but in anticipation of our upcoming HUDDLE, I thought it was appropriate to remind you why you need to enroll today!! It’s only $50, so why not take a morning and INVEST in learning how to stand out from your competition!

Posted using ShareThis - if you don’t have this tool on your site, GET IT!  It’s so easy to use!

A last minute notice: I will be co-boothing (is that a term?) with Ken Partain at the Grapevine Convention Center tomorrow, Tuesday, June 17th from 9a-5p. As Duct Tape Marketing coaches in the DFW area, we are sharing a booth at the Small Business Trade Show Expo. There’s some great speakers throughout the day, including my friend Ken at 4p. He is speaking on one of the hottest topics in small business marketing : Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Ken has been doing this for over 15 years and he knows his stuff!

Again, if you would like more information about the Trade Show, go here.

To learn about Ken’s fantastic SEO and SEM packages for your business, go to wemakemarketingeasy.com (tell him Randy sent you!)

-Randy

You’re stuck on how to recession-proof your business. You think “but I don’t have alot of money for real expensive advertising.”

You’ve got an idea of what might be good - but you realize you’re basing this decision on an invisible (non-existent) marketing plan.

You find yourself competing with the same competitors year after year for the same market - and you find yourself always being the one to lower your prices the lowest.  Where’s the profit?

You put alot of time in designing a website, but in the end, it sounds just like everybody else (“great quality” - “lowest prices in town” - “super customer service”) - what sets you apart from everyone else?

Along with the other Marketing Twin (Donny), I will be presenting a FREE workshop on Monday, May 5th, on simple and practical marketing strategies that will address all the above scenarios. It will be an informal, no-obligation, educational presentation (I won’t be selling anything - so just come for the networking and practical marketing advice). We’ll have a great time together and we’ll try and leave plenty of time for Q&A.

Watauga Public Library is located one block east of Hwy 377 (Denton Hwy), just north of the intersection of Hightower and Whitley Road (if you find the large HARVEST CHURCH and McDonalds intersection, you’re on Hightower. Hightower is called Basswood to the west of 377 - in case you want to come from I-35W).

CAN’T MAKE IT ON MAY 5th?

Join us for the same presentation in KELLER on SATURDAY, MAY 10th?

I am conducting a couple of FREE marketing workshops in May, so I decided to give some promotion to it. You’ll side the sidebar ad and it takes you to a separate page (it’s own tab now, too) - if you live in the area where I will conduct these workshops, please come! The first one is in Watauga. They are educational in nature - they are not sales pitches! It’ll be very informal with time for Q&A as well. And, it’s FREE!

-Randy

If you are reading this today (Monday 3/24), you can catch the streaming video on my SMALL BUSINESS SUMMIT page (see top right tab)!

John’s speaking at 11a CST!

A day full of resourceful information!

-Randy

SMALL BUSINESS SERIES: Watauga Library

I am speaking at the Watauga Public Library in a few short weeks, May 5, at 6:30p.

TOPIC: 

Creating Marketing Solutions for Your Small Business

DESCRIPTION:   

Marketing is much more simple than you think!  Making marketing a systematic element of your business will turn your hit-or-miss approach to one that is effective, simple and practical!

If you live in the North Fort Worth or NE Tarrant County area, I hope you will put it on your calendars right now!   It’ll be a fun, interactive and very practical presentation  … I promise you will leave inspired and informed about what you can do to take control of the marketing in your small business.

-Randy 

* It’s FREE!   Don’t forget … Monday, May 5th, 6:30p!

This is a unique event for women entrepreneurs - it’s a nationwide tour of 5 cities - the closest one that some may be interested in attending is in Austin, APRIL 24th. And the amazing part is: $59 registration fee (that’s it!)

One of my mentors, John Jantsch, creator and founder of Duct Tape Marketing, is one of the presenters and I know you will find his marketing counsel to be sound, practical, effective and perfect for your small business.

-Randy

Mark Mark your calendars for MARCH 24-27 for a virtual conference targeting small business!

This FREE online event provides hours of valuable small business programming each day. You’ll get tips, advice, and secrets from experts, all designed to make the hats you wear each day fit more comfortably. Whether or not you have time to listen online to all this conference, I would stronly urge you to check out the KEYNOTE speaker…John Jantsch, creator and founder of (I talk about this enough on this blog, that surely some of you might be wondering, “who is this guy?” or “what is this Duct Tape Marketing?”)John delivers the keynote address on SALES & MARKETING, so get yourself registered for this FREE conference! Check the website for the exact time, but I think it will be late morning (before noon) on MONDAY, March 24th.

To really impress you all, here’s my very own picture with Mr. Jantsch at one of our Duct Tape Marketing training events. I am an authorized Duct Tape Marketing coach, particularly interested in helping small business owners in the Fort Worth area implement successful marketing strategies.

This Microsoft Small Business Summit session will no doubt be very practical…that’s why John chose to use the DUCT TAPE name associated with his branded marketing strategies. I can guarantee you that you will find something useful to use. I will be listening in…will you?

-Randy