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What are some of the ways that you (Meggin) will be promoting
this project?
- Email notification to current subscribers of the Top Ten Productivity Tips (TTPT).
- Email marketing to people on my list who are not currently TTPT subscribers.
- Twitter (Frequent 'tweets').
- Facebook (through my regular account and also through various Fan pages).
- Linked In (Events and other announcements).
- Life of E's blog (http://meggin.com/lifeofes/wordpress/).
- Special mention and advertising on the webpages I create for my many speaking events around the country.
- Announcements to some of the listservs to which I belong (for professors, for example).
- Viral marketing that happens, for example, from people sending along the Third Thursday Productivity Time recordings (that are free for subscribers to the TTPT).
- The signature in my email.
- Whatever else comes up in the future that seems reasonable.
What is expected of the contributors, as far as promotion?
- I expect that you will let people on your email list (your contact list or whatever you call your "list") know about this new project. You will want to announce, for example, that you have been selected to write for one or more of these new Top Ten Productivity Tips series - and then invite people to access your tips along with many other experts' information. Right now, you may go right ahead and send your friends, family, and colleagues to www.TopTenProductivityTips.com - and they can begin to receive the original Top Ten Productivity Tips - ensuring that they will be notified as soon as they can sign up for the new series. This is a great way to begin to build awareness and loyalty.
- In addition, since most people who will be writing for the Top Tens are on one or more social media sites, you will also let people know about this new project through those channels, just as I will.
- If you send out a newsletter or other kind of contact, it will be great to include information about the Top Ten Productivity Tips as part of what you send.
- Putting one of the Top Ten Productivity Tips links in the signature of your email.
- Everyone who has a website is encouraged to have a place where you display that you are an author for the Top Ten Productivity Tips.
- There is a whole range of opportunities for you. I will send you various links and some language that you are welcome to use - and of course, you may write your own, too!
The more we all promote one another, the better it is and the more likely a huge number of people around the world can become more productive. That's the goal!
How much is being invested in this project to make sure it works well and serves people?
What I'm doing is just blazing ahead (as per my normal way of not necessarily thinking I wonder if this is a good idea). I am assuming - and I can already tell this is going to be true - this project is going to work. To this point (late December 2009), here's what is already in motion:
- I have already hired a graphic designer who is creating doing brand new graphics for the websites. I decided, I don't want clip art that's already out there. I knew I wanted something that is special just for this. So I have a guy in New York (hired through Elance.com, who is designing brand new graphics that will go with each of these different categories. He is creating a drawing for principals, a drawing for teachers, a drawing for women, a drawing for writers, and so on.
- Along with that, I am having a whole new website created. So my current Top 10 Productivity Tips website will, in essence, go away because it will have these new graphics, new design, and new offerings (i.e., the new series). As soon as the websites are ready, you will be able to advertise them.
- New templates for all of the new series. I am having one of my VAs (Heather Nelson of Champion Assistants) create new email templates for each of these series. I like things to look great and this is one way to make sure that these Top Tens DO look great - both onscreen and when people print them to take them to meetings or otherwise to share them.
- Domain names - I bought tons of domain names related to Top Ten Productivity Tips - but not ALL of the ones that are available. To illustrate my thoughts on this, a lot of people have been suggesting things like, "Oh, you can do Top 10 Productivity Tips for insurance agents or Top 10 Productivity Tips for this, that, and the other." There are thousands, probably, I could do, but for right now we're just working on these seven. I own some additional domains but frankly, 7 brand new series is PLENTY for us to work on.
Writers and principals and professors and coaches and entrepreneurs... those are my folks. And also, the majority of my list is women. So to me, it made sense to have a series that is especially for women.
But, suffice it to say, have bought a bunch of domain names related to this project.
- My list is pretty good-sized at this point - it's right at 7,000. I will be able to do a great deal of promotion for this. I am pretty active on some of the social media sites and I have been already talking about this project to begin letting people know about it. Note: You can do the same...
- When I go to various universities or other kinds of speaking engagements, I always create a special webpage that is just for that place or event. It references books that go along with the topic or has other free materials that people who are in the workshop might be interested in. Now, I will be able to include a specific link to the Top Ten Productivity Tips series that most closely connects to the audience.
Let's say I'm doing a workshop that is especially for women, just like I recently did one at a university. It was limited to women. Well, if the Top 10 Productivity Tips for Women webpage had been ready, then I would have linked it. In the future, I will be promoting the pertinent set of tips every single time I go out like that. That will be some of the promotion. It will keep happening.
- Time and energy (and money) deluxe is being invested in this project. And because people will subscribe to the Top 10 for free, there is no direct income for this. So I have to manage the expenditure because this is probably going to cost - not counting my time, which is a whole different thing - considering the website, graphics, templates, at least $3,000 to $3,500 to set up. Clearly, I am excited about this or I wouldn't be investing the money, let alone the time and energy on this project. With that being said, I am trying to be careful not to waste money.
- Lisa's time is being dedicated to this project, as well, which adds to its overall value. She will be your go-to person for many questions that you might have.
I'm investing time, money, and energy because I think this is a potentially huge offering for all of us. EVERYONE wants and needs to be more productive so I think we will have a large and committed group of subscribers.
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