Turning Spam Into a Win-Win

Spam comes in all forms...Those of you who have a blog have undoubtedly received all manner of free offers for content, offers to "try something & then blog about it" or simply had someone make a comment that is somewhat relative to your content but is only there so they can post their backlink (website or email) with the comment.


Last week, we discussed backlinking on blogs and forums as a way to generate hits on your website and increase your Google ranking.  If it's a relative and useful comment (or just simply a positive note about the content), most bloggers will keep the comment and the linker may get some relative business.  If you see a local business linking to your blog posts, instead of hitting the Spam button, why not consider this an opportunity to show them a far more effective marketing tool?


Try responding (to their email of course - not on your blog comments) with this:

"I see that you're also based in Vancouver. Are you getting many responses from posting on related blogs? If not, why not join me for lunch Thursday where you can present your product/service/opportunity to our 25 members and guests in our business group? I may not be able to help you personally, but I would be happy to introduce you to my networking partners. Space is limited each week, so let me know as soon as you can so I can reserve a spot for you."

But wait -- there's more!  


Don't forget to ask if they know anyone who could use a boost in their business. Whether it's product sales or a service, we have such a diverse group, that they'll surely find someone who's looking for their product or niche. By inviting them to bring a guest or two, they'll feel a greater commitment to actually attend the meeting.


Don't forget to add:

"Once I've received your confirmation, I'll register you as a guest and will send you details about the meeting. I'll also notify our chapter President, so if you show up before me, someone will be expecting you and be able to greet you."

By saying you're notifying the "Chapter President", you elevate the group (in other words, it's not just a group of strangers standing around a room passing business cards) and you make them feel important.  To personalize it a bit more, you may also want to point out some members of the chapter who they could benefit from meeting.  Your guest will be able to tailor their presentation and bring any appropriate samples or materials.


In just one meeting, they'll see the level of success that we achieve on a regular basis and will be able to see how effectively it could help their business.

5 Steps to Increase your Google Page Rank

A referred sale is almost a sure thing, but if the person doesn't know you personally, chances are they'll Google your name to research you a little. Whether they search by your name or by a key word search, do you know if you'll turn up on the first page of their search or not at all?

Here are a few easy ways to improve your Google ranking through backlinks.

1. FORUMS.  Post something relevant to a forum and be sure to include a signature with a link to your website or to a promotion. Knowledge on any topic is useful and may cause another reader to click on your info, but if the topic is relevant to your job or service, it's a double whammy and you might pick up a new client in the process.
2. NEWSLETTERS.  Compile your list of customers and send them irregular information about your services. If you send it every Tuesday, it will become stale - rather send it randomly so it's fresh & unexpected - people will actually take the time to read it through. If you create a lot of links in your newsletter, that will increase your Google visibility.
3. ARTICLES.  Create and publish articles including your signature in each one. There are lots of websites out there looking for free content that will increase your traffic. Some will even pay for you to provide expert content.
4. CROSS-LINKING.  Try to get related websites to link back to you.  This should be to websites that are in the same or related fields. (eg. Realtor = Mortgage Broker, Tanning Salon = Vacation (Travel agent), Personal Trainer = Massage, etc) Email the person who manages the website and ask if they'll do a link exchange. Remember this doesn't need to be within your same geographical area - think creatively!
5. LINK YOURSELF.  We all typically have a FaceBook Fan Page, Blog, Website, Twitter, and LinkedIn account, and maybe more. If you have 5 online points of contact, make sure that each one contains links to the other 4 sites.

Effective backlinks = higher Google pagerank = more Google results. Better results make you look like an expert in your field and will almost certainly solidify that sale!

This Week's Presenter Is...

Rowan Smith, Mortgage Broker

The Mortgage Centre

Mortgage broker Rowan Smith works for you, not the lender. Mortgage brokers are paid a one-time commission. They require no benefits from the banks; they pay for their own offices, and they are offered no other pay or fringe benefits from their lenders. In short, it is cheaper for the banks to offer mortgages through lenders than through traditional banking branches where they need to pay rent, salaries, benefits, insurance, and so forth.

Thursday's presentation featured compelling examples of various people Rowan has recently helped. These included an 82 year old West Vancouver pensioner with a valuable home he'd owned for many years, but also a substantial debt load he'd accumulated as a result of helping family. (No good deed goes unpunished?) By restructuring his client's debt, Rowan reduced monthly payments from $2,062 (mortgage) plus $2,250 (credit card) to a vastly reduced payment of $1,397 for BOTH (versus a total of $4,312 a month). Savings of $2,915 per month!

Another story Rowan shared with us demonstrated his remarkable skill in negotiating mortgages for the self-employed, people that banks routinely turn down because of their inability to prove steady income. One such client had been a successful commercial welder for 10 year -- he'd earned $75,000 annually -- but because he'd started his own business less than a year ago and hadn't yet filed the pertinent tax return, three banks and two brokers turned him down. In all of 24 hours, Rowan had his client approved for a $650,000 home purchase. The man bought a home for $625,000 less than a week later.

Two banks also turned down a movie industry worker for being "high risk", but Rowan stepped in and got the individual (who'd paid $1,750 monthly rent) into a $475,000 condo, where mortgage payments are no higher than rent had been.


It seems that no matter how sticky a mortgage qualifying situation may be, Rowan is the man to step in and render it workable. Got an oil tank in your yard? No problem! Rowan can coach you (as he's done for the owner of a Commercial Drive "old timer") in how to have said tank removed according to city bylaws. You say your rental suite isn't "approved" (fact: they almost never are) and the bank won't give you credit? Turns out there are ways to make that suite income usable, and Rowan can walk you through the process.

Whether you're ready to buy your first home, or looking to renegotiate an existing mortgage, remember that conventional lenders have no vested interest in getting you the best possible deal. Rowan Smith does, and he knows what he's doing. So contact him today and "take the hassle out of financing your castle."

Phone: 604.657.6775
Toll Free: 800.774.8818
Fax: 604.637.2139
smith.rowan@mortgagecentre.com
Website: rowansmith.ca
Blog: mortgagecentrecitywide.com/blogs/smith

This Week's Presenter Is...

Shannon Larson, Registered Acupuncturist

Shannon Larson Acupuncture

Trained to work with a wide variety of conditions, Registered Acupuncturist Shannon Larson specializes in women's health, with a focus on fertility and pregnancy. Shannon's presentation centered on a well-known troublemaker from which no human being is immune: stress.

Banton Medical Dictionary defines stress as:

Any factor that threatens the health of the body or has an adverse effect on its functioning , such as injury, disease, or worry. The existence of one form of stress tends to diminish resistance to other forms. Constant stress bring about changes in the balance of hormones in the body.

To understand stress and its treatment from an acupuncture and Chinese Medicine perspective, it's worth beginning with Yin & Yang 101. Yin and Yang represent balance, with Yin referring to body fluid, blood and a generally cooling effect, while Yang is warm and maintains the smooth flow of Qi (essential vitality or energy) throughout the body's meridians (channels that may, in Western Medicine, correspond to fasciae, which are the many connective tissues surrounding muscles, blood vessels and nerves.)

The liver conducts Qi's movement throughout the body. When we're unusually anxious or out of sorts, this critical organ is unable to do its job properly and then ... Houston, we have a problem:

Liver Qi stagnation -- aka, STRESS.

Symptoms of liver Qi stagnation include pain along sides of the body, depression, mood swings, inappropriate anger, abdominal discomfort, churning sensation in stomach, and a host of others.

Acupuncture alleviates liver Qi stagnations not only by moving blood but also moving Qi (i.e. releasing the dam). Points are chosen based on the affected meridian pathways and tailored to each individual's physical response to stress. The goal? Balance the yin relative to the yang and move Qi, thus bringing the body back into balance.

Shannon stresses, however, that no ethical practitioner wants to keep her patients forever. The obective is to bring patients back to a state of balance and easy self-maintenance.Prevention works too, so Shannon encourages us to eat whole, organic food, regularly and in healthy quantities (i.e. 80% full). Exercise (20 minutes, 3 to 5 times a week), meditation/deep breathing (20 minutes a day), and sleep also help keep us balanced and thereby healthy.

Shannon practices Wednesdays and Thursdays at:
Alchemy and Elixir Health Group
#320 - 1026 Davie Street, Vancouver

On Tuesdays and Fridays:
Bonn Chiropractic
3-1238 Homer St, Vancouver

Contact Shannon today to find out how acupuncture can bring you relief from pain, discomfort or stress.
Shannon Larson Acupuncture: Using an age-old medicine to cure today's modern pains.


shannonlarsoshannonlarson@gmail.com
website: vancouvertcm.com
cel: 778 233 0074

This Week's Presenter Is...

Christine Turner, Travel Agent
The Frugal Traveller

Our gadget-loving travel agent Christine Turner of The Frugal Travelers drew upon her visual savvy as she treated us to a slideshow featuring, among other tempting sights, images of tropical wedding destinations.

Christine, who herself tied the knot in Varadero, Cuba, dispelled the myth that destination weddings are more expensive than locally planned celebrations. On the contrary, destination weddings can save couples an average of $15,000.


The average cost of a wedding in Canada, once you've factored in expenses for a banquet dinner, flowers, cake, photography, DJ, ceremony and venue rental costs, can be upwards of $20,000. By comparison, the cost of a Mexican resort wedding event can be as little as $5,000, and with Christine sourcing out the best possible package deals, destination weddings can be an excellent value, even considering travel costs.

Another advantage? Because the celebration is spread out over several days, couples can spend more quality time with their guests.

All-inclusive Luxury
You don't have to be engaged to take advantage of the many luxury travel deals accessible to Christine. Packages can include such pluses as "no wrist bands" classification (nice not to stand out like day-glo signage when you're out and about) and an English-speaking staff. Often you'll have a choice of several upscale restaurants, and if they do require reservations and no seats are available, you'll be given a pager so you can enjoy a pre-dinner drink as you wait for notification. 24 hour room service may also be available.

What's the deal with travel insurance?
Many of us may assume - erroneously, as it turns out - that the travel insurance policies provided by our credit card plans are more comprehensive than may be the case. Trip delay insurance can be particularly tricky. For instance, while your policy may (or may not) cover rebooking due to flight delays, it won't cover missed flights for other reasons, e.g. your shuttle bus breaks down en route to the airport. To learn more, please read Christine's informative blog post, To Insure or Not to Insure ... Travel Insurance & Credit Cards. Given that trip delay insurance can be purchased for as little as $7 a day, it's an option worth considering.


Ready for a vacation? Contact Christine today and put her expertise to work for you.

Travel better. Spend less.
1 866 988 5283
christine@thefrugaltravelers.com
www.thefrugaltravelers.com
blog.thefrugaltravelers.com

This Week's Presenter Is...

Rachel von Sturmer, Insurance Advisor

True Benefits Financial


True Benefits is an independent life and health insurance brokerage. As its founder and principal, Rachel works hard to find her clients the best coverage and pricing from over 25 top Canadian insurers. Committed to sustainability, True Benefits goes paperless where possible, buys recycled office products such as stationery and cards, offsets their carbon footprint, and has a company SMART car.

Services include: Customized insurance recommendations may include Life Insurance, Disability Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance, Employee Benefit Plans (5 - 150 employees), Health Trusts for Self-Employed Persons, Individual Health and Dental Plans, or Mortgage Insurance.


This week Rachel focused on the services she offers in her capacity as a Life & Health Insurance Advisor specializing in employee benefits. Because small businesses often find employee benefits unaffordable, Rachel brought to our attention the Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance Plan, which is pooled and flexible (you can choose types of coverage rather than having to buy a packaged plan), thereby being a more realistic choice for many small businesses. The Chambers Plan also offers guaranteed renewable coverage. Visit chambergroup.ca for further information, or contact Rachel to see if the Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance Plan is right for your business.

Phone: 604.872.2866

Fax: 1.866.385.2002
Email: rachel@truebenefits.ca
Website: truebenefits.ca
Blog: truebenefits.typepad.com

3 Steps to Writing The Perfect Blog Post

If you are like me, you usually watch a movie, read a good book or listen to a song and then move on. You either find it trash or memorable. There is once in a blue moon though when you find a really great movie and you can identify with all the characters, you may even remember some of the things that they said for years to come. The one thing that makes that book, movie, or song really great is that it told a good story.

If there is one thing that catches people's attention these days is a good story. It usually has something that people can relate to on some level, that may be going on in their own lives at that particular moment. The same might go for someone who is reading your blog or listening to your 60 second infomercial in BNI.

There are three single most important things that are good to do when sitting down to start blogging:

1. Tell a story - stories stick like peanut butter for the brain. It is one way people with an active imagination can relate to the scenario as well. The best way to be a good story teller is to start reading and do it every day. It’s amazing how much context you can give your posts when you incorporate funny stories, insightful anecdotes and timely real-world news.

2. Have a Beginning a Middle and a memorable end - if you look back to the days when your parents read to you at bedtime, those stories always were perfectly constructed for a small mind with no attention span, engaged the reader and had a nice moral ending. I am not saying that everytime you sit down it must be a cliff hanger, or you have to turn into the next Mark Twain. Take the blog post and break it up so that these three rules apply and you are golden.

3. Contain me, me , me - my husband is right, it is all about me, but don't you notice that the stories that have the most impact involve the writer doing something wrong, or learning a lesson. Most blogs don't publish their misgivings or mistakes as it makes bad PR, but there is a way to wrap that story up with a good moral at the end on how you learned your lesson and you learned it well.