Quick post:  Check out this great post from the folks at Splash Media.  What’s stopping you from blogging?  If it’s time, consider outsourcing. I have some good resources I can recommend.

I have the privilege of hosting a group of colleagues from the Duct Tape Marketing Consultant network in Austin this weekend. We shared some of our favorite online marketing and business tools. Some cool stuff here to help you take action, get organized and more!



Universal Business Listing

Great service to get your business listed online. There’s a fee, but look for the fine print on the bottom for the $39 basic package to get started. Might be the best $39 you’ll spend this year to help your business get found online.

Meeting Burner
Host an online webinar to educate clients or generate leads or just hold meetings- free.

KnowEm
KnowEm allows you to check for the use of your brand, product, personal name or username instantly on over 550 popular and emerging social media websites. Grab your name and secure your brand before someone else does.

After a hiatus, the Marketing with Moxie blog is back!! Have you missed us? As part of my effort to think bigger in 2012, I’ve decided to take a more proactive approach to my posts here.

So look for marketing tips and tidbits in three general categories.

1. Tips and cool tools. Once a week or so, I’ll summarize the latest and greatest marketing gadgets, websites, or tools any small business owner can use. I run across things all the time in my news feeds, via the Duct Tape Marketing blog and in my in box.

2. Marketing strategy. I’m a firm believer in strategy before tactics. I have also found that focusing on strategies first is like pulling teeth for many small business owners. A lot of them just want a “sure-fire” tactic that will generate leads and create sales. Mention strategy, and they’re likely to glaze over. But that’s a huge mistake. While stand-alone tactics can sometimes do the trick to grow your business, tactics backed by a strategic marketing foundation will work better, almost every time. I’ll be going through the Seven Steps of Marketing Success again this year – the proven system created by John Jantsch. But thanks to a new and revised version of the steps, you’ll see even more relevant strategies to grow your business.

3. Small business owners with marketing moxie. When I started this blog, I intended to profile small business owners who have  an “inner marketing moxie.” These people are natural marketers. They just think bigger all the time like Zappo’s founder Tony Hseih – the source of the quote in this post. They just seem to inherently get marketing and sometimes do it without even knowing it is marketing. Others are very intentional about it, and have stories to tell. I’ll be inviting these business owners to write guest blogs to share their “secret marketing sauce,” or I’ll interview one from time to time. Are you a small business owner with marketing moxie? I want to hear from you!!

So, all the best to you in 2012 as you work to grow your business, and as all of us involved in the Duct Tape Marketing network like to say this year – Think Bigger!

Hundreds of speakers and experts have submitted their ideas for SXSW Interactive 2012 sessions and the public at large can chime in until this Friday, Sept. 2. I proposed a panel called “Real Small Business Owners on Google.” I invite you log on to the SXSW Panel Picker, and give me a thumbs up! Click here to learn more and vote today. With all the buzz about Google+ and what it might do for small business, I thought it would be a great session. Here’s the deal: If this panel is selected, after Google unveils its business page for Google+ I’ll invite my Duct Tape Marketing colleagues to help me find four guinea pig business owners to use Google+ to grow their business. If you’re selected, I’ll chart your progress and invite you to submit guest blog posts along the way here at Marketing with Moxie.   And here’s the cool part, you’ll be able to share your story as a SXSW panelist.  So vote now, and invite your friends to vote too!  We could all be going to Austin!  (Well, I’m already here, but it’ll still be a blast to be a part of one of the best conferences in the world!)

I have been getting a lot of info about Google+.  For this edition of Stuff with Moxie, I’m posting some info worth checking out if you want to drill down a bit on Google+ for your business — and life.

Good “insider” interview with Google’s Joseph Smarr

What’s New in Google+

An easier way to invite:  Hey Everyone, We’ve heard that you want to invite your friends, but sometimes you don’t know their email addresses… or sometimes its not easy to find it. To address this, we’ll be rolling out a new feature over the next few days that lets you invite others simply by using a link.  Read more.

1.  Wow… this is cool.  Wish I could get in.  This is kind of like walking by a cool new store. I peer through the windows.  The lights are on.  But the doors are locked. Will someone invite me — please?

2.  Drat. I got an invitation, but Google is picky about who’ll they’ll let in. Pretty good marketing strategy – dangle the carrot.  That won’t work for most business launches, but Google is well, Google.  The buggers.

3.  Yes!  I’m in. I feel like a kid who was waiting in line to get concert tickets for a rock band.  Now what?  Act like I know what I’m doing, that’s what.  Act like Guy Kawasaki — I mean, he’s a newbie too, right?

4.  Pretty cool.  I get it. For the most part.  Sparks?  Wha?

5. Awesome… there’s someone I know.  Hey… hey John… over here!  How’s the water?  You know me, really.  Can I be in your Circle?

6.  Circles. Wow.  I get this. Actually, this makes sense. I’m gonna proceed cautiously here.  Wish I’d have been able to separate out interests and contacts like this when I set up my personal Facebook page, which is a mishmash of business colleagues, good friends, and people from high school I really don’t know any more.

7.  Wow… people are adding me to their circles. Wait, who the hell is THAT guy?  Should I circle him too?   Um, no.  Can I ignore him?

8.  Ah.. more people are coming in. Quick, Act like you know what you’re doing.  Share other peoples stuff about G+

9.  Do I write Google Plus… Google+  G+  ?

10.  Okay.  I’ll stay. Now, I just need to figure out a system to integrate all this into my social media routine.  Crap.  Google, I think you did this one right. I can’t ignore this one like I did Buzz.

More quick links of interesting marketing tips, tools and info that came to my attention over the last week.

Google Circles

Google’s taking on Facebook

Watching this one closely as Google rolls out Google +.   It’s invitation only right now (I didn’t get one, bummer), but here’s how Google describes it in their tour: http://www.google.com/+/demo/.

There’s a good review in Inc. about what people are saying about Google+. There seems to be potential for work and business use.  Read the full article.

Do the Work

I’ve been laughing and crying over the book Do the Work by Steven Pressfield.

It’s a quick read filled with pithy, thought-provoking ideas that every entrepreneur and small business owner should read.  Get it.  Read it.  Fight the Resistance.

Go to Amazon and click on the “Read the First Chapter Free” button.

The folks at Ring Central (my virtual phone service of choice by the way), asked its customers what Independence day meant for them. Pretty inspirational comments here that I could relate to.  Read the full post here.

Happy Independence Day everyone.  May you have a safe and blessed time with family and friends.