The Tin Shingle Blog

So Google removed most keyword data from your stats. Which means that you can't see what keyword phrases people are typing into Google that lead them to your website pages. You can see them from Yahoo and Bing, but most people use Google, so we're $*it out of luck. And must now work blindfolded.

Wondering WHY Google did this is pretty pointless, but my guess, different from others who think it monetary and it very well may be, is that the Google search pros are tired of playing whac-a-mole with spammy websites and an SEO industry that has created a commodity out of "keywords". People spend a lot of money to find keywords, use keywords, measure keywords, and a lot of the time, these "SEO Firms" are just jerking around, sending clients Excel spreadsheets of numbers that mean nothing to the common person, and I'm going to go with the belief that Google spam fighters are tired of it.

With that out of the way, it doesn't help those of us who know how to

• A.) Market content to those searching for it
• B.) Write content based on what people are looking for - giving them answers. Being the answer. Honestly and blessedly. You're looking for something, you don't see it in search results, so you click on page 7 of Google and you finally find it? Guess what my job is: seeing your search term, and tweaking a page on my existing website that better answers your question, and better ranks my page to maybe page 1 of Google, and thereby helping more people like you.

But. That's not going to happen anymore. Or not as easily So what do we do? As of this day, I'm currently pondering that. Here's what I'm thinking:

• Don't dive into Google Adwords. That industry is currently populated with several firms who can totally rob you blind, maybe charging you too much for clicks, or mis-advising you. It could get a lot more polluted very quickly as some SEO articles are concluding that keyword answers are in Google Keyword data.
• Still don't dive into Google Adwords as a Keyword Tool. The keyword search tool in Google Keywords has always been a little lame. Maybe it's great for businesses marketing generic products and services, but usually, the money is in the nitty gritty keyword terms. What I mean is, people search for something VERY specific. And hundreds of people may not be searching for that VERY specific phrase. If a page on your website happens to deliver the answer to this phrase, and if it's clear to your new reader how to buy what you sell, then BAM, you just got yourself a conversion. However, Google Keywords don't include these low hanging fruit type terms.
• Use Google Adwords Wisely. I'm not saying don't use Google Adwords. The digital search and recommendation industry is moving to a pay-for-play model (someone has to bring home the bacon, right?). But when you do it, do it right. Be very involved with the ads being written for you, and demand results - good and bad results. Google Adwords is something you will tweak on an ongoing basis.
• Write Authentically. As an SEO strategist, this has always been the game I played: creating authentic content that normal people want to read and get a great take-away from. Even though we'll be shooting in the dark about which phrases people are dying to know the answers to, keep on writing and producing good, unique, content.
• Don't Replicate Content. Always been a bad idea, and now, as people dive into more content marketing, if your article is picked up by 5 websites (because that's what's going on these days with content syndication and websites getting paid for your content), just be careful how or how often you use those guest articles to link back to your website.
• Squeeze Your Stats: If you sell content, Erika Miller of Independant Fashion Bloggers wrote a great article on how to squeeze out some measureable data from your Google Analytics.

So much to write about. This is just the start. At Tin Shingle, we created a platform that helps business owners with their pr, and also with creating an authentic content marketing platform. We've been using it for years, and it's a genuine way to tell your brand story. Look into it, and keep your browser bookmarked to Tin Shingle as we explore how to work blindfolded and still see conversions.

Onward!

I have a confession to make: I think I've gained nearly five pounds in the past month.  I know.  That said, I would like to think I have a valid excuse: I got hitched, and after months of pre-wedding "get it right and get it tight" workouts, cleanses and uber-healthy eating, I spent our first month of marriage "celebrating" with my new husband Mr. H. Celebrating meaning: welcoming every celebratory glass of champagne, every scrumptious carbohydrate, and every dessert into my life, guilt free.  At the same time, I may or may not have neglected my hardcore fitness regimen I'd fallen so in love with pre-wedding. 

That all stops today.  Not only did I feel awesome (and less stressed by the way) when I was working out regularly and eating healthier, but it's fall which means it's "denim weather" and I may soon snack myself right out of my skinny jeans, so it's time to pull the plug on my "we just got married", free-for-all lifestyle. But I can't just bid adieu to my carefree attitude from the past month without a little bit of support.  Getting up early for the gym isn't always easy nor is giving up dessert cold turkey!  Fortunately there is still hope for my return to "Fit Sabina" thanks to these entrepreneurs who created five products guaranteed to help keep people (like me) on the right track. 

From fitness inspiration to food, check out these new healthy living gamechangers:

Half of getting to the gym, okay nearly all of it for me, is a mental game.  So is much of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  Words to Sweat By knows this and is built around it - they provide clever and motivational work-out accessories, from towels (see above) to t-shirts to jewelry!

I try not to drink my calories, but with no soda, no aritificial drinks or drinks with sugar in them and no wine (okay, less wine...) I'm left wanting something fun to drink beyond my 8+ glasses of water.  Enter Drink Chia! an Omega-3 super foods drink infused with chia seeds, b-complex and antioxidants created by a marathon runner and mother of two (phew).  Simply writing about it makes me feel healthier.  On top of that, it comes in what I like to call "designer" flavors that I'd want to drink on purpose: Lemon Blueberry, Honeysuckle Pear (!!), Strawberry Citrus and Mango Tangerine. On top of that there is no gluten, caffeine, sodium, cholesterol or artificial anything in it! Check them out online and snag a sample pack here!

All this talk of not eating has made me hungry. Good news for me, I can still have my salty, sweet and peanut-buttery snacks and live guilt free!  How?  YummyHealth, founded by Lisa Goldbaum, a company that creates healthy versions of classic and beloved snacks.  Sure, they're aimed at children and are working to do their part to fight the childhood obesity epidemic, but after one look at their online store I knew they were suitable for my cravings as well! After you order your favorite goodies, read founder Lisa's message, what an inspiring entrepreneur!

One awesome thing about my rekindled love affair with fitness (that took a short sabbatical this past month) has been how much fun I've had discovering new work outs, gym classes, fitness DVD's and ways to get in shape.  It prevents me from getting bored and keeps challenging my body.  That's why when I heard about the Dream Body workout series, from Fusion Fitness and founder/creator Darby Brender I was actually looking forward to trying it out.  Another bonus?  You can burn up to 700 calories a DVD.  Hello!  Even if you haven't gotten back together with working out after a long break up, you can force yourself through a DVD when you know that's going on!

When I saw this final, innovative, healthy lifestyle MUST-have I thought, "they have created this with yours truly in mind."  That said, portion control is something most people find tricky - and often what leads to weight gain.  How  many of us truly know and can plate up one serving of wine, cereal, protein or carbs?  The innovator over at Elegant Portions realized this and solved the serving dilemma by creating discreet, stylish, portion-tracking plates, bowls, wine glasses and more.  I love them because they give my brain a rest as they eliminate the thinking, measuring and weighing that goes into healthy eating!  My brain has enough going on in it as is, and I don't want to add internal debates about serving size into it! Like all the other products in this story, Elegant Portions was created by an entrepreneur (this genius idea can be credited to founder and creator Gail Curtis) who is passionate about helping others lead healthy lifestyles!

Do you love Small Biz Style & Snacks as much as we do?  Check out our other posts HERE - #SmallBizStyle #SmallBizSnacks!

Extra, Extra! Read All About It!  This past week I had the pleasure of sharing some Tin Shingle-approved tips with USA Today regarding  small business owners, and how (and why, really) they should make time for social media in their own businesses. 

Over here we are big believers that the "big three" most businesses need include Facebook (a business page), Twitter (for your business) and LinkedIn (often a personal LinkedIn is a fine way to get started).  Sure there are others you may already be using or considering using like Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr and more, and by all means if they're a great fit for your business you go and use those, but we really believe the three mentioned above are non-negotiables! 

Read the USA Today piece for our advice, and see below for more of our recommendations! And while you're reading USA Today, notice their  USA Today Small Business series in general as a go-to resource for you. Scroll down below to get a few more or our "truths" and tips regarding your business and social media, and to get your hands on a few podcasts that will help you as well!

Social Media & Small Business Truths:

1. Yes, you must have a Facebook page that is for business and not use your personal page for this (besides, do you really want business colleagues having access to all your and your family/friend's photos?).

2. Yes you should invest in Twitter, and you should post/reply/check it a couple of times a day.  Not investing time into getting to know Twitter means you won't be learning about how to reach out to press, cultivate powerful media relationships, connect with customers and more - all of which you can do on this free platform!  I promise you, it may feel like a strobe light now or a monster that needs feeding way too much, but it WILL get better and when you understand how to unleash it's power you'll thank me ; )

3. Yes you should have a personal LinkedIn page that highlights your business skills.  This is not a place to talk about your family and your favorite foods. This can be a powerful space to connect with potential partners, investors, cross-promotion partners, colleagues in your field and more!  Be sure yours is always up-to-date (I check weekly!), linked to any blog or Twitter feed you want to share, has your contacts readily available and even houses a professional photo of you!

4. No, you should not leave your social media posting to an intern/assistant/son or daughter/etc. until you really understand it yourself!  This is your company's VOICE online, it is a representation of your brand and business.  Not only do you have to craft it and decide on a strategy and flow that works for you, you have to be sure that people are connecting with your brand and business ethos and spirit!  Until you decide what that is, how can you teach it to anyone else?  Start out doing it on your own, create a "handbook" as to how your posting schedule and strategy should look and then perhaps we can talk about you passing the job along to someone else!

5. Yes, you do need to check into your feeds regularly.  And post regularly!  Social media is a constantly flowing river and if you only post once a day or once a week your posts will be missed by most. Also, when people get to your page if they don't see it actively connecting with people they'll be less likely to invest their time into attention into it.

6.  Yes you need to stop being a wallflower while making sure you don't become a much-too-chatty-Kathy!  You need to be a person at the social media party that people want to speak to! That means you should:

• ask questions
• curate information that people who are into your business would be into (not just information about you!)
• share images
• share quotes or other inspiring bits and pieces and...
• really have conversations with your followers!  That way, when you want to share a promotion or sale, or ask them to do something, you're sure to be speaking to an engaged bunch of listeners!

7. YES we have podcasts you can download that can help you!  Here is one you can access right now!

• WEBINAR: #SocialTuneUp: Straight Talk About Facebook Ads With From a Social Media Marketing Pro, Nathan Kirk
• PODCAST: Using Twitter and Other Social Media to Boost Your PR Success
• WEBINAR: #SocialTuneUp: Pinterest Best Practices to Get Pinned and Re-Pinned and Followed

Over the past year something amazing happened to me as an entrepreneur and businesswoman.  Sure, I planned a wedding and got married, but professionally speaking, thanks to the wedding month(s) I learned two major lessons:  How to Strategically Plan for Time Away from Work, and How to “Safely” Disconnect from Work and Enjoy it! 

As a business owner, especially when you have a less than twenty person company, day-to-day your business survives and thrives because you show up, physically and mentally.  For many of us who do take time away for vacation, or a life-changing event like say, a wedding, when we do leave the office physically, we’re unable to allow ourselves to fully disconnect and relax.  I can't tell you how many family trips I've been on (long and short) during which I'd find time to check in via the computer or phone at least once a day, and during several of those trips I also had a my iPhone within arm's reach at all times "just in case".

When I began planning my wedding I knew that had to change.  The week of and the week after had to be dedicated in a large part to all things family, wedding and bridal.  Though the thought of doing that scared me in the beginning, I'm happy to report that I did it, and by doing it I learned some lessons that I hope to share with you, because as business owners we should all be able to disconnect and allow our companies to go on functioning without us, or pause until we return (whatever is best for you, you do).   You see, chances are high that life won't let you simply go on working at an entrepreneur's pace without interruption. It simply doesn't work that way.

We know this about life, and how it can be filled with moments we need to step away from work (vacation, family needs, illness, crisis, time to reboot) yet we often become addicted to being present.  We forget how to disconnect.  Sometimes as small business owners we even consider overworking to be deserving of a badge of honor.  I'm not saying hard work and perseverance aren't essential to your business success but there are two problems with being unable to fully disconnect from time to time:  it isn’t always going to be possible and it isn’t healthy in the first place.  

That said there are solutions, systems and strategies entrepreneurs and business owners can begin putting into place now which will allow them - when the time comes for time away (for pleasure or otherwise) – to ensure their business can continue in whatever way is best.

"PUT YOUR PHONE DONE AND STEP AWAY FROM THE DESK"... HOW I MADE IT HAPPEN:

If you do not already have one now, begin working this week on an Operations Manual for your Business:
This should contain the "hows" (in specific detail) to run different parts of your business.  See it as a training manual of sorts, and something your employees, an intern, an assistant or someone you hire to fill in for you can use when you're away.  It will save you time when you do have to leave, and help keep people clear and organized in terms of all orders of operation.  Save this in Google Docs (even if it's in print as well) so you always have access to it from anywhere you are!

Create a "Weekly Musts" List of Everything That Must Happen During a Normal Week
Sure, in every business random things pop up and you're putting out fires right and left, but I'm guessing that every week you do specific things at specific times.  Make a list of that, by day, time, task and be specific.  This way whether you have a planned or unplanned leave of absence you already have your essential weekly to do list work ready to be tackled.  Save this in Google Docs as well so you always have access to it from anywhere you are!

Who is "Understudy" - Make Sure They Are Ready to Go
When a play hits Broadway (or even community theater) the most essential actors and actresses roles have understudies - fill in actors and actresses who are ready to take on the role should the stars not be able to go on.  Your business needs an understudy - especially if there are only a few of you filling multiple roles. Sure they can't do it as well as you but they can help guarantee some of the essential tasks that keep your company moving will be completed, emails and phone calls will be answered and your business doesn't come to a halt.  Depending on your type of business these could be freelancers in your field, hourly employees, assistants, other members of your team or even people who own businesses in your field of work who "get" what you do.

Automate Ahead of Time
Preplan and prepare using technology as much as possible: set emails to go out, set autoresponses guiding people to the best place possibe for help when you're gone, HootSuite Twitter posts, pre-write newsletters to go out when you're gone, prewrite blog posts and even emails!  There is no reason you can't keep content flowing while you're laying out in the sun miles away!

Be Honest: What Does and Doesn't Have to Get Done
When I first planned my wedding time away I had a massive list of things I wanted to have others accomplish for me when I was gone.  I was so afraid of losing momentum and wanted the massive to do list I go through every day to be done by other people.  Thankfully, my business partner (try business soulmate) co-founder Katie reminded me that many of those tasks could be done upon my return.  Not creating descriptions and detailed lists about how those items should be done by other people saved me time, and let me save those tasks for myself when I returned. BONUS POINTS FOR ME: I returned to those tasks with a fresh and re-energized brain and they turned out better than ever!

Put Away the Badge of Overworking:
That's right - I know we all want as many pats on the back and badges as possible but there is something not quite right about celebrating the fact that we cannot take time out of our business to enjoy life.  Isn't that why most of us started our companies in the first place?  To be in control, to be our own boss, to make life better?  Could our never leaving our computer or desk be hurting our businesses and brains?  Is your inability to never step away from your desk really a sign of success?  Hmmmm think about those questions for a few minutes...

Believe me, I know (I know too much!) how hard it is to step away from work.  It's hard enough for me to leave my desk for a coffee break let alone leave work for more than two days - ven for my own wedding.  But I did, and had I not, I'd have regretted it for a very long time.  Begin preparing your business now for days when it will be running without you.  It will sometimes have to run without you!  Work is not life, it simply isn't.  You cannot attach a U-Haul to your hearse to show off all the "stuff" and badges and success you had as a business owner.  It's all important, don't get me wrong, but it will be there waiting for you when you get back from doing things for you and your family from time to time.  And if that doesn't convince you to give yourself the ability to step away, let me promise you that when you do come back, your brain will have had some R & R and will be firing on all cylinders and creating ideas and strategies only a rested brain can create!