Tips about marketing for nonprofits, small businesses, trade associations, clubs, and organizations.

Find a Friend and Celebrate Your Successes in January, and all Year Long!

I’m not much of a “resolution” person myself, are you? If I want to make changes in my life or improvements in my business, I don’t wait to declare them in January. I take action right away. I do like to celebrate my successes. When I have large goals, I “chunk them down” into smaller tasks so I can accomplish them. How do you reach your goals?

I have found having an accountability partner helps too, especially for the big stuff. I rely on a small group of friends who to act as my “advisory board”. I bounce ideas off them and their feedback is extremely valuable. They know my business and they know me. We have fun with it.

I encourage you to CELEBRATE your successes this month. What are you thankful for personally and in your business? Celebrate your success throughout the year. Go out to dinner with friends, buy yourself something or schedule a unique experience for yourself and a friend. Visit someplace you’ve never been. Be sure to celebrate what you accomplish and more good things will come to you!

As you look to the new year, do you have tasks still on your “to-do” list from last year? Things you wanted to get done but just ran out of time? Things like…

  • Start a blog
  • Make posts to my existing blog
  • Get a business Facebook Page
  • Make more posts to my Facebook Page
  • Get an email address that matches my domain name
  • Review my LinkedIn Profile
  • Set up a Google Business Profile
  • Place ads on social media to reach my ideal client
  • Create an inexpensive, yet powerful brochure or video that explains my product or services and motivates prospects to take action
  • Update my website
  • Get a better website that actually WORKS for me
  • Create a fun video about my business that I can post on social media and my website
  • Review my marketing to see what’s working and what’s not so I can spend my marketing dollars SMARTER
  • Identify key partners that can help me elevate my business
If you have items like these on your “to-do” list, the please call me at 952-484-6015. I can help.
We can set up an initial consultation to determine what your needs are. We brainstorm ideas and determine which ones will have the greatest impact on your business. We come up with a plan. Some items you do yourself, some items I do for you. It all depends on what your strengths are, what you’d like to do, and your budget. Sometimes my clients realize that their time is better spent with clients or prospecting than completing marketing related tasks. I create a solution that works for you. Remember, the name of my company is Mindshare Marketing AND Implementation Services! Let me help!

Michelle Aspelin
Mindshare Marketing and Implementation Services
952-484-6015

 

Have you taken the StrengthsFinder 2.0 assessment yet? If you haven’t, I highly recommend it!

The book StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Jim Rath is a #1 Wall Street Journal and #1 BusinessWeek bestseller that introduced the StrengthsFinder 2.0 assessment with features that include a personalized Strengths Insight Report, an Action-Planning Guide, and a web-based Strengths Community. The Gallup organization recently re-branded the Clifton StrengthsFinder Assessment to CliftonStrengths. The CliftonStrengths assessment is the same one featured in StrengthsFinder 2.0 and their other bestselling books.

The online assessment will bring your top 5 strengths, they call talents, to the surface. Knowing these strengths is powerful because it can help you stay focused in your job, business, organization and your personal life. It helps you understand what you like, how you work with others, and what makes you happy!

Learn How I Work as well as about my strengths!

My Top 5 are Activator, Communication, Ideation, Focus and Futuristic …

So, what does that mean?

The book (and now their online reports) explain all of the talents in great detail and what careers or roles you will be good at naturally. It suggests people to partner with who have opposite strengths to help you meet your goals. Knowing your strengths helps you focus on your job, business, team, or organization. Its fun to ask others what their talents are too to help create stronger relationships and improve teamwork.

If you fully understand what my Strengths are, then that will give you a clue as to the type of service I offer my clients.

1 Activator

“When can we start?” This is a recurring theme in my life. I thrive on action. Action makes things happen and leads to performance. Action is the best device for learning. I enjoy start-up or turnaround projects. I can transform innovative ideas into immediate action. I work with creative and innovative clients to help move their projects forward. I am a systems activator. I have the ability to create motion and momentum in others.

2 Communication

I like to explain, to describe, to host, to speak in public, and to write. I make technical tasks easy to understand. I believe most people have a short attention span, they are bombarded with information and very little survives. I want information I create with my clients – whether an idea, print material, website, a product’s features and benefits, a discovery – to survive. I love blogs, newsletters, podcasts and online communication tools. I love to provide training materials that inform and empower.

3 Ideation

I am fascinated by ideas and concepts. I am always looking for connections, I am energized by connecting people and fulfilling their needs for one another. I get a jolt of energy when I get a new idea to improve the systems I have created. I love start-ups who have lots of questions and need a proven system to get their business started. I like working with established associations, nonprofits and businesses. I love to read and learn more about effective websites, business platforms and finance.

4 Focus

I often ask, “What’s the plan?” I like to know where I’m headed, I need a clear destination. I execute. I set goals that serve as my compass, helping me determine priorities and make the necessary correction to stay on track. My Focus is powerful because it forces me to filter; I instinctively evaluate whether or not a particular action will help my client move towards their goal. Those that don’t, we ignore. Having a Focus strength helps me be efficient naturally.

During discover meetings and sessions, I am the one who brings the group back to focus on the task at hand. I have the discipline to balance my work and home life, business and family, community and travel. I enjoy roles where my clients give me independence. I build their trust so when they have an idea or a project to be completed, they can comfortably say, “Can you just take care of it?” They don’t need to hold my hand and constantly check-in on my progress. They know I provide results, and do it efficiently. Having focus as a talent helps lead me to solid and long-lasting success.

5 Futuristic

This talent surprised me at first, but after I fully understood its meaning, I get it. Being Futuristic means asking the question, “Wouldn’t it be great if…” I do love to peer over the horizon and am fascinated with what the future holds. What can be developed or invented by my clients? I am a dreamer and I love to learn about the vision my clients have for their business or organization. Visions energize me and, with my other skills, I can energize others too! Again, this is why I like new ideas, new products, start-ups and makeovers. I like to get the ball rolling. I love brainstorming about ideas to make them better, I inspire others with my ideas and images of the future. Some say I make a great coach and teacher. I love helping clients move forward.

So, if you are looking for a marketing person with talents like mine, I’d love to hear from you! AND…I’d love to know what your Top 5 Strengths are too so we can maximize our time together.

Learn more about the CliftonStrengths Assessment and the Gallup Organization.

Update: New Assessment Results

A good friend of mine is certified in CliftonStrengths and she coaches people and organizations on the subject. I retook the assessment to see if my priorities, and how I view myself, changed as I got older and moved into a new stage in my life. My top 5 Strengths did indeed shuffle a bit. It’s taken me a while to embrace my new Top 5. It’s like finding out you aren’t who you thought you were and it’s taken some getting used to. I know my original Top 5 off the top of my head, still learning to recite my new Top 5 but they do make sense given what I focus my time on these days.

1 Maximizer (previously #7)

I refine and elevate. I focus on strengths as a way to stimulate excellence in my clients and their organizations. I seek to transform something strong into something superb, like revamping a website or a membership system! I routinely use my insights into people’s strengths to energize and inspire them to do what needs to be done, like teaching my clients how to keep their website updated. I honor the special and rare qualities in people and I try to position them to attain ever higher levels of excellence. I invest time thinking about people’s good points rather than agonizing over their shortcomings. By nature, I have an ability to talk with people. I savor conversations in which ideas or feelings are freely exchanged. I am always excited to learn about my client’s needs.

2 Learner (previously #10)

I have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve my framework. The process of learning, rather than outcome, excites me. I long to know more so I can remain on the cutting edge in my field and areas of interest, I research a lot! I like it when my clients ask “Can you make my website do x?” My inventive mind usually generates more possibilities than I can handle sometimes. Nevertheless, I am committed to acquiring knowledge and skills. I enjoy a quiet room to do my thinking and my research so I can focus. I regard education as an ongoing activity.

5 Relator (previously #11)

I enjoy close relationships with others and I find a deep satisfaction in working hard with friends and clients to achieve a goal. I do my best work when I can bring my expertise to my client or a group. I am often referred to as a counselor, people keep coming back to me for words of wisdom, opinions and advice, I’m approachable. I enjoy learning what others want to accomplish and often find myself digging into their subject by reading books or blogs to learn more. I feel fulfilled when I am completing projects to further my client’s goals.

Communication moved to #8, Ideation to #15 and Focus to #19. I still lead with Influencing CliftonStrengths themes, they help me to take charge, speak up, and make sure others are heard. I enjoyed learning my new Top 5 Strengths. Do you know what yours are? It’s so insightful to learn your own because you can start to determine what strengths your teammates have when you work together and it creates stronger relationships and respect for others.

Michelle Aspelin
Mindshare Marketing & Implementation Services, LLC

Do you promote your business or organization on Facebook? Facebook is one of the easiest, cheapest forms of marketing you can do!

Facebook Business Pages

I’ve helped many businesses set up a Facebook page, also called a Facebook Business Page. Facebook helps you connect with your clients and have a conversation, engage your customers. It’s a great way to keep them up-to-date on what’s going on in your organization. I recommend you continue to use an email marketing along with connecting and engaging via Facebook. It is a very powerful tool and should be a part of everyone’s marketing pie.

Facebook Ads

Facebook also offers targeted online ad opportunities for your business or organization. I’ve helped my clients create and manage ads on Facebook. You can target your ads to a geographic area within a certain amount of miles from a zip code, you can set daily limits for your campaign so your ads stay well within your marketing budget. It’s quick and easy. See how effective it can be for you! Call to get more information or send me an email.

Facebook Plugins for Your Website

I’ve been helping clients update their website by adding a plugin for Facebook. If you’d like to see what it looks like, click on the links below. If you have a WordPress website or blog and you have a Facebook Business Page, you might want to enhance your website with this great plugin. It’s quick and easy to install. I can do it for you or teach you how to do it yourself. It helps add fresh content to your website automatically.

Look in the footer or sidebar section of these websites.

https://movetograndjunction.com

https://mollysmn.com

Facebook Business Page for Live Your Vacation in Grand Junction

Have you heard the term “Raving Fan” or “Influencers” in regards to marketing your business? When you review your marketing techniques, consider adding one just for your raving fans or influencers. These are your clients or customers that rave about you. They talk you up all the time, to everyone. They are your #1 fan. They have a lot of friends, possibly an active Facebook user too. They know what you do and the services you provide, but do they know everything.

Take a moment to make sure they have extra business cards, they know your website address, if it’s a tricky one, and make sure you are connected to them on LinkedIn,  Facebook, and other social media platforms. People naturally go to influencers for advice. Make sure your influencer knows everything about you.

Take them out for coffee, give them a call or send them an email. Explain you are trying to grow your business. Ask them for recommendations, what tools could you provide to them that would make you more referable? Depending on your type of business, you could develop a specific campaign to reach them that includes invitations to events, exclusive offers or other incentives.

This person is going to recommend your service or products to their friends, over and over. Make sure they truly understand all of the benefits of the product or service you offer.

And, of course, give them a big “Thank You” with a smile…

View all of my services. Email me your questions.

Michelle Aspelin
Mindshare Marketing & Implementation Services LLC

 

Marketing your business is challenging, I know. Let me explain why I think marketing is about relationships. You have lots of marketing tools or software to choose from, all promising different results. In this time of technology and social media, let’s not forget something very simple and very important. Do your clients like YOU?

Marketing is about relationships. Its based on building relationships and friendships–on helping other people. When you orient your business to serving your clients, you are more successful. Improve your relationships with your customers and you will increase your business. Your best marketing is a personal approach. It’s an honest approach that reflects your personality.

As long as you are good at what you do and maintain your relationships, you will be successful. Think about it, most of your clients probably aren’t knowledgeable enough in your expertise to really judge your competence. So they make decisions based on your relationship with them, how you treat them, and how comfortable they feel with you. If they trust you.

What if we did something the old fashion way?

Can you find five note cards, five stamps and the address of your five favorite clients? I know, I’m asking a lot. Now, can you find 25 minutes? Write each one a brief note of appreciation. Be thankful from the bottom of your heart. Send out the five notes, then smile. You just did an important marketing task that will come back to you.

“You can’t cross a sea by merely staring into the water.”

— Rabindranath Tagore

 

Are your clients located physically near you?

If you have clients locally, suggest getting together for coffee or tea. The objective is to simply reconnect with them and their business. No ulterior motive to “sell” them anything. Just like friends getting together. If coffee or tea isn’t your thing, get creative. Maybe you meet in the afternoon for ice cream or a slice of pie? I’d be up for that!

The point is to nurture your relationship with your clients. Find out what’s new. What they are struggling with. What their recent success are and celebrate with them! Marketing is about relationships and you want to keep yours strong.

Let’s connect on Facebook if we haven’t already, here’s my business page. Follow me on LinkedIn too and I will follow you, cheering you on along the way!

Email me if you want to get together locally or the next time I am in your state!

Michelle Aspelin
Mindshare Marketing & Implementation Services LLC

Photo credit: Emma Aspelin Photographer. Photo of me taken on a walking bridge over the Colorado River with the Grand Mesa in the background, it’s the largest flat top mountain in the world. Learn more about Grand Junction.

Do you know your strengths? Are you clear on what they are? Do you focus on your strengths in your business? Did you know that the more you work in the arena of your talents the happier you will be? Can you identify other people’s strengths? Read more

So, why Weebly Websites?

What I have found is that for SOME of my clients, WordPress is just too much. It is so robust and offers so many features and settings, that it becomes too much for them to edit, update and manage moving forward. I got turned on to Weebly websites from a fellow website developer who noticed the same thing.

Wordpress websites and blogsI am still a firm believer in WordPress. I believe it will continue to be popular and the right choice for some of my clients. But, having this secondary option, is refreshing.

Weebly has about 20 themes to choose from, so it’s more limited than WordPress.

Weebly websites offer a simple “drop and drag” building interface that makes it easy to see exactly what your site will look like once published.

I use a specific WordPress theme that has several demo templates to choose from and also offers a drag-and-drop style page builder.

With Weebly, you don’t need to worry about adding plugins to your website. You don’t have to make sure the theme and Weebly software are kept updated. Weebly takes care of all of that. You do need to manage these for a WordPress website, but they can be enabled to update automatically. But still, they need to be updated.

WordPress is King when it comes to Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Plus, it offers almost an unlimited assortment of plugins you can add to the platform to give your site extra functionality. Weebly is a good option if SEO isn’t vital to your site, like you aren’t trying to attraction readers from the entire world, maybe just your geographic location. Weebly’s SEO statistics is built-in, no extra plugin to add. If we use WordPress for your site, I will recommend a Google Analytics account is set up for optimal SEO.

As far as price, it’s less expensive to host a WordPress site than Weebly. $2.95/month (using BlueHost.com) vs $12/month for the Weebly Professional Plan). Check sites for current pricing.

Weebly does not offer email services. If your domain is with Weebly, then you will need to sign up for (and pay for) Google Workspace. If your domain is at BlueHost.com, then we can set up your custom domain email account and you can either use BlueHost to check your mail or use something like Outlook or Google Workspace (extra fee). Ask me about email services and I can explain your options and help you decide.

There are tons of other, more detailed comparisons I could make, but I prefer to meet with my clients and listen to what they want from their site FIRST before I recommend one or the other. See my page about How I Work.

If you are considering a new website or blog, or updating a current site, give me a call. We can connect, with no obligation, to determine what’s best for you.

Here’s some info on Website/Blog consultations.

WEEBLY WEBSITE UPDATE 3/2/2026

BlueHost.com has announced that they are no longer supporting the Weebly software on their platform. So if you have a Weebly website, hosted with BlueHost.com, you will need to convert to a different platform. I can help you migrate your site to a WordPress or Squarespace website. Or, you have other options.

If you signed up directly with Weebly, you can continue to maintain the site you have at this time. Anyone looking for a new Weebly website will be asked to use Square Online. No more Weebly sites can be created. Weebly merged with Square in 2018. Square, Inc. officially changed its corporate name to Block, Inc. in December 2021.

Contact me if you have a Weebly website hosted with Weebly (Square/Block). The software isn’t going to be enhanced like other platforms. It served it purpose as an easy platform for beginners or non-technical admins but now it’s time to pick something else that will keep up with the growth and technology surrounding websites.

Contact me with your questions about Weebly, Square, WordPress or Squarespace websites.

If you need a membership website, learn more about the websites I make using MembershipWorks.com.

Michelle Aspelin
Mindshare Marketing & Implementation Services LLC

What’s a blog?

WordPress_Websites_and_Blogs 320x200In very simple terms, blogs (short for web logs) are websites where a series of messages, or posts, on particular subjects are posted in chronological order—newest to oldest. Most have an area where blog visitors can post comments as well. Blogs are intended to be updated and read often. Some are solely informational, others are sales driven, and others are somewhere in between. This flexibility is just one of the reasons to choose a blog over a more traditional website more and more often.

I create blogs for my clients using WordPress. You can browse a few examples and learn more on my Website and Blog Services page.

For this post, I’d like to share some insight with you about ways to make money blogging, publishing models and traffic strategies. This is geared towards beginners and therefore its very simple and straight forward. I’ll get right to the point and you can post your comments or questions below.

3 Steps to Starting a Blog

  1. Build Your Systems. That includes products or services you’d like to promote, affiliate products you’d like to promote, and a way to capture your visitors, build your “list”. I recommend using a third party vendor like Constant Contact or MailChimp for email marketing. Open Rate Tips post.
  2. Create Content. Determine which type of blog you’d like to create, see below. Start to write your fantastic content and publish it on your blog.
  3. Get Traffic. Connect with influencers and other bloggers who speak on your same or related topic. Get into forums and social media. Add comments on other blogger’s posts.

5 4 Ways to Make Money Blogging

  1. Sell physical products you have created like books, CDs, etc.
  2. Sell services you offer like design services, coaching, consulting, etc.
  3. Sell information products. Teach your users something, sell e-books, access to videos and audios.
  4. Sell affiliate products. Make a post and include a link to someone else’s product who agrees to pay you a commission. This can be a standard article style post where you mention the product or you can review and compare several products with a link to all the affiliate sites.
  5. There is one more way to make money with your blog, but I don’t recommend it. You can sell your list of subscribers. Some choose this option, but make sure you disclose!

3 Blog Content Publishing Models

  1. Expert Model. This is where YOU do all the writing. You are the teacher.
  2. Host Model. Think Oprah. You showcase the talents of others, typically interview style.
  3. Publisher Model. This style is for the networkers and connecters. Promote guest writers on your blog. Think Mashable. Good for business groups.

80/20 Rule. You should spend 20% of your time writing your blog posts and 80% of your time promoting and sharing your posts in order to make money from your blog.

3 Traffic Strategies

  1. Forum Marketing. Get active in your topic and area of expertise on forums. Become an active community member on those forums. Be the expert.
  2. avatarBlog Comments. Find blogs related to your topic and start making comments. Be sure to have your Gravatar profile completed before you do. This will show your image/photo next to your comments on other people’s blogs vs the generic avatar.
  3. Social Media Marketing. This is the most obvious. Once you make your post on your blog, promote it by providing a link and some compelling copy to your Facebook page, LinkedIn profile, send a tweet, add it with an image to Instagram, etc. Remember, you can’t sell or promote a business on a personal Facebook page, it’s against their rules. Post it to a business page, then you can share that post on your personal page if you’d like, but I don’t recommend doing it for every post. You can start private or public Facebook groups and post there, or find other groups and share with them.

So, this was just a quick list of things to consider when you want to make money with your blog. When I create WordPress blogs I add many search engine friendly keywords and fields to help out as well. You can browse my site for more Marketing Tips.

As always, call or email me with your questions. I’m here to help. It’s what I do. I love to TEACH!

I hope you enjoyed this article about Ways to Make Money Blogging!

Michelle Aspelin
Mindshare Marketing & Implementation Services LLC
Cell: 952-484-6015

The info above is consolidated from a one hour learn to blog webinar I recently participated in. I watch and participate in these webinars and share info with my clients so YOU don’t have to commit an hour (or more) of your time listening, and be subject to an expensive sales pitch. I hope you find the checklist useful and it sparks some actionable ideas for you!

 

What do Unilever, Coca-Cola, Starbucks and Lush have in common?

In 2020 or 2021 they put their social media advertising on pause to take a stand against hate speech and misinformation. More recently Facebook has been under fire for it’s business practices leading some companies to close their accounts with the social media giant or pause making any posts or buying ads.

That leads me to ask you, what would happen if you decided not to use any social media accounts? How would you communicate with your clients and customers? Every company has to review their own values and the values of the providers they choose to support and then make an educated decision.

When you use social media accounts, you really haven’t captured your audience because if the platform goes away, where’s your client list? Your database of your customers, followers and prospective customers? It’s lost.

Consider Adding or Strengthening your Email Campaign System

My recommend is to look again at email marketing vs social media. Look at your email database. I always recommend businesses and nonprofits use a third party email provider so you can comply with CAN SPAM laws and allow followers to unsubscribe at any time. I am most familiar with MailChimp and Constant Contact, but there are many email providers and lots of blog posts comparing them on the Internet.

If you don’t have an account with a third party provider, I suggest you start researching which one that will fit your needs and your budget as well as integrate with your website. Many times I put a button (or link) on a client’s website so anyone on their website can subscribe to their emails (capturing your prospects). To entice people to subscribe, you can offer a free gift like a PDF with tips, educational information, fun facts, do’s and don’ts list, whatever you think would be meaningful to your audience. When they subscribe, they get your free offer automatically.

When you have captured your client’s email address, you have it. You can always download your email list and upload it to another provider. They key is, it doesn’t go away like your social media followers could. In fact, your emails stay in your client’s inbox until they read them, whereas posts may be off their radar in just a few hours as they slide down their social media feed.

Something to consider

I just wanted to share this idea with you as something to consider for your nonprofit or business. If you already have a system set up, great! Take some time to review it and make sure you are keeping your subscriber list up-to-date. If you don’t have a platform to manage your email campaigns, consider adding one in December so you can hit the ground running in 2022 and share your message with your clients, customers and prospects.

As always, if you would like some help getting this implemented and integrated with your website, let me know. We can import email addresses from a database if you have one, even if that’s just your accounting software. You have to start somewhere!

Here’s a link to the Resource page on my website. I provide a little more info about MailChimp and Constant Contact and explain how they are different, costs, etc.

https://growyourmindshare.com/resources

Reach out to me with your email marketing vs social media questions!

Michelle Aspelin
Mindshare Marketing & Implementation Services LLC

P.S. If you have a membership you manage and you want a system to make it easier, I recommend MembershipWorks.com. And if you have MembershipWorks integrated with your WordPress or Squarespace website, I can connect it to MailChimp so your new members will automatically get added to your MailChimp list. No extra work. Automating the process makes it easier for volunteers who run the many nonprofits I support with MembershipWorks.

The 10 Basic Rules of Copy Writing

I help my clients with copy for their websites and marketing materials. I always start by asking them who their ideal client is. I want them to envision an actual consumer or business. I ask them to write as if they are having a conversation with their ideal client. It helps them clarify their message and encourages the sort of authentic communication that everyone values.

I have a book called Phrases That Sell by Edward Werz and Sally Germain (Amazon). I reference it when I have a client looking for new ways to describe their products or services. The book also outlines key elements to copy writing and a few rules of copy writing. Here are a few:

  1. Know your audience (what I refer to as your ideal client)
  2. Understand your product or service. People buy BENEFITS not features. The more you understand your benefits, the more powerful your message will be.
  3. Find your principal selling position (PSP) or unique selling proposition (USP). Do you know how you are different from your competition? What makes you stand out?
  4. Write benefit-orientated copy (how it will feel, results). Effective copy is action-provoking, be descriptive.
  5. Choose active vs passive words (flowers brighten the room vs the room is brightened by the flowers).
  6. Short sentences and short words can add up to big ideas. Don’t say “It exhibits a user-friendly interface.” Instead say, “It’s easy to use.”
  7. Use formats that promote like strong headlines, bullet selling points, offers, and numbered lists.
  8. Use offers that sell. Can you offer a guarantee? Maybe a 30-day trial? Incentives should be 20% or more to be effective. Consider BOGO (buy one, get one free) or additional products or services with a purchase.
  9. Tell your reader what to do. This is so important. Your readers need to know exactly what you want them to do. Call, email, visit, signup, or follow.
  10. Tout your name. Every time you create an ad or promotion, you have the opportunity to build recognition for your company by including your business name or brand.

Let me know if you have questions. If you’d like a list of “phrases that sell” specifically for your business, let me know.  I can also help you create a memorable tagline and 30 second introduction too!

Email me Learn more about how I work.

Michelle Aspelin
Professional Implementer
Mindshare Marketing & Implementation Services LLC