If you’re unfamiliar with the convention, hop on over to the OIVAC website to find out more. We have a number of awesome speakers lined up like Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing, Paul and Sarah Edwards authors of the book Getting Business to Come to You and many others outside of the industry who will help to get you hopping. In addition to those outside of the industry, you can attend seminars by Kathie Thomas (she’s spoken at the Rev before), Jeannine Clontz (past President of IVAA) as well as some Revvers like Dale Noles, Laurie Dart and yours truly. This is definitely an event you will NOT want to miss!

The BEST thing about this conference…you don’t have to leave the comfort of your own home office, fly, spend money on food, etc. and you don’t have to pay boo-ku dollars to hear some of the best speakers out there.

If you want to register you *MUST* do so by May 15th…no last minute registrations, like last year, because we are using an outside company to handle them. This conference is ultra-affordable and guaranteed to help you no matter where you are in your business…VA business or an unrelated business.

The costs are:

1 Session: $25.00
3 Sessions: $60.00
5 Sessions: $100.00
3 Day Pass: $350.00 (plus one set of seminar recordings)

You can find out about the seminars presented by going to the OIVAC website and clicking on Seminar List/Times.

I highly encourage you to register for the convention now! Also, take a few moments to join the Virtual Assistant Revolution and if you win our contest and you’ve already paid for your 3 session pass, we’ll reimburse the winner.

Becki

PS - Our tips will return tomorrow.

The Gift of Gab

Let’s face it, we were all born with the gift of gab. I don’t want hear that you weren’t because if you weren’t gifted you wouldn’t be reading this today. The gift of gab doesn’t have to manifest itself in the spoken word, it can also be articulated with the written word.

If you want to grow your business, get out and gab away. If you are uncomfortable utilizing this gift in person then use your gab power in an online networking environment. As I’ve said before, the “if I build it they will come” (ie. website) days are in the past. No one is going to know about you until you gab to the world!

Becki

Blog With A Purpose

A Great Idea For a Blog is No Longer Enough

Because there are so many blogs and web sites about blogs on the internet, it can be tough to distinguish your blog from all of the others. Whether you are starting up a new web site aimed at your target market or whether you are looking to make your existing blogging site more distinctive, the key to building and maintaining a site that will capture the interest and attention of the target market is finding your niche. If you can fill a unique need in a way that no other web site does, you’ll be able to build a lasting readership. Once you have discovered a niche, you will still have a lot to do, but finding your place in the blogosphere is the place to begin.

Every great blog starts with a great idea, and you can’t build a successful site that will last without one. There are many great sites aimed at today’s bloggers, and competition for the attention of your target demographic is fierce. To make your blog stand out from the pack, you will need to offer something that no other site is currently offering, or you will need to do the same thing that an already popular site does but in a more impressive or valuable way.

One way to discover an ideal model for your blog is to look at the sites that have successfully captured an audience already to determine if you can appropriate some of their strategies to help realize your vision. Of course, you will also need to add a unique flair to your project in order to stand apart from your competition. Many people agree that the websites that do the best in today’s market are the sites that have the most personality. Your target market probably responds especially strongly to personality, so consider how you can give your site a unique and attractive feeling by lending your own voice and sensibility to your site’s design and content.

Once you have a great idea for your site, have pinpointed a special niche that you are well equipped to fill, and have infused the site with personality, the next step is figuring out how to get the word out to your target market. In the long run, a great idea just isn’t enough to propel your blog to success. You will need to draft a smart and realistic marketing plan in order to draw readers to your site. Once you hook your target market, your great content will keep them coming back, but it is vital to get that first glance or your site won’t have a chance to shine.

Becki