1. What’s in it for me?

Make sure the write up in the newsletter is accurate. No one likes surprises. The event must portray an accurate image of what you will be presenting. Make the content about the audience and what they will takeaway from the event. Let’s say your presentation is about how to market yourself in the wellness industry. Why not demonstrate just that in what you write up. Wellness business owners are taking time out of their day to attend an event. Make sure your presentation conveys a well defined and clear picture.

2. Interactive Exercise

Business owners would like to have some interactivity or discussion during a presentation. Let’s say your presentation is 1-2 hours long, how will you hold your audience attention for that long? I always enjoyed the exercises where you fill in the blank. That way you can follow up with a statement of how to apply the knowledge to your wellness business.

3. Closing statement

Ok, this is BIG! What is a good way to close your presentation without doing a hard sale? This tactic would of worked 10 years ago, but times have changed. Today, it’s about building a relationship with your audience. They want to feel they can trust you in order to buy your service or product. Think about how you want people to follow up with you or remember you.

By now you may have a clear understanding of the three most important tactics of what goes into a smart presentation from the time you posted the event to close.

Now you’ve heard my 3 most important ways, what are some other possibilities for making a successful presentation?

I am a Web Developer and Web Designer by trade.  I enjoy my career immensely.  I love the creativity of web development and I feel inspired when I can help a client realize a successful online presence.  I specialize in the development of websites for the health and wellness communities.  Why, you may ask?  On a personal level, I am drawn to the concept that a healthy body and mind begins with a dedication and responsibility of the individual.

On my life journey, I have made the commitment to practice Yoga. I feel physically strong and the mental focus of this practice has brought a grounding and clarity to my life.  My involvement in Yoga has led me to search online for classes at local studios.  During my research, I have found some really wonderful websites and social media campaigns from local Yoga studios in the Boulder area.  This is not a review of the businesses or studios. Literally, this is what I consider to be a list of the Top 3 website designs and online marketing practices for Yoga studios in Boulder that I have recently viewed.

1.  www.littleyogastudio.com

• This website has an excellent home page menu.  The main navigation contains pertinent information with quick access to class schedules, events and instructors.
• There is what we refer to in our industry as a “call to action” on home page.  This is basically an invitation for the viewer to contact the business ie. Please feel free to contact us for more information.  It is a proven marketing strategy to ask for communication from prospective clients.  This website encourages prospective clients to ‘drop-in’ for classes.
• This studio also actively uses social media to initiate relationships with current and prospective client.  There is an active Facebook presence (http://www.facebook.com/LittleYogaStudio).  I’ve noticed excellent interaction between the business and the fan page followers.

2. http://omtime.com

• This website prominently displays an offer to practice yoga for free on Wednesday’s.
• There is a promotional ‘call-out’ on home page, which includes gift certificates.
• This studio has a strong presence on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/omtimeyoga) and Twitter.  I noticed a good use of branding, images, and video on the website and social media sites.
• There are featured events on home page, making this information prominent and easy to find.
• I also noticed a variety of events listed, including, retreats, work study, transformational work.

3.  www.theyogapod.com

• This studio offers what they call a Prema Membership, reducing the class price with a monthly auto-pay system.
• The opportunity to purchase gift certificates is prominently displayed on the home page.
• This studio offers a variety of workshops.
• The website has a gallery for “parties,” which encourages interaction of clients and staff.  They also have a graffiti wall in the studio for people to communicate.
• The website offers first time students unlimited yoga for $30 for two weeks.
• They are using social media sites and are easy to locate on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/yogapodboulder).
• The studio website displays a large variety of teachers.

As a Web Developer, when I review a website for personal use, I am drawn to creative yet functional design. I like to find pertinent information easily and quickly. A good navigation system and appealing home page are essential for me to stay on a site to find the information I need. I hope you take the time to review the websites listed above as an example of how good design and the correct display of information can be beneficial for your website, your business and your clients.

Be sure you add a twitter button to your website. It can appear in multiple areas in the header, sidebar or footer. More importantly, have a twitter button at the end of each blog post. WiseStamp is a good tool to use that will add an Twitter icon at the bottom of email signature. Think of other ways to link it up, as the more place you have Twitter button or link, the more chances you’ll have people following you.

2. Twitter Share Button

Better yet, have a twitter share button at the end of every post or page even, allowing visitors to not only follow you but also share your recent article or blog post.

3. Twitter Feed

Show a glimpse of what your new followers would be reading by showing three posts at a time. I would not get too crazy, 3 tweets is a good number. 1 is too little as no one will see it. And five could get pretty lengthy. These posts would get refreshed every time write a new tweet. This is what we would call a twitter feed. This is really quite simple to set up if have a WordPress website and it can be done through various plugins. To set up you only need to know your Twitter handler for most plugins.

1. Promoting your product or service

Only in moderation. It’s a place to be social and build connections. It’s ok to do this maybe after every 15 tweets at best to send out a promotion.

2. Spam

Ever get tired of the same old people sending you direct messages with some text and a link? Have to be careful here as in the wellness industry there are a lot of spammers out there especially. We all have been spammed lately I’m sure of someone advertising the hell out of some new diet pill on the market. Or how to lose 30 pounds in 2 days. Yeah, right! Hopefully, you catch my drift here. If you want people to follow you on Twitter, they want to hear what you have to say about wellness, yoga, etc. not about the product you are advertising. Have to think about what it will take to get the conversation going.

3. Don’t Get too Personal

Can you imagine millions people out on the internet seeing your post that simply says “I am suffering from really bad cramps today, help!” If you are out there Tweeting like mad about the wellness industry, let’s keep as professional as possible.

1. Practice Location

Everyone wants to remember you and what better way to accomplish that goal is by posting photos on your Facebook business profile or fan page. Anytime someone visits your Facebook page, they will become more familiar with the services you offer, but more importantly they will want to see your space. Keep your Facebook page up to date, showing photos taken from a recent event, i.e. open house.

2. Landing Page

Even If you haven’t already, I would recommend installing a welcome page Facebook Application. It’s possible visitors will stumble upon your Facebook Fan Page. First time visitors will see a landing page on Facebook Fan Page. Why not offer a promotion or some sort of advertisement as to why they should “Like” your fan page.

3. Product Photos

Let’s say you offer products; say a nutrition bars, yoga attire, etc. What better way to get the name out there by showing photos of your products. If do not offer any products, not to worry, how about showing other products and commenting on what you like about the product. Be careful here, will want to give the credit to the product and not come off that it’s your own during your review.

Q. Why is it important to integrate video on a wellness website?

Graham: I like to think of video as something that stimulates the senses. It allows people to see and hear your message simultaneously. It provides an extra layer of interactivity that people are so used to seeing in the world around them. Over the past decade, we have seen the internet go from a virtually static environment, to a multimedia playground rich in audio and visual content. I think the more information a client or customer has about what you have to offer, the more likely they are to gain a greater level of trust about you and/or your company and ultimately buy your product. I think video can be a great informational resource that, if done well, can catch and hold your viewers attention.

Q. Do I place video on my home page, or where is the best place?

Graham: It ultimately depends on what the end goal of your video project is. For instance, if you had a video showing or reviewing a product, you might have that on the individual product’s page as an additional informational resource for your visitor. The ultimate goal of this video would be to excite and interest the customer enough that they would want to buy your product. If, however, you have a company profile or overview video, it would be best to have that on the homepage, so that new visitors could have easy access to company information ASAP. The goal of this video would be to “hook” your visitors immediately and get them curious or interested enough to click around your website. I had a client once make a video for each one of his pages as a supplement to his written content. It’s up to you based upon your goal.

Q. What subject matter could I place on my blog or website? (video testimonials, etc.)

Graham: This is the fun part because what you want to make a video about is entirely up to your creative mind! Here are some examples of content I have created for my clients.

• Product or service “training” videos - Videos made to show customers/clients how to use a product most efficiently and effectively (also great because it gets potential customers excited when they can visualize how the product can be used for them).

• Video testimonials – Generally I like to mix these in with another type of video (sales video, company profile, etc.), but they can be used effectively as a standalone production. These help build trust in your brand and can be used to build customer/client loyalty.

• Product overview – This is great because it gives you a chance to show customers how to use the product, and most importantly how THEY can use the product. People are visual creatures, and when they can see the size and shape, etc from the video, they will have a better idea of what it is and how they can use it. These are great also, because they can help make your product larger than life. Let’s say you were selling Matchbox cars. If you were just to show the car as is it, no one would be impressed. Using camera angles, creative shooting techniques and some other basic effects you have the ability to build a new, rather exciting perception about your product.

• Company profile videos – These, I think, are one of the best videos you can have. This essentially covers the who, what, where, when, why and how of your company. These are generally less then three minutes in length and incorporate an interview with you or someone in your company, shots of your location, shots of you or your employees in action and even testimonials. This can tell the visitor everything they need to know about your business without them having to do anything but click a button.

• Video blogs - These can be a great addition to any blog. Spend a couple minutes talking about the top 5 ways your customer can benefit from using your services. Make short, concise video blogs showing your expertise on a topic in your field. Remember, trust is a key to any successful business and the more you demonstrate your expertise, the more trust you can build.

• Event coverage – Did you just throw an event at your place of business? If so, film it! People will be interested to see what it was like, and if it’s successful, they will be more likely to come to the next one.

There are many other possibilities, the only limit is your imagination.

Q. How does someone even go about getting video done, what is the process?

Graham: Well there are two options.

If you have your own camera, you could just start shooting! There are many consumer based video editing programs out there that would let you do some basic editing, titling and encoding. There are many people that do this themselves and end up with satisfactory videos.

The other option is to hire a professional company like Black Dove Studios. We have all the gear, people, and most importantly the know how and experience to make something that really stands out. The great thing about working with a company like us is we will go through every step of production with you. We will sit down with you and help you develop your message (which is VERY important, yet often overlooked), we will work with you to plan your shoot and will coach you about your camera presence. We will make sure that every shot is visually appealing and professionally lit and well composed. We will take the footage (sometimes hours of footage!) and cut out the very best clips and edit it all together to tell your story. We will create custom animations and lay down a carefully selected audio score to take your project to the professional level.

I would say it ultimately depends on your budget, goals and how professional you want the video to look.

Courtesy of Graham Johnstone from Black Dove Studios

Twitter: @BlackDoveStudio

http://blackdovestudios.com/

Hashtags are a fun way to categorize Twitter posts with keywords or major topics. First, add a favorite hashtag to Twitter post, next people may catch on to your hashtag and may begin using those hashtags in their posts on Twitter. Last, people may click on hashtag to follow the conversation.

Tips:

• Hashtags may appear anywhere in post
• Hashtags appear under trending topics, these are what are most popular usually
• Using Hashtags helps increase followers
• Anyone who searches by a keyword on a search engine by location, i.e. Denver, your hashtag may appear in their search results

When are hashtags typically used?

• Hashtags are often used during a convention, event or popular trend.
• Hashtags add value to a post to categorize or organize them better.
• Follow a conversation.

Hashtags that are specified by a location

It’s always a good idea to include a location in hashtags. Your followers may want to know what is happening with yoga in their area rather than globally. Some possible hashtags to use for the wellness industry would be;

#YogaBoulder

#YogaDenver

#MassageDenver

#MassageLongmont

#Yoga5280

Other Twitter hashtags used in the wellness industry

#MarketingBiz

#YogaBiz

Secret Twitter Hashtags:

#TopFiveTues

#YogiTeacher

#YogaGuru

#365yoga

#WellnessBiz

#HealthBiz

As a Wellness Practitioner, your clients may be as diverse as the entire human population. Your services and products are geared to healing and strengthening the human body, mind and spirit.  Within your industry, many Wellness Practitioners specialize in specific areas of practice.   How do you promote your services and products? How can you set yourself apart from your competition and convey your mission of healing to your prospective clients?  One answer, of course, is to have a well optimized and visually appealing website.

A website is your biggest calling card for your company or business.  Your prospective clients want to know who you are and exactly what services you are offering.  They want to know your vision and mission.  They want to know your educational background and if you are accredited, legitimate, and ethical.  They want to research and review you and your business before entering into a healing as well as a business relationship with you.  In the 21st century, a website is the most practical way of promoting your services and communicating the necessary information to your prospective clients.

The goal, though, is to not only have a website – the goal is for you to have an awesome website! You want a visually appealing, interactive, easy-to-navigate website, full of interesting and necessary content to grab the interest your prospective customers.  The average person will make the decision to stay on your website for about 8 seconds.  If it is appealing and easy-to-navigate, you can possibly add another 8 seconds. By now, the hope is that the content you offer on your website will be interesting enough for them to begin a communication process with you.  A well-designed website will offer your clients the information they seek to begin a relationship with you and your business.

Here are some topics to blog on;

1. Healthy recipe ideas.

Perhaps you came across a recipe online or in your favorite cookbook. Not only post what the recipe is, but also write a review about it’s health benefits. Almost become a food critic. Now that would be fun.

2. Product review.

Maybe your website sells nutritional products. How about writing a review on that product. I think we all would want to know how you felt about a particular product. Your audience may come across your blog post. You want to be viewed as an expert in order for people to know, like, and trust you. Besides your opinion matters to the outside world. Why not make your blog more personable as much as possible.

3. Discuss the services in which you provide.

Aside from products, you may have a service in which you provide. Talk about it. Let’s say you are a yoga instructor. Talk about the different styles. The best poses for stress relief. Breathing techniques. You could have a favorite pose of the week. And if you were really savvy you could show a video that demonstrates a “how to” or technique of your favorite post each week. Again, be personable. Talk about nutrition, the best foods to eat for yogis. The importance of meditation in the practice. Be the expert. People like myself actually do search for this stuff.

4. Talk about workshops.

I can’t tell you how many times I see people post their workshop on the seminars/speakers page of their website, but then also don’t blog about it. Besides, google loves fresh new content that contains a date. There are so many workshops out there, why would I want to come to yours? You could blog about the benefits, offer a gift or do promotional contest to engage your audience and make it more interactive. People LOVE LOVE free stuff. You may be pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

5. Lastly, discuss health in general.

Maybe you are knowledgeable in an area outside of your services. Maybe you offer a product from another website. It’s a good idea to bring that in somehow and have a link that goes to the product from this other website. You want to tie the two as much as possible, especially if this other site receives more traffic as it could help you get more traffic to your website. Or Vice versa. This other site may mention a link to receive more information pertaining to your services. Be mindful of duplicate content as Google may pick up on it and penalize you. Always always write new fresh content.

Think about what topics make it easy for you to blog and stick with it. You may be pleasantly surprised.

1. Think about the purpose of your practice.

Whether you want your whole look and feel to look like a yoga studio, an acupuncture office (although, not literally, I’ll explain in a minute). Think about about those good qualities that would make anyone want to come in and visit.  People want to feel welcomed.

2. Think about your messaging.

Maybe you have a mission statement. What does it represent?

3. Maybe you have a brand. Or maybe you don’t?

Think about what others are doing, the big picture. I went to a speaker event the other day about branding, and they talked about what BP, Walmart, and Microsoft are doing and how it’s evolved overtime. It’s something you must always be thinking about, it’s not a one time deal. Think about how it could carry over to your website, logo, business card, or brochure. Even some people wear their brand on them with a T-shirt, or name badge.

Network your brand to death. You want to be remembered.

Takes 7 points of contact in order for people to remember you. Going back to the office for a minute. I went to a networking event yesterday and was discouraged when someone spoke briefly about their business, and she had less than a minute to explain what they do. Next thing you know it her blood cells were projected on the screen. Try not to be too literal about what it is you do.  I get it that they were a blood center.  I think people pictures are effective. Maybe show someone giving a hug after they just gave blood, or rewarding the person in some way with candy or even chocolate. Or even with a child bandaid, be creative. At the networking event, the table I was sitting at there was a chocolate expert, yoga instructor, and music band. We brainstormed on how the three of them could get together and have one really fantastic party.

What practices have you seen that have an effective brand?

Credits: Branding Uncensored by Emilie Downs and Lori Dubois.

Networking event: Business Honoring Spirituality Mile Hi.