Blog - DayngrZone Media

How to Build Your Email List and Generate Leads Using Video

{ May 22, 2018 } - Trish Forant

If you’ve been wondering how to generate leads using video, you’re in luck. I had the pleasure of learning from David Siteman Garland @TheRiseToTheTop} during Social Media Success Summit. In his session, “How to Use Online Video to Generate Leads”, David shared 3 strategies you can use right away to build your email list using video, and I’m going to share them with you.

1. Tweak Your Description

Tweak your YouTube description so that it includes a link to your opt-in page instead of your homepage. Be very specific with your call-to-action. If you send someone to the homepage of your website, they may not take the time to join your mailing list. However, since they took the time to click the link and head to your site, sending them directly to your mailing list opt-in page helps guide them to exactly where they want to be and where you want them to be. Also, give them a reason to click the link, show them the benefit of joining your mailing list. You can even give them something for free.

2. Capture Leads

Use video on your own site to capture leads. What? Absolutely! Yes, David gave us his affiliate link for a neat little tool called LeadPlayer. You can find it via his link at therisetothetop.com/leadplayer. What does it do? It pumps up your YouTube videos so you can can capture leads right from the video on your site. It’s easy, too. You put the YouTube video on your site, and then you have the option to add in opt-in boxes and video calls to action and clickable links into your YouTube videos – right on your site. It’s a plug-in for WordPress, and it works with most auto-responders. For example, at the end of your videos you could include a call to action like, “Check out my free video series,” and when it’s on your website, your YouTube video will actually contain a clickable link or even a place where they can just enter their email address. Now you’ll be collecting leads from your YouTube videos, on your site. Does it get any better than that?

3. Add Your Videos to Facebook

Don’t let YouTube or Vimeo, etc. be the only social network your videos live. Add your videos to Facebook. That’s right Facebook! You should have a video on Facebook for all your opt-in offers. {Think: Free Webinars, video series, ebooks, etc.} Your goal is to drive your Facebook traffic to your opt-in page. Your videos can be super short, a few minutes at most, where you say “Hey guys. Here’s what I’ve got, check it out. This is what it’s going to do for you. Click to enter your email.” Be sure that you don’t say things like “click below” or “click on the right” because Facebook is constantly changing. Just let folks know to click to enter their email and you’re done! * Bonus tip* videos uploaded to Facebook directly are going to get preferential treatment.

Additional tips to be of value to your viewers while using video:

Keep your strategy simple – main objective: get viewers & visitors into your funnel. Get them onto your mailing list.
Worry more about the purpose of the video, than the length of it.
Most people have it wrong and focus on YouTube Views. In reality it’s all about leads.
“Free” never goes out of style – it’s the most compelling thing – get it in your YouTube videos to build leads.
Regularly come up with new freebies to keep things fresh. Offer a new freebie per quarter.
Use Facebook video to drive leads. It is a great opportunity to get people from Facebook to a landing page.
Use a YouTube trailer as a lead generation opportunity – introduction, what the channels about and promote lead magnet.
Recommended WordPress Plugin: Capture leads directly with LeadPlayer

Hope you’ll find these tips useful. Be sure to check David out over at TheRiseToTheTop.com and if you’ve enjoyed my recap, be sure to subscribe to DayngrZone Media.

Grab These Online Courses at a Discount Today Only

{ March 16, 2018 } - Trish Forant

Hey lovelies,

Grab these online courses at a discount today and get $25 Off! These social media and digital marketing courses are work at your own pace courses so you don’t need to worry about rushing through them to meet a deadline. Work at your own pace, on your own time, at your convenience and go back and review as needed. They’re pretty perfect if you ask me! But don’t wait, discounts end at midnight Eastern.

Grab These Online Courses at a Discount Today Only

If you’re struggling to understand WordPress, or you’ve been wanting to launch your website, WordPress 101 is for you.
Not sure what to share on your website, blog or on social media? Content Brew is the perfect solution.
Everyone’s crazy for Pinterest (and it’s a great place to make sales) but do you really know the best way to use it? Grab the Pinning Perfect course ASAP!
If you’re a blogger and you want to start working with brands, you’ll want a professional looking media kit and Media Smash Kit is one of the best courses out there.

I hope you’ll take a moment to check out these courses and see which ones can benefit you and grab them today so you can take advantage of the discount before the prices go up. Ok, now let’s dig a little deeper into the good stuff…

Learn More About Each of These Online Courses

NEW! WORDPRESS 101:

For the absolute beginner, this course walks newbie WordPress users through setting up WordPress, installing plugins, creating posts, and doing basic customizations to a WordPress theme. With the discount, this course is only $24! Click here to automatically get the discount!

CONTENT BREW:

Content Brew gives you the process to plan content and build an editorial calendar. Learn how to determine your social media focus and determine how much content you can actually produce. You’ll also get a huge Content Marketing Playbook to fill in as you work through the course. Click here to automatically get the discount!

PINNING PERFECT:

Pinning Perfect walks you through the exact strategies that’ll drive traffic back to your blog. You’ll get the low-down on group boards (it’s not what you think we’ll say), deleting pins, how many pins of your own you should pin a day, and more. There’s a robust private Facebook community too! Click here to automatically get the discount!

MEDIA KIT SMASH:

Media Kit Smash guides you step-by-step through what to say and how to say it. Plus, Media Kit Smash comes with 8 templates to choose from, designed in Canva, so you don’t have to do the hard design work either. You’ll also get a bonus Pro Tips for Pitching ebook with tips from fellow influencers. Click here to automatically get the discount!

If you didn’t have a chance to jump on this opportunity earlier in my email, go ahead and do that now. I know you’re going to find these online courses incredibly helpful. Oh, and if you’re not getting my emails yet, you can subscribe right here to be sure you won’t miss out in the future.

Interested in Working Together?

If you’re interested in social media, digital marketing, or for your business, brand or blog, contact me and let’s get started. I’d love to discuss what I have to offer and how I can help you.

P.S. Missed the discount? No worries, you can still click the links and grab the courses at their regular prices.

The Ultimate Small Business Owner’s Guide to Cyber Monday Sales

{ November 27, 2017 } - Trish Forant

Don’t miss these great resources, services, products and educational courses compiled in the Ultimate Small Business Owner’s Guide to Cyber Monday Sales. You won’t want to miss out on these amazing deals.

This post contains affiliate links which means we may receive a commission. None of the prices have been increased to compensate us.

Social Media Marketing Consultation

We couldn’t share all these great deals with you on Cyber Monday and NOT give you one from us. Book one hour of one-on-one consulting with us and get an additional 30 mins free. That’s an hour and a half of uninterrupted time to discuss your social media marketing struggles, goals and strategies to help get you where you need to be.

A few of the possible topics we can discuss include:

Social Media Marketing, Management, and Strategy {Which social networks are best for your business and what you need to know}
Content Marketing, Strategy, and Development
Digital Marketing Best Practices
How to Grow your Website or Blog Readership
Blogger Versus WordPress, and How to Make the Switch
Branding and Corporate Messaging
Graphic Design {Logos, Ads, Flyers, Business Cards, Letterhead and more}
Web Design, Web Hosting, Domain Names
How to Stay Motivated {Yes, we’re full of motivation!}
And so much more…

Once you book your consulting, we’ll contact you to schedule a date and time and add in the additional 30 minutes!

Book your one-on-one consultation now.

Ultimate Small Business Owner’s Guide to Cyber Monday Sales

Are you a small business owner in NC with a blog built into your website? Then don’t miss out on NC Blogger Network’s biggest sale of the year! Become an NC Blogger Network annual member at a 50% discount. Join today and use code CyberMon at checkout.

Here’s some of what’s included: (see the full list)

Brand influencer opportunities
Daily content and blog promotion
Discounts on our educational events and conferences
Member listing in our online directory, complete with logo
Access to Members-only resources and information
Access to our private Facebook blog community
Members-only giveaways
Spotlight feature in our {Meet} Series
Free 15 minute blog consultation

Register for your NC Blogger Network membership and take advantage of this limited time discount before it expires! Join today and use code CyberMon at checkout. Offer expires Monday at midnight eastern time.

Create Kick-Ass Content Strategy with Months of Planned Content!

If the thought of coming up with blog content, maintaining an editorial calendar, finding or creating content for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and so on makes you want to curl into a ball on the floor, you’re not alone!

Struggling with how much time you spend planning content and building an editorial calendar that works? Try CONTENT BREW:

Content Brew gives you the process to never run out of content. Plus, you get a free editorial calendar every year – All the work’s done for you so you don’t have to! After running through the course you’ll have AT LEAST three months of content planned (though some students have planned out their entire YEAR!). You’ll get a huge Content Marketing Playbook as well to fill in as you work through the course.

Grab the course at the discounted rate: Content Brew

Don’t Know What to put in your Media Kit? Don’t Even Know Where to Start?

Media Kit Smash walks you through making a professional, informative media kit that gives potential partners exactly what they’re looking for.

Need to create a polished media kit to get more work with brands? Try MEDIA KIT SMASH:

So many media kits out there focus more on the blog instead of telling brands about their audience. Media Kit Smash guides you step-by-step through what to say and how to say it. Plus, Media Kit Smash comes with 8 templates to choose from, designed in Canva, so you don’t have to do the hard design work either. It’s the EASIEST way to put together a media kit. Period! You’ll also get a bonus Pro Tips for Pitching ebook with tips from fellow influencers.

Grab the course at the discounted rate: Media Smash Kit

Grow Your Traffic and Audience with the Power of Pinterest

Want to drive mega traffic to your website, blog or shop with the power of Pinterest? Try PINNING PERFECT:

Pinning Perfect walks you through the exact strategies that pinning expert Anna Luther uses to get millions of page views a month on her site, My Life and Kids. Brands pay her to run their Pinterest accounts she’s so good! Plus, she’s good at dispelling myths out there around what works on Pinterest. From now through December 4, you also get a BONUS 20-page Just Pin It Holiday Quick Start Guide to tell you what to do NOW for holiday Pinterest traffic.

Grab the course at the discounted rate: Pinning Perfect

ConvertKit Email Marketing Platform Cyber Monday Steal!

ConvertKit is offering access to a 30-day free trial – Grab your 30-day FREE trial now!

We’re big fans of ConvertKit. And if you’re familiar with ConvertKit you know they don’t really do free. Maybe you’ve even looked at ConvertKit and thought you’d like to try it before making a commitment. If so, you’re in luck.

Now until Monday night at 11:59pm EST, you can click right here and sign up for ConvertKit completely for free for 30 days.

That’s right. You get your entire first month free, but you have to act fast. They’ve never offered a deal like this outside of special events and may not ever offer it again for quite sometime…. truly.

ConvertKit is the go-to tool for sending well-timed, targeted content to the real people in your audience, all powered by a totally reimagined, intuitive, lightning-fast editor.

Don’t miss this opportunity to grow your online business!

Kim Anderson’s Complete Blog Management Printable Planner

Only $5.99 (That’s 50% off)!

We met Kim at this year’s Blog Life University Conference. We loved her session and how knowledgeable she is about blogging.

Her printable planner was created to help bloggers who struggle with focus, consistency and make a real plan for their blog content and email content. Included in the planner is a checklist to help you remember “all the things” when you go to publish a blog post as well as plenty of other fun goal setting tools!

Grab the Complete Blog Management Printable Planner

Don’t miss out. Grab the printable planner now through Monday at 12:00 PM Eastern!

Get a Fresh New Look for your Website or Blog with these Feminine WordPress Themes

Love feminine WordPress themes? Then you’ll adore all Restored316 has to offer. They specialize in feminine WordPress themes for the female entrepreneur.

We love their themes so much, we’re using one for our site! Now, you can too. There’s a wide selection to choose from, so get shopping.

All themes will be 25% off with the coupon code r316cm17 (case sensitive)
Installation Services will be 10% off with the coupon code r316cm17install (case sensitive)

Visit Restored316 and shop their themes

The Entire AW SHOP Collection is 40% off — Biggest Sale Ever

We absolutely love and adore Ashlyn of Ashlyn Writes. We’ve even been a student of her Copywriting for Creatives course and can’t say enough good things about all she has to offer.

If you need help putting YOUR story, your passion, your business’s marketing into WORDS—today’s your day!

3 all-new Prep School Mini-Trainings, getting you a workshop-style training video to accompany your copywriting templates for everything from your Client Welcome Packet to Public Relations 101 so you can pitch your business with tried-and-true email templates.

The Email Business Basics Template Collection—the #1 most popular shop item—for a rock-bottom price of $58.

The Stewardship Series guides to organizing your goals and time, so you can snap up my goal-setting system and get ready-set for 2018 with the same annual planning questions I use in my own business

The all-new Product Description Template Collection, showing you how to write words that convert for your shop items

The Email Welcome Sequence Prep School + Template pack, so you can get a welcome sequence for your own email list subscribers suited up

The BRAND new Copy Bank Kit, created per request of 350+ Copywriting for Creatives students, showing you how to DIY a swipe file system for words that work … and it’s under $30 (!!).

And so much more under $50!

Are you Ready to take your Income to the Next Level with your own Products?

If you’re ready to take your income to the next level with your own products, this course will walk you through how to decide a topic, create a topic, market the product, and sell a product. It includes 12 videos that will help you become successful as an online seller of your own product. Dollie Freeman is the creator of

50% Off the Entire Click It Up a Notch Website on Cyber Monday

That means you can save $100 on Courtney’s course, the Beginners Guide to Manual Mode (which we’ve taken and highly recommend) plus save 50% on each of her ebooks. So worth it if you want to take your blog photography to the next level.

Beginners Guide to Manual Mode Course – Do you wish you could pick up your DSLR and capture the images you see in your head instead of missing the shot? If you struggle with sharpness, exposure, lighting, and/or composition, this courses was designed for you. You need that solid basic understanding instead of just hoping for a lucky shot. By the end of this course, our students feel completely comfortable capturing any situation in full manual mode.
The Unexpected Everyday ebook – In this ebook you will get daily skills, which will build upon one another, so you are comfortable with manual mode by the end of 30 days. daily prompts which will challenge you to practice and capture a simple moment in your child’s life.
The Styled Photographer ebook – Taking great photographs takes more than just technical skill. Think about your favorite photographers. They all have signature styles that set them apart and reflects their own particular perspective on the world. That’s what you love about them! If you’re ready to develop your own signature style, but aren’t sure where to start, The Styled Photographer is for you.

Discounts are already marked. No need to enter a coupon code.

Need More Cyber Monday Goodies?

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StudioPress Themes – Now the time to grab your StudioPress WordPress theme! Get 25% off all StudioPress Themes for WordPress

Hello from Blog Life University 2017

{ September 21, 2017 } - Trish Forant

I’m spending the latter part of this week at the 2017 Blog Life University Conference and I can’t wait to share all the key takeaways from the conference with you later, right here on the blog.

If we met at the conference, welcome! I’m a blogger just like you. I’ve been blogging since 1997 and I’m really excited to share my passion with you the NC Blogger Network.

If you love blogging as much as I do, and you love connecting with other blog bosses just like you, then you’re going to love the NC Blogger Network.

Whether you’re a fashionista or a foodie, new to blogging or a veteran, NC Blogger Network’s got something for everyone – and for every type of blogger. I look forward to welcoming you to our community! We’ve got what you need to succeed.

Blog Life University 2017 Attendees – Grab Your Discount!

It’s all about building community and connecting with your tribes, you know, like minded-bloggers, so I’d love to offer you a discount on our annual membership. Use code BLOGLIFEU now through Monday, 9/25 and get $10 off our annual membership.

About The NC Blogger Network

NC Blogger Network is North Carolina’s premier community for bloggers. We bring bloggers together for events, education, networking and paid opportunities working with relevant brands! Membership to the NC Blogger Network is based on an annual subscription.

Our goal at the NC Blogger Network is to create a strong state-wide community of bloggers working together to support and encourage each other through our network. It is also our goal to provide our members with paid opportunities working with brands they know and love.

About Blog Life University 2017 and What We’ll Be Sharing

Blog Life University 2017 is THE Conference to Learn How to Take Your Blog from Hobby to Business.

These speakers are experts in their fields and ready to share with you their secrets to success. Scroll down to read about each session – you definitely don’t want to miss!

Thursday, September 21, 2017

9:00-9:15am – Welcome with Melissa Llado

9:15-10:15am – Getting Paid What Your Worth Through Working With Brands by Jenny Melrose

10:15-11:15am – Organizing Your Day for Maximum Productivity with Aaronica Cole

11:15-11:30am – BREAK

11:30-12:30pm – Expanding Your Reach With Podcasting by Nicole Culver

12:30 – 1:30pm – LUNCH

1:30 – 2:30pm – Make Your Photos POP Without Breaking the Bank by Tiffany Dahle

2:30 – 3:30pm – Jumping Into Videography WithOUT the Fancy Equipment by Christina Patterson

3:30 – 4:00pm – BREAK

4:00 – 5:00pm – Grow Your List to Maximize Your Income with Kirsten Thompson

5:00 – 5:30pm – Closing Remarks with Melissa Llado

Friday, September 22, 2017

9:00 – 9:15am – Welcome with Melissa Llado

9:15 – 10:15am – Massively Grow Facebook to New Heights with Rachel Miller

10:15 – 11:15am – Pin It and Win It…Traffic That Is with Cynthia Rusincovitch

11:15 – 11:30am – BREAK

11:30 – 12:30pm – The Art of Affiliate Marketing with Dollie Freeman

12:30-1:30pm – LUNCH

12:00 – 6:00pm – Brand Expo Open

3:00-4:00pm – Protecting Your Financial Future- Creating a Business Budget with Iyanna Vaughn

4:00-5:00pm – Building Abundance Through Product Launches with Becky Mansfield

5:00 – 5:30pm – Closing

Blog Life University 2017’s Sessions and Speakers

Jenny Melrose takes you behind the scenes of working directly with brands to increase your sponsored post rates.

Becky Mansfield is sharing all about launching a product successfully to increase your income.

Melissa Crenshaw Llado will walk you through adding income through an online store.

Aaronica Bell Cole knows all about increasing your hourly rate by maximizing your productivity and she’s sharing all of her secrets with us!

NC Blogger Network member, Tiffany Dahle, takes amazing photos and she’s going to show you how to take gorgeous pictures without spending tons of money on expensive equipment.

Beloved Women with Christina Patterson started her video blogging with just her phone and she’s going to show you all of her tips and tricks to getting started with video easily.

Nicole Culver is all about increasing your reach with podcasting…growing your audience will bring in more income and she’s going to show you how.

Cynthia Rusincovitch is sharing her secrets to building and organizing your email list for maximum return on investment.

Rachel Miller is a guru at growing your business through Facebook and she’s diving deep with massively growing your Facebook page.

Dollie Freeman knows how to boost your affiliate commissions even if you’ve never done affiliates before…learn the ART of affiliate marketing to substantially increase your income.

Iyanna Vaughn is going to wrap up the conference by showing you HOW to protect your financial future and organize your blogging finances so you can reap the rewards of growing your online business.

Let’s Keep In Touch

I look forward to connecting with you, welcoming you to the NC Blogger Network and I hope you’ll stay tuned for those session recaps and key takeaways.

65 Must Have Business and Marketing Resources

{ July 24, 2017 } - Trish Forant

This blog post contains affiliate links. Because we love these resources and highly recommend them, we’ve partnered with some of these businesses and may receive a commission if you purchase. However, none of the fees have been increased to compensate us.

We’re so excited! We couldn’t wait to share this with you. If you are a business owner, entrepreneur, speaker, author, coach, social media manager, blogger, vlogger, podcaster, inventor, website owner or musician, artist (or want to be any of these) you can’t afford to miss the incredible resources you’re going to get bundled in the 2017 BC Stack.

I don’t know about you but I barely have time these days to search for answers. I just need to keep working toward my goals. If you’re in the same boat, you’re going to love what I’m about to share with you!

Most of the time, we do the things we know how to do and put off or skip the things we just aren’t sure about (because seriously, who has time to research everything we need to learn?), but some of those things are what we really need to know to become even more successful.

I’m busy, you’re busy. So I’d really like to help you! Therefore, I’m giving you access to 65 classes, ebooks, software, plugins, people and services that are going to help take your blog, business and or personal life to new heights. All you have to do is look, and see which one could change your blog and/or business today. But you don’t have to choose one, you’re going to get all 65!

So do that. Take a peek at the incredible resources I’m sharing with you – all available and bundled for you for just one ridiculously low payment of $27, this week only. (Offer expires July 26th at 11:59 pm cst)

You can’t get it anywhere but here and only once per year! (Grab the BC Stack)

WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THE BC STACK?

BC STACK is not just ebooks, it’s products, services and lots of things like –

30 minute 1-on-1 session with the Jairek Robbins team
30 minute 1-on-1 session with Author Vernon Ross
Get your logo (or some other image) animated
Get your blog reviewed
Get your podcast edited
Get ready made marketing plans

. . . and that’s just 6 of the 65 products in this year’s BC Stack (Grab the BC Stack)

IF YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS TO GROW A PODCAST –

See what your podcast sounds like when you get it professionally edited by Natasha Rivera
Let Ani Alexander teach you how to accelerate the success of your Podcast
And Kirsten Oliphant is going to teach you how to create a podcast course
Not to mention courses on WordPress, blogging, traffic and tech skills to drive traffic to your show and show notes pages

Plus get a 30 minute 1-on-1 session with our friend and colleague, Vernon Ross to learn how to perfect your “voice!” (Grab the BC Stack)

FEELING OVERWHELMED? BC STACK CAN HELP!

You’ll get access to a live Hashtag Library so you can stop spending time searching
We’re going to teach you how to use Camtasia so you can make videos for your FAQ’s and stop answering so many emails
We’re going to give you Jessica Turner’s book “Stretched Too Thin” to help you manage feeling overwhelmed
Tawyna Sutherland, leader of the largest VA training company in the world, is going to teach you how to outsource the stuff you don’t like to a VA

DO YOU LOVE FASCINATING MINDSETS AND LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS?

Neal Shaffer teaches corporations all over the world how to influence, he’s going to share that with you.
Let Ann Smarty teach you how to make things go viral
Kelly McCausey’s momentum intensive is going to teach you how to focus and get clarity without making you feel bad about yourself, but instead, make you feel great about yourself
Jessica Turner teaches moms how to overcome overwhelm and get serious about their business
Ricky Shetty and Scot Paton travel the world as digital nomads and teach you the secrets

Plus get a 30-minute 1-on-1 session with Tony Robbin’s son, Jairek Robbins, to clarify your success and that’s just 6 of the 65 products in this year’s BC Stack

So go ahead and check out all these experts and what they have to offer! Check out the BC Stack now before the offer expires on July 26th at 11:59 pm cst.

Know someone who could benefit from these resources? Share this post with them!

It’s our goal to help you grow both personally and professionally. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter today, for more incredible offers, resources, and discounts.

Register for our Free Social Media Workshops

{ March 29, 2016 } - Trish Forant

Grab your planner and schedule some time to attend our upcoming FREE social media workshops! Does Facebook leave you feeling frustrated? Twitter got you twisted? Are you wondering about Website Optimization? We’ve got you covered! Learn to use social networks to your advantage! These workshops are must-have resources if you’re interested in getting started, or have the desire to learn more about Social Media Marketing and Content Creation.

Free Social Media and Digital Marketing Upcoming Course Line Up

Facebook For Business – Intermediate (Mar 30)
- This free social media workshop is aimed at small business owners that have a Facebook page in place and could use a deeper understanding of how to use their page. We’ll review set-up best practices, dive into posting do’s and don’ts, how to use hashtags, social media policies and terms of use, as well as content creation. Taking the Social Media Marketing Workshop is highly recommended prior to attending this workshop. Attendees must have a personal Facebook profile already created and in use prior to taking this course, and understanding of your industry. Additionally, you’ll want to bring a digital copy of your business logo and 5 large digital photos (bright and colorful pictures work best).
Facebook For Business – Advanced (Apr 13)
- This free social media workshop is aimed at small business owners that have a Facebook page in place and could use a deeper understanding of how to market more effectively. We’ll cover the basics of Facebook Ads, insights, demographics and data mining, content scheduling and creation, along with scheduling features and monitoring tools. Learn how to effectively and efficiently manage your Facebook page and community. Taking the Social Media Marketing Workshop and Facebook Intermediate Workshop is highly recommended prior to attending this workshop. Attendees will want to have a Business Facebook page already fully set up with 35 or more fans, 5 bright and colorful digital pictures to use for posts and knowledge of Facebook page management basics.
Blogging For Business (May 4)
- Learn why your business should have a blog as part of your website, how to find content to blog about, and how to promote your blog.
Website Optimization (May 11)
- This workshop is aimed at small business owners interested in learning more about Website Optimization and SEO, keywords, optimizing your site and your pages.

All workshops and courses take place in the Wayne West Building at:

Carteret Community College

3615 Arendell Street

Morehead City, NC 28557

How to Register for Digital Marketing and Social Media Workshops

To register for upcoming digital marketing and social media classes, click the links in the descriptions above, or visit the Carteret Community College Small Business Center, or call Amber Buster at (252) 222-6361 Wanda W. Bennett at (252) 222-6127.

Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to receive announcements for upcoming events and offers.

Online eCourses and Workshops

If learning from the comfort of your home or office is more your style, be sure to look into the following eCourse we recommend –

Plan and Manage Your Content

Learn more about the course or sign up at: Content Brew eCourse

Interested in digital marketing and advertising or social media for your business? DayngrZone Media is an Eastern North Carolina digital marketing boutique, specializing in marketing, advertising, website design and development and social media.

15 Tips on How to Build Authority on LinkedIn

{ March 2, 2016 } - Ragan Chambless

Each year our team attends Social Media Examiner’s Social Media Success Summit. Today we’re sharing LinkedIn expert, Melonie Dodaro‘s, insights on How to Build Authority on LinkedIn and Stay Top of Mind. Here are some of the key parts any LinkedIn user who is serious about becoming an authority should know.

Content is Key

If there’s one thing you should take away from this article, it’s this very important concept: Content creation is key. High-quality content should be specific to your target audience; it should be focused on things that they find value in. Ask yourself, “What are their problems?” Then be ready to create content with the solution. Some other tips for creating high-quality content are making sure that whatever you’re posting is thought-provoking and original.

I bet you didn’t know that 94% of business-to-business marketers are using LinkedIn to distribute their content (wait, seriously?). So with that kind of competition, you’ve got to learn to do it better than everyone else in order to stay top of mind. Let’s look at some of the ways you can share your content (and do it well) using LinkedIn:

Share Status Updates – Think daily updates, originality, and relevant content.
Create Engagement Opportunities – Think about asking thought-provoking questions to get your readers talking and providing feedback.
Increase Engagement – Think links, videos, and pictures to grab people’s attention. Tag connections when appropriate.
Give Perspective – Think of sharing your perspective on posts you share and why your followers should read it.
Keep It Short – Think 1 to 2 sentences for status updates since LinkedIn doesn’t allow formatting.
Take Advantage of Groups – Consider joining and contributing to groups that are specific to your industry and interests.
Reach Out to New Connections – Consider sending a welcome message to people you connect to in an attempt to get to know them better.
Stay Connected – Think of sending them useful articles and relevant content. Really cater to their interests!
Be a Business Matchmaker – Consider introducing your contacts to others with similar interests to increase your value.

So you’ve got your content, and you’ve shared it. Well, what’s next? Melonie stressed the importance of keeping in touch with your potential and existing prospects and here’s how –

Get Personal

Share Articles – Send articles to specific individuals or groups that you think they’d value. And really focus on personalizing what you send (because nobody likes a Spammy Tammy).
Set Reminders – LinkedIn also allows you to set daily or weekly reminders to keep you from getting complacent when it comes to networking among your connections.
Use Tags – You can also use tags to put people in certain categories as well as adding notes to people’s profiles.

By utilizing all of these tools, you can stay on top of maintaining relationships and ensure that you stay top of mind. Because if you’re not actively following up and building relationships with people, “business isn’t going to just magically find you”.

Follow up and build relationships. Business isn’t going to just magically find you.

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Experts Are In Demand

So we’ve talked about the importance of creating original content. Did you know that 82% of consumers reported feeling more positive about a company upon reading that company’s custom, original content? Content that you’ve curated from others is great, too, (we can’t all be experts on everything) but if you really want to establish yourself as an authority or that go-to person in your field, originality is the way to go. Once you’ve spent time creating original content, you obviously want to be sharing it and getting feedback on it. LinkedIn Publisher is a great tool for this since it’s perfect for long-form content, similar to a blog post.

Here are a few reasons why you definitely want to be using LinkedIn Publisher:

Your articles published with LinkedIn Publisher are showcased at the top of your profile, increasing value to prospects who view your profile. They can easily click and view your recent posts and discover what you’re about and how you can help them.
Your connections are notified each time you post. But if a lot of people are getting random notifications, you still need to make sure your posts have strong titles to draw them in.
Your network is able to share your posts which opens you up to a much larger audience. This gives you the opportunity to be seen among your second and third-degree networks.

To increase the sharing of your Publisher posts, you should add a picture and address a specific problem or topic. You should also be posting regularly; once a month isn’t going to cut it if you’re serious about becoming an authority on LinkedIn! Additionally, posting one to two status updates a day and one LinkedIn Publisher post once a week is the best ways to see results. Most importantly, the key is to be consistent in what you do. If you can only post two articles a month, then be consistent in actually posting twice a month. Another cool tool to check out is LinkedIn Pulse! It’s basically LinkedIn’s news section, and it will actually email your connections weekly updates on articles they may be interested in. Your articles are usually shown to your connections, so that’s going to help with staying top of mind, which is the ultimate goal here.

Last Minute Tip

One last thing worth mentioning is company pages versus personal pages. It’s great to have a company page, but the real results are going to come mainly from your personal page. Since LinkedIn limits the capabilities of a company page, you’re going to need to use your personal account for sending messages and building relationships with your connections. You should absolutely still be using your company page to post status updates and drive more traffic to your blog posts. Happy Linking!

Are you currently using LinkedIn to build your authority on a specific topic or in a specific industry? We’d love to know your tips in the comments below!

Interested in digital marketing, advertising or social media for your business? DayngrZone Media is digital marketing boutique, specializing in marketing, advertising, website design and development and social media.

Make Social Media Work for Your Business in 2016

{ February 1, 2016 } - Trish Forant

Save the date! Small business owners, learn how to make social media work for you. We’ve got a great schedule of FREE workshops and classes for you to take in 2016. Learn how you can use social networks to your advantage! These workshops are must-have resources if you’re interested in getting started, or have the desire to learn more about Social Media Marketing and Content Creation.

The Social Media and Digital Marketing Course Line Up

LinkedIn For Your Business (Feb 3)
- LinkedIn is the social networking resource for professionals and an instrumental tool in developing your personal brand and creating an online identity for your organization. Use LinkedIn to promote your business, share employment opportunities, identify new employees, increase sales and more. In this workshop you will learn the basics of LinkedIn: how to sign up, build your profile and connect with other professionals, reach out to new contacts, make introductions, contribute to ongoing discussion groups and get advice on how to use recommendations to showcase your skills and build your reputation.
Facebook For Business – Intro (Mar 09)
- This workshop is aimed at small business owners interested in creating a Facebook page. We’ll cover why a Facebook page is important vs. using a personal Facebook profile for business, how your page works, and all the settings to get your page up and running by the end of the workshop. Taking the Social Media Marketing Workshop is highly recommended prior to attending this workshop. Attendees must have a personal Facebook profile already created and in use prior to taking this course, and understanding of your industry category (retail, non-profit, etc.) and what you’d like to name your business page. Additionally, you’ll need to bring a digital copy of your business logo, 5 large digital photos (bright and colorful pictures work best).
Facebook For Business – Intermediate (Mar 30)
- This workshop is aimed at small business owners that have a Facebook page in place and could use a deeper understanding of how to use their page. We’ll review set-up best practices, dive into posting do’s and don’ts, how to use hashtags, social media policies and terms of use, as well as content creation. Taking the Social Media Marketing Workshop is highly recommended prior to attending this workshop. Attendees must have a personal Facebook profile already created and in use prior to taking this course, and understanding of your industry. Additionally, you’ll need to bring a digital copy of your business logo and 5 large digital photos (bright and colorful pictures work best).
Facebook For Business – Advanced (Apr 13)
- This workshop is aimed at small business owners that have a Facebook page in place and could use a deeper understanding of how to market more effectively. We’ll cover the basics of Facebook Ads, insights, demographics and data mining, content scheduling and creation, along with scheduling features and monitoring tools. Learn how to effectively and efficiently manage your Facebook page and community. Taking the Social Media Marketing Workshop and Facebook Intermediate Workshop is highly recommended prior to attending this workshop. Attendees will need to have a Business Facebook page already fully set up with 35 or more fans, 5 bright and colorful digital pictures to use for posts and knowledge of Facebook page management basics.
Blogging For Business (May 4)
- Learn why your business should have a blog as part of your website, how to find content to blog about, and how to promote your blog.
Website Optimization (May 11)
- This workshop is aimed at small business owners interested in learning more about Website Optimization and SEO, keywords, optimizing your site and your pages.

All workshops and courses take place in the Wayne West Building at:

Carteret Community College

3615 Arendell Street

Morehead City, NC 28557

How to Register for Digital Marketing and Social Media Workshops

Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to receive announcements for upcoming events and offers.

Prefer One on One Training?

We’d love to help! Give us a call (252) 226-0885, and we’ll schedule your personalized training.

About DayngrZone Media

Learn How to Make Social Media Work for You

{ December 2, 2015 } - Trish Forant

We’ve got two great opportunities for you this week to learn how to make social media work for you. Through the Small Business Center, we’ll be teaching both an Advanced Facebook workshop and a Twitter for Business workshop. Learn how you can use these social networks to your advantage! These workshops are must-have resources if you’re interested in getting started with Social Media Marketing and Content Creation.

About the Advanced Facebook Workshop

You’ll need to have a Business Facebook page fully set up with 35 or more fans, 5 bright and colorful digital pictures to use for posts and knowledge of Facebook page management basics. This workshop is aimed at small business owners that have a Facebook page in place and could use a deeper understanding of how to market more effectively.

We’ll cover the basics of Facebook Ads, insights, demographics, content scheduling and creation, along with scheduling features and monitoring tools. Learn how to effectively and efficiently manage your Facebook page and community. This Facebook workshop is one in a series offered by DayngrZone Media that will help you understand how to make social media work for your business. {Wayne West Building, Room 319}

Carteret Community College

3615 Arendell Street

Morehead City, NC 28557

About the Twitter for Business Workshop

Get ready for another great social media workshop! This workshop is aimed at small business owners interested in using Twitter as a part of their marketing plan.

We’ll cover Twitter basics like learning your way around Twitter, Twitter terminologies like tweets, retweets, modified tweets, hashtags and more. Learn how to create your Twitter account, set up your profile and some basic best practices. You’ll want to bring your digital business logo, 5 large digital photos (bright and colorful pictures work best), and a can-do attitude! You’ll leave with a fully set up Twitter profile and the ability to create a week’s worth of Tweets. This Twitter workshop is one in a series offered by DayngrZone Media that will help you understand how to make social media work for your business. {Wayne West Building, Room 318}

Carteret Community College

3615 Arendell Street

Morehead City, NC 28557

How to Register

Make Social Media Work for You in 2016

Don’t miss our upcoming 2016 digital marketing and social media workshops, happening in Carteret County. These workshops are aimed at small business owners interested in using social media and digital marketing and advertising as part of their marketing plan.

Social Media Marketing Workshop (Jan 6)
LinkedIn For Your Business (Feb 3)
Facebook For Business – Intro (Feb 24)
Facebook For Business – Intermediate (Mar 30)
Facebook For Business – Advanced (Apr 13)
Blogging For Business (May 4)
Website Optimization (May 11)

Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to receive announcements for upcoming events and offers.

How to Bring Out Your Inner Creative

{ December 1, 2015 } - James Bartels

“A great idea comes between the bad and the absurd”

If you’ve been hitting a brick wall with your creativity, then you’re probably looking for some guidance in how to bring out your inner creative. Sometimes the brainstorming process doesn’t go as smoothly as we’d hope, so we’ve got a few tips for you to help

Jason Keath gave a great presentation at the 2014 Social Fresh conference on how to get your creative juices flowing and up the creativity anty. During his talk he focused on brainstorming process. Brainstorming is one of the most popular ways people come up with ideas.

Avoid These Creative Pitfalls

First, let’s talk about mistakes that are made during the brainstorming process. There are two main mistakes people make:

Only taking 15 minutes to get 12 solutions to a problem and voting on the best one
Making a brainstorm session within another meeting, which had nothing to do with brainstorming in the first place

Time is key. Allow yourself enough time to come up with ideas. You can’t crank out brilliant ideas in 20 minutes. Creativity comes from persistence and time. Jason says, “having a 15 minute brainstorm session is like trying to eat a giant salad once a week and be healthy, when you eat two cheeseburgers a day.” Essentially, you’re not getting any benefit, if you don’t put real work and time into it.

Improving Your Creative Process

Allow yourself ample time. It’s 2015, we are all busy. Being too busy is not an excuse. You must set aside a block of time to come up with ideas. Make this time a priority. Focus on one thing at a time.
Put time into actually planning the meeting.
Develop ideas BEFORE the brainstorming session.
Have an agenda, goal, decision maker and follow up plan. Make sure these are carried out. The decision doesn’t always have to be the boss. It can be someone who knows the problem well that you’re trying to solve.
Give yourself permission to be creative. Do not be afraid of bad or crazy ideas. Often brainstorming can be intimidating. Write every idea you have down. The more ideas you have, the more options you have to share and expand with colleagues.
Try assigning people to come up with ideas before the meeting. However, comprise and present people’s ideas anonymously in the meeting. Don’t link ideas with names this way no one will feel criticized.
Have more ideas! What we mean is if you’re trying to come up with one solution have an array of ideas to work with. For example, the writers on ‘Saturday Night Live’s, Weekend Update’, write an average of 800 jokes for the 15 they tell in their segment. So, if you’re working on a project come up with at least 50 ideas.

“Ideas happen when expertise brushes against life experience.”

Get Out There and Live

In order to make all of this come together you have to go out and experience life. It’s important to rub shoulders with people from different backgrounds, who speak different languages. If you can’t travel, connect with people who do. Remember the advantages of social media! You can interact with people from all over the world from the comfort of your office chair. We’d recommend video chatting if you can’t do it in person. You can gain new perspectives by connecting with new people and getting out of your comfort zone. Give it a shot. You’ll be surprised how the creative juices start flowing.

You can’t come up with creative solutions and ideas without new life experiences, or meeting new people to share different viewpoints and ideas. It’s important that you stretch yourself and experience as many new things as you can. That’s what in all comes down to. That, and allowing yourself the time and permission to be creative. With a little planning and effort, you’ll be surprised at what you can accomplish.

What are the best ways you like to brainstorm? Is there a time of day you like better than others? What about certain days? How do you organize your team and ideas? We can’t wait to hear your thoughts in the comments below!