The Eastside Life Community Blog

It’s rough out there right now, it does not mean you get paralyzed and do nothing it means keep looking ahead and implementing any small marketing tactic or action you can. Here are what I see as a few quick tips for small things you can do. 

1.     Be social. Social media sites like Linked-in, Facebook, Twitter and MySpace are not just for teenagers. Set up at least two social networking sites and participate in the community. Add links to your website, link to other professionals and any other profiles you have active. Linked-in is a business application and is very powerful as an outreach tool, and is a great first step for prospects to check you out.

2.     Get fresh. How often do you post new content to your website. By frequently adding news articles, new images or video, or by contributing to a blog you create new opportunities to engage with your audience, and best of all improve your ranking on the search engines.

3.     Develop a referral program. Your biggest asset is your current customer base. Happy clients like to share their successes, so reward them and encourage conversation about their experience with your brand. A simple thank you often works or what about a coffee card. Make sure your customers know that you appreciate their business!

4.     Have some fun. Marketing is not all about ROI and metrics, include your customers in fun event activities. Invite them to participate in competitions, send in your favorite pictures which will be posted to your website. Of course they must be relevant to your business, Columbia Sportswear implemented a program where they invited sport participants (of any age) to send in images of their favorite sports gear in action, Columbia gear of course. Everyone wants to be famous and see themselves online, it was a great success.

I think you get the picture!

When I woke up this morning, my husband tuned in to the local news on TV.  Doom and gloom.  The media was doing its best to turn every ounce of reporting into a spin on depression and poor ecnomy.  I couldn’t listen.  You have to be brain dead to not understand (and feel) the financial woes we are all going through as a nation.  It has a ripple effect, and eventually hits us all in one way or another.  I just can’t buy into the fear and drama on the television.

I refuse to let this bring me down!  This presents a new opportunity to look at how I live, work and play. This is a chance to take “stock” (ahem) in what we DO have, and how to use it carefully as we plod along. I believe in my heart we will get through this, and know we will be okay.

My number one weapon against the “blahs” is my smile!  Joy is contagious!  OK, this might sound simple, and my hippy roots are showing, but it is a proven practice!  Smile at every person you pass on the streets, in a store or your office building.  Give eye contact and say hello.  It feels so good, and the reward of a friendly smile back can give you a sense of security and comfort on the worst of days.  Give a hug, hold a hand, give a compliment….its a free investment, and the return is priceless.

Saturday was a lovely day, sunny and nice, and we visited The South 47 Farm in Woodinville. It is sooooo cool to live in the suburbs and have farms 15 minutes drive from your home!
Read more here: http://wflavors.blogspot.com/2008/09/green-blackberries-are-red.html

A while back I heard about RushMoreDrive.com on Tavis Smiley’s radio program.

RushMoreDrive is a search engine takes what we might find from other engines and produces the list with the interests of the Black community in mind. Although I am an Asian, I am happy to see business people coming out with something that matters to their culture.

Joe asked me to put in a Tag Cloud (See the Top Tags section on the right.) But I noticed some posts don’t have any tags. I am guessing some of our authors might not know about it.

After you write your post, you will see the “Tags” box right under it. Just write in keywords of your post and separate them with a comma and a space, then click on the “Add” button to attache these “tags” to your post.

Happy blogging + tagging!

Bothell girl here again, asking for another round of voting.  My friends at JK Personal Training - have been nominated for Best Personal Trainer of Western Washington.

Anyone who works out with Jenn or Kerry at their Woodinville studio knows that they are tough ladies that really help their clients achieve results. They are not only your trainer, they are your friend. Please help them get the title of Best Personal Trainers of Western Washington and vote.

Vote Here

While you are there, why not check out other categories and see who else you can help be named The Best.

Okay, I am apparently preparing for a career as a food and wine critic, because that is all I seem to be writing about these days.  If you are a fellow fan and appreciator of food the average restaurant doesn’t offer, I highly recommend Shamiana.  Shamiana is an Indian restaurant in Kirkland with some delicious cuisine! They offer an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet for $10.  The food is amazing! Read more…

Last month was the annual 3-day breast cancer walk and October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

To promote breast cancer awareness, one of my clients, Alaska Silk Pie Co., has a special on a couple of their cakes where 10% of all proceeds will be donated to the Susan G Komen 3 Day Breast Cancer Foundation. Read more…

As most of you who read Eastside Business newspaper or visit the news site know, I have been heavily invested in promoting Overlake Service League’s “Wine at its Best” event that was scheduled for this Saturday.  I received a call last night from Trish Carpenter saying that the given the state of the economy, the Board had voted to postpone this great event until February. Read more…

There’s still an opportunity to RSVP for the Eastside Entrepreneurs Connecting Party next Thursday October 9th.  If you don’t plan on attending to connect with other local entrepreneurs and small business professionals, you might want to show up for a chance to win a cool door prize …. Read more…