Jim's Marketing Blog

Marketing tips and ideas to help you grow your business

Google+ Not me too!

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A lot of people have asked me if I will be writing a review post this weekend, about the new Google+ service.  I managed to get an invite on day 3 of the pre launch and have been very impressed with it.  However, this early on, all anyone can say for certain is that it looks interesting.  You can join me on Google+ here.

But no, I am not going to review Google+

Here’s why!

There are already hundreds of posts written about Google+ saying almost the same thing.  For me to simply add to that noise would be of no value.  I spent 30 minutes this morning, reading 10 posts about Google+.  If you had read any one of those posts, you would have had no need to read the other 9. They all offered a very similar breakdown of all the key features and then the blogger either said it would fly, or flop.  That’s all anyone can say now.  None of the posts I read offered anything original; just comparisons to Facebook etc, lists of features and what’s great and what they think is missing from the product.

Me too posts

I try and avoid writing what are called me too posts.  Me too posts tend to be very similar (hence the name) and I believe that my posts should offer you something original or at least an original view point.  Anything I wrote today would have been me too. That kind of review post is great for news blogs (and Google+ IS big news).  I see little point, however, in me too saying that Google+ rocks or sucks and telling you what the features are, yet with no user data or ‘stats, that’s about as deep as anyone can go, today.  Plus, that post has already been written hundreds of times in the past 24 hours.

Of course, any posts written today will also be inaccurate and outdated extremely quickly, as the Google+ team are rolling out changes very fast right now.  I have already seen one big change in the past 12 hours alone, (which those reviewers all missed.)

Over the coming weeks, as more people are invited to join (it’s mainly geeks and early adopters now), we will start seeing some worthwhile data.  We will also get an idea as to how fast (or slow) Google+ is growing.

I will be talking about Google+ in the near future, but not until opinions can be formed on facts and hard data (rather than guesses and first looks).

If you are using Google+ I’d love you to connect with me here.

Let’s work together and grow your business. To find out more click here!

The secret to great marketing

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There’s a massive difference between bad marketing and great marketing.

  • Bad marketing is all about doing things to the marketplace.
  • Great marketing is all about doing things for the marketplace.

Bad marketing

Bad marketing is based around pushing.  They email you because they bought your email address from someone.  They write to you because they know where you live.  They interrupt your busy day with cold calls, because they have your phone number.  In short, they do things to the marketplace, which the marketplace doesn’t value or appreciate.  When these irritating interruptions stop, we are pleased.

Great marketing

Great marketing is based around contribution and engagement.

You write a blog post, which gives people interesting, valuable or entertaining information.  They enjoy it so much they spread the word for you and share your information with their friends.  You write a newsletter, which provides great value to a group of people who asked you to add their name to your subscriber list.  They forward it to their friends, who also ask you to add them to your list too.  If you were to stop writing those blog posts or newsletters, people would miss you.

Here’s a useful post on how to attract great clients not pester them!

The difference?

Bad marketing pesters people in the hope that if you pester enough of them you may make a sale.  It’s based on the mindset that says it’s OK to piss off 1,000 people, in order to get 1 positive response.  Great marketing is the total opposite.  Great marketing attracts people and engages them.

Great marketing allows you to form relationships with your prospective clients.  It also allows you to build great relationships with what I call advocates.  Advocates are essential.  Advocates are people, who may have no need for your services, but value what you do so much that they share your message and recommend you to their friends. For example, most people who read this blog will never spend a penny with me, but they will happily share my work with their friends; which can be of just as much value.  Of course, advocates often become clients and clients should always become advocates.

The bottom line:  I strongly recommend you figure out the most effective way to do things for your marketplace, not to your marketplace.

Blogging: Seth Godin and I are doing it wrong!

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blogging, blog tips, content marketing

According to just about every blogging expert out there, I’m doing it all wrong.  But that’s fine with me.  Apparently, Seth Godin is doing it all wrong too.  It turns out that when it comes to blogging, Seth and I are as clueless as our heads are hairless.

What I discovered whilst ruining this blog

Although I’m doing it all wrong, here’s what I’ve discovered; whilst building a daily readership of thousands and making a six figure income from this blog:

  • Your blog posts do not need to be lengthy.
  • You don’t need to use video on your blog.
  • You don’t need to offer a “weekly round-up” of your posts every weekend.  It’s perfectly fine to write something original or post nothing at all.
  • You don’t need to review every piece of crap that’s sent to you.
  • You don’t need to be an associated blogger.  It’s fine to be independent; plus you look less like a sheep when you are not part of a flock.
  • Your posts do not need to be Search Engine Optimized every time or even most of the time.
  • You don’t need a complicated commenting policy or special commenting software.  Seth doesn’t even have comments.
  • You don’t need to spend a fortune on blog design.
  • You don’t need to write a newsletter, just because other bloggers do. (In fact, it’s best NOT to do anything, just because other bloggers do.)
  • You don’t need to use SEO software, to help you write your posts.
  • You do not need to use guest bloggers.
  • You don’t need to drop the F bomb or be deliberately confrontational, in order to stand out.
  • You DO need to find out what works for you, based on what you want to achieve; then do it YOUR way.

Tip: It’s probably NOT going to help you, if you follow the pack.  If your current approach to blogging isn’t working, dump it and consider breaking a few rules.

Me?  I’m going to look for more and more rules to break and more ways to do it wrong.

Why?  Because each time I do, something wonderful happens.

How to kill your business!

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business development topics r

A key factor in every failing business I have ever studied, is that the business owner dabbles.

Rather than get the professional help they need, they decide to crush their chances of success, by dabbling with their marketing.

Some common examples include:

  • People dabble with promotional offers: They make unattractive offers, to the wrong people, at the wrong time, using the wrong message and the wrong medium.
  • People dabble with social networking: They set up accounts, usually on too many social networks and then copy what they see other people doing.  They spread themselves too thinly and have no effective strategy.  As a result, they miss all the great opportunities.
  • People dabble with blogging: They set up a blog, with no clear idea of what they want to achieve.  They then fill their blog with “me too” posts (posts that simply repeat what millions of other people are saying) and then quit after a few months, because (it) didn’t work.
  • People dabble with email marketing: They buy a list or add people to a list (without their consent), and email them sales messages.  They waste months angering people with unwanted email, that the recipients never requested, and wonder why it didn’t work.
  • People dabble with advertising: They place the wrong message, in the wrong area of the wrong publication, at the wrong time.  They use the wrong typography, the wrong call to action and then proclaim; “advertising doesn’t work!”
  • People dabble with mail shots: They send a marketing letter, written usually by themselves rather than a copywriter (to save money), to a list they bought or built from contact data they found.  The mixture of amateur copywriting, bad targeting and no compelling reason for the reader to do anything, makes this a total waste of time.

Then there are enlightened small business owners

These business owners decide to build a successful business, so they invest in the professional marketing help they need.  They do the right things correctly and enjoy the rewards.

They have figured out that in the most challenging economy in living memory, the dabblers are simply dabbling their way out of business.

Proof: Why your marketing needs to prove itself!

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Proof matters. It matters because the gap created by a lack of proof, is usually filled with doubt.  In business, you really don’t need people doubting you or your message.

Why proof matters in marketing

People typically want to believe you, but they like to have proof as a way to justify their belief.  These days it’s usually pretty easy to provide that proof, particularly online.  If you get a mention in a national or regional newspaper, there’s usually a link you can provide, to show your coverage.

For example, I provide a lot of proof on the about page on this blog. I include 5 different links to mentions of me that appear in The New York Times.  There’s also a link to the website of my friend and former client; Grammy Award winning producer, Bruce Elliott-Smith, as well as my current AdAge Power150 listing etc.  I use the links to help provide proof to new readers and prospective clients, that my narrative is genuine.

The problem with proof

Today, if you get mentioned in just about any regional or national newspaper / magazine, you can provide readers with a link to it on that publication’s website.  However, most of the mentions of you from 8 or more years ago in the press, are probably gone without trace. You may have a hard copy of the article that says how great you are, but nothing you can link to, which shows it on the newspaper’s own website.  Equally, appearances you made on TV or great radio guest spots from back then, are also hard to prove.

The challenge here is that in the age of click-able proof, many people expect proof to be available on the website of the newspaper, magazine, radio station or TV station etc.  Not simply on your site.

In my own case, I have appeared on dozens of BBC radio shows, with nothing I can link to as proof.  I list the BBC in an image on my about page and hope that my transparency and click-able proof are enough to build the trust required.  You know what?  For many who don’t know me, it won’t be.  They need that click.  To be honest, I understand them too!  I see mentions some bloggers make regarding coverage they have received, and find it hard to believe, based on the quality of their content.  Others I believe instantly and feel no need to click anything, because their content / work is clearly extremely good.

Maybe there’s a lesson there too: That people are less willing to believe someone who claims high level media coverage, when the quality of their content seems pretty average?

In my experience, if you can link to your mentions in the media, you should.  It removes doubt and encourages trust.  If you have enough credible mentions, which are easy to prove, you may find people are more likely to believe those achievements, which can’t be proven instantly with the click of a mouse.  Here are some tips on how to get more high quality media coverage, if that’s a challenge for you right now.

Is blogging something you fit in after the important work is done?

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A reader emailed me recently, to say she is about to start a business blog.  She wanted to know how I find the time to keep this blog updated as frequently as I do, with useful content.

Image: Maria Reyes-McDavis

The answer is that I don’t have to “find time” to write here!

Let me explain: I see business blogs a little differently from most people.  I regard business blogs as massively valuable assets.  So, I give this site high priority within my business.

To me, business blogs are online magazines, which provide articles to interested people; with an opportunity for the readers to connect with the author and their fellow readers.

Just as you can’t play around and accidentally produce a worthwhile business magazine, you can’t play around with a business blog and expect it to develop a great community of highly valued readers.

Magazine thinking?

Think of any great business blog.  It provides valuable articles for people interested in their niche, just like any high quality business magazine.  For example, Brian Clark from copyblogger refers to his site as a media asset and his posts as magazine style content.  I have always been of the same mindset.  I see this site as a genuine media asset and I treat it with the respect it deserves.

  • It’s not a hobby.
  • It’s not a passtime.
  • It’s not a gesture.
  • It’s not something I do when there’s no real work that needs doing.
  • It IS an extremely valuable business asset.  Look at this!

This site never needs me to have spare time to invest in it.  If it did, it would be another infrequently updated business blog.  I regard Jim’s Marketing Blog and the reader community here as an integral part of my business, so it gets worked on ahead of many other less important (to me) business activities.

  • People who just write posts when they have spare time, after the important work is done, end up with a site which reflects that level of investment.
  • People who regard their site as the important work, treat their site very differently and see very different results.

The bottom line:  It’s a question of priorities.  Professionally, I place an extremely high priority on developing this site, so it always gets the time and attention it deserves.

How to avoid making bad decisions

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If you want to know why some business owners make such poor quality choices, you simply need to look at the lack of professional care they apply to the development of ideas.  I call this lazy thinking.

Lazy thinking?

Lazy thinking is a term I use, to describe the process of applying very little real thought to the solution of problems, leading to; low value decisions, ineffective actions and poor results.

I saw a great example of lazy thinking recently, at a late night pub in my local town.  There’s a small sign on the door, which asks people to respect the local residents, and leave the premises quietly.  The reasons that the sign fails to resolve the problem, are obvious.

  • Firstly, the loud, obnoxious people who leave bars making so much noise that it’s likely to offend local residents, are loud and obnoxious people.  They make that noise because they NEED to be noticed.
  • Secondly, the drunks who leave these bars making tons of noise, are often unable to walk in a straight line.  They are hardly likely to read a message, make a decision and then adjust their behaviour to magically act in a sober way.

The pub owner knew the sign would have no positive impact on noisy late night drinkers.  The local residents knew it too.  That’s what happens when you apply no thought to the solution of a problem.  As I mentioned recently, when you apply the right kind of thinking to a problem, you get a far more effective result.

Lazy thinking in small business marketing

Lazy thinking is behind the dumbass marketing you see small business owners waste their time and money on.  For example:

  • It causes business owners to waste money on mail shots and email marketing, which they write themselves in order to save money.  These home-made, DIY marketing messages are almost always extremely ineffective, so rather than save money, these letters waste a fortune.  They also fail to generate the sales, which a professionally copywritten message would have generated.  Lose – Lose.
  • It causes business owners to buy mailing lists, rather than build communities.  In 2011 we build lists of interested people, by attracting them (here’s how to do it.)  We don’t buy them.
  • It causes business owners to add you to their newsletter list without your permission, just because they have your email address.
  • It causes business owners to leave sales messages in the comments section of blogs, without realising how cheap it makes them look.
  • It causes business owners to waste money on ebooks, which promise unbelievable results.
  • It causes business owners to put lots of great content on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin etc – Whilst their own blogs are seldom updated (if they even have one!)

We place a very low ceiling on our potential, if we apply the lazy thinking model to business decisions.

Your prospective clients have never been better informed.  Thanks to low cost (and no cost) global digital communications, they have never been so actively targeted by competing providers, either.  If you want to survive in business today, let alone thrive, lazy thinking just doesn’t cut it.

Get everybody talking about you with this 1 simple idea

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Today, I want to help you and your business attract more word-of-mouth than ever before.  I want to help you create an crowd of people, queuing down the street, just to get a peep of what all the buzz surrounding your business is about.

It starts here.

When you look at the vast majority of websites in any niche, it gives you an extremely accurate insight as to why so many businesses fail.  Very, very few of them stand out as being worth talking about.

UVSP’s and Purple Cows

In 1995, I was telling small business owners to develop what I called a UVSP (Uniquely Valuable Selling Proposition.)  This was my version of the USP (Unique Selling Proposition), which I have always believed to be incorrect.  It’s not enough to be unique, without offering unique value.  In 2002, Seth Godin wrote about this in his best-selling book, Purple Cow.  UVSP or Purple Cow, it amounts to the same thing; a product or service, which stands out for being of unique value.  Something with an interesting and attractive story.

Most small businesses stay small, because they do the opposite.  They don’t offer unique value.  They are too similar to their competitors.  Their story isn’t interesting, so no one talks about them.

How similar are your competitors?  Check out the blogs or websites of 10 of your competitors and look at what they have to say.  Look at what they offer.  Look at their testimonials, their promises, their guarantees.  Notice how amazingly alike they are.  In almost every case, their messages could be swapped around and I am not sure anyone would notice.

They want word-of-mouth referrals, but give the marketplace nothing worth talking about.

An alternative approach? Twylah

This weekend I spent a lot of time talking about Twylah, because it’s an interesting story worth sharing.  I saw this video about how Twylah works on Robert Scoble’s blog and it blew me away.  Their story was so compelling, that I wanted to tell people about it.  It didn’t cost them a dime.  It was their story, not their money, which compelled me to talk about them on Twitter and share the service with you in this post.  In doing so, I have just spread the word to thousands of people.

And so… some of you will watch that video, listen to how valuable Twlyah could be for your marketing and tell others.  Very soon, LOTS of people will be talking out it.  It’s a valuable, easy to use marketing tool.  That means it’s interesting to business owners.  It’s the kind of thing we want to share with the people we know.  You can check out my Twylah here.

BTW: If you look at the page without watching the video, you will think you’re looking at a paper.li clone.  It’s pretty much the polar opposite and allows you to make money direct from your Twitter stream, without Tweeting ads etc.  Ask them nicely and you may get an account. (It’s in the pilot phase right now.)

Remarkable. Interesting. Shareable.

Today, if you want your business to thrive or even survive, you have to break out of the sea of sameness and offer something that has unique value to your marketplace.  Business has changed.  Years ago, you could be just like all your competitors, but if you outspent them or out networked them, you would win the majority of the business.  Today, your clients and prospective clients see their social media streams light up, as soon as one of your competitors announces a fresh, interesting way of doing business.  News like that spreads through your marketplace via social networking sites very quickly.

So here’s my suggestion:  Focus on developing a UVSP or Purple Cow of your own.  Develop a uniquely valuable, remarkable way to be of service.  Become one of those interesting stories, that your marketplace LOVE to be part of and share.

Make your business the one they are talking about!

Let’s work together and grow your business. To find out more click here!

Picture: Robert Scoble

9 Ways to write more high quality blog posts… right now!

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Here are 9 ways to write more, high quality blog posts.

  1. Write short posts.  You don’t have to churn out 1,000 word essays.  Most of my posts are under 500 words. Some are under 150.
  2. Don’t try to write like someone else.  The more your posts reflect you and your unique self, the more people will value them.
  3. Spend less time publishing your ideas on social networking sites.  Then, use that time to feed your blog.
  4. Avoid seeking perfection.  The perfection mindset will cause you to write from a position of fear.  Be human, which means being imperfect.
  5. Use a voice recorder or your phone to capture ideas for blog posts.  You will often get your best ideas when you can’t write them down.
  6. Don’t feel like you have to bring the answers with your posts.  Ask the questions.  Get a conversation going: It’s a blog, not a broadcast!
  7. Write when you feel creative.  If you feel inspired to write a post, write one.  Then, write another one! I seldom write 1 post at a time.
  8. Use the questions people ask you, as inspiration for future posts.  If someone is asking you a question linked to your topic, there’s a good chance other readers will find the answer useful too.  I wrote this post, after a reader asked how I managed to publish 12 posts here in the past 7 days.
  9. Most importantly, enjoy it! Many bloggers say they have to force themselves to write posts.  You don’t need to force yourself to do something you enjoy, so identify and resolve whatever it is, which is stopping you from enjoying your blog.

The secret to getting YOUR voice heard

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Just as shouting loudly for too long will cause you to lose your voice, blogging for traffic can do the same.

Focusing on traffic (numbers) ahead of people, will influence what you say and how you say it.  The challenge with that approach is that it’s hard to get your voice heard, when it’s simply part of the noise created by all the other people, saying the same things.

Yes, if your business model is based on how many page impressions you can create, it may be a useful strategy.  This is not the case for 99.9% of people though.  Our success is linked to the relationships we build with the PEOPLE behind those traffic numbers.  This means allowing your readers to connect with you.

The numbers

If I were to write posts here just for “the numbers,” this blog would cover far fewer subjects and read very similar to every other traffic focused, marketing blog.  I would be trying to tie in my blog posts to recent news events.  I would also jump on every new social media bandwagon and blog about it.  I would regularly have to use infographics. I would bore the shit out of you, talking about the latest crazes on Twitter.

That approach may attract traffic to this site, however, those people would leave just as fast as they arrived.  Why?  Because there are thousands of sites already writing those posts. I would lose my voice in all that noise.

Amplifying your voice

What gives you your voice, is your ability to share what you think.

  • Your thoughts
  • Your words
  • Your opinions
  • Your insights

The irony here, is that it is the people with the least generic approach to blogging, who often have the largest and most engaged readerships.  These are the blogs we share and link to the most often, because they have something interesting to say.  Those links (sometimes called inlinks or back links), are the single biggest factor in the volume of traffic a site gets from search engines.

By blogging about our area of expertise or professional interest, using out own voice, we are far more likely to motivate people to want to share what we have to say and link to it too. This is a very liberating message, for those who connect with what it means!

If you want to build a great community of readers and prospective clients, have something worth saying and say it well.  Say it in your own voice and give yourself permission to be human.  That’s what makes you unique.

The magic of Seth Godin

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It is my honest belief, that Seth Godin is a genius.

Genius?

Without interrupting me, Seth somehow manages to compel me to need to tell you about his work from time to time.  Seriously, I feel like I am actually under-serving the community here, if I forget to mention him periodically; in case new readers have not yet discovered him.

Conversely, I am currently being bombarded with sales emails, from a vocal advocate of Seth’s work and permission marketing in general.  I gave them permission to email me, but with each additional pushy sales message they send me, I become less and less inclined to want to recommend them.  I have never bought a product from them either.  Professional curiosity is all that’s keeping me on their list.

When Seth’s blog posts arrive in my inbox each day, they are keenly awaited.  Each post delivers value.  Seth’s posts are written by him, but for us. The guys sending me the pushy emails also offer valuable blog posts, but they are written by them, for them.  It always seems like I am being sold to.  I feel like I need to keep my guard up.

If I see a link in one of Seth’s posts, I click it eagerly.  I trust him.  My guard is down.  I believe that the link will offer me value.  I’ve been educated to expect something positive.  It works beautifully.  You know what?  Seth has never sold me a book, but I have bought every book he has ever written.  In fact, I usually buy a dozen copies of each new book.  I keep one and give the others away to people I know, who are ready to read what Seth has to say.

If you want to know what I am talking about, do this:

  1. Go to Seth’s blog.
  2. Subscribe.
  3. Then, take some time to read your way through his posts.  Do not just read the latest posts. Bookmark the blog and work your way backwards!

If you do, you may learn how to inspire people to write posts like this, about you and your work.

Let’s work together and grow your business. To find out more click here!

Photo: Seth Godin

6 great marketing posts and the chance to win an iPad2

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After 3 years of blogging, I have finally written my first ever guest post!

As regular readers will know, I love what John Jantch and the team over at Duct Tape Marketing are doing.  This means it was a great privilege to guest on John’s site today, as part of Duct Tape’s iPad give-away competition, to celebrate small business week.

Your chance to win an iPad2

If you want the chance to win an iPad2, simply read these 6 great posts.  They are all about how to convert leads into clients, even if you hate selling!  Then, see if you can match the 6 authors to the correct post!   The 6 authors are: Jill Konrath, Mahan Khalsa, Michael Port, Michael Schultz, Wendy Weiss (and me!)

The posts are worth checking out purely for the value they contain, but with the added bonus of potentially winning an iPad 2, you really have to check them out.

 

Give your business an immediate boost with these 3 great questions

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Here are 3 things you can do right now, to help you attract more great clients.  Simply ask yourself the following 3 questions and put the answers into action:

  1. What was the last service you recommended to someone and what motivated you to recommend it?  When you uncover why you recommend other people’s services, you can incorporate that into your own business, to attract more word of mouth referrals.
  2. Who was the last person to leave an extremely positive impression on you, and what was it that impressed you?  By learning from those who left a great impression on us, we can improve our own professional impact.
  3. What was the last website or blog you shared with your social network, and why did you share it?  Think about what it was that motivated you to share that site.  Look for ways to use a similar approach, to encourage more people to share your site.

Those 3 questions are typical of the kind of questions we need to be asking ourselves all the time.

What would you add as a 4th question?

Why the hostility? I don’t understand it!

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Why are people so hostile, to bloggers who write books, which include subjects covered in their blog posts?  That’s not a rhetorical question, I am genuinely looking for an answer and would appreciate your feedback.

The typical complaint I hear, is that some bloggers books contain a lot of the material, which is freely available on the author’s blog.

Here’s how I see it

A blog with hundreds or maybe thousands of posts, can take someone many hours, before they search through all the content to find the key parts they are interested in.  Time is money. On this blog, I offer a categories section, a month by month archive and a search box and even I find it hard to quickly locate particular posts!

A site like copyblogger, which has no archives, no dates on any posts and where posts are not fully categorised, would take someone days to mine for all the key information they need. That said, those guys sell inexpensive information products based on much of their cornerstone content, which is an effective solution, in my opinion.

Of course, even after someone trawled their way through hundreds or thousands of posts, it’s probable they will miss key content out, if they haven’t already gone blind from eye strain!  Then they need somewhere to put that information, so it can be indexed and easily read.

Now, given that all of the blogger books I have seen, retail at below the hourly income of their intended readership, are they really so wrong to charge for it?  It’s also worth mentioning that with a few well-known exceptions, these books offer a lot of new material and fresh insights, not simply rehashes of the authors blog posts.

I would love to know what you think about this, so please share your thoughts.

How come I do it so often?

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content marketing

It seems that some readers have noticed that many of their favourite blogs didn’t publish anything, over the recent public holidays.  I’ve had a few people on Twitter and several emails, asking why I thought it was, that many of the bloggers who say they schedule weeks worth of content in advance, always seem to miss the days when they are away from the office.

I can only guess why they didn’t publish on those days.  Maybe they simply didn’t have anything finished in advance and were spending some time away from work.  Good for them! Others may have had some posts pre written and ready to go, but maybe wanted to save them for higher traffic days.  Lots of business bloggers have told me they see no value posting on public holidays.  They find they get little engagement with so many people away from the office, so it makes more sense for them to hold onto their posts for regular work days.

Those are just educated guesses.  I can, however, explain how come I was able to post each day.

Here’s how I do it

It’s actually extremely simple:  I prepare my posts well in advance.  I write 3 or 4 blog posts, twice a week.  Plus, I occasionally dedicate a whole day to writing posts.  This means I am always at least a month ahead of myself with content.

These posts are about 95% written, so once a week I grab a handful of them and complete them, before scheduling them to be published.  It works.  It means I can show up here without having to write during the holidays.  It means I only need to write a couple of times a week, so it never gets in the way of my family time or my fee-paying work.  It also means I don’t have to rely on “guest” bloggers to provide me with content, as I always have far more content than I actually need.

Sometimes, like over the past few weeks, I publish something every day; occasionally, like today, I publish twice in a day.  For example, the post I published this morning was written weeks ago, then I decided to write and publish this post today, because of the time sensitive nature of it. (Today is a public holiday in the UK.)  So, if it’s a time sensitive post, I will often publish the post the same day it’s written, otherwise it’s a scheduled post.

From a content marketing perspective, there’s no real need for me to publish as often as I do.  I’m driven to share ideas with you here on the blog, because I know many people find these posts as enjoyable to read, as I do to write them.  A genuine win-win!

I’d like to know what you think about blogging on a regular basis.

Do you enjoy reading certain blogs regularly?  Do you find it challenging to produce posts as often as you would like?  Do you think it’s better for bloggers to write less often?  Please take a moment to share your feedback!

Blogging, giving and receiving!

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I wrote last week about the power of giving.  In that post, I said; By helping other people, we begin the process of giving and open the channel for receiving.

One of the ways this manifests itself to me, is through the feedback I get from readers here on the blog.

As well as the comments you see, I also receive emails almost every day, from people who want to thank me for something I have shared here, which has helped them.  These range from a quick “thank you,” to detailed information on how they used an idea from one of my posts, to achieve a business breakthrough.  I love to receive them.

Readers also send me gifts to show their thanks for the fee information I provide here.  These are usually business books, which is great as I am a ferocious reader.  I get 1 or 2 books sent to me every week.

However, I also get gifts from readers, which are completely unrelated to business.  For example, Irene Koehler from almostsavvy.com sent me a Winnie The Pooh storybook, all the way from California.  She did that after reading a post, where I mentioned how I love reading with my young son.

I’ve also been sent cards, flowers, balloons and fruit baskets etc – An extremely diverse range, from great people who simply wanted to show their thanks.

Picture this

I was prompted to write this post today, after Robin Dickinson from Sydney, Australia sent me the amazing charcoal picture you see in this post.  As well as being a gifted artist, Robin is also a business consultant and trainer.  The picture is Robin’s interpretation of my new Twitter avatar image.

What makes this picture even more amazing, is that Robin has managed to produce a very close likeness, working from just a low quality photo I shot with my camera phone.  I believe Robin’s picture is actually closer to the “real” me than the original photo!

Thank you!

Many people only see the blogger giving away his or her expertise, however, that’s just half the story! By working hard to help as many people as possible with this blog, I am repaid every day for what I do and in many different ways.

To everyone who has contributed to this blog in any way, either through; sharing the posts on their social networks, commenting, emailing or sending tokens of appreciation, I’m extremely thankful.

Picture: Robin Dickinson

Reliable?

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How reliable do your prospective clients think you are?

  • If you use social networking sites, can they rely on you to show up regularly and contribute?
  • If you write a newsletter, can they rely on you to get each edition out on time?
  • If you write a blog, can they rely on you to publish posts on a regular basis?

Until they have the opportunity to work with you and discover how wonderful you are, prospective clients only have your marketplace facing activities, like those I just mentioned, with which to assess how reliable you are.

Building a reputation for reliability is extremely valuable, as it helps you earn the confidence of your marketplace.  Use your most visible marketing efforts, to show them that no matter how busy you are, you can be relied upon to show up.

Revealed: The marketing idea that changed my life!

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Almost 25 years ago, I discovered a marketing idea which changed my life.  It allowed me to go from being broke at the age of 21, to financially secure for life in around 8 years.

Today, I am going to share it with you!

Marketing and me: 1987 style

When I started out in marketing, one of the many marketing experts I studied was Jay Abraham.  Unlike most of today’s top marketing authors, who tend to focus on sharing interesting concepts, Jay focused on making money.  Jay would give you a nugget of information, which you could pick up and use there and then, to start making more sales.

Ironically, although Jay was working in content marketing a decade or more, before today’s Internet marketing gurus appeared, he hasn’t embraced social media and many of you will never have heard of him.  It was one of Jay’s real world marketing ideas, which started me off in content marketing:  Though back in 1987 we called it consultative selling.

The idea behind consultative selling was simple:

  • You operated as a consultant – Not as a salesperson.
  • You shared knowledge – You didn’t sell.

I focused on building a reputation as a knowledgeable expert, by sharing valuable information or content.  I did radio interviews.  I wrote articles for business magazines.  I spoke to groups of business people.  Remember, this was pre Internet.  It’s a lot easier today!

Pretty soon, I had influential decision makers calling me, because they automatically associated me with whatever industry I was working in at the time.  I was able to meet with people that the sales guys couldn’t get near.  I was also able to build a huge referral network, because people were always happy to refer me to their contacts; knowing I didn’t push anything on anyone.

By the age of just 29, I had made so much money that I was able to leave a highly paid job, to set up my marketing business.  Of course, 16 years on we now have; blogs, newsletters, webinars, podcasts and social networks to share knowledge and consultative selling has been rebranded as content marketing.

I can honestly tell you that since the day I started this business, have never had to actually sell anything to anyone or spend a penny on advertising.  I have always attracted 100% of my clients via content marketing and today, I show business owners like yourself how to do the same.  It’s a great way to build a highly successful business.

The name may have changed from consultative selling, to content marketing, but the results have remained consistently amazing.

Attract more business inquiries than ever before with these 6 powerful marketing tips!

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Do you want more client inquiries from your marketing?  Would you like to make your marketing more compelling, so it encourages more people to take action when they read it?  If you would, then read on!

Most marketing content is written to capture the attention of, and then inform, a targeted group of people.  Great marketers add a 3rd element.  They capture.  They inform.  They compel!

Compelling marketing

Average marketing leaves people thinking, “so what?”

Compelling marketing encourages people to take action.

Compelling marketing is focused on “them” not you. It’s about their needs and solving their problems and making their experience of you and your business as good as possible.  Them, them, them.

Compelling marketing messages

One of the reasons small business owners find their written marketing far less effective than they want, is that it fails to inspire the reader enough, to motivate them to take the desired action.  Here’s an example of compelling copy, which I wrote for a marketing company that had been really struggling to get enough people to subscribe to their newsletter.

Boost your sales and profits starting today, with a free subscription to our marketing newsletter.  Subscribe now and I’ll send you a FREE…..

Previously, they were doing what 99.9% of newsletter providers do; simply asking people to:

Subscribe to our marketing newsletter and receive a copy of our marketing check-list

The new message, which out-performed the old one by over 850%, was all about the reader and giving value.  It starts with a promise, to help them make more sales and increase their profits.  It then gives them a direct request to take action now.  If you want people to take action at all, ask them to take action NOW! It then finishes with the promise that if they take action now, as well as all that valuable newsletter information, they will also receive more great value, in the form of a marketing check-list.

Compelling marketing: 6 quick tips to motivate your prospective clients to take action

Here are some ideas to make your written marketing more compelling:

1  Scarcity: Whenever possible, give people a reason to take action now rather than later.  This comes from the principle of scarcity.  The fear of losing out on something is an extremely compelling reason for people to get moving!

2. Study your target market: The more you know about what’s important to them, the easier it is for you to understand what’s most likely to motivate them.

3. Avoid the use of generic terms: Generic terms simply wash over people.  The most overused word in this category is the word “solutions.”  It’s OK to use the word in context within a longer message (such as a blog post.)  However, using it on your “about” page, social media bio or profile will hurt your response rates.

Telling people something like; “we provide solutions to the XYZ industry” means nothing and is not compelling in any way.  If you build websites, which make companies look fantastic online and helps them attract throngs of eager clients – TELL THEM!  Don’t say you “offer integrated website solutions.”

4. Headlines matter most: This one is simple.  No matter how amazing your marketing message is, if no one reads it, it can’t convert.  The headline or title of your marketing is what compels people to read it.

Why do you click certain links on Twitter, Facebook or Linkedin etc?  It’s because the title makes the link sound compelling enough to check out.  The title sells the link.  Why do you open certain emails and not others? Again, the title or subject line compels you to open it.  I recently blogged about how to attract more traffic from Twitter using attractive headlines.  That post has some useful headline writing tips.

Tip: Keep a list of the next 50 links you click via social networks and study them to see what compelled you to take action.

5. Add to your marketing vocabulary: Having a limited vocabulary and trying to inspire people with your messages, is like having half the ingredients missing from a recipe and trying to make the meal taste right.  Business owners always seem to assume that they have a great vocabulary.  The reality, as you see every day for yourself, is the exact opposite.  Most small business content and general marketing is written using an extremely limited palette of uninspiring words.

6.  Embrace brevity: The fewer words in your marketing message, the more impact you can create.  Most of the marketing copy I see is at least 50% too long; often 75% or more.  A targeted, information rich message that is packed with value, will out-perform a long winded, meandering message that drags on, which few people even finish reading!  In today’s marketplace, where people have more to do than ever before, short marketing messages have more impact than ever.

The bottom line

If you want people to call you, email you, buy from you, subscribe to your blog or newsletter etc – YOU need to motivate them to do so. If you get it right, the potential to attract more inquiries, clients and sales is enormous!

The simple secret to attracting all the help you will ever need

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How good are you at attracting the help, goodwill and cooperation of others?  If you think there may be room for improvement, this post is just what you need!

Today’s post is about one of the cornerstones of business success, something called reciprocity.  Here’s a very, very basic explanation of how reciprocity works in business and life generally:

By helping other people, we begin the process of giving and open the channel for receiving.  This giving, starts a positive cycle where we not only make more friends and feel better about ourselves, but ALSO encourage others, without asking, to want to help us too; (to reciprocate.)

Reciprocity in action

Over the past 48 hours, I have experienced reciprocity in action here on the blog.  I have had people from all over the world, help me get the word out about my new content marketing service.  Without asking anyone, they just decided to repay me for the free help I provide here on the blog, by sharing my new service with their friends and contacts.

Of course, their kindness has not gone unnoticed.  I remember those who help me, just like you remember those who help you.  This is one of the wonderful things about helping others.  Every time we do, we plant a seed that has the opportunity to blossom into something magical.

The reciprocity mindset is NOT just about personal or professional gain and if you think it is, you are totally missing the point!

It’s simply an amazing way to proceed through business and life.  It’s the attitude of contribution.  It’s about building relationships with great people, by instigating the process of giving.

It’s beautiful.

It’s simple.

It costs nothing.

It’s also a wonderful way to build a rewarding life and a fantastic business!