Jim's Marketing Blog

Marketing tips and ideas to help you grow your business

5 Simple ways to make your day amazing!

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business, help, advice

Here’s an idea: Why not make today a day to remember?

Consider doing one or more of the following. Then just watch the kind of impact you create.

  1. Send a handwritten note of thanks, to a person who has helped you or inspired you in some way. The power of something as personal as a handwritten message, is far greater than an email, text or tweet.
  2. Send flowers to someone you care about. This doesn’t have to be expensive. You can pick some wild flowers, wrap them yourself, add a card and deliver them in person.
  3. Write a blog post or article, which shares something that has been useful to you. If it was a website, include a link. That way, your readers will benefit AND whoever or whatever you’re recommending will get some recognition too.
  4. Go to your primary social network and recommend a person or business, which you really appreciate.
  5. Contribute either some time or money to a charity or cause, which does work you appreciate.

One of the wonderful things about contributing this was, is that it’s cyclical. It makes the people you are showing your appreciation to feel great and it makes you feel great too. This makes you want to do it again… thus the cycle repeats.

Try it!

What you know about link building is probably wrong

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marketing links, marketing advice, attract sales leads, attract clients

And it’s not your fault.

Here’s the thing: When it comes to marketing your business, there are 2 types of link, not 1 as many people seem to believe!

  1. There’s the type of link you already know about. This is where a website links to your website or blog. This is sometimes called a backlink.
  2. However, there’s another type of link, which is seldom mentioned. This link has just helped me attract a wonderful new client. And it has nothing to do with hyperlinks, link building or backlinks.

In today’s post, I’m going to share how you can make that second type of link work for you and your business. Let’s start with a little clarity.

The type of link you already know about

You’ve been told a million times about the value of getting a link, from a highly respected website to your site. In short, if your site has lots of links pointing to it, especially from high quality websites, it will rank higher on search engine results pages. This kind of link building is the backbone of SEO.

  • It’s why infographics are all over the internet (they usually have link code embedded in them).
  • It’s why people will write guest blog posts for popular websites like The Huffington Post and Forbes, without payment, in return for a link.

Those links are valuable. However, they’re not the only type of link that’s of value to you and your business!

A very different type of link

I was contacted by The Wall Street Journal a while back. Business Editor, Chris Gay, wanted some help with a marketing article. I was happy to contribute. More than anything, I was delighted to have been approached for my expertise, by someone from such a respected publication.

You can read the article here: Four Marketing Strategies That Paid Off for Small Companies.

Marketing help, link building

Yesterday, Grant emailed me. He wants a place on my Marketing Mentor Program. In his email, he explained how he first discovered my work because of the Wall Street Journal article.

Although there are no links pointing to me from that article, he was impressed enough with the idea I shared, that he searched for me. He found me and then subscribed to Jim’s Marketing Blog. Fast forward to this week and he decided he is ready to invest in my services.

That article didn’t have a traditional link to me or my website. Nothing for Google to follow. Nothing for Google to index. Nothing for Grant to click.

However, it DID provide a highly valuable link, which turned Grant from a stranger into a client.

Links and the power of association

Never underestimate the value of having your name or brand positively referenced in an A-List publication, even if they don’t link to your website.

Grant is a Wall Street Journal reader and he trusts what they have to say. Though The Wall Street Journal didn’t say they endorsed me, they did use my work as a positive example of a marketing strategy that paid off. Grant was then able to naturally associate [or link] my name, with the article and the source of the article — The Wall Street Journal.

That kind of link is powerful. Really powerful.

The combination of Grant valuing what I said in the article, with the trust he has for the publication, inspired him to go to Google and find out more about me and my work.

My point here is simple: When your name or brand is positively referenced by a trusted source, people will feel positively about you.

You need to be visible on search

Of course, had I been hard to find, Grant would never have visited my blog and subscribed.

To benefit from having your name mentioned in a publication that doesn’t link to you, you need to be easy to find via search engines. The same is true when you’re mentioned on radio or TV. Naturally, this is where SEO comes in. It’s why lots of good quality backlinks are important.

Grant is based in California and searched Google for Jim Connolly marketing. Anyone doing that search within The U.S. today, will find me listed as the first few search results; (either my blog, Facebook Page or my Twitter account). If people search for you after reading about you, they will have your name and they will almost certainly figure out your industry. Your job is to make sure you’re easy to find when people do that. This is easier for some people than others. You may have a very popular name and work in a huge industry.

I suggest you search for yourself, using your name and a 1 or 2 word industry category. If you’re not happy with what you find, make sure you optimize your website, blog and social networking accounts so you’re visible. If you are not sure how, get expert SEO help. It’s worth it.

Why none of this would have worked without a blog or newsletter

Think about it: When Grant visited my site all that time ago, he wasn’t in need of my services. He was curious. That’s all. Because I write a blog, he was able to subscribe and receive regular email updates.

This means I had a way to maintain regular contact with him, through my posts. It also allowed him to learn my approach to marketing and the value of my ideas.

Note: If Grant had initially found just a website, with no blog or newsletter, I’d have lost him.

Think about that for a moment. This will help!

SEO matters

It really does. And backlinks are essential if you want your SEO to work.

The point of this message is simply that you shouldn’t ignore opportunities to promote yourself online, just because there’s no backlink to your website.

If a highly respected publication asks you to contribute to an article AND they position you as an expert, you will be linked mentally in the mind of their readers, to a publication they trust.

That’s of huge value to you and your business.

A powerful email marketing lesson from Google

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marketing, content marketing, attract sales leads, attract clients

When Google wrote to me recently, they chose to use traditional mail. Paper, an envelope and a postage stamp. It got my attention. I opened it, read it and acted on it. More importantly, here’s why Google contacted me via traditional mail and what you and your business can learn from it.

The problem with email

It’s free. There’s no barrier to entry. As a result, anyone can interrupt us with unwanted email. Also, because it’s free, too little thought is given to the quality of the email or how well it’s targeted. Hence the huge spam problem. It costs nothing to put a low value email together, click send and pester 1000 or 1000000 people with it.

Spammers have trained us to ignore email that looks like it could be spam. This includes promotional emails. The exact kind of emails that legitimate business owners use for marketing.

With spam filters and junk mail filtering, your prospective clients see maybe 1 marketing / promotional email in every 10. They may open 1 in 10 of those they see.

Based on these very rough numbers, this gives you a 1 in 100 chance your email will even be opened by a prospective client. If the email’s subject line is not expertly written, open rates will be even lower. (Tip: Here’s how to write better headlines.)

But don’t worry. In a few moments I’ll show you how to make your email marketing extremely effective.

The value of traditional mail

It isn’t free. However, the price creates a massive barrier to entry. This is why we receive a fraction as many marketing letters via traditional mail as we used to.

When we receive a correctly addressed letter in a regular envelope, we have to open it in order to see if it’s something important, something interesting or junk. The key thing here is that we open it. Open rates for marketing letters, addressed correctly, sent in regular (plain) envelopes are around 98%.

(These numbers only drop, when the letter is sent in a promotional envelope. Otherwise, the envelope must be opened by the recipient, so they can tell if it’s of interest or not.)

As you’ll see in a moment, I’m not suggesting you send all your marketing mail via traditional mail. However, it’s well worth considering for some mailings. Especially when your message is important enough, your list is high quality and you want to ensure almost everyone on the list will read it.

The important thing here, is to make sure you are using the correct tool for the job. Here are some options, based on email / traditional mail.

Permission email marketing

Email becomes super-effective, when you have permission from the recipient and you know your emails are getting into their inbox.

For instance, the email version of Jim’s Marketing Blog requires people to double opt-in. In other words, after entering their name and email address on my blog, they receive an email asking them to confirm their subscription. Only then can they subscribe. This gives me permission to send them my latest blog post. It also proves they can receive my emails. The exact same approach works equally well for newsletters.

Email marketing, permission marketing, tips

The cost is low, especially if you have fewer than 1000 people on your permission list. I recommend using a professional emailing service even if you only send a small number of emails. They make it easy for you to track open rates, clicks, etc. That means you can see how your content or marketing message is resonating with your readers.

Plus, professional email  providers give you all the tools you need in order to manage your reader lists. They also stop your email server’s ip address from being blacklisted. I’ve known this happen to lots of business owners. It can stop you from being able to send regular business emails to clients, suppliers and contacts until you get it resolved.

Many email providers, such as Mailchimp, offer a free service to people with a small list. The prices only become significant when your list is in the tens of thousands.

With massively lower costs than traditional mail, permission marketing via a professional email provider is exceptionally effective.

Email marketing to strangers on lists

This is less of an option and more of a warning! Buying so-called permission lists and then emailing them, is usually a waste of money. These are lists, which are sold on the understanding that the people on the lists gave permission for their details to be sold.

In 99.9% of cases, these people simply forgot to uncheck the box that says “send me emails with offers from partners”, when they downloaded a freebie from the internet or subscribed to a free service.

The key thing is that the people on those lists did not opt-in to receiving emails from you!

Conversion rates from such lists are terrible. That’s because those on the lists are getting bombarded with spam, from the thousands of people, who buy the lists they’re on. So they either use extremely powerful spam filtering, have white-list-only email or have switched to a new email address.

Traditional marketing letters (direct mail)

This can be an extremely effective way to get your marketing message in front of your prospective clients. The exceptionally high open rates (so long as you take the measures I mentioned earlier) make it a very attractive proposition.

It also allows you to purchase a high quality list, from a reputable list vendor, with the correct contact details and get great results. Remember, the prospective client has to open the envelope to determine the value. This is faster than earning permission, so can be useful if you need quick results.

Of course, even if 100% of people open your mailshot, it won’t matter unless your message is professionally written. Most direct mail from small businesses is written by the business owner and is simply ignored.

Tip: If you’re prepared to pay for a mailing, pay an expert to write it… someone who knows how to motivate the reader to take action.

So, there are a few thoughts on the merits of traditional mail shots and permission-based email marketing. In short, each has its place and each can be spectacularly effective, if handled correctly.

P.S. I recommend you read this. Does email marketing work? How I helped Irene make over $32,000 in 9 days.

3 Proven ways to quickly attract more clients

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attract sales leads, attract clients

Your service is better than most of the other providers in your niche. And it’s far, far better than many.

This begs the question: Why don’t more clients hire you?

The challenge is that offering a great service, by itself, isn’t enough. (I explain why here). And telling people you offer a great service in your marketing isn’t enough, either. After all, that’s what every business claims to offer.

To attract the quality and quantity of clients you deserve, you need a better approach. So I thought I’d share a few ideas with you. I hope you find them useful.

1. Make it easy for people to tell their friends about you.

Some services are massively easier to recommend than others. As a result, they get the word of mouth recommendations, when their equally good competitors don’t.

Here’s why: The best-marketed businesses understand that clients need help, when it comes to spreading the word. The rest just work really hard, provide a great service and wonder why they get so few client referrals.

Rather than try and cram what you need to know into this section of this post, if you’re not getting the referrals you deserve, I recommend you read this.

2. Publish a podcast, blog, vlog or newsletter.

Then showcase your knowledge by answering relevant questions. Don’t leave your prospective clients wondering how knowledgeable you are. Show them! Remember: Actions speak louder than words.

This approach gives you a valuable, added benefit too. If you turn up regularly with answers, for a long enough period of time, you also demonstrate your reliability. You show the marketplace you can be relied upon to start a project and stick with it.

That’s marketing gold dust! Why? Because it helps you build trust in the mind of a prospective client, before they’ve even spoken with you.

3. Get your stars out.

If you have any awards, notable media mentions or quantifiable achievements, don’t keep it a secret. Put them where prospective clients will see them. I use my blog’s About page.

Some business owners struggle with this. They don’t want to appear boastful. And I totally get it.

However, you need to look at yourself through the eyes of a prospective client, who has never heard of you. This person will arrive on your website and immediately start building a picture of you in their mind. They won’t know you’re being humble when you fail to mention any meaningful achievements. They’ll simply build that picture, with those key, trust-building facts missing.

I hope you found those ideas useful. More importantly my friend, I hope they inspire you to take action and start achieving the results you deserve.

The answers you need are all around you

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marketing blogs, advice

Hard work is not the secret to success. If it was, our grandparents would have been millionaires. Instead, we know that success comes from doing the right things, correctly.

This means a business owner who wants to improve their results has just 2, relatively easy challenges ahead of them.

1. Acceptance

We need to accept that our current business development strategy isn’t working. Or at least that it isn’t working the way we want it to. Our current strategy may feel comfortable. It’s certainly familiar. However, if it isn’t leading to the results we want, we must accept that we need to move on.

Until we accept the need to improve, we’ll simply carry on wasting time. We’ll carry on working hard, for too little reward.

2. Adopt a proven strategy for success

Once we’ve accepted the need to improve, we’re ready for the second challenge. This challenge is easier than the first. We need to find a strategy that will work for us. A strategy for success.

And thankfully, success leaves clues.

We are surrounded by examples of successful businesses. Everywhere we look, there are businesses that are getting it right. Every area of our business development that needs to improve, is already working spectacularly well for another business. The answers we need are out there. We just need to follow the clues.

Your task here, is to do the research. Look at what the businesses that are succeeding are doing, which you can adopt into your own business.

Here’s an example of what I mean. If your business needs to improve its marketing, what might you learn from the following success clues?

  • The last service you used, which impressed you so much you told your friends.
  • The last marketing email you received, which persuaded you to take action.
  • The last blog post you read, which you were inspired to share.
  • The last social network update, which motivated you to take action.
  • The last advertisement you encountered, which compelled you to make a purchase.
  • The last newsletter you received, which you were motivated to forward to your friends.
  • The last website you visited, which impressed you with its professionalism.

Once you have done that, it’s time to look below the surface.

Don’t just copy what you find. Instead, consider how you can adapt what you discovered, so that it works for your business.

Make no mistake, the answers you need are out there. Success leaves clues. And the clues are all around you.

Should you promote an issue you care about, via your business?

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marketing ethics, marketing beliefs

Emma recently emailed me with a great question. She wanted to know if it was wise for her to raise awareness of a social issue she’s passionate about, via her business. She’s concerned that by taking a stance, she might lose potential customers.

As this is something that can apply to almost every business owner, I thought I’d share my answer with you.

For clarity, when I refer to a stance here, I’m talking about standing up for something that’s important to you, which is outside your business. Something you believe in. Something others will either agree with or disagree with. For example, a social issue, environmental cause or the work of a certain charity, etc.

Here are my thoughts, purely from a marketing perspective. As you’ll see there are upsides and downsides.

Is it always a bad idea to alienate a subset of the marketplace?

No. No it isn’t. Allow me to explain.

As this article from Fast Company confirms, “Customers care not only about what companies sell but also about what they stand for.”

By taking a stance on something that really matters to you, you send some powerful signals to your marketplace.

  • You show them that there are ethics behind your business. This is true whether they agree or disagree with your stance.
  • You show them that you’re willing to stand-up and lead. Again, this is true regardless of their opinion of your stance.
  • You show a segment of your marketplace that something they care passionately about, also matters to you. This forms a strong emotional connection between you and them. It transforms how they feel about you. This kind of connection is enormously valuable. That’s because people make decisions based on how they feel.

In fact, feelings will usually have a more powerful influence on a buying decision, than facts.

If you’ve ever used proven facts, to try and convince someone you are right and they are wrong, you’ll know how powerful feelings are, compared to facts.

A missed opportunity?

Typically, small business owners avoid taking a stance. Yes, they have strong beliefs. We all do. However, they choose to keep them separate from their business.

Why?

Because they don’t want to risk alienating any prospective clients, who may hold opposing beliefs. So rather than allow a segment of their marketplace to form a powerful emotional connection with them, they remain silent about what truly matters to them.

They strive to be vaguely relevant to everyone. And as an unavoidable result, they become directly relevant to no one.

And it’s hard, really hard, to grow a business that’s only vaguely relevant.

Marketing to everyone?

I once asked a small business owner, who her ideal client was? She replied:

“Anyone with skin”.

And she was wrong.

For someone to become your client, they have to want (not necessarily need) what you provide. That’s an emotional decision. Sure, they may need a new website, but if they don’t want a new website or they don’t want to hire you to design their new website, they won’t hire you.

By taking a stance, by developing that stronger emotional connection, you give a segment of your marketplace a reason to want to hire you.

social issues, marketing tips

Does this mean that you’re guaranteed they will hire you? No. Of course not.

However, if (for example) they’re passionate about helping children in developing nations to have access to clean drinking water, and they see you are too, they’ll know you’re a kindred spirit. They’ll see that what matters to them, matters to you — that you share a worldview. And people prefer to do business with people, who share the same worldview. This is really important. Seth Godin’s value creation checklist placed worldview right at the top.

Big brands already get it

Almost every major brand, visibly supports causes close to them. For example, Walmart takes an environmental stance and donated almost a third of a billion dollars last year alone. Google (Alphabet) takes a stance by supporting the Equal Justice Initiative. And Coca Cola takes a stance by supporting Africa’s Global Environment and Technology Foundation.

I was unable to find any major brand, that doesn’t visibly take a stand in support of a cause they are passionate about.

Your stance can be part of your story

Taking a stance is about making the things that matter most to you, a relevant and visible part of your work. It’s about building a story, which is consistent with your business and your guiding values / passions / ethics.

It isn’t easy. And it isn’t right for every business.

This is especially the case, if your stance is polarizing. That’s to say, a stance that most people will either strongly agree with or strongly disagree with. It’s not uncommon for businesses that take a polarizing stance, to receive abuse / trolling, from those passionately opposed to their stance.

Equally, if your business relies on customers from your local community and your stance is massively unpopular locally, the financial cost can be huge.

In short, there’s no universal right answer. Whether it’s right for you and your business depends on a number of factors. As with every business decision, it pays to do the research, get the feedback you need and then decide.

10 leadership habits of highly successful business owners

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attract sales leads, attract clients, leadership

Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to work with some incredible leaders. These people have achieved at the very highest levels, in their industries and professions.

Today, I’d like to share 10 habits, which are common to all of them.

Here they are in no particular order:

  1. They encourage others. They leave people better than they find them.
  2. They show, rather than tell. They know that talk is cheap and that anyone can say anything. So they lead by example, unlike these guys who are total fakes!
  3. They don’t compare themselves to their competitors. They compare themselves to the work they did yesterday, and then commit to do better today.
  4. They turn up, even when it’s easier not to. This commitment to being reliable is both rare and highly valued.
  5. They are self-starters. They don’t seek external motivation. They just do what needs doing.
  6. They are eager to take responsibility. They step up, when others step back.
  7. They are intentional decision makers. Once they have the information required, they make a decision. Leaders know that there’s nothing to be gained by inaction.
  8. They keep their promises. They know that making promises, then delivering on those promises, is a powerful way to develop loyalty and trust.
  9. They spend their prime-time with family, friends or learning…not watching TV. Leaders are educated consumers of information. In other words, they are extremely careful about how they feed their mind.
  10. They never gossip. Period.

Bonus: Here are 21 Powerful habits behind highly successful business owners!

Salt looks a lot like sugar

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marketing advice, marketing help

Even close up, salt and sugar look very similar.

So, how come we don’t accidentally add salt to our coffee or tea? How come we don’t continuously have salt and sugar-related accidents?

And what does this have to do with the way you market your business?

It’s all about packaging, marketing and expectation

A salt cellar looks very different from a sugar bowl. We never select a salt cellar and expect sugar. The external packaging is what we use to form our decision. Of course, we use this same strategy all day every day.

  • We choose the vegetables at the market that have the best symmetry. We do this, even though the oddly-shaped ones will taste just as good.
  • We are drawn to books that have attractive covers, even though we tell ourselves we can’t judge a book by the cover.

Here’s the thing… no matter how great your service is, prospective clients will judge you based on the effectiveness of your marketing and the image it creates. If you place your sugar in a salt cellar, people will expect salt. You need to be smarter than that.

Your prospects will form an impression of you regardless of what you do. It’s your job to ensure that the image you project, your brand, creates the right impression. A powerful impression that builds trust, credibility and confidence.

Why this is critical to the success of your business

If a prospective client had never heard of you, what impression would they have, based on the way you package your business? Does your business look like it’s the best and safest option for what they need, when compared to your competitors?

If it does, then you’re already attracting sales leads every day.

If it doesn’t, fix your marketing. And fast.

Why?

Because business has never been more competitive than it is today. Think about it. Google lets your prospective clients (and your current clients) find 10 alternative providers to you, in seconds.

If your marketing doesn’t create a better impression than these competitors, you lose. They get the sales leads and the new clients. Not you.

As a result, marketing has never been more important than it is today.

Now, I haven’t had the pleasure of speaking with you yet. So I have no idea whether you dabble with marketing or have expert marketing help. What I do know, is that today’s digital landscape allows those with expert marketing to see their message spread.

They claim a massively disproportionate slice of their marketplace.

They reach more people.

They attract more enquiries.

They make more sales.

Whilst those who dabble, at best, stand still.

This is great news for you

That’s because in 2018, it’s still a minority of small and medium-sized businesses, which are marketed correctly. This presents you, for now, with an excellent opportunity.

An opportunity to surge ahead, whilst the majority of your competitors dabble.

As the clock ticks, more and more of your competitors are investing in their marketing. This means the opportunity becomes smaller, the longer you delay. The best time to have invested in expert marketing help, was the year you started your business. The second best time is now.

How Toys R Us and Pampers can help you make more sales. Yes, really!

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marketing, toys r us, tricks

Some years ago, the marketing team behind Toys ‘R’ Us in the United States, had a great idea. It provides a lesson, which everyone reading this can benefit from.

Here’s what they did

They sold Pampers, in store, at cost price.

Clever eh?

They were easily the lowest priced Pampers anywhere. So, eager parents rushed to Toys ‘R’ Us to buy them. These busy parents usually went along with their young children. The children would naturally head straight for the section where their favourite toys were and then ask their parent for a toy. A kid in Toys ‘R’ Us, who spots a toy they really want, will try everything to get their parent to buy the toy.

  • Did every parent cave in and buy a toy? No.
  • Did enough parents make additional, high profit purchases as a result of the zero profit Pampers offer? You bet!

Here’s where you come in

When was the last time you did something creative with your marketing?

One of the reasons so many small business owners find that their marketing is ignored, is because it’s too linear. Too predictable.

Here’s a suggestion. Have a think about the magic behind that Toys ‘R’ Us Pampers offer and see if it sparks an idea, which you can adapt for your business.

You may surprise yourself… and your customers.

Here are some tips to help you find creative answers for your business.

How to have the business and lifestyle you’ve always wanted

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marketing motivation, marketing blogs

What do you really want from your business?

Every working day, I help people answer that question. I then help them build the business they have always wanted. Today, I’m going to share a part of the process with you. I’m also going to share my own personal story with you.

Let’s begin

A great way to start, is to answer some ‘ideal world’ questions. This will show you what you really want to achieve, professionally and personally. It provides you with clarity. And clarity is essential if you want to map out what your ideal business will look like.

For example: In an ideal world…

  • How many hours would you work each week?
  • How much would you earn?
  • What type of clients would you work with?
  • What type of home would you live in?
  • Where would you live?
  • What school would your children or grandchildren attend?
  • How many weeks would you spend travelling the world each year?
  • Which charities or causes would you support?

When working on this with clients, I sculpt the questions around what matters most to them. So, feel free to add your own questions to that list.

What type of business supports YOUR ideal lifestyle?

It’s important to understand the unbreakable connection between your business and your lifestyle or quality of life.

  • Your business determines how many hours you have available to spend with those you love.
  • Your business determines how much money you have and thus the choices that are open to you.
  • Your business determines where you live, both in location and the type of home you can afford.
  • Your business always has a direct impact on your stress levels and therefore your health.

Now, take a fresh look at your current business. Is it providing you with everything on your list?

If not, change your direction.

How it worked for me

Will this process set you on the right path, to live an exceptional lifestyle and grow a great business?

Yes! So long as you do it correctly, with the right support from someone who’s already achieved it.

I went through this process myself and created my ideal business. Here’s a VERY brief overview of some of the things I needed to change and how I did it:

I made the decision 12 years ago, when my wife became pregnant, that I wanted to be there for her and our child. No more crazy hours. No more travelling around the country working. This meant completely changing my business model, which consisted of endless travel and minimum 12 hour work days.

So, I took my business and made it 100% digital. I stayed in the same profession. I used the same skills. I simply created a proven strategy, which allowed me to work in a far more effective, enjoyable and rewarding way.

I moved all my face-to-face client work to teleconferencing and video conferencing. I did the same for all of my meetings. I set boundaries on how many hours I would work and when those hours would be. So, I’ve been around every morning to have breakfast with my family and also every evening for dinner.

Pretty much everyone told me that none of that could be done. Not only were they wrong, I soon started earning more money than ever before. That’s because I was now able to work with clients worldwide. From my home in a beautiful, small rural village, I work with clients all over the USA, Europe and Australia. And they all benefit from the same service and the same reduced fees, as I have almost zero overheads and pass the savings on to my clients. Win win.

All this was only possible, by mapping out my ideal business and creating a strategy that would support what’s most important to me.

And today I get to help other business owners do the same.

I help my clients get clear on what they want to achieve, then show them how to make the improvements required. For the past 12 years, I’ve shown business owners, step-by-step, exactly what to do to escape the limitations of their current business, so they too can build a great business and live the life they deserve. A life that lets them enjoy financial security. A life that inspires and energizes them.

Hard work alone is not the key to success. If it was, our grandparents would all have been millionaires.

Working long hours is not the key to success either. If you row your boat in the wrong direction, the longer you’re rowing, the further off course you will end up.

If you’d like me to show you exactly what to do, read this. I look forward to hearing from you.

A heartbreaking story, which every business owner should read

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marketing, marketing blogs, failure

Lynda was clearly upset and angry when she emailed me. It’s easy to see why. Here’s what happened, shared with Lynda’s permission. It contains 2 extremely valuable lessons for every business owner.

In her email, Lynda explained that until recently, she was the owner of a chiropractic practice. Just over a year ago, a new competitor arrived on the scene. The feedback she received regarding them was that they weren’t very good. So, she didn’t take much notice. When she saw her monthly turnover slowly drop, she assumed it was the economy.

Then things got progressively worse.

In total, Lynda’s business lost 68% of its revenue over the following 14 months. It was an unsustainable loss. Last week she closed the doors on her 7 year old business for the last time. And because she wasted thousands on advertising in a final attempt to save her business, she’s now heavily in debt. It’s heartbreaking.

Lynda said: “Ever since the beginning I used Facebook and Instagram to promote the business but looking back I wasn’t taking it seriously. I was posting photos and doing some special offers, all the things everyone says you need to do. They [her competitor] always seemed a lot more polished but all I heard from people was that they were crap so I didn’t think people would fall for it. It turns out they did.”

There are 2 lessons from Lynda’s experience, which I’d like to share with you. Because whilst her story is extremely sad, it’s totally avoidable.

  1. An average service that’s expertly marketed will crush a great service, which isn’t. It doesn’t matter how good you are, if too few new people know. An expertly marketed business will reach the right people, with the right message. They will motivate people to hire them or buy from them, attracting a huge slice of the marketplace. The typical small business struggles to get attention. They rely on word of mouth, which dries up, when an expertly marketed competitor becomes the talk of the town.
  2. People tell you what they think you want to hear, rather than what they believe. This is especially the case when it comes to friends, family and existing clients. It’s why Steve Jobs famously refused to use focus groups. Lynda’s feedback was from people who thought they were saying the right things, to support her.

Here’s what we know

The vast majority of small business owners rely on ineffective marketing or no structured marketing whatsoever. They all look and sound just like their competitors. That’s how a business can survive for years, on hard work and great service alone.

The challenge comes, when a savvy competitor captures the attention, the interest and then the business of your clients and future clients. As Lynda discovered, hard work and a great service are no match for expert marketing.

Every business owner is presented with 2 choices.

  1. They can wait for a professionally marketed competitor to destroy their business.
  2. They can become a professionally marketed competitor and build a massively valuable slice of the marketplace.

It’s no choice at all, really.

4 Powerful words that attract clients like a magnet!

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content marketing, powerful words, attract, words attract

I have an idea to share with you today, which is one of the most powerful I have covered on Jim’s Marketing Blog. If you want to attract more clients, I’m sure you’ll find it extremely useful.

When I speak with a prospective client, I have a 4 word phrase that always captures their attention.

It’s simply this: “Bring me your problems”.

Bring me your problems

The moment a small business owner hears those words, I can almost feel the stress leave their body. Many have wrestled with their business development problems for years. Now, they finally have the help they need, from a renowned marketing expert.

They’re no longer guessing. They’re no longer alone. They’re free again, to really enjoy their business and to look ahead with total confidence.

Note: That same 4 word phrase is also exceptionally powerful, when used within a marketing message.

What this means for you and your business

If you’re a service provider, you are a professional problem solver. This is true regardless of the kind of services you offer. With that in mind, I have a question for you.

Do you clearly ask your clients (and prospective clients) to bring you their problems? If those 4 words do not appear in your marketing, you’re missing an amazing opportunity.

It’s hard to overstate how powerful those 4 words are and how attractive they are. Why? Because it’s what everyone wants to hear.

No one wants to struggle with a problem. However, when was the last time someone explicitly asked you to bring them your problems? When was the last time a piece of marketing grabbed your attention, not by trying to sell you something, but by asking you to bring them your problems? It almost never happens in business, yet everyone wants to hear it.

And that’s why those 4 words have such a massive, immediate, positive impact.

5 Extremely powerful questions to help your business thrive

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marketing, marketing help

Today, I have 5 powerful questions to help you and your business thrive. Each question comes with a suggestion, to point you in the right direction.

1. Are you earning trust by setting self-imposed deadlines?

A great way to build trust is to deliver on a promise.

Think about it: Telling a client that their project will be ready “by the end of the week”, is way less powerful, than telling them it will be ready, “by 9am Thursday”.

Tip: Set deadlines and then deliver. When a client trusts you to deliver on your promises, they are extremely unlikely to seek out another provider. They are also massively more likely to recommend you to their friends. I wrote about this here.

2. Are you taking business advice from a proven expert?

Never take business advice from someone, who hasn’t already achieved what you want to achieve.

For example, avoid marketing consultants who have to attend networking groups, because their own marketing doesn’t generate enough leads. There’s a powerful signal there. Avoid SEO companies, who sell their services via email. It’s a sure sign THEIR OWN SEO isn’t generating enough inbound sales leads. They’re hardly the people to help you.

Tip: Before you take advice from anyone, check their credentials. Unless they can demonstrate that they’ve achieved what you need to achieve, avoid them. This includes free advice online. Incorrect, free advice can prove extremely expensive.

3. Are you attracting daily sales or client enquiries from your website?

If not, you’re needlessly missing out on a wonderful opportunity. My blog generates client enquiries multiple times every day. Your site can be a business generating machine too. However, it needs to have the right strategy behind it. Invest in getting this right or you’re leaving money on the table every day.

Tip: Don’t copy what you see other sites doing. Almost every small and medium sized business blog or website I see, is failing miserably.

4. Are you associating with the right people?

We tend to grow in the same direction as those we associate with. Mix with the wrong people and one day, everything they have will be yours.

Think about that for a moment.

Tip: Get intentional regarding the network of people around you. Choose to associate with those who have either achieved what you want to achieve, or who are committed to the same goals and aspirations as you.

5. Are you learning from past mistakes or repeating them?

For a lot of people reading this, 2017 is already looking a lot like 2016. You deserve better than that!

Tip: If you are facing the same old frustrations, it’s because you’re repeating the same old errors. For better results, you need a better strategy. Find someone with the skills to help you move your business forward. And remember point number 2; only take advice from someone who’s achieved what you want to achieve.

I hope you find these ideas useful. More importantly, I hope something here inspires you to take positive action.

Can you guess what’s inside the box?

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marketing blogs, marketing tricks

Today’s post is a little different. However, it will explain how to create a cycle of ongoing, repeat sales.

Let’s begin.

I want you to imagine you have a very special box, which you place on a table in front of a prospective client or customer.

  • You explain that the contents of this sealed box are of great value.
  • You tell them that once they have it, they will wonder how they ever managed without it.
  • You then tell them that other people are using it, and they love it so much that they recommend it to their friends.
  • You finally blow them away, when you explain that the price for what’s in the box, is way below what it’s worth.

You then ask them, “Would you like to see what’s in the box?”

Their eyes widen as they lean forward and say, “Yes please!”

So, what’s inside the box?

As a business owner, your job is to develop a product or service that fits inside that amazing box.

In order for it to fit, your product needs to be able to deliver on those promises you just made. So when a prospective client sees it, they want it. Really want it!

The most successful business owners constantly look for ways to add value. To exceed expectations. To give their clients something they want to buy and their marketplace something they want to talk about.

Get this right and you will create a cycle of ongoing, repeat sales.

Why?

It will give you 2 vital things your business needs.

  1. It will massively increase the number of sales you make, because of all that added value.
  2. It will simultaneously generate ongoing word-of-mouth publicity.

The word-of-mouth publicity then creates even more sales leads (or client enquiries), which results in even more sales. The cycle continues.

Content Marketing: Here’s why your readers are already your clients

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attract sales leads, attract clients

Thank you for being such a valued client. Yes. I’m talking to you!

Consider this for a moment: A client is someone you provide a service to, who pays you. I provide you with a service (ideas to help you grow your business). And you pay me. You pay me with your attention. That’s why they call it paying attention.

So, I’m the service provider and you’re the client.

What this means to you and your business

I have a question for you. It’s simply this:

How would your newsletter or blog improve, if you already regarded every reader as a client?

Well my friend, for starters, you would treat your content marketing as a top level business activity. You’d also aim to be as valuable to your readers as possible, after all, you want to retain your clients. And you’d strive to be helpful too, because your content marketing would become part of your overall customer service.

Sometimes, a simple change of perspective can lead you to massively better results.

Improve your email marketing by getting the basics right

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marketing email, content marketing, digital marketing

Here’s a quick tip, to help you increase the effectiveness of your email marketing or mail shots.

I was prompted to write this for you, after an email I received last week. It was a poorly targeted marketing email, from someone I hardly know.

Here’s how the email started:

“Hey guys, sorry for the email blast, but I want to reach a lot of people and this is the easiest way for me to do it”.

When someone starts a marketing communication with an apology for what they’re doing, it tells us that they believe they’re doing something wrong. Yet, they’re still going to do it anyway! That’s a toxic message, which creates a damaging, negative picture. That negativity then drowns out whatever their marketing message is. It turns a potentially effective marketing activity into a low-leverage waste of time.

Here’s a far better alternative

If you’re proud of what you do. If you know that the person you’re marketing to has a pressing need for what you provide. If you have a compelling reason for them to purchase from you. And especially if you have their permission to send them information… don’t start off with an apology. There are situations where it’s right to say sorry — this definitely isn’t one of them.

Instead, use a highly targeted list and send a highly targeted message. The reader will then feel as if you are writing for them, rather than writing at them. With no apology required.

Here’s a free, 2 part email marketing series with some useful email marketing tips:

Does email marketing work? Part 1.

Does email marketing work? Part 2.

How to beat your main competitor

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marketing tips, marketing advice

Your main competitor is seldom an alternative provider.

Your main competitor is usually apathy — the decision by your prospective clients to do nothing.

Before working out how you compare to competing providers, measure your service against the decision to do nothing.

  • Why should people give you their attention?
  • Why should people risk placing their trust in you?
  • Why should they go through the hassle of hiring you or buying from you? (Tip: This will help you.)

By answering those questions, you’re ready to create clear and compelling marketing. Marketing that works!

Success leaves clues

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marketing advice, marketing help

When it comes to marketing, success leaves clues. By following these clues and learning from them, it’s possible to significantly improve your marketing. Allow me to explain.

Consider the following:

  • The last marketing email, which you were motivated to open because it had a powerful subject line.
  • The last marketing email you read, which persuaded you to take action. (To ask for information, pick up the phone, make a purchase, etc.)
  • The last blog post you read, which you were motivated to bookmark, save or share.
  • The last advertisement you saw or heard, which motivated you to make a purchase.
  • The last service you experienced, which impressed you so much that you wanted to tell your friends about it.
  • The last newsletter you received, which you forwarded to your contacts.

How to turn clues into results

Each of those marketing examples motivated you to take action. And they each contain a clue, as to why the marketing worked. To uncover the clue you need to answer this question:

What can I learn from this example of marketing success, which I can adapt and apply to my own marketing?

Next, write your answer down. This is really important, as you don’t want to risk losing your best ideas. Also, by writing your answers down, you’ll start to develop a gold mine of useful marketing notes.

Is this approach as effective as hiring a proven marketing professional? No. Not even close. But if you can’t afford expert help, it’s one way to make better marketing decisions.

P.S: To get you started, here are dozens of proven marketing ideas.

How to create a new, extremely profitable income stream

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business development, marketing, biz dev

Would you like to develop an additional, extremely profitable income stream for your business? If you would, here’s a great place to start.

Clients who will pay you 300% more

Imagine your clients were paying you 300% more than your current fee. What additional care and attention would you be able to give them? What additional level of service would you be able to offer them?

Here’s a suggestion: Consider building a new, premium version of your current service, which offers all those amazing advantages.

Why?

Because there is an extremely profitable subset of every marketplace, who are very happy to pay a premium, for a premium service.

And you deserve clients like that.

Stability or impact?

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marketing blogs, attract clients, customers

Consciously or otherwise, your business development is already guided by stability or impact. And it’s reflected in everything you do.

Marketing and stability

Those seeking stability, market their services predictably. So everything is close to what you’d expect, making their marketing instantly forgettable. They get very few referrals, because no one recommends an average service. They attract fee-sensitive leads, because when a business looks average, its fees are all a prospective client has, to determine the value.

As business owners, we need to consciously determine whether we’re willing to embrace impact over stability. And if we are, we need to decide what we’re willing to do about it, in real, actionable terms.

That’s a great place to start, if you’re working on your plans for the year ahead.