Jim's Marketing Blog

Marketing ideas to help you grow your business

1 Essential word your marketing needs. Plus 1 you MUST avoid

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content marketing

Here’s a quick tip, to improve the effectiveness of your marketing. It’s all about a word you use regularly, which is negatively impacting how people feel about your business.

That word is… change!

People are hard-wired to fear change.

We know that change, good or bad, is a source of stress. Even something as positive as the change that comes from getting married, buying a new home or setting off for a week in the sun, is a cause of stress.

Because of the negative way people feel when confronted with change, it makes sense to remove the word from your marketing. Don’t worry, I am going to give you a massively more powerful, motivating alternative!

Improve rather than change

Whenever possible, use the word improve, rather than change. Improve, is a positive word. It’s an attractive word too, because we are always looking for something better.

For example, look how the phrase below becomes far more powerful, when change is replaced with improve.

“This copywriting tip will change your marketing results.” (It could make them worse)

“This copywriting tip will improve your marketing results.” (It will make them better)

Your prospective clients or customers fear change, but want things to improve. So, stop offering them what they fear and give them what they want!

Tip: Here’s how to ensure your copywriting is super-effective.

How to build a huge and valuable list

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content marketing, list building, blogging

Hold onto your hat – I think you’re going to love this!

If you want to build a large and extremely valuable content marketing list, today’s post is exactly what you’ve been waiting for.

I was inspired to write this, after a reader emailed me. He explained that he had just read this post. Then he made an excellent point. And it highlights why most small business owners fail to get the content marketing results they want. Here’s what he said, along with my response.

He said that if his newsletter had lots of readers, he’d make time for it. he’d take it a lot more seriously. He’d publish regularly. He’d invest in a professional newsletter distribution service. He’d make it a high priority business activity. But he can’t justify the time now, because his readership is too small.

Overcoming the biggest challenge with list building

Every small business owner with a newsletter, podcast, blog or vlog started off with a tiny audience (or list). Just them and their friends. Mine started off with 6 readers. And one of them was me! However, there’s one massively important difference between those who build a huge list and those who don’t.

  • Those who build a huge list put the time and effort in, in advance, so that it grows. They do their best work and turn up regularly, when they have just 10 people. Because they know that’s the only way to build an audience of 1,000 people or 100,000 people.
  • Those who fail to grow their list, also start off with enthusiasm. But their enthusiasm drops, if their list isn’t growing as quickly as they expected. So, they commit less time to it. And things slow down even more.

The cornerstone of building a great list

The only way to successfully grow an audience or list, is to treat your work as if you already had the numbers you wanted. I wrote with as much passion, commitment and energy when I had 6 readers, as when I reached my first 10,000 readers. And I write with that same commitment today.

From day one, you need to invest the time and effort required. Here are some examples of what’s needed, plus a few tips.

  • Put in the effort. It’s work… not something you fit in around work. Put time aside specifically for developing and publishing.
  • Turn up often. If you have a newsletter, which you only publish once a month, it will take a lot longer to build your list, than a weekly newsletter. If you have a blog and you only publish once a week, it will take a lot longer to build your audience, than if you publish several times a week.
  • Learn what kind of information your marketplace needs and wants. A great way to do this, is to look at questions they ask in relevant forums or on social media.
  • Learn how to become a better (and better) communicator. Whatever content marketing channel you choose, learn from the best.
  • Make your work easy (and interesting) to read / watch / listen to.
  • Make it easy to share. This is essential if you want your list to grow.
  • Never add anyone to your list. Seriously, don’t. That’s not content marketing. That’s spamming. And spamming sucks.
  • Avoid content marketing tricks. Tricks have a predictable habit of backfiring. Just commit to doing the work. That has a predictable habit of succeeding.

I know what you’re thinking. That sounds like a lot of work. And it is. However, the rewards are disproportionately huge if you’re willing to commit to doing the work.

Here are a few more posts I’ve written on this subject.

How blogging can help you attract new clients.

How to earn trust with your content marketing.

The death of blogging.

Content Marketing: Is this useful?

I hope you find this useful. More importantly, I hope it inspires you to improve your content marketing, so you achieve the outstanding results you’re capable of.

Before you publish, hit pause!

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internet marketing, optimization, digital marketing

I want you to think about the following for a moment:

  • The last tweet you sent.
  • The last newsletter you published.
  • The last snap you shared.
  • The last Facebook update you posted.

Each of those actions could easily be a prospective customer’s first exposure to you (and your business). If so, it will help form their first impression of you.

Here’s the thing. First impressions count.

  • First impressions count, even if you are having a bad day.
  • First impressions count, even if they are inaccurate.
  • And first impressions count, because if you screw it up, you often won’t get a second chance!

So, what’s the solution?

Well, here’s something that can certainly help you.

Drum roll please…

Pause… for thought

It pays to pause for a few moments before you publish anything. That’s because most of what you publish is easy to find via search engines or the social networks you use. And we know that the vast majority of people now check providers out, before deciding to hire them or buy from them.

Think about the wider, longer-term implications of what you are saying. Never underestimate the impact of an angry tweet, a needy Linkedin post or a spammy Facebook update, etc. Once it’s published, it’s out there. It’s in play. It’s carrying your name. And it’s carving your reputation!

Tip: Read this » How To Build a World Class Reputation.

21 Tips to build a better business

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business tips

In no particular order:

  1. People buy what they want. Not what they need. You need to understand this and adjust your marketing accordingly.
  2. The word ‘Webinar’ carries a huge amount of negative baggage. It’s purely toxic. If you want to use video marketing, call it something less sleazy.
  3. People buy for their reasons. Not yours.
  4. You don’t have any clients, customers or subscribers. Instead, you borrow them. You need to earn and then re-earn their custom, attention and trust.
  5. When you want to generate high quality cash flow fast… find new products for your customers. It’s way quicker and far more profitable, than finding new customers for your products.
  6. Your brand is either working for you or against you. Tip: If you haven’t intentionally created a brand for your business, it’s working against you. It’s losing you money. Fix it.
  7. Low quality customers or clients are the unavoidable result of bad marketing.
  8. Keeping your promises is a proven way to build a great reputation.
  9. Everything your business does, is marketing. The way you answer the phone, your payment terms, the suppliers you choose, they way you reply to emails, your location, the way you write, the design of your website, your prices or fees, your guarantees, your social network updates… it’s all marketing.
  10. Build an email list of prospective clients or customers. Don’t rely on Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter or any 3rd party, for your communication channel. It’s like building a house on rented land. Attract people via 3rd party platforms. Then, encourage them to subscribe to your email list.
  11. A confused mind always says no. So keep your marketing as brief and clear as possible. Fewer options. Fewer words.
  12. Businesses with a small marketing budget tend to go broke. They dabble with DIY marketing, whilst their savvy competitors eat their lunch.
  13. The most powerful marketing is permission based. When people subscribe to your list, your message is treated very differently, than an unsolicited email from a stranger.
  14. Don’t lower your prices or fees. Increase your value. Here’s how.
  15. Stop waiting for the right opportunity. Make it happen. Create it.
  16. Learn how to make your marketplace curious. Why do prospective clients call you or email you? It’s because they need to know something and their curiosity motivates them to get in touch. So, you get a sales lead or client enquiry. And a chance to convert them into a new client or customer. Don’t explain everything in your marketing, unless you want very few sales enquiries.
  17. The more your services or products resemble what your competitors offer, the less visible your business is.
  18. Embrace brevity. Shorter messages are more powerful. Most marketing I see is at least 75% too long.
  19. Avoid using buzzwords. Those who don’t understand them will be confused. Those who do understand them, will cringe.
  20. Tell the truth. It’s the easiest, least stressful way to build a great business and your marketplace will respect you.
  21. If your business isn’t attracting regular sales leads or client enquiries, your marketing is broken. The very thing that feeds your business isn’t working. It’s costing you a fortune. Needlessly. Why are you allowing this to happen? Think about that for a moment.

How to earn trust with your content marketing

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content marketing

How reliable do your prospective clients think you are?

  • If you use social networks for business, can they rely on you to show up regularly with your ideas?
  • If you publish a newsletter, can they rely on you to get each edition out on time?
  • If you publish a podcast or have a YouTube channel, can they rely on you to publish on schedule?
  • If you are a blogger, can they rely on you to publish useful posts on a regular basis?

Here’s the thing: By observing your activities, such as those above, prospective clients can build a picture of you. A picture that shows how committed you are to delivering on time. A picture of your reliability.

Your content marketing is a trust-building asset

By turning up regularly, you will start to earn the trust of your marketplace. They get to see, for themselves, that you can be counted on to deliver. Over time, you’ll build a strong reputation for reliability. This transforms your content marketing into a major, trust-building asset.

The key point here is to make content marketing a priority. Don’t just fit it in when you have some spare time or when things are quiet. Treat it as a primary business activity. Because it is. At least it should be.

The easiest way is to choose a small number of content marketing channels. Then, commit to being there regularly. Put the time required in your diary, and do it. Bit by bit. Day by day. Your prospective clients will come to rely on you and trust you.

Just think how valuable that would be for your business. Imagine it… a marketplace filled with prospective clients who already know you’re reliable and who already trust you.

Tip: Here’s how to make your content marketing massively more compelling.

Exposed: The golden opportunity right under your nose

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marketing gold, golden age

You’re living in THE golden age for small business owners. You have opportunities available to you today, which previous generations of business owners couldn’t have imagined.

Just think about it for a moment:

  • Social networks provide you with free access to a global audience.
  • Podcasting gives you the opportunity to have your own radio station. Many podcasts have larger audiences than traditional radio shows.
  • YouTube offers you your own free, worldwide TV channel. They’ll even pay you a cut of the advertising revenue.
  • Digital publishing allows you to publish books, videos, training courses and audio programs, without the need for a book deal, agent or publishing contract.
  • WordPress provides you with a free magazine plus free global distribution. They even look after the hosting, internet security and software updates for you. Plus, it costs nothing to get started. (I started Jim’s Marketing Blog almost 10 years ago on a free version of WordPress).

And those are just a few of the tools available to you.

In short: Everything you need, to grow a massively successful business is right under your nose. So, the only thing that can stop you today… is you.

Get out of your own way

Despite all the opportunities in front of them, the average business owner today still struggles to build the business they want. Are you one of them? Do you see the opportunity, but are confused about exactly what you should do?

If so, what you need is clarity. The clarity that comes from doing the right things correctly. Because in this golden age of business, once you decide to equip yourself with the right strategy, your potential is pretty-much limitless.

  • Movement is replaced with productivity.
  • Activity is replaced with achievement.
  • And frustration is replaced with progress.

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