Marketing tips, marketing help and advice

Here’s a proven way to quickly boost your profits

By Jim Connolly | July 30, 2016

If you want to generate high quality sales extremely quickly, I have a powerful, proven idea for you. It’s based on a strategy I use with my clients, which has produced amazing results.

It can work for you too. Here’s what you need to know.

It’s based on 3 Facts, plus 1 question

I want you to think about the following 3 facts, regarding your clients or customers:

These good people trust you.
They also have an existing trading relationship with you. In other words, they are used to working with you, receiving invoices from you and paying you. They also know you provide them with an excellent service.
Because of those previous 2 points, making additional purchases from you is seen as low risk or no risk.

Now answer this question:

What additional, useful product or service could you offer to your existing clients or customers?

Here’s why this strategy is so effective

Selling to your existing clients has 2 huge advantages over selling to strangers:

The process is very quick, because of the 3 facts I just mentioned. This makes it perfect, if you want or need to increase your sales, revenues and profits quickly.
By offering more high value services to your clients, you become more valued as a provider. This makes them less likely to switch to an alternative provider. So, as well as making your clients more profitable, you also increase your chances of retaining their custom.

The bottom line here is this: If you’re looking for the fastest and least expensive way to generate far higher revenues and profits, this could be it.

If not, it’s pretty darn close.

Are you going to do your very best work today?

By Jim Connolly | July 27, 2016

If not, what story are you telling yourself, which is motivating you to do less than you’re capable of?

Tell yourself a more empowering story. Choose to give everything you do your very best shot. Then, do the same tomorrow. Soon it will become a habit.

Here’s the thing: The world deserves to see what you are truly capable of. Not some cranked-down version of your amazing self.

Could this mindset adjustment have an immediate, positive impact on your business [and your life]? Yes. It absolutely could.

Video – Does brainstorming work?

By Jim Connolly | July 26, 2016

For years, I have seen people use brainstorming as a way to generate ideas and solve challenges.

For years, I have found traditional brainstorming sessions to be of very little value.

It seems I am not alone.

In this RSA video (see below), journalist and author, Jonah Lehrer, argues that traditional brainstorming just doesn’t work. It produces fewer original ideas than people achieve when working by themselves. He explains why and also recommends an alternative approach, which I hope you find useful.

If you can’t see the video correctly or are reading this post via email, click here.

Education makes it possible. Action makes it happen

By Jim Connolly | July 23, 2016

He’s a nice enough guy. He works hard. He’s read the leadership books. He’s following all the success gurus on Facebook and he watches their videos too.

He isn’t achieving much

He’s still struggling. Still unknown. Still spinning his wheels.

Why?

Because he’s avoiding the changes he needs to make.

He’s still following, rather than leading. He’s still doing predictable work, rather than work that matters. He’s still playing it safe, rather than playing to win.

Study. For sure. Just remember that your results are based on what you decide to do, with what you decide to learn.

Education makes it possible. But action makes it happen.

Does your work have your signature?

By Jim Connolly | July 22, 2016

Wouldn’t it be useful, if you were able to make your business, product or service stand out?

If you know the work of any famous painter, it’s easy to identify their art. Great artists stand out because their style is almost like a signature. It’s something unique to them.

They may use the same type of paint, brushes and canvas as thousands of others, but what they do with those materials is uniquely them.

Interestingly, we find when studying the work of any successful business person, that his or her work is just as individual as a famous painter. They may use the same business tools as thousands of others, but what they do with those tools is uniquely ‘them’. It’s their signature.

What are you focusing on?

That’s an important question. For example, millions of business owners use email marketing, yet their message is predictable and lacks their unique signature. Millions of business owners use social networks, mostly in a very predictable way, with no unique signature.

Success comes from stepping away from the masses and doing things your way. For example.

If you want more followers, do something worth following. Don’t copy what everyone else is saying.
If you want more word of mouth referrals, do something worth talking about. Don’t copy what everyone else is doing.
If you want to attract higher fees, do something worth paying more for. Don’t copy what everyone else is offering.

Dr. Seuss was right when he said, “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” Your uniqueness is your greatest asset. Be yourself. That’s all you need to be.

How to build a remarkable enterprise

By Jim Connolly | July 19, 2016

Today, I’m giving you a super-effective strategy to help you build a truly remarkable business.

Its all about seeking inspiration from the very best companies in the world.

Business owners tend to measure their business, products or services against whatever their competitors are doing. That sets a low ceiling on their potential.

Here’s a better strategy

Think how much higher your business could fly, if you decided to:

Compare your customer service to Disney’s customer service.
Compare your build quality to Rolex.
Compare your design quality to Apple.
Compare your distribution to Amazon.

This strategy will inspire you to think on a far higher level. It will motivate you to expect more from your business. It will set you apart from all your competitors.

And that’s a powerful way to build a remarkable enterprise.

How to grow your list in 3 steps

By Jim Connolly | July 14, 2016

If you write a newsletter or blog and your “list” is growing too slowly, this post is for you.

Toxic advice online

The Internet is packed with bad advice on how to improve the success of your newsletter or blog. So-called content marketing experts focus on things like; the best time to publish your work, how long your articles or posts should be and what kind of images you should use, how to SEO your work, etc.

These generic tips offer the reader no meaningful value. NOTHING that will resolve the actual problem. The reason no one reads Bob’s blog posts or Barbara’s newsletter, is not because they are published on the wrong day or at the wrong time, are the wrong length or lack the right images or SEO.

No.

The reason no one reads their work, is that it offers nothing new. It’s lacking in value. So, when people find it, they are not motivated to return or share what they have found. That type of blog or newsletter will never build an audience.

The actual solution?

It’s as easy and as hard as this:

Have something worth saying and say it well. (In other words, provide massively valuable information and write it in a way that inspires your readers.)
Put it where people can see it.
Make it easy for them to share.

If you do that, your audience will grow. First, just 5 people will read it, but that’s fine. Why? Because they will love what you had to say, then share it with their friends.

Some of their friends will value what you have written and they too will share it.

Repeat…

To keep that process rolling and your readership growing, you need to focus on regularly having something to say, which people will value and share. This means learning how to write and having the courage to say it in your own unique voice.

So rich. So strange. So new.

I was prompted to share this with you today, after listening to a recording of the great Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas. Before Thomas took to the stage to share his brilliance with a packed, New York audience, he was introduced to the crowd.

The MC then described Thomas’ poetry as: “So rich. So strange. So new”. You can listen to the MC here. [It’s just 10 seconds into the audio].

And it was. No one wrote like Thomas. He had something worth saying. He shared it with, initially, very small crowds. These small crowds of people then told their friends how amazing his poetry was. The media then discovered Thomas’ work and he became a worldwide success, whose work is celebrated today, more than 60 years after his passing.

Dylan Thomas didn’t succeed because he only wrote works that were a certain length.

He didn’t succeed because he only performed or published on certain days.

No.

He succeeded because his work was too good to ignore. Too good not to share.

Stop using buzzwords in your marketing. Seriously. Stop it

By Jim Connolly | July 11, 2016

There is no shortage of buzzwords or people who feel the need to use them.

Intersection.

Growth-hacking.

Ruckus.

Pragmatic.

Disrupt.

Paradigm.

… these buzzwords and many others, are used by people in an effort to appear informed or relevant. Interestingly, buzzwords do neither. They have the exact opposite effect when people read them or hear them.

Here’s how buzzwords work against you.

They make informed people cringe. Not a great idea, if you want your peers to take you seriously or recommend you.
They confuse the uninformed. A bad choice, if you want people to understand your message. And you do. Right?

In either case, buzzwords work against you. When it comes to marketing, write your copy in a way that your ideal client will find easy to understand.

Always aim for clarity.

Why?

Because clarity sells.

7 tips to turn your blog into a lead generating machine

By Jim Connolly | July 8, 2016

Here are 7 tips to help you get massively more sales leads from your business blog.

Blog Tip 1: Have something to say that’s worth reading

People have never been busier than they are today. Equally, there has never been so much choice regarding what they can read. For a blog to attract readers and then retain those readers, it needs to offer something, which is meaningfully different. The majority of blogs don’t do this. They are predictable. They have no distinct voice. They simply add to the noise.

The key is to tell us what you think. Give us your opinion. Not an echo of what everyone else is saying. Allow your personality to shine through your words. Only by embracing your unique perspective can you hope to stand out, grab people’s attention and then inspire them to keep coming back.

Blog Tip 2: Show up regularly

We can’t expect people to return to a blog, even a well-written blog, if there’s seldom any new content for them to read.

If you want people to visit your blog regularly, publish new content regularly. Keep your blog fresh. The more often you publish useful content, the faster your readership will grow.

Bonus: When a new reader arrives on a blog, which has been regularly updated over a period of months or years, they get a powerful message. They can see that the blogger can be relied upon to stick with a project. Before a new client speaks to me, they already know I can be relied upon. This helps build trust. It makes the decision to hire me a great deal easier. Think about that for a moment.

Blog Tip 3: Create a powerful initial impression

It has never been easier or less expensive to have a professional looking blog. Despite this, many small business owners use ugly, outdated blog themes. As a result they look amateurish. People tend not to treat information on amateur looking blogs very seriously. We expect professionals to look professional.

Publishing useful ideas on an ugly looking blog, is like a restaurant serving you a delicious meal… on a dirty plate.

Think about it: There are only 2 reasons why a business would operate behind an amateur looking blog:

They think it’s OK to allow poor quality work (design) to represent them and their values.
They can’t afford a professional looking blog.

Neither of those options reflect well on the blog owner.

If your blog looks tired or dated, invest in a new blog theme. One that creates a powerful, positive impression. This sets a professional tone for what your visitors are about to read.

This leads on nicely to the next point.

Blog Tip 4: Be visible on mobile devices

An increasing number of people view the internet using their phones or tablets. If a site is hard to read on their mobile device, they leave. Despite this, an alarming number of business blogs are still not mobile friendly. In other words, they are hard to read or navigate when using a mobile device.

Almost all modern blog themes are mobile ready. However, if your theme is more than a few years old, it’s worth checking how it looks on phones and tablets.

If your blog doesn’t perform well on mobile devices, you will lose visitors before they even start reading what you have to say. Depending on your industry, you could be offering a bad user experience to 80% or more (and growing), of your potential readers!

Blog Tip 5: Stop selling

Most small business bloggers turn almost every post into a sales pitch. Instead of being interesting and offering useful information, these posts read like a series of thinly-disguised advertisements. The challenge with that approach is that people are not interested in reading ads, linking to ads or sharing ads with their friends.

Instead, focus on contribution. Be generous. Provide answers.

Remember that the process of giving and receiving, starts with the giving part. Offer valuable information, which people will want to read, link to and share. Then, when they need to hire an expert, they already know who you are. They’re also massively more likely to hire you, because they’re familiar with you and your expertise, via your blog posts.

You’re a safe bet.

A reliable option.

So, hiring you becomes an easy decision!

I place a call to action below each post, welcoming readers to get in touch if they’d like me to help them. However, selling my service is never the subject of the post. It’s all about offering useful information to the reader. Always.

Blog Tip 6: Make blogging a high priority business activity

Most business bloggers regard blogging as a low-level marketing activity. So they starve their blog of the resources it needs, in order for it to be a lead generating machine for their business.

They’ll happily spend time every day using Facebook or Linkedin, yet they invest very little time building their blog. As a result, their blog never gets the momentum it needs.

In addition, business owners will often place their blog on a cheap hosting account. This can lead to lots of down-time. Cheap hosting usually causes blogs to run slower too. People won’t hang around for a blog to load. So get the best hosting you can afford.

Treat your blog as a high priority business asset. Invest in it correctly and you’ll end up with a powerful marketing asset. One that grows in value all the time.

Blog Tip 7: Play the long game

A key reason why so many potentially great blogs fail, is that the owner quits too soon. Their expectations are unrealistic and it’s not always their fault.

The internet is packed with content marketing gurus, spreading bullshit. They say that if you use their “system” or buy their latest piece of junk, you can turn your blog into a goldmine in weeks. It’s snake oil… snake oil designed to exploit people, who don’t know better.

Even if you are doing everything correctly, it takes time for you to attract (and keep re-earning), the attention of a sizeable, growing readership. Business blogging is not an overnight success proposition, so play the long game.

I hope you found these tips and ideas useful. More importantly, I hope they inspire you to get the most from business blogging.

Tip: You can get my latest ideas delivered direct to your inbox, for free, right here.

Here’s what to do, when they say you’re too expensive!

By Jim Connolly | July 7, 2016

If you are sick of talking to fee sensitive prospective clients, you are making 1 or more of 3 marketing mistakes, which I am going to share with you right now — along with the solution.

Let’s get started!

A quick look at value

I want to start by looking at the way your prospective clients think about value:

It’s always too expensive, when the price or fee is considerably greater than the value.
It’s always great value, when the price or fee is considerably lower than the value.

To get that price / value balance right, we have 2 options:

We can pump more value into the product or service.
We can lower the price.

The race to the bottom

Most small business owners focus on lowering prices or fees, in order to make themselves appear better value. This is why we often see competing businesses in that dreaded race to the bottom. The race to the bottom is where business owners race to out-discount one another. It’s a low leverage, low profit and totally unnecessary way to run a business.

Here’s the thing about slashing your prices: Your prospective customers will still be able to go to Google and find 20 lower priced alternatives to you, in minutes.

Note: The bargain-shopping clients who put “cheap” before everything else are the worst clients to work for. They’re the least profitable, plus they dump providers as soon as a cheaper alternative comes along.

Here’s the thing about increasing your value: High value providers are rare. Rare value comes at a premium, which the right clients are happy to pay for.

3 questions you need to answer

Firstly: Have you put so much value into your product or service, that the price or fee represents great value? As every quality brand will confirm, we can always sell a superb product or service for a great price. However, we are fooling ourselves if we expect prospective customers to pay a premium, for something that’s average or close to average.

Secondly: If you have created a product or service that represents outstanding value, is that value clear from your marketing? In other words, when a prospective customer reads your marketing or talks with you, can they easily see a clear reason why your services are of great value? Use the best copywriter you can afford, to make the value obvious, attractive and crystal clear. I find the vast majority of small business owners get this wrong and use DIY copywriting, thinking they are saving money. In reality, it’s losing them a fortune… every day!

Finally: Is your marketing attracting the right type of leads or enquiries? You can provide an amazing service, offered at a wonderful price, but if the people responding to your marketing can’t afford it, you’re wasting your time.

For example: A diamond ring that’s worth a million dollars, would be amazing value if offered for sale at $10,000. However, if you’re trying to sell it to someone, who knows the value, but is broke, they can’t buy it.

Getting your value balance right

Lowering a price is easy. It can be done in seconds. However, it locks you into a race to the bottom. It also acts like a magnet to fee sensitive clients and customers.

Instead, look for inconsistencies between what you charge, what you offer, how you market it and who you are marketing to.

How to get people to market your business for free

By Jim Connolly | July 6, 2016

You will be pleased to know that the title of this post is not a play on words. It’s true. I’m going to show you how to motivate people to sell your products or services for you… for free. It starts with a look at expectations.

Allow me to explain.

Spreading the word

When we exceed expectations, something amazing happens. Our product or service starts to market itself.

Here’s an example of what I mean. It’s what happened a few years ago, when I bought a MacBook Air. Apple’s marketing promised users “up to 12 hours” battery life. I actually got over 13 hours from it. In fact, everything about the machine was better than I expected. Apple made the machine sound great, but that was nothing compared to what they delivered.

I was so impressed that I recommended the MacBook Air to my friends and clients. I also mentioned it in a couple of blog posts and shared my story on social networking sites.

That’s what we do when a product or service exceeds our expectations. We talk about it. We share it. And these independent, 3rd party recommendations are extremely powerful.

A small improvement can be exceptional

Interestingly, the gap between meeting expectations and exceeding them is relatively small. It’s tiny, in relation to the huge positive impact it creates. It just takes a little extra effort. That’s all.

Here are a couple of quick tips, to help you get it right.

Think about what your prospective customers expect from providers in your industry. Then look for ways to exceed these expectations. I did this with my 1 Year Marketing Service. It gives small business owners the support, clarity and accountability they’d always needed, but never had before. So, my clients tell their friends, which generates regular referrals.
Consider the products or services that have exceeded your expectations. What can you learn from them, which you can adapt into your own business? This can be a great source of exceptional ideas.

Get this right and you’ll soon have an army of passionate advocates, marketing your business for you… for free.

IMPORTANT – If you missed yesterday’s HUGE announcement, you can read it here.

My new service launches today. And it’s exactly what you need.

By Jim Connolly | July 5, 2016

I have a new service launching today, to help you attract more sales, customers or clients. It’s something readers have asked me for again and again. Today, it happens!

Here’s how it works, including the fee.

The right words

In business, the right words inspire people to take action. Expertly composed copywriting builds trust. It motivates people to buy from you, hire you or contact you. It turns passive readers into paying customers. And it’s worth a fortune to you and your business.

The wrong words

The wrong words lack the motivational impact of high-conversion marketing copy. They lose you sales and stop you attracting new clients. And this happens every time someone reads your marketing.

Just think what that’s costing you: People who would have hired you, bought from you or contacted you were not motivated to do so. You offer a great service, so these people would have been happy, long term customers… if your marketing copy hadn’t let you down.

You can’t afford to keep losing out like that. The cost to your business is huge. No. It’s bigger than that.

Most business owners understand this

I bet you’re one of them. These are the business owners who fully understand that they’re leaving money on the table, potentially a fortune, by relying on ineffective marketing copy.

And they’re not happy about it! They want expertly written, persuasive marketing, which compels their prospective customers to hire them or buy from them.

Their challenge is this: They have no idea who they can turn to, for the super-effective marketing copy they need.

If you are one of these business owners, I have some fantastic news for you!

From today, you can hire me to write the marketing content you’ve always needed. The kind of marketing that turns more prospective customers into paying customers.

How does it work and what is the fee?

Once you have decided to proceed, here’s a snapshot of what happens:

I start by sending you a questionnaire. This will allow me to get the core information required, in order for me to do the best work possible for you.
After you return the questionnaire, we’ll arrange a call [phone or Skype] to discuss your project. This is extremely useful and ensures I know exactly what you want and need.
I’ll then create the initial draft of your marketing copy, followed by a call to discuss it with you.
I then make any required adjustments and send you the final draft for your approval.
Note: I will personally create your marketing content. I will also be your point of contact throughout and will look after you, every step of the way.

That’s just a quick overview, though every client’s needs are a little different. It’s all about providing you with the most powerful, persuasive marketing content possible.

The fee?

Here’s the fee, quoted in UK pounds.

There’s a one-off project start-up fee of £350.

Then there’s a flat rate of £950 for each page of content. A page is anything up to 800 words in length. For example; a sales page for your website, a marketing letter, a marketing email, a call to action message for your newsletter, an advertisement, marketing copy for your brochure, etc.

Remember, high converting marketing content works for you over and over again, making it an exceptional investment.

What next?

Simply use the form below to arrange an initial chat with me. I will happily answer any questions you have.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Stop working for low quality clients. Seriously. Stop it!

By Jim Connolly | July 3, 2016

If you are tired of working for low value clients, I have an idea I would like to share with you. It has helped me attract the best clients, avoid the worst clients and build an extremely successful business.

It can do the same for you. Allow me to explain.

Making a very deliberate choice

Before deciding to accept a new client, I ask myself the following question: Is this prospective client worthy of my best work?

If the answer is Yes, I accept them as a client and provide them with the best work I am capable of.
If the answer is No, I don’t work with them.

That decision puts a series of success factors into play, which creates the perfect foundation for business success.

Here’s the payback!

I have never had a cash flow problem. I have never had to face a client I didn’t enjoy working with. And I’ve always had the freedom to do my very best work. This is extremely important. Here’s why!

By being able to do my best work, my clients get great results… so my client retention is exceptionally high. Equally, my clients and former clients are a constant source of wonderful new clients.

The typical small business takes the opposite approach. And it locks them in a cycle that damages their business. What they do, is accept almost any client, who has the means to pay them.

As a direct result, they often work for clients who pay them too little or clients with dull, uninspiring projects. That’s not the scenario where professionals produce their best work. So, they get fewer client referrals and become stuck in a cycle of working with low quality clients.

Every business owner, including you, already makes the decision. You either decide to work with the people worthy of your best work or to compromise and work for those who are not.

Beggars can’t be choosers, Jim!

When I share this idea with business owners, the typical answer from those who will work with anyone, is that beggars can’t be choosers.

The thing is:

They are business owners, not beggars.
They are already choosing, by choosing to work for low value clients.

High value clients lead to more high value clients, as they recommend you to their friends and you become known for servicing the quality end of the market.

Low value clients lead to more low value clients, as you become pigeon-holed as servicing the low value end of your marketplace.

So, build the right foundations for your business. Intentionally choose great clients. And if you think you can’t afford to be choosy, wait until you see the long term cost of not being choosy enough.

Quit stalling. You don’t need more time!

By Jim Connolly | July 1, 2016

Once you’ve created a plan, spoken to the right people and done the research, it’s time to ship. It’s time to produce. It’s time to make it happen.

So stop stalling. Stop making excuses. Stop waiting for things to be perfect.

You don’t need more time. What you need is the courage to ship.

When times are uncertain

By Jim Connolly | June 30, 2016

marketing advice, marketing help, bizdev

We live in uncertain times. And your marketplace hates uncertainty. It makes them anxious. It causes them stress.

Here’s what we know

When times are uncertain, people seek leadership. They actively look for those who display courage and direction.

If you’re a leader [or a leader in waiting], there’s never been a better time to demonstrate your leadership.

Because that’s what your marketplace is looking for right now. And they value it enormously.

It’s time to do some baking

By Jim Connolly | June 28, 2016

The most successful businesses bake marketing into their services. In this post, I will explain what that means and why you should do the same.

If you have not heard the term before, baking marketing into a service (or product) means creating something, which is of so much value and interest that people want to buy it and also tell their friends about it. This is how products like the iPhone and services like Uber grew so popular, so fast.

Most small business owners do the opposite

Look around you at your competitors and you will notice how similar they are. Remarkably so. In fact, their similarity to one another is the only remarkable thing about them. So, they try and undercut one another on prices or fees, out network one another or outspend one another on marketing.

They are focusing their time and money in completely the wrong direction. They are trying to get people interested in something, which isn’t interesting. This is a costly, avoidable mistake.

I want something far better for you and your business!

Bake marketing into what you do

Today, I am going to ask you to consider doing something bold. I’m asking you to consider adding value (huge value) to what you market… your core products or services.

Why? Because you can waste years of your time trying to sell a service, which is simply not interesting enough to the marketplace. Great marketing is no substitute for a dull product or service.

The reason there is so much uninspiring stuff out there, is that business owners tend to be passionate about the products or services they provide. This happens, regardless of how generic or average their products or services are. Business owners are often blind to just how insipid their offering is. In Steven Pressfield’s new book, No one wants to read your sh*t, he calls this mindset client’s disease.

Conversely, a service that is of exceptional value will often sell itself, as people are so impressed with it that they spread the word. I regularly speak with business owners who don’t need to spend a penny on advertising, because their customers and their marketplace are always recommending them.

Most small business owners use the opposite approach. Instead of inspiring people with the story behind their business, they try to motivate uninspired people to talk about their uninspiring offerings.

Some offer commissions.
Others try to pester people into recommending them.
Many join networking clubs, hoping that social pressure, reciprocity or rules of membership, will force people to talk about them.
Some spam us with unsolicited emails or pester us on social networks.

All of those work to a degree, but you can do massively better by shifting your focus 180 degrees!

Here’s why.

If you are the only person proactively telling the world about your business, your growth will be limited. You can only pester so many people. You can only attend so many networking groups.
If your offering is remarkable enough that people tell people about it — and these people tell people about it — and these people tell people about it… you have a highly successful business on your hands.

Here’s what we know: People do not need to be pestered or pressured into recommending a GREAT service. They automatically spread the word when they encounter something exceptional. However, we must first give people something worth talking about… a story worth sharing.

When we do, they can’t help themselves. They shout from the rooftops.

A better approach

The alternative is to bake marketing into what you do. Here are some suggestions to get you started.

Observe your marketplace and develop a product or service, which is based on what they want. This is way better than offering your version of what your competitors already provide.
Give people a story about you or your business that’s worth sharing. This means having the courage to be different. Easier said than done, but essential if you want to attract the interest of your marketplace.
Deliver a customer experience that stands out for all the right reasons. Pull out all the stops. Leave your clients and prospective clients feeling moved and roused by the experience of working with you, visiting you or connecting with you.
Demonstrate your passion for what you do and your desire to help others. Passion stands out. Passion is infectious.
Have outsiders. You can’t have insiders without outsiders. Insiders are the people who buy from you. Insiders are the people your services are aimed at. Don’t try and be all things to all people. If you do, your story will be vague and cease to motivate people.
Learn from the products and services that you recommend. Think about what drives you to spread the word about certain businesses. What lessons can be adapted from what they do and used in your business, to help you deliver something remarkable?

Just don’t fall into the trap of trying to get people inspired about an uninspiring service or product. It’s expensive, low leverage, frustrating and places a very low ceiling on your potential.

Your possibilities are limitless

By Jim Connolly | June 26, 2016

Give one person a pen and a pad and they will scope out an exciting, new idea or maybe compose a poem.

Give another person that same pen and a pad and they will write a shopping list with it.

The pen. The pad. They’re just tools. It’s what you do with them that creates the value.

This begs the question

You have an internet connection, which offers you access to a global audience of millions. And this access comes to you, with little if any financial cost attached. It’s an opportunity our parents and their parents could never have imagined.

The question is, what are you going to do with it?

Focus on the possibilities. Because, my friend, they are limitless.

How to turn your blog into a Customer Magnet!

By Jim Connolly | June 24, 2016

This is a very important post. If you want to get more business, feedback and recognition from your blog, this could be exactly what you need to know.

The post was inspired by an email I received from Shannon. She kindly gave me permission to share part of it with you. Here’s the core challenge she wanted help with, along with my answer and lots of tips and examples to help you build a successful business blog.

Here’s what Shannon wanted to know:

“I’ve been blogging for close to three years now. It’s been frustrating to say the least! […] I have no idea what I’m doing wrong and I’ve followed the advice from [she mentioned a very well known blogging site] totally. I’m just about ready to quit. Can you take a look at my blog and tell me what I’m missing?”

I did take a quick look at her blog and it’s exactly the same as countless other business blogs, following the same, general blogging advice.

Here’s what the challenge is and how to resolve it!

Blogging is exceptionally effective

I’ve worked in marketing since 1987 and nothing I have used, studied or witnessed, comes close to the marketing power of an effective blog. Period.

So, why has Shannon and the vast majority of business owners, seen such poor results?

Without doubt, the main reason is that blogging is often touted, incorrectly, as the written equivalent of painting by numbers. In other words, you follow a set of rules and success will follow. This myth persists because it’s repeated by well known bloggers, selling generic courses and programs on how to grow a successful business blog.

The polar opposite is actually true: The CLOSER you follow the same general format, rules and techniques as everyone else, the LESS likely you are to achieve anything worthwhile from your blog.

Here’s how I created one of the world’s most popular marketing blogs, using a more individual approach.

I didn’t SEO my posts

I decided to write for my readers, not Google. This gave me the freedom to express my thoughts, rather than SEO my thoughts.

Shannon’s blog posts are written using SEO software. This means they are often too long, just so she can reach her minimum SEO word count and keyword density. Posts that should be information rich and 250 words long, are filled with fluff to make them more SEO friendly. It has totally robbed her of her voice and individuality.

Google likes it. However, it reads like crap. As a result, Shannon attracts drive-by traffic, rather than client enquiries.

Tip: Read this – Stop writing for Google. Really. Stop it!

I didn’t guest blog

I focused on building my readership, by producing the most useful content I could and then made it extremely easy for people to share it.

This approach works even better today than when I started in 2008, thanks to the popularity of social networking sites.

Many bloggers waste their best material on other people’s blogs, because their blog guru convinced them it’s a great idea. Guest blogging is one way to build your readership, but certainly not the best. [Or the second best.] Shannon told me that she has guest blogged a lot, with nothing to show for it.

She’s not alone. People tell me similar stories all the time. And it’s heartbreaking.

The solution is to build your own platform. Put your best stuff on your own turf. If your content is useful enough, 1 reader will get you 1 more. Those 2 readers will do the same. Before you know it, by turning up regularly with useful information, you will have built your own community of engaged readers. A subset of them will go on to become clients.

Just don’t sell yourself short. Don’t be someone else’s unpaid content provider!

I removed comments

It was almost exactly 3 years ago, in summer 2013, when I removed the commenting feature from my blog. Blog commenting is a vestige from the days before social networks. It was also a huge time suck for me, as I often got 2500 spam comments a day.

It was still a tough decision though. The only other person I knew who’d done it was Seth Godin, and he had a very different reason. But it was the right thing to do. So I did it.

Back then, I was attacked. Social media gurus said you HAD TO have comments on your blog or it wasn’t a blog.

Today, the mood is changing.

Since I removed comments, other popular blogs including; Chris Brogan and Michael Hyatt, have followed suit. Top news sites have done the same, including CNN, Reuters and ReCode. And they’re absolutely right.

My point is that you need to question perceived wisdom. Then if you believe something needs to change, do it your way. Don’t wait for someone else to tell you. Be prepared to lead. We need more leaders.

Shannon has comments enabled and she gets very little feedback. Many comments are from people trying to get backlinks or score free advice from her. This lack of so-called social proof, does nothing to enhance Shannon’s reputation. It also makes her blog look like a ghost town, when prospective clients check her out.

I didn’t pump my posts with buzzwords

Disrupt, ruckus, growth hacking, big data, intersection… buzzwords like those fail twice.

Firstly, they make informed people cringe.
Secondly, they confuse the uninformed. That’s a bad idea if you want people to understand your message!

Shannon’s blog uses lots of content marketing buzz words. This, combined with the keyword loading she does for her SEO, means readers have no personality to connect with.

I made 1 rule and stuck with it

I made a rule, which I have stuck to since 2008. It’s simply this:

I will only publish a post when I have something useful to share and I’ll make sure I find something useful, often.

This means I often write when it’s easier not to. I also update older posts daily, to keep the information relevant. Blogging is a primary business activity for me, rather than something I fit in. As a result, I write when I’m extremely busy, when I am tired and even when I’m not feeling great.

Your rules

The Internet is packed with sites that offer largely the same, general advice on how to build a successful blog.

You should avoid it.

Their advice seems to make sense, until you consider that by following it, you become invisible – lost in an ocean of millions of other bloggers using the same, general advice.

If you’re following what they say, you will be able to identify with Shannon’s situation.

In short: Your blog needs to be as individual as you are. Otherwise, you’re invisible.

Tip: This post asks an important question: Bloggers: Are you 1 question away from 10,000 daily readers?