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Is YouTube turning business owners into idiots?

February 24, 2021 by Jim Connolly

My client made an interesting point during yesterday’s Marketing Mentor session.

“YouTube is turning business owners into idiots”.

She was specifically referring to a client of hers, who now has a major problem after taking terrible advice from a popular business YouTuber’s video. Her wider point is that she and her team are seeing this with increasing regularity.

I haven’t covered this topic with you before, so here’s a quick flyover of how this happens, why this happens and how to avoid it happening to you.

So, how does this happen?

Business owners search for advice, find a video with a massive number of views (or a YouTuber with a huge following), and assume those metrics reflect the quality of advice.

Confidence in the quality of the advice increases, as the results that come closest to the top are usually from YouTubers with lots of nodding fans. Fans who agree with, and add weight to, whatever the YouTuber says.

It’s a very compelling mix.

Why does this happen?

It’s actually pretty simple.

The most viewed business videos on YouTube combine the best optimization practices with the most entertaining content / charismatic presenters.

By getting that balance just right, they can begin to build exposure, which then starts a cycle where their videos rank higher, so they get more views and subscribers – more views and subscribers then helps them rank higher, resulting in more views and subscribers… Repeat.

They’re not necessarily the most accurate business videos on YouTube.

They’re not necessarily the most useful business videos.

And they’re not necessarily from the most trusted sources, either.

What they are, is:

  • Expertly optimized.
  • Really interesting to watch.
  • And fronted by a confident and compelling communicator.

Yes, there are useful business ideas on YouTube. But we need to check (and credential) the source before we invest time or money on ANY kind of business advice.

Including advice from YouTube.

Filed Under: Business Development, Professional development

Stability Through Impact: Unlocking the full potential of your business

February 23, 2021 by Jim Connolly

High impact

There are 3 broad ways you can guide the direction of a business.

  1. You can aim for stability.
  2. You can aim for impact.
  3. You can aim for stability through impact.

Here’s how those 3 options pan out, and why one of them gives you the best chance of fully unlocking your maximum potential.

Primary focus on stability

Business owners with a primary focus on stability, plan and act with a safety-first mindset. This often blocks them from making the improvements they need, even when their business isn’t growing. If something ‘kind of works a little’, they’ll hold onto it tight. They do, this rather than try something new with an infinitely greater potential to help them.

They want things to improve. Of course they do. But they want things to improve, without them making any meaningful changes. Change equals risk. And risk feels scary. Too scary.

Primary focus on impact

Business owners with a primary focus on impact, plan and act with a mindset that’s driven by the desire to make a meaningful difference. They have a vision of the impact they seek to create and are motivated by the desire to see that vision become a reality.

Within this broad group are business owners who are well-prepared, with a thoroughly researched idea, which they are passionate about. However, this group also contains business owners who have a deep belief in their idea, but their idea hasn’t had the necessary rigour applied. There’s no market for it. The numbers don’t stack up.

We see this all too often, when a new business opens with an expensive launch, lots of bold claims and in no time, they’re gone. It’s heartbreaking.

Focus on stability THROUGH impact

The business owner whose primary focus is stability through impact understands something, which the vast majority of people totally miss.

They’ve figured out that a balance needs to be achieved.

They know that hunkering down, avoiding change and hoping things will magically improve is a terrible strategy. You can’t hope your way to the top. Or even the middle. At best, you’ll go broke slowly. (which is a lot more painful than going broke fast, as it traps you for years in a stressful, under-performing business).

They also know that stability is essential. If you’re only focusing on making an impact, without ensuring you have a stable foundation, you’re very likely to fail. Nothing of value can be built on flimsy foundations. You need that stability. It’s a must.

So, what do they do?

They decide what impact they want to create. In other words, they choose the thing that they want to be known for… the difference they want to make to their marketplace (or the world). Then they do the research and put a plan together. A realistic, costed and robust plan.

Then, they work the plan.

With the stability of working to a solid plan, and fuelled by the motivation of making an impact, you can fully activate your maximum potential, whilst minimizing risk.

Filed Under: Business Development, General marketing, How to, Professional development

Exposed: The great workaholic lie

February 18, 2021 by Jim Connolly

marketing tips, marketing advice

Workaholics are never really workaholics.

It’s not work, which the so-called workaholic is addicted to. Instead, they’re hooked on the feelings that come from doing something they love. That passion and joy is what inspires them all day, every day.

When you do something you love, it’s natural to want to keep doing it.

  • It’s why Nile Rodgers still creates and performs. (Read this).
  • It’s why Arnold Schwarzenegger is still making movies.
  • It’s why Bill Gates is still making a difference.

Nile and Bill are in their 60’s – Arnie is 73. None of them need the money. What they do need, are the feelings associated with their “work”.

Conversely, someone who finds their work frustrating, boring or stressful, pays to go on vacation… to get away from work!!! They spend a tiny amount of time each year, doing what they love. They have the equation completely the wrong way round.

No one is addicted to work

If you get paid for doing what you love, you may be a passion-aholic. You could be a joy-aholic or even a pleasure-aholic. But you’re not a workaholic. No one is addicted to working just for the sake of work.

  • Work without meaning is a way to pay the bills.
  • Work without meaning is stressful.
  • Work without meaning is empty.
  • Work without meaning leaves you doing things you don’t want to do, for the majority of your adult life.

If work feels like work for too many days in a row, take action. Transform your business from something you work in, to something that fills you with joy, passion and pleasure.

Can you do it?

Yes. Of course you can.

How do I know?

I know, because for more than 20 years I’ve helped business owners worldwide to make it happen and I experience it in my own life, every day.

Filed Under: Business Development, General marketing, How to, Professional development

Upside down?

February 13, 2021 by Jim Connolly

Marketing  tip

Did you know, the massive majority of small businesses are built the wrong way round?

It looks like this.

  • The business owner decides the type of service they’re going to offer.
  • They then try to find clients for their service.

That’s nuts!

It can’t work in any meaningful way.

Why? Because it’s literally (yes literally, not figuratively) the wrong way round.

The most effective business owners do the exact opposite.

It looks like this.

  • They decide the kind of clients they want to work with. For example, clients who appreciate quality, clients who are happy to pay a premium fee for a premium service, clients with the right mindset, etc.
  • Then, and only then, they decide what services to offer. The service is based around the things, which their ideal profile of client will value and desire.
  • They then market this service exclusively to these high value clients. They shun everyone else.
  • And it works spectacularly well.

If you struggle to attract the right kind of clients, consider reviewing your current strategy.

Focus on the kind of clients you most want to work with. Then, consider rebuilding your services so that those ideal clients will find extremely attractive. Delight these ideal clients and they’ll tell their friends.

It’s way more effective, than trying to sell people a service that:

  1. Wasn’t specifically built around their needs.
  2. Is similar to what your competitors are offering them.

I built my business around this model. As a result, I work with fantastic clients every day and get 93% of my new clients, via client referrals.

Filed Under: Business Development, General marketing, Professional development

Competition time

February 11, 2021 by Jim Connolly

Competition is good for business. More importantly my friend, competition is good for YOUR business.

Here’s why:

  • Competition motivates you to raise the bar and set higher standards.
  • Competition inspires you to innovate.
  • Competition compels you to leave your comfort zone.
  • Competition encourages you to differentiate yourself, so you stand out.
  • Competition leads to better products and better services for the marketplace.

As business owners, the decision we face is simple: Do we wait for an agile competitor to force us to do better, or do we take the initiative?

In other words, do we wait and react or take the lead and act?

Our response to that question is hugely important.

Why?

Because it will determine whether we give ourselves a winning advantage and achieve our full potential or find ourselves constantly playing catch-up.

Filed Under: Business Development, General marketing, Professional development

How did I miss that opportunity?

February 9, 2021 by Jim Connolly

Today’s post is especially for those business owners who want to take their business up a level or two. It’s a tricky subject, but really important.

Let’s go!

Have you ever noticed how EVERY genuinely great business opportunity looks like a risk?

It’s only afterwards, when the risk has paid off, that a risky decision looks like a no-brainer. How did I miss that opportunity when I saw it?, we cry. We missed it because we focused on the risk of a possible loss.

Hold that thought.

Conversely, every low return product or service, and every scam, is skilfully designed to appear highly valuable AND risk free (or very low risk). It’s little wonder the masses eagerly lap them up.

What this looks like to you and me:

  • Common consumer examples include those flat stomach machines and fad diet books that make millions, even though they never work.
  • The most obvious business example right now is the absolute flood of ‘digital courses’, being sold by influencers and internet marketers. Many are now selling digital courses… on how to sell digital courses. Good grief.

The challenge small business owners face is two-fold.

  1. Great business opportunities almost always look risky.
  2. Things that waste our time and money almost always look low risk.

That’s why it’s essential for us to get the balance right.

This can help you

Thankfully, our decision making leaves clues that help us identify if we need to improve things. The most obvious clue is if we find we’re dodging something we know we need to do, fearful it could go wrong, thus guaranteeing it can’t go right. Another clue is if it’s been a long time since we last made a major decision where there was risk attached. It’s also a clue if we find it a little too easy to buy products or services that promise amazing results, for very low risk, which never quite work out as promised.

It’s relatively easy to identify how good our decision making is.

The tricky part is accepting we need to improve, and then recalibrating our attitude to risk so it works for us and not against us.

Filed Under: Business Development, General marketing, Professional development

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marketing advice, marketing help Hi! I'm Jim Connolly and I help business owners to make more sales, boost their profits and build amazing businesses. You can find out more here.

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