I believe the reasons we sabotage our marketing efforts stem from pre-wired belief systems and inefficient habit building.
Blogging successfully as a business model is no different. If you do it over and over, without testing, and without strategy and clear intent, you will fail.
Then you'll despair when you don’t get the expected results and eventually give up.
I don't blame you, blogging is hard work. If you want to do it right you can’t fake it, and most importantly and taxing is the fact that it requires a bit of discipline, imagination and creativity to put decent content week in and week out.
So I said to myself, let me put together a list of myths about blogging for business and profit and see where it takes me… I came up with 9 so far.
Here they are:
1. I need a large subscriber list to have a successful and profitable blog.
You should always be growing your list, but you don’t need thousands of subscribers to make blogging profitable.
2. There is no point in blogging if I’m not selling a product or service online.
Blasphemous! Just pick a topic that resonates with a group of people’s challenges and needs and watch that community grow around you!
3. Blogging takes too much time out of my working day.
When I hear someone tells me “I don’t have time” … That usually means, “I don’t have the patience”. Make the time!
4. I need to be a good writer to blog for business.
No you don’t… writing is a learned skill, yes you need to practice at it, but being good is not a prerequisite for blogging.
5. There are millions of blogs on millions of subjects, how can I make a difference?
Write in your own voice, about a popular subject and do it often!
6. I need to understand computers and the internet to be a successful blogger.
Ever heard of WordPress?
7. As soon as I start blogging I’m going to start making lots of money!
Good luck with that…! A lot has to happen before that occurs, but you have to start somewhere, so what are you waiting for?
8. Everyone will be interested in what I have to write about.
No one gives a S#*t! Start with a topic of need or interest and create value for anyone who comes along. That's how they'll get interested!
9. Blogging by itself is the ultimate marketing weapon.
Untrue, the best marketing plans are a combination of multiple things. But blogging does help integrate and bring together ideas and concepts that can then be leveraged and shared.
So what’s your take on blogging?
Be Helpful and Do it Often!
Can you think of a better way to build a business network?
By the way I stole that line from Chris Brogan's Human Business Works newsletter here.
I know this is easier to do once you enjoy a certain level of success and head-above water status.
But I say that the best time to addopt this approach is when you are down in the dumps, struggling to build your business.
That's when it carries a 1-2 punch! - For the simple reason that it builds the habit of doing so at the worse posible time!
Here are a few nuggets just in case you decide to embark in this business building framework:
Don't expect anything in return!
For example you noticed how I plugged Chris's newsletter just now right?
The things is that I didn't have to do it... and he doesn't need me to!
Except that, if his coaching has been such an invaluable influence in my business to the point where it has increased revenue because of insights I have applied...
Why wouldn't I share that with my list of subscribers and with my personal network?
I just added value to them and all I had to do was think about what can I do today that can impact their world substantially!
And yes they'll be douchebags that will take you for granted and won't appreciate your value and will tell you ... Oh! I knew that already, you haven't taught me anything new!
My smiling answer is always... Yes, but you haven't done it have you? :-)
Then silence...
I loved that one!
I've said it before... I don't care what business you are in, you are in the people business. Even if you are as obscure as a CIA operative sent in to infiltrate a network to destabilize a small government. You need others to help you, and for that you have to open up.
In order to be noticed, introduced and be relevant, you have to put out first. Be ready to help someone with their pain in the butt problem, or at least point them in the right direction.
Many times that's all is required. Some people are just lost in a jungle of choices that don't apply to them but are about to consider.
Step in! Be opinionated, take a position... and for the love of God, don't sell anything!
If your services are required it will become apparent... Just focus on adding value to someone's life or business!
That's how I approach those whom I'm referred to:
"Hi, so and so asked me to reach out" By the way the same applies if they are the ones reaching out to you instead!
After basic intros are out of the way I ask the most powerful question one can ever ask:
"So... What do you want to do Better or Different?"
Every thing else will flow from there.
My friend Marcy Lugo from Healthcare Tactics is one of those individuals that once you stumble into her you wonder why she's not working for a major Healthcare Organization.
The answer is simple, She did!... then left that world after 15+ years to pursue her dream to do what she's good at and loves, while dictating her own terms: Those that best serve her clients while creating the lifestyle she wants!
If you are a Doctor, Marcy is the first person you call for everything regarding the business of running a Medical Practice. From contracting to finding ways to increase revenue.
It's nice to be known in your community as a goto person for anything, but that didn't happen overnight. Even though her venture is new, her personal brand and authority in the community is not.
She does it by setting out to help Doctors with their day to day struggles of running a successful medical practice in the midst of an uncertain and changing healthcare climate and diminishing reimbursement rates for physicians.
I wish I could tell you there's an easier way... But if you want to grow your business influence in the community you aim to resonate with, this is a heckuva way to do it!
So are you in?
We are in the “Attention Age” make no mistake. The most coveted asset everyone is
vying for is:
“Your Attention”
It seems ironic that at a time where everyone wants to influence everyone else, the Attention Deficit Disorder Index is through the roof!
But that got me thinking …!
How do kids get our perennial attention?
Not a difficult question to answer since they must be paid attention to constantly. But in their normal and never ending struggle to get it … What do THEY do?
- They scream and cry.
- They put up an elaborate show of creativity and cuteness or
- Attention grabbing and heart stopping pirouettes …
Most importantly they get our attention because of what they mean to us!
There is nothing more relevant and precious than our children! Sure they can drive us to drink more often than not... I got 3 boys under 9 and every day I have to establish alpha male dominance, its exhausting!
But nothing that says more about you!
What if …
In our day to day business dealings we were looked upon as children?
I don’t mean the part where we don’t share, throw tantrums when we don’t get our way, or catapult food at those “close talkers” …!
I mean what if you found a way to become ultra-relevant and precious to those we mean to help and do business with!
Relevant, in a way that they are constantly thinking about you and what you mean to their lives and business!
I know you are probably thinking:
Claudio, I run a restaurant! How can I get people to think about me all the time?
Well you know this … they may not think about you "all the time", but they think about your product three times a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner!
You know what? … That’s an average of 90 times per month that each local person thinks about what you have to sell in the context of food, fun and social!
What are you doing to associate their needs with your product?
You read this blog often, so you know that relevant and valuable content marketing is the answer ;-)
When you provide content marketing in the right context you are basically aligning needs with wants and solutions, in addition to estalishing yourself as a respected authority they like, know and trust!
If you sell wealth management and financial products for example:
You know people think about your product every time they open a bank statement, or when looking at their paystubs and seeing how much went to their 401k’s or SEPs.
They think about your product every time they turn to watch SQUAW BOX on CNBC, or they hear that the DOW was up or down!
They think about you and your solutions regarding their mortality and realize they are underinsured and it’s been 10 years since addressing their estate planning needs… I can go on and on!
How are you associating their needs OR interest with your product or service?
When you provide highly relevant content on a continuous basis at the time they need it the most, that's when you become unique and precious in their lives... Like Children are!
If you sell Real Estate or you are an Attorney, is the same story!
Yelling and Interrupting doesn't work anymore!
Become a valued resource first, have a conversation about their needs and concerns and then create a utility platform where they can get information, confidence and support from.
If you feel you can help them, move in for the sale … if you can’t help them, refer someone who can. But don’t walk away without contributing something to that encounter!
So there you have it! ... and like a good friend and mentor of mine told me once:
“…at the end of the day I’m convinced we learn as much from our children as what we teach them.”
Rock on my friends!
Great visual from OpenView Labs on what it takes to put together a Lead Gen Team. Cover these 6 questions before you do and be on your way to profitable marketing!
Read More
What's stopping you from starting to work on that idea with great business potential?
I have a couple of friends whom almost every year I sit down with at least twice to frame and scheme their escape from cubicle nation.
... and nothing. What are they waiting for?
Is it:
- the right moment,
- circumstances,
- approval,
- capital,
- economic environment,
- a republican or democratic president,
- google's next update,
- time availability,
- favorable trends,
- be done with kids,
- or a sign from above ... if you are waiting for these, you'll never start it!
I mean is there really an ideal moment to start anything?
Have you ever asked yourself how much your indecision has cost you from an "oportunity cost" perspective?
Think back for a second and try to remember when was the last time the stars alligned and a you heard a voice from above that said:
NOW IT'S THE TIME TO START THAT BUSINESS JERRY!!
Sure some circumstances are better than others I agree, but we usually use that as an excuse to wait for a better time that never gets here!
Same goes for businesses that don't have a strong Social Media presence ...
What are you waiting for?
Yes there's a lot of information to consume ... but that's not going to change! Gutenberg made sure of that!
Yes there's a lot of work to do to catch up ... but guess what, it will be Summer 2012 soon anyway!
It costs too much money! ... Not really, not when compared to the bland print ads you've been running month in and out with mediocre results.
This is all you need:
- A business model.
- A website or a blog.
- Some Cojones. (define by Websters as 1. Testes, 2. guts, courage) :-)
Start helping people. If your business is new, offer your services at cost or less. If your business is established, figure out how to do a better job helping your client base and prospects.
Be first to offer. Be helpful and do it often!
What Comes After a Buying Decision?
So let's say you just bought an online course, signed on to a paid service, or invested a
sizeable amount of money in a pretty good information product that's related to selling stuff and branding your business online.
There are 3 main reasons why you did this. You did it because you want:
- To be found on the web,
- For people to visit your site and give you their name and email address,
- And for people to buy products and services from you via your website!
Nope, I’m not a mind reader …!
That’s what the research and studies come up time and time again as to why we collectively spend millions of dollar a year on internet marketing related product and services.
But I’m not here to bash that!
I think that there are incredibly well priced and valuable courses and programs out there that offer amazing structure and behavior changing opportunities, while you learn the proper digital skills to effectively develop a web presence.
Part of what I do when appropriate is to point people to these courses and programs beside my own.
I’ve researched, bought, and subscribed to many of them, and I can tell you in my experience which ones are effective depending on what you are looking for.
And No! ... I’m not an affiliate, even though the best ones, the ones I stand behind, pay the best commissions.
Why don’t I participate with them as an affiliate?
The reason I don’t participate in their affiliate programs is because:
I want my opinion and your opinion of my opinion to be as unbiased as possible!
If I’m driving you to someone else’s product with monetary intent, regardless of how good they are, you won’t place my advice in your mind and heart where I would like you to ...
...Which is top of mind and in a warm and fuzzy-feeling area of your heart! (… the area where you keep kittens, rabbits, and friends and family at!)
In other words, you would know I have a financially driven interest for you to check it out!
That’s not what I want, and certainly not what you Want OR Need!
When I sell you something you’ll know it because I will tell you.
But if I’m mentioning a particular program, course or service or simply a website/blog to subscribe to, it will be on its merits and you should probably check it out!
So What Can I Do for You?
I can help you make sense of the web!
To ease the overwhelming feeling of information saturation and helplessness that ensues once you have all the tools but don’t know which one to pick up first for your particular circumstances (personal or business model).
I’m the guy you call when you want to START doing it, and need to make sense of it NOW as far as how it all comes together.
Is not that the product you just bought or signed up for doesn’t work, or that your current web approach or marketing strategy is talking to the wrong people.
Most likely the product works and you have defined and segmented your audience properly!
It's much simpler that that ...
It comes down to the fact that many of these online educational programs are not in the business of customizing and tailoring the information/system they just sold you to the particulars of your business model!
Even the ones I feel are the best will transparently tell you to take what you learn and apply it to your business.
The thing is that throughout the process of doing EXACTLY THAT (customizing and applying) is where most people get stuck, overwhelmed and eventually give up and don’t see it through.
Then the “I tried that and didn’t work” mindset takes hold of them followed by a self-defeatist cycle which is perpetually reinforced from then on.
At this point for some ... it may be too late!
You are at the mercy of millions of years of genetically reinforced human behavior. You now belong to Seth Godin’s “Lizard Brain”
If I get to you, or you can get to me before that occurs, I can show you how to avoid that scenario so that it doesn't happen to you!
Believe me is not Rocket Surgery, but in life you have to “Stand For Something”.
So I’m asking you to –Take a Digital Stand!
I stand for Digital Marketing responsibility and accountability. Break the co-dependency from the so-called Gurus and own your message ... It's the only thing you have that's really yours!
Use professional services responsibly and know when to ... But dont', under any circumstances, leave your unique gift in the hands of anyone!
If you don't know what you stand for or how you help people in a special way, spend some time defining "your mark" in this world!
Nothing will give you a bigger ROI than that!
When you do this the following happens:
- Your eyes are opened to –What is signal and what is noise on the web.
- You become aware of –How you are helping OR How you are not!
- You realize –How it all applies to your personal brand and business!
When it comes to developing a web presence and thriving online, regardless of what kind of business you are in, standing for something is what makes the difference between success and not “failure” but worse, –Irrelevance!
HOP OVER and Take a look at the reasons why you should subscribe to Venmark Media’s content!
"Enter the Dragon" had barely started and Bruce Lee had already bestowed upon us pearls of wisdom. First with his Teacher, and then with his pupil.
Emotional Content. An essential element or force that may or may not be manifested in the way we live our lives.
"I said emotional content, not anger" -Bruce Lee
A subtle distinction that makes all the difference!
We don't win people over with either uncontrolled emotion or stoic pragmatism. We win people over when we first have their best interest at heart, and then when we connect with them at an emotional level via customized content that resonates with the issues they are having, or what they want or entertains them.
How can we take this lesson and apply it to our business?
Being a good sales person revolves around this concept. And don't tell me you are not in sales. Everyone is in sales!
The best sales people I know sell even when their product is not the best in the market, and they know it. But they also know the product very well and they know their customer very well.
They also focus their content marketing around topics that have an emotional effect on their audience.
If you are going to wait to be the next Apple or Google to get out there and start selling your widgets, you are going to be waiting for a long time.
But Bruce was unique, different and exciting to watch. What kid growing up, in any part of the World wasn't blown away by him, or wanted to be him?
Also, he wasn't afraid to take risks, didn't compromise his dream, and dream big he did!
More than a Martial Artist, I think he was a philosopher and a teacher, but also an innovator and an insane hard worker. His fighting style has a philosophy and a WHY behind it. He had personified his entire belief system through his creation. JKD ( jeet kune do ) is Bruce Lee.
By the way, he didn't create it out of thin air. He took elements of different fighting styles and combined them in a way that were more efficient and highly effective, and then he gave it life!
He taught his students that technique without purpose is worthless. In the same way that the latest shiny Social Media tools are worthless without a reason and strategy.
But most importantly he did it all with unquestionable passion.
Do any of these attributes sound like elements you should be incorporating to your day to day business?
The most powerful marketing tool for any brand or business is what others are saying about it.
So if that’s the case, why aren’t testimonials, recommendations, endorsements and reviews,
the cornerstone of most strategic marketing plans?
My guess is that it takes time and strategy to put together a well crafted Testimonial and Endorsement campaign that accurately reflects your true value to a specific audience.
The way this normally goes (and I’m as guilty as anyone on this end) is:
Hey Mike I was wondering if you are OK with writing a recommendation for me on LinkedIn?
Mike could be a friend, client or colleague, either way he’s probably a nice guy and will give it to you. Except if he wants to do a good job, he’ll struggle while staring at a white screen thinking of what to say,
… And so he’ll end up writing nice sweet and bubbly, superficial, and low-impact, though positive comments about you.
The reason is that most people when presented with this scenario really don’t know what to say. You can help by providing the right construct and framework in order for them to produce a fact based, experience driven, high-impact written endorsement for you.
A different way to go about it would be:
Hi Mike,
I’m wondering if you can help me out with this. As you know, recommendations and endorsements are a big part of my business as a Digital Marketing Agency.
Can you could spare a couple of minutes to jot down a few words as far as your experience with Venmark Media regarding Mike’s Super Store in one of these areas:
- Brand Positioning,
- Search, and
- Content Marketing Strategy.
Just pick one and go for it!
I know we’ve done quite a bit and covered a lot of ground since we’ve been working together. But I chose these particular areas because that’s where most of the positive impact, change and results have come from.
I know you are a busy guy so thanks in advance for your help :-)
-Claudio
A little different right?
Now he has a framework to start from. You can get even more specific, the point is that you help them tell a mini story for a particular benefit you've provided.
There are six basic questions you need to ask when constructing powerful Testimonials:
- What was the obstacle that would have prevented you from buying this product?
- What did you find as a result of buying this product?
- What specific feature did you like most about this product?
- What would be three other benefits about this product?
- Would you recommend this product? If so, why?
- Is there anything you’d like to add?
Read more on this two-part series.
But there’s yet another awesome and often hidden benefit of testimonials, and that’s as a feedback mechanism for constant improvement.
Let me show you:
Hey Mike,
Thank you very much for that awesome testimonial. I really appreciate it!
By the way, since we are on the subject. Lately I’ve been asking my clients/customers for feedback as far as their experience with Venmark Media regarding specific digital marketing services provided.
In what areas of services do you feel we need to improve on?
[if product: Where do you feel this product needs improvement?. How do you think this product can be improved?]
Thanks again for you helping us be better at what do!
Again be specific, try to get them to be as granular as possible when it comes to areas of improvement.
This question alone will leave an imprint in your client’s mind about not only what kind of organization and business you are looking to build, but what kind of person you are.
This is something I’ve recently started implementing in my Company. The answers are surprising at times, but I need to hear them and so do you. Not necessarily because they are negative, but because they are full of insight and suggestions that will make you better at delivering your services.
Warning! : This will be painful, but tactically necessary!
One last point on getting powerful testimonials –In order to receive …. GIVE first!
So reverse the flow, and knowing what you know now, write a powerful Testimonial or Endorsement for someone you feel has impacted your business in a positive way.
Reciprocity is a built-in plugin in human beings. We are just wired that way! –Take advantage of that and give credit to those you feel deserve it.
What Is Functional Web Design?
Of all the areas related to Internet Marketing, the one where I find the most confusion and misinformation on is the topic of Content Marketing.
The second one is Functional Website Design and Development.
My definition of functional web design is simply, designing with marketing function in mind.
Always remember that before someone designs a site for you they first have to sell you their services. So it’s a sale, and because of this it helps to be educated on what it is that you are getting for your money.
In a way it’s on you to be responsible for understanding the kind of product you are getting, and how it best defines you or suits your needs ... or that of your customers!
In addition to the value aspect of this transaction, there is also the matter of …
Does the design fit your business model objectives?
Most often than not the right information and conversation around the design of your brand's new website won’t touch on the areas that are most important. There could be many reasons for this. In my experience either your designer won’t volunteer the information, doesn’t know it, or you don’t know what to ask for.
At a more fundamental level you need to be asking yourself:
What purpose does my website serve when it comes to improving my business bottom line?
That’s where it all starts!
Because whether you educate, inform, or sell, your website needs to be generating traffic, capturing leads and making sales.
So if you know you need it and are budgeted for it, might as well design it so that it’s an integral part of your sales process.
So here are three questions you need to be asking your Designer/Developer:
1. What marketing functional elements does my website need in order to better engage with my current and potential customers?
This question is a loaded one! Because for anyone to answer it with any semblance of logic, they would have to know and research your business a little bit. Yet most web designers want to give you a price and get in and out.
This question establishes a direct line of sight to the right conversation to have at this stage.
Again, what kind of business are you in? Who’s your ideal client? What’s your sales process like? Can I see your Google Analytics reporting? What’s your customer’s Life Time Value? How many leads are you generating? What’s your cost per lead? How are you nurturing these leads? What's your Content Marketing Strategy?
These are the kinds of questions that every designer should be asking you as you get into design specifics.
2. Do you have an "item check off list" that you use as part of the site's launch process? Can I see it please?
The reason for this question is simple. You want to see whether your designer understands the integral functional elements every website should have.
This means elements such as: autoresponders, social media widgets, plugins, blog inclusion and design, social sharing elements, Landing Page design, form design, CTAs, (calls to action). In other words elements of an inbound marketing methodology at work.
If you are using WordPress or Joomla, there are certain standard plugins that provide added functionality to your site. These plugins aide in many areas of function, but the overall results is a better performing site from an inbound marketing standpoint.
3. Do you offer training sessions on the use of the CMS for your clients after work is done?
Always expect and/or demand this if not offered. You need to be at the very least extremely familiar with the back end of your site. Don’t depend on anyone to ad or change content. So ask for a proper detailed overview of how to operate your site. Make sure you include x amount of support hours toward this process as part of the services you are already paying for.
From an overall pricing and cost stand point check out this post I pointed to a few months ago: "Website Costs and other pricing questions"
One additional point I’d like to make is not to judge too hard if the agency or the designer you are talking to is not very familiar with this approach. Instead be pragmatic, educate yourself and understand the ultimate goal of your web presence. Then reverse engineer the intended function to what needs to happen at the tech level and seek out the right people to do it.
Even though this post is a bit of an oversimplification of the process ... I hope it serves as a road map to help you think about the design aspects of your web presence from a functional standpoint first, and everything else second.
See ya!
Time and Attention are the two most precious assets one can have in these times of information overload and overconsumption.
The importance of properly researching and quickly interpreting relevant results and social proof about a topic you are thinking about investing considerable time and resources on; has become a must-skill for today’s business owners, entrepreneurs and market researchers alike.
As with most of my posts, you by now know my style!
I’ll give you a brief intro, show you the players, stuff your backpack with protein bar-like resources, plenty of fluids, and send you on your way to explore!
Then come back with questions, comments and how to apply to your business and I’ll be more than happy to help!
So here we go!
If you are serious about your web presence relative to your business you’ve probably already covered the 3 main pillars of online success:
- Functional Design
- Content Marketing Management and,
- Social Strategy
If you are creating and managing content online, and I’m talking about content that doesn’t suck of course, you are most likely already:
- Researching content
- Curating content and,
- Sharing and linking to valuable content.
When researching and curating content here’s one of the resources I’d like to point you to:
Basically this application allows you to search different collections of books called “corpora”. If you want to know and compare historical trends of when major shifts in industries, social fads, phrases, people, cyclical patterns in just about anything you can think of; this Google tool will compile the data out of 5 million books and deliver a graph showing a particular behavior tied to publishing patterns on the topic.
Here’s an explanation of how it works. For a more practical and extended use check out the User’s guide to Culturonomics.
Can you think of a couple of practical uses for this application if say you are in the:
- Aviation Industry
- Legal
- Software
- Healthcare
- Medical Device
- Education
- Engineering
It’s almost endless the application fields you can use this crafty tool in!
Here’s a terrific TED video where Erez Lieberman Aiden and Jean-Baptiste Michel show us how it works, in addition to a few of the surprising things we can learn from 500 billion words.
It's about 14 min long, but worth every second!
This Google Application helps research a myriad of particular terms throughout multiple industries tied to key data points. In other words, it's an amazing tools for brief, usable market research!
In this particular example the search was “beach ball”, and yes I expected for South Carolina and Florida to go 1 and 2, but why is Kansas 3rd and California 7th?
If you are selling or writing about the east coast lifestyle tied to beach related product lines, it’s probably in your best interest to have this data handy!
Also extremely applicable to all industries/sectors I just mentioned as well.
Here’s a terrific post on Google Insights by Aaron Wall’s seobook.com. An oldie but goodie!
Here’s a brief tutorial on it with related links from Google.
So, as with all things search and research online, it boils down to context, then the proper content will become apparent. It’s on us to find the practical use of it for our customers and clients. To find a way for them to benefit from the content we are providing.
I define “benefit” from the practical sense of the word by asking myself a simple question:
Is what I just wrote about of instant practical use to my audience?
If it is, I’ve done my job and so have you. If not?
It’s back to the drawing board in search of practical value for them!
Till next time!
