Seven Surprises I’m Grateful For After Ten Years Of Freelancing

November 26, 2015 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

When I first realized I could have and grow a business from the family’s only computer, I spent all my “extra” time building a website for my arts and crafts business, and then writing a blog to write and showcase my work and writing I was doing for others at the time.

My website was essentially a “display case” for my work, which was fine for lead gen, but I still also had to do the work — making the art and writing the copy or articles for e-zines, magazines, local small businesses, and the people who hired me on elance.

On top of that, I was out there pitching the work in person — setting up a tent at holiday art shows, traveling to art retreats and drumming the pavement for local work. Not to mention personally bidding on lots of odd writing jobs and losing half of them to other wirters… Yes, it was a lot of hustling!

I was — and still am — a stay-at-home mom. If you’ve ever had tiny children you know any sort of regularity is impossible when kids are small. To everyone else, the stuff I was doing, making and building looked more like a hobby, especially since I wasn’t making much money doing it. If I had to describe my work-life “balance” back then it was like trying to staple jelly to a wall!

Ten years later, we’re still going through some challenging times with some “special needs” older teenagers, and life is good, given all its twists and turns.

But as a small business owner I’ve turned a corner, and that’s what I want to share with you.

I have the greatest respect for people with a business mindset and a big dream. People who are focused on building a business from home, even when it seems like not another living soul believes in them.

But I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t think gainful employment would be cool sometimes. Even though I know it doesn’t really work like this, I still fantasize about it: I’d clock in and perform some enjoyable, assigned task with supportive and appreciative coworkers for X number of hours, with the certainty that I was going to get paid X amount at the end of the week! (Oddly, I’m usually picturing stocking produce when I imagine a job other than writing… it looks like fun.)

It’s a mindset. A go-to job would never work for me because I made a choice, at least for now. I’m an entrepreneur-freelancer who chooses to work from home. I have a full, but unusual schedule. I can’t expect anyone else to live around it, either, especially when things get a little crazy around here.

But do I work hard? Of course. Do I place high demands on my work and productivity? You bet.

And that’s a typical entrepreneur-freelancer’s mindset for you. Helping folks create relevant content, and putting effort into marketing efforts is how I grow my business. It’s essential to filling any freelancer’s funnel.

For personal and financial reasons, a lot of folks are adopting a similar work habit. Freelancing and self-employment are not too far out of the norm.

Last year, self-employed workers made up 10% of the overall workforce. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, that’s 15 Million people!

We’re a growing population, that’s a given. In order to support my fellow freelancers, self-employed solopreneurs and entrepreneurs, I’ve been assessing the changes in the last decade, and wanted to share my experience.

After ten years freelancing and working for myself, what’s changed and what’s stayed the same?

1. The more experience you have, the better you’re able to vet projects before you take them. I still hustle for jobs, but now I’m better at predicting which jobs wouldn’t be a good fit so I don’t take them or even bid on them at all. I used to spend hours on the phone with “prospects” who would ask hundreds of questions about marketing strategy, in effect getting valuable consulting for free. Then I’d spend half a day putting together a proposal based on their specific business and goals. Many times I would never even get a response when I followed up. Not cool, but it happens to new freelancers all the time.

2. Business details no longer consume time and drain energy. I still spend a fair amount of time working IN my business, rather than ON my business (the cardinal sin of entrepreneurship), but I’m gradually getting to the point where my business doesn’t drag me down. I can get on top of it and see where I’m truly helpful, and where I need to get help from others. I get to spend more time doing what I’m good at because there’s a bit of infrastructure in place, finally.

3. The name My Team Connects is a name we gave the company when a former partner and I had in mind a SAS that helped sales teams collaborate via email. I like to think it’s still a name that works. Three reasons:

I’m building a team via a network marketing company I believe in, separate but complementary to my writing business.
As a writer and marketing consultant, I get to help other freelancers and businesses grow. When the energy is great, I feel like I’m part of a team, albeit a revolving team.
I feel a connection to my professional and personal team of people on whom I rely to get me through the days. If we didn’t have a good connection working together, it wouldn’t be much fun, so I’m grateful for that.

4. My confidence underwent an adjustment. I’m not exactly sure “confidence” is the right word, because it sounds prideful, when what I mean is that I’m more aware and willing to admit what I can’t do, instead of pretending that I’m something I’m not. The word Confidence has evolved to mean “Less bravado, more kindness.”

5. Success doesn’t mean building an empire. I used to think that if I didn’t have an Inc. Fortune 5000 Small Business Award hanging on my wall someday, nothing I did would count. Success these days is more about choices, freedom, and giving back.

6. Trust your talent and skill. Listen, I’m a big believer in coaches and teachers, but there’s a moment you realize that their way isn’t always the best way for you. For several years, I spent lots of money and time taking courses on how to be a better writer, and comparing my writing with others’ writing. I mistrusted the words I penned, even though I’ve been writing almost daily since I was 11 years old; and while I know there are better writers, I didn’t allow myself to trust my voice. I’m getting better about that.

7. I also bought into what seems to be the inspirational speakers’ mantra that invariably goes something like this: “I was living in my car; I was such a failure, my mother didn’t even claim me; but now I’m over all that stuff that was holding me back. So follow exactly what I do and you’ll be a raving success just like me.” I would wear myself out readjusting my thoughts to someone who seemed like they had it all together, and taking to heart the voices and opinions of others who knew nothing about me. Weird, I know, but tuning out all that “inspiration” is a sign of growth. For me, at least.

Today, not only do I detect a trace of desperation in some of those voices (which makes me sad), but the message also makes me uneasy because I look around and see leaders with quiet confidence whose kingdoms are every bit as great. You have to learn to trust yourself and your own story.

If I can share the dream of building a business from home while being happy at home, then I know I’ll be doing my best work here. The things that have helped me build a writing business helping people sell millions of dollars in products and services, are things I can share with you, too.

My blog is a course in itself, where you can get hundreds of posts I’ve written over the years about copywriting and email marketing . You also have access to some of the information products I’ve created to add value for my small business clients.

I’m adding to this content library weekly, and working on organizing it into categories so that it’s easier to find relevant topics. Meanwhile, please enjoy what’s here and let me know if there’s something you’d like me to cover from a work-from-home standpoint, a business-building standpoint, or a copywriting standpoint.

A good place to start is with the Lucky Deck of content creation tips. Most people have a natural voice when it comes to their expertise, but they just don’t know how to tell the story. These help with that.

Then, you need the copywriting part. When you learn to infuse your content with specific calls to action, then your social media and blog, etc. really start to bring in the people who will buy products and services from you. This is how you transform your communication into writing and speaking that closes sales.

You really can’t build a business without it, so if you have 21 minutes today, I invite you to get the pointers for writing and speaking these words that sell. They’re my best 21 tips in short 60-second videos and I think you’ll like them a lot!

By the way, did I mention that all this content is free! Just register for the content library membership here to get started.

Five Reasons Your Article Doesn’t Work, And How To Fix It

November 16, 2015 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

Can you write your way out of a lost cause?

How long do you stay stuck before abandoning your work?

Many writers or content creators ask themselves these questions sooner or later. Do you try to salvage a project gone bad? Or should you drop it and work on something “more productive?”

Picture this: you start writing something, an ebook, a blog post, or story. You believe you have a great idea. You dive in, maybe even devote a week or two to the project before it begins to dawn on you… It’s not working.

Very soon, the curtain of gloom falls over the whole thing. You start thinking, “This is never going to work.”

Then self doubt sets in. You begin to wonder what made you think it was a good idea in the first place…

You can’t get the thing to stick together. No matter how many angles you approach it from, it just won’t gel! You even have an outline or a mind map guiding your creative process, but when you put the words down, it falls short. Either it feels hollow, like something’s missing; or your draft is uncontrolled, as if you have a tiger by the tail.

The Problem: Three Common Reasons Writers Want to Quit

Where did the love go? Let me count the ways. These are the most common situations in which I second-guess the quality of my article, and my ability and desire to finish it. Can you relate to any of these?

You decided the project wasn’t needed anymore. You started researching, and discovered that the topic had been covered thoroughly. You can’t see the value in adding your voice to the lexicon of knowledge already out there, and you lost confidence in your ability to add newness or charisma to the subject. Maybe you realize the project is similar to another completed piece of content you already have. Why bother?

You got totally embroiled in it. At the onset, you believed it was an interesting topic you could write about, but then discovered it was a little too personally demanding. Your involvement pulled your life off course, as if you had embarked on a journey that was too long and required more commitment than you were able to give. Maybe your topic was too large; you had trouble breaking it down into do-able chunks, and couldn’t see the finished project in a completed form. No amount of editing could streamline this hot mess. It simply got away from you and you’re ready to cut the cord.

You had a fast start but you lost interest. You’re so bored, you can’t even stand to work on the project. You wonder how you can expect your readers and viewers or listeners to stay with you. Your distaste for the project rears up every time you sit down to your computer. Bleh.

The terrible truth: You’ve already invested a ton of time…

If only it were easier to walk away! The thing that always gets me when I’m feeling any of the above, is the time I’ve invested. Even when you know a blog post (or a scene, or ebook, or an entire chapter of a book) is a lost cause, it’s natural to want to save at least some of your hard work. The words “Kill your darlings!” chants loudly in your mind, but dang, it’s difficult!

Five Questions to Ask Yourself Before Throwing In the Towel

What you may want to ask is “Should I cut my losses now and start something new, or am I just quitting?” Neither of those extremes is usually the reality, and neither of those questions is productive! Don’t go there yet.

Before you delete the whole shebang and walk away, or file it under “Ideas” somewhere deep on your hard drive, you need to get some perspective. Here’s my thought process when I get lost in the woods with my writing. Instead of feeling like a loser, and cowering to that voice saying you were never meant to write anything more involved than a grocery list, you need to ask yourself a few specific and constructive questions about your project. (Key word is “constructive!”)

Most of all, beware self sabotage that comes from a) abandoning a perfectly good concept before it’s complete, or b) wasting any more time on a pice of content that’s doomed to fail if you’re not objective.

Putting these ideas down on paper helped me get my arms around what feels like a desperate situation when I’m in it. I ask myself these five questions when I’m stuck in the muck. Maybe they will help you, too.

1. First, ask yourself if the “Good Idea” was legitimately good.

What was it at the outset that made you think so, and what changed?
What was the purpose of the piece in the first place?
Was it a problem you identified that needed solving?
Was it a story you wanted to share about an experience you had, or that your company or customers had?
Was it an enlightening or heartwarming tale, or groundbreaking expose?
What was it about the project that had you excited about it when you started?
Do you still believe in these kernels of inspiration?

Get back to that place where it all began and ask yourself if you still feel it.

2. Whom does it serve? You, or your readers?

Has this ever happened to you? You want to solve a problem, so you assume it’s a problem others need solving, too. (I’d say about half of my good ideas start from problems I’m having in business or in life.) The investigator in you wants to get to the bottom of the issue, so you dig in to find the answers. This, you think, is something you should write about. As long as you’re discovering the truth about fill-in-the-blank, you will share the wealth of information with your readers.

Not so fast! If a topic has easy answers, then you may not be adding to the common good by writing about it. Instead of writing, perhaps you should simply read about it, take stock of the solutions for your own personal use, and then get back to the business of adding value for your readers and clients. Regurgitating information from dozens of well-read articles doesn’t help anyone. There’s no harm in linking to these articles, however, as you write content that includes your personal viewpoint on the issue.

Also, save the more introspective pieces for your journal, or at least until you have enough distance to provide wisdom and perspective. To write about problems too soon just takes you swirling down to that icky place. You need to resolve certain issues before you can be any help to someone else. You’re probably not ready for publication when your feelings are too raw, or if you are currently in the heat of the battle.

3. Do you know enough about the topic to write about it?

If you answer NO to this question, don’t worry, it’s not a deal breaker. Sometimes the best articles come about because you’re curious about a subject and decide to learn about it. (See above.) The question that matters is, are you willing to do the research?

Furthermore, how does your knowledge or interest affect the tone you want to convey? If you know a lot about a subject firsthand, you can write without doing much research. It comes from the heart, like this article did for me, in fact. Sure, you might have to find supporting articles to link to, but the original idea rolls out easily for you.

But if you need to go looking for answers from other experts, then you’re in for a double whammy. Not only must you find resources, but make sense of them, and compile facts and ideas into a cohesive piece of writing. It takes more work and time, but I’ve found so often it’s worth it. If you’re naturally curious by nature, as most writers are, it’s a good fit.

Other times, when you find you’re having trouble writing about something, you need to assess whether your curiosity is enough to keep the fire lit until the very last word. When a project isn’t working, it could be because you just don’t know or care enough about it. Sad but true.

4. Does it fit with your goals?

You get to choose what to write about! That’s the good news. Assuming that you’re not freelancing for businesses and industries you hate; or only writing on assignment for a job, then you do have some leeway on your topics. If you’re writing for your own business or pleasure, or if you’re involved in the content editorial process in any way, then you definitely need to evaluate the purpose of your content piece before you start writing. Your time and resources are an investment, so spend them wisely!

Every business owner has pet projects they want to finish, but the content you are creating for your own business really needs to achieve some end. Either it must draw new readers; teach or entertain your current readers; or it must move your business forward in some way. If your work does none of the above, and you begin to sense that it’s wasting your time, then you’ll find it difficult to stick with it when the going gets rough.

You want to see that your work meets your goals, either professionally or personally. If not, then it’s easy to become resentful of the time and effort it’s taking to finish it.

You’re far more likely to abandon work if you can’t see the point of it. Now that I’m working on a novel (my first attempt after decades of writing nonfiction), I ask myself all the time if the scene helps a character achieve his or her goals or if it has any purpose to move the story forward.

This is the question every business blogger or content creator should ask, too.

In a business, each piece of content should have a distinct purpose. Does this ebook or blog post further your business goals? Does it contribute to the “plot,” or story of your business in any way? If the answer is no, you should probably ditch it. If yes, then find the first thing about it that has meaning. You might even write that down and keep it front and center while you’re writing.

What is the end goal? Don’t lose sight of it. If you have to put a sticky note at the top of your screen to remember it, then do that. Some examples of content goals you might write:

This article, (Title), will attract the ideal client to my website because it solves this initial problem and helps them see that I am the obvious solution to their woes. An appended web form will invite them to learn more.
This ebook will convince a reader that my method of doing (whatever you do) is clearly the way to be successful. They will naturally want to attend my next class or read my next book, and these links will be included in the ebook.

A content calendar or roadmap clarifies topic ideas. If you’re stuck, your mind should be clear on one overarching thing … the health and growth of your business. Every choice you make, including how you spend your writing time, contributes or detracts from your success. If your writing time is wasted, then your business is probably not going to do very well.

When you stumble, stop and ask yourself, if I had to feed this baby (this blog, this business, my readers) one more day to keep it alive and help it thrive, what one thing would I do, write, or post? What is the goal?

Is your article time sensitive? — Hands hold clock with gears. Blue background

5. Is your project time sensitive?

Time is the great equalizer; everyone is working with the same 24 hours. When you’re stressed about time constraints, your heart palpitates every time you look over the cliff of your failing project. Ask yourself these questions to help you decide whether to continue working on that difficult project. Trendy topics can be the most interesting to your readers, so add some weight to your consideration if the content is trending. (In other words, don’t miss out on a hot topic!) If you’ve already put in some good energy on a topic people are currently talking and reading about, then consider giving that last push to the finish.

Ask yourself:

Are you on a deadline?
Is someone else depending on you to finish?
Does completion of this project impede the progress of the next one?
Does your project cover a topic that is trending now, or does it have sticking power for the long term?

Shoot your sights far ahead of where you are today, this week or this month. If you can let the project simmer, even for a few sleeps, then do so!

But if you are on a deadline, or if the topic has a definite shelf life, then you have a decision to make; whether it is better to start over, or if you can work with any original kernels of greatness and restart your engine.

Sometimes you don’t have a choice but to pour it on. It’s the old college effort… just write something you can turn in.

Ok, so your content idea may not seem to be working now. Step back and ask yourself these five questions I shared with you, and don’t lose hope… That great idea you were so gung ho to work on, may only need some tweaking.

The next blog post addresses how to mentally regroup and rewrite your content – if necessary. It’s all part of the content writing process. Don’t give up!

Ever notice how some people always seem to crank out interesting content that appeals to their readers and customers? If you want to write content more easily, head over to the Content Quiz and find out how you can streamline the whole content creation thing. Click the image below to get started.

take the content quiz — Take the content quiz, where bloggers and solopreneurs get insight into their content strategy.

How to Blog In a Busy, Loud, Distracting Place

May 27, 2014 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

Sometimes the best thing about being your own boss is the worst thing about being your own boss — you can work anywhere and set your own schedule.

When you need to make a call you, can pick up the phone just as easily at the beach as your home office, though you run the risk of getting sand in your phone. If a client needs something tomorrow, you don’t have to “stay late” to finish it; you fit it in sitting in the back seat of your minivan while waiting for your kid to finish her dance rehearsal. And when it’s raining and three boys need to burn off some serious energy, you can take them to an indoor trampoline mega center and still get that blog post done.

This is why I started this business in the first place. I wanted to make a real difference in my customers’ businesses, and I wanted flexibility and family time. The lure of the work-from-home business drew me to start a writing business of my own.

If you’re living the same kind of lifestyle, you already know its many perks. Like taking phone calls at the beach, meeting deadlines from your car, and writing articles at JumpStreet. (I got $6 off for liking and following.)

If pressed to find downsides to this entrepreneur lifestyle, only three come to mind (although they are gifts in disguise):

1. Since I’ve been doing this for eight years now, I’ve made myself unemployable in a physical sense. I’ll never commit to a nine-to-five workday, not in my own home and not in someone’s office. The idea fills me with dread.

2. The second is my fear that my kids will have a skewed idea of productivity. They are learning that (take your pick) I’m either always working, or never working. The “work ethic” my grandfather admired is neither obvious nor definable.

3. And the third slippery slope of working from home is the problem of setting your own boundaries. Because the fact is, you can always be working on your business!

You probably won’t get very far if you can’t focus on what needs to be done. So let’s talk about focus when you know what needs to be done, and you’ve chosen to do it in a less than optimal location…like I have today.

Sitting in Jumpstreet writing my blog. Can it be done? Why yes, it can. This blog post is proof.

The din is your friend. Dive in and blog.

Oddly, it’s the noisiest places that are the best. Next time you step into a large cavernous spaces with high ceilings and echoes, stop and listen. You hear everything, and…nothing at all. That vacuous, constant dull roar is almost like white noise. Auditory people may actually find it easier to concentrate in these environments because there is no single noise that catches your attention. Since you are immersed in sound, it’s fairly easy to shut it out.

(Kind of like when you’re underwater, you’re not thinking you’re wet. It’s only when you get out of the pool that it registers, “Hey, I’m all wet!” Ever notice that?)

If you really aren’t comfortable inside the wall of sound, then plan ahead. Invest in some noise canceling headphones and listen to calming music. Ambient sounds won’t touch you or your productivity.

When you can’t NOT look, put on blinders.

Visually, the bright colors and constant movement rattle your focus if you concentrate best in calm environments. Stay in your groove by positioning yourself in a corner where passing traffic is low. You could also turn a chair around and face a wall. Who cares what people think? You’re multitasking. You can always find somewhere out of the way of the most commotion if you take the time to look for it. These coveted spots are where you’ll find other people with their laptops open. Guaranteed.

Need blinders? Wear a baseball cap to block the visibility of almost everything. Or you could contact Joe Malia for one of his hoodie creations. Pull it over your computer to create an intimate workspace in the midst of chaos. Ahh, total privacy + zero visual stimulation.

Sometimes you just can’t avoid the need to produce some intense and thoughtful work. Entrepreneurs are always on some kind of deadline (or they should be), if they are serious about meeting their goals.

The alternative: Get the easy stuff done when you’re in a non work-friendly environment.

Creating content doesn’t have to be one of those intensely stressful items to check off your to-do list. If you have a plan and a content calendar, your marketing plan becomes a whole lot easier to manage.

With a planned-out schedule of upcoming blog post ideas, you could easily spend an hour or two filling in the smaller content pieces on the fly. There are many small jobs perfectly suited for those times when you know you need to get stuff done, even though your mind and attention are not at peak performance, like my two hours here at the trampoline place.

The key is identifying the content you can create without a lot of effort. The pieces that fit into the big picture, even though on their own you don’t consider them to be urgent and/or important.

For example, instead of writing a blog post or article, you could spend your time doing less strenuous jobs:

Curating some content to share on social sites.
Commenting on blogs.
Finding appropriate pictures for upcoming blog post and Facebook updates.
Scheduling tweets. (I love Buffer for this.)

These don’t require your undivided attention for long periods of time, so make the most of the times you find yourself in a loud, distracting environment.

A Content Strategy is the key.

Anything you get done here and now is something you won’t need to do later. Save the weightier chunks of content for a more focus-worthy situation.

There’s only one way to know what you’re doing and where you’re going: A calendar that holds all the important pieces of content you’ll publish over the next couple of months. As a small biz guy or gal, you really don’t need to look ahead much more than that. But you do need to know what your best clients are looking for at each step of the buying cycle. Do you have something they can use as they are just taking stock of a new problem? Do you provide insight when they start comparing prices and solutions? These are questions that you tackle as you put together a strategy and content calendar that address the unique needs of your buyer.

You want to be there for them every step of the way, not just waste their time with any old content published willy nilly on any channel. That blog post you’re writing in the hurricane of busy-ness and “real life” is much easier when you know what you need to say and the precise words to say it. The keywords have already been selected, and the main ideas are in place. Now it’s merely a matter of filling in the details with stories and information you know very well.

I love people and all the wiggly warm fuzzies, but the scientific side of me knows it’s only logical to have a roadmap. I don’t have time to figure it all out on the fly — or guess!

With a strategy, your blog post practically writes itself. Without one, you stare at your laptop for hours with nothing to say.

This life you’re choosing is in constant motion. As a small business owner you get to live it your style. It’s all you, baby! Whether you prefer to get everything done in one designated spot, or if, like me, you take it on the road many days; you are the choreographer of your own beautiful life and business. With a little planning, a strategy, a content calendar to guide you, and a willingness to bust out some content right here and now — wherever that may be — you will keep all those balls in the air and successfully connect with your customers and clients.

Here’s a shot of the boys playing bouncy dodgeball. I stood and watched them for awhile…awesome! If you want the freedom to do the same, keep the helpful, valuable content flowing to your customers and clients, and run your business all at the same time, you can do it.

“They’re Just Not That Into You” And Other Lies Bloggers And Small Biz Owners Tell Themselves

September 19, 2013 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

Stop it. Just stop. Literally hold up your hand right now, push all that junk away and clear your head for some blogging help.

“I just couldn’t reach him.” Frustration oozed from Canelo Alvarez, the earnest young fighter recently defeated by defending boxing champ Floyd Mayweather.

Now, I’m no boxing expert, but I’m personally well acquainted with defeat. And I saw it. More brutal than the hardest punch, in my book. The shell shock; that floating sensation you experience before you hit the ground with a thud; the sense of emptying out as you watch what you worked for go down the drain.

I can only guess what was passing through Canelo’s mind as he endured the post-fight interview. Years of training in the gym and the ring, endless publicity tours, the strict diet of fish and vegetables. All for this. Canelo absorbed his loss as the world looked on. In boxing, there can be only one.

But in blogging? Small business? Micro businesses? Chin up. There’s room for YOU. Never doubt it.

It can be frustrating finding followers, traffic, and paying customers. You may wonder when that train full of cash will come chugging through your station at the same time each day and all you do is show up and claim the haul. I’ve seen those spammy emails, too; and that’s the real lie.

A reputation is earned. A business is built board by board.

It starts with genuine connections. When you’re functioning with heart and determined to do whatever’s necessary to get traction, sometimes it feels like a slow start. But you can do this. There’s no down-for-the-count. The bell rings on a new round every single morning just for you.

So say you’re not reaching your customers or making the “right” connections with the people who can help (other bloggers, established experts in your field, or even among your local networking group), what’s going on? Is anyone out there?

You found the words that tell what you sell…and that could be part of the problem! You may have put a lot of time, effort and money into this part because your SEO guy told you keywords and page ranking were how this internet game is played. Yes, keywords and traffic are crucial to building your online business. But they’re not the only things. In fact, if you pull back a bit and look at the big picture, SEO may not play as big a role as you think, or at least without the social aspect!

It’s about connections.

Many professional marketers would shut me down for saying this, but if you really want to share your business dream with the people who will naturally connect with it, you need to be doing these five things I mentioned in last week’s email.

Maybe you’re going for something transformational. You want to “go big” with your service or business. On the other hand, you don’t need to build an empire. You just can’t imagine your life without this meaningful work you do, and rewards for your gifts. Then it’s worth the drive. Stop telling yourself those lies. It’s a simple equation: you get out what you put in.

You have a vision for your business. So you need to be connecting with all those eyeballs belonging to people — real people — who could potentially become your clients, customers, audience…even become your friends. Marketing is like gas for your car. A business can’t run without it. The dollars and time you put into marketing your business or blog are well spent. Otherwise, you just sit there.

If you don’t have that kind of engagement right now, it’s because of one of the following online marketing mistakes:

• You’re not using pictures; no visual “pops.” (I’m not talking fancy graphics either…if you can upload a photo, you’ve got this.)

• You’re not posting frequently enough, or you’re just getting started. (Need to get your “hustle” on!)

• You’re not speaking their language. (I can recommend a great source on that!)

• Your value isn’t clear…maybe even to you! (Don’t worry, you can correct that quickly.)

• You’re using the wrong marketing channels; or not advertising at all. (Big oops! But you don’t have to be intimidated by PPC ads or requesting links. That would be like planning a big party and not sending invitations. You’d never do that.)

I’m not saying these are the only things that will make casual readers start to notice you. And you can even skip one of these, but not every time. I’ve also personally seen some kick-butt marketers moving and shaking the world with only 4 out of 5 of these. But the small businesses that I see growing super fast — they use all of them.

You can play with the mix, like musicians in a studio, but eventually you want all five components. Imagine your favorite song without a beat, a melody, harmony, or a voice. The song doesn’t hit you in the same way. It’s got no soul.

When you’re putting together your marketing “mix” you’ll need all five of these components to make a connection that sticks. Get this right and your list will practically grow itself.

People will stop tuning you out and start tuning in.

When all five of these things are included, it’s like something magical happens and people look forward to hearing from you.

Bottom line: if you’re not reaching customers and connecting with new people, you’re not increasing your business. In fact, you’re sliding backwards! Don’t do it. Make a checklist. These are necessary to your online marketing.

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It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in…you’ve got to use the right words. Get 21 of my sharpest writing and communication tips for anyone who presents themselves online and in person — Holy Cow, that’s YOU!

The Worst Customer Feedback You Can Get

February 18, 2013 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

For people who offer information and services to their customers, it’s the worst thing you can hear.

“I don’t get it.”

Tangible products are a little easier to describe and show value. Think pizza, beauty supplies, lawn furniture, and water purification systems. You can easily build a passionate community around these things because their inherent value is obvious. Pizza nourishes you and tastes good; beauty products make you look and feel pretty, lawn furniture makes a style statement and helps you relax outdoors with friends and family, purifiers fend off disease and clean a vital resource.

It’s the intangible, the stuff you can’t hold in your hands, that’s so difficult to describe. And that’s where information gets tricky to “sell.” You must use words and paint pictures to reveal your value to the people most likely to gravitate to you.

Entrepreneurs and teachers in the online information industries know and accept three facts:

You must be active and social on the internet.
You are the face of your business.
You’re not for everyone.

The clearer the promise, the easier the sale.

Two information marketers I like to watch — and why.

I receive a daily email from an email marketer who uses negative customer feedback to his advantage. Ben Settle (I’ve mentioned him before) has a funny and somewhat inflammatory style that’s apparently hard to stomach for people who take things a bit too seriously. The punchline’s on them, though. They send hate mail, then he shares the mean things people say and points out why they are wrong, effectively selling more of his product to people who DO like him. An interesting and profitable tactic.

Most marketers don’t go out of their way to groom a disdainful following. Unless of course they are making money doing that. If your income flourishes amidst nasty feedback, then the more you provoke people the bigger your paychecks. Getting attention with antics people love to hate is part of the show for some entertainers, talking heads and savvy marketers. As many people in the media claim, no press is bad press. At least people are talking.

Another marketer I follow seems to have a new system or product every month. Tried, tested and packaged. I watch for Ryan Deiss’ emails because

1. I don’t want to miss something “important” (how’s that for stickiness?).

2. His marketing tactics are cutting edge.

3. When I put into practice one or two of his suggestions I usually see results. Ka-ching.

Even though he offers more than the average solo-preneur can implement on her own, he specializes in a few online niches that interest me. A tenacious sales and marketing machine, he doesn’t reveal many clues about his personal interests, but it’s clear he “gets” online consumer behavior. So I’m a fan.

Of these two information marketers, one is sassy to the core; the other is all business. Both deliver in their own style. Both clearly show what they do. And that’s why I follow and/or purchase from them.

“I get it.”

Do people get what you offer?

I believe (and feel free to disagree) that one of the main reasons people lose customers is because they are trying to please too many people. Trying to be all things to all people naturally leads to confusion. Maybe you don’t want to ruffle any feathers, so you tamp your personality. Or you offer a cacophonous mix of products and services. Vanilla may be the most popular flavor, but if you’re naturally tart, you’re never going to be able to fake it.

Confusing people is far worse than provoking anger or disgust. Because when people are confused online, they do the one thing you absolutely don’t want them to do…they leave.

When they don’t get it, they leave. And good luck winning their attention again. In most cases, you’ve lost them for good.

Clicking away due to confusion is far worse than clicking away due to irrelevance or repulsion. Confusion alienates because it wastes people’s time.

Confusing people ensures that they won’t return.

Confusion is the number one de-motivator. People want clarity. They are looking for quick answers, a swift connection, the solution to a riddle.

You’ll know your message is not crystal clear if you’re not getting any results. If that’s the case, then just try again: Send another email, post another ad, rewrite subject lines and headlines, insert a different picture, rethink your strategy to engage your ideal customers. You can test, tweak and try again every day. (That’s why the Internet’s so much fun.)

But if you do manage to get a second chance with a confused prospect, then it will probably be your last chance to provide clarity. Think back to a time you abandoned a shopping cart or hesitated to click on a call to action because you weren’t sure what was going to happen. Did you go back and try again? If you did, your motivation outweighed your confusion. And that’s rare.

Confusion is even worse than indecision, which you can overcome with the right tactics. If a potential customer is confused about what you do, it’s not his fault.

You’re just not clear enough.

The irony of “Clarity”

Being clear — and clearly stating what you offer — doesn’t mean you have to be one-dimensional. In fact, feel free to show your colors… it will only serve your business and connect you with the right people to serve.

Where colorful becomes confusing is when you veer away from what you do best, or fail to streamline your offer.

Who you are and what you do are two distinctly different things. They can live happily side by side. Some quick tips:

Know what you do best.
Practice what you do best.
Identify and repeat your value.
Test it.
Describe to your customer why it’s valuable. Reverse-engineer this process so you can tell the story to your customer.
Be consistent.
Drill down… go as deep as you like.
Simplify… get rid of the fluff.
Share, share, share. (This last one takes some hustle, but it’s worth it.)

Say, while we’re on that subject, why not share this post with someone who could use a little clarity today?