Successful on LinkedIn?
February 29, 2012
If it’s not really living up to expectation – or if you’re looking for new ideas, check out this GREAT discussion about utilizing LinkedIn to it’s fullest potential!!
The (very important) difference between content and advertising
February 29, 2012
I get this question a lot: “why can’t I just put my :30 commercial on my page to use as ‘video’ and call it a day?”
As a writer and contributor to years of news broadcasts and segment TV programs as well as someone who has made enough TV and radio ads to stretch from here to San Francisco, there is a CRITICAL difference between the “ads of old” – where we all jumped up and down, TOLD everyone why they simply HAD to come to our store or BUY our lovely cupcakes NOW….and what true “content” can accomplish.
Let’s back up. It was only a few years ago that those ads did a pretty good job, right? You wrote a little ad for the newspaper, or some copy for a radio or TV spot and while they ran, you focused on your business. They WORKED, right? Well, yes and no. Most people in small or medium businesses don’t go to the trouble of actually tracking how hard non-web advertisements are working – coupons work great for tracking effectiveness, by the way — and many entrepreneurs don’t have enough time to track and they just assume that the customers we have are generated by the ads we place. But, somewhere along the line, people just stopped listening. We all DVR our favorite shows now and watch ‘em on our schedule – not in real time – and boy, we zip right through those pesky spots. All of a sudden, the consumer is in charge.
Another point illustrating this shift is that we also now understand that the web allows us to search for the information we seek – including where to find GREAT cupcakes and how to make GREAT cupcakes. Now just for a moment – think if you were the one to TEACH them about GREAT cupcakes…well, now we’re cooking. I would get to know you better if it meant I would always have a great cupcake connection – that’s for sure.
This is the critical difference between content and advertising. Content SHARES real value. It doesn’t preach about our latest website project (purple cupcake) and how great it looks (pretty) or our new special razz-matazz thingy that will clean your floors and do your taxes (or make cupcakes that make us sexier). REAL content – the kind that your TRUE customers and clients will find VALUABLE is content that offers something, the answer to a long-raging problem, a bit of knowledge that you have accumulated over your career or a set of helpful tips that changes how people approach issues connected to your expertise. It doesn’t preach, it doesn’t use other people, it offers help and information that your potential customer can then use to make their businesses – or lives – work better.
So – back to our cupcake example. What if your website featured a blog that showed your life-and-times as a cupcake baker to the stars – or the masses? Fun, huh? OK – now, put up a few video tips. Find some blogs that feature bread bakers or candlestick makers or whatever is “adjacent” to your offering – and follow ‘em. Invite your friends to your Facebook Fan Page…..and make a little video about the perfect oven temperature for making cupcakes. What if then, you invited the people who enjoyed your little slice-of-life video or blog to a classe on how to make fantastic cupcakes? OR then….what if you tell this following you’re building that you’re sponsor a “Girl’s Night Out” thingy to make cupcakes and sample new, local wines during Breast Cancer Awareness Month? And you might invite some local book clubs to come and hold their weekly meetings in your store’s super-duper “comfy area” while they talked about Tolstoy? These are all ideas — at least in the cupcake realm — that will get people TALKING. Aside from building trust and offering information that makes people’s lives and businesses work better, that’s what great CONTENT is all about. Sure, you might use the media to tell people about it — or you might create a following on your blog or Facebook fan page and use that as your personal “exclusive invite” list for some of these content-focused activities. But all of a sudden, you’re ATTRACTING some pretty cool people, all of whom love cupcakes. Your perfect customer.
Now, hold on just a damn minute. If I am telling everyone my fabulous recipe for cupcakes, won’t they just do it themselves and never buy my cupcakes? First of all, you are not “telling anyone” the fabulous recipe — you teach them how to bake. This is a bit of knowledge you have tips around and can share. It’s NOT a secret – there are literally THOUSANDS of books on baking cupcakes out there — and I still can’t do it well – but you are an expert. Write your own dang book, in fact. Secondly, “everyone” is not your customer – you are offering information to people who are your TRUE customer (more on this in a future blog post) and thirdly (thirdly?), do you think I want to be a cupcake baker in ALL of my fabulous free time? The time squeezed between the kids and soccer and my job? Not really.
Of course, there will be tire-kickers out there who just want to pick your brain and never pay you for the value you provide – and these are NOT YOUR TRUE CUSTOMERS. These are people to whom you should not pay attention – under any circumstances. You know who they are. Your intuition will tell you this person is not a fan – he wants to use your cupcake recipe to make his own bakery. These people are not your customers – they are stealing. Make sure you safe-guard your closely held secrets at all cost – this is not content, it’s BEGGING (and it’s not profitable and not sexy in the slightest). Sell him a cupcake and send him on his way.
Remember, your goal here is not to make a quick sale – it’s to build relationships and establish credibility. The agenda of true content, content marketing and in fact, blogging and all of business-connected social media, is not to make a quick sale. Never should be. The idea is – and always has been – that people do business with people they like and trust. Content allows you to share a sample of your knowledge – and become KNOWN for this knowledge. When you do this consistently, you become a trusted source – and who do you think people will seek out when they seek GREAT cupcakes?
Share your expertise and draw new clients
February 28, 2012
http://www.junta42.com/resources/what-is-content-marketing.aspx
Just wanted to share this with you — a good article on how to utilize your great content to draw new clients to your door!!
Banish that Negative Mindset!
February 28, 2012
Of all the things that can trip us up in our quest to be fully-realized human beings, the toughest one may be inside your own head. That negative self-talk can rip the guts out of a perfectly innocent encounter or put a choke hold on your creativity. My top tip? Love what you do
That’s it. Love what you do. Do your tasks with love. If you have this mindset, you will no longer feel the tasks as chore. Instead they will be something you happily do. They will befun.
To really see the awesome power of this one, lone idea: look to your life for examples. Remember when you did something just completely, 100% for the love of it?? Remember how that felt now….and keep it growing. This feeling is the energy that can and will envelop anything and everything you do — as long as you hold that feeling. I know, I know…there are plenty of things out there you simply have to do or even hate to do….but, what if you could just remember this feeling and let it flow? Might those less-loved tasks take on a better and shinier glow? Yep. Thought so.
You may think this is a crazy exercise but try it. For one week, bring love and this feeling to everything. Notice the difference in how you perform. The tasks will flow much easier if you’re not dragging yourself to them, kicking and screaming.
Now, how can we change our mindset to love what we do? I wish I could give you many tips on this, but the more I think about it the more I realize that all the tips I think of boil down to just one:
Replace your negative self-talk with positive one
It all begins with our mind. We love something because we have positive self-talk about it and we don’t like something because we have negative self-talk about it. For instance, for something we love we may say something like:
- I love it.
- It’s exciting.
- I can’t wait to do it.
On the other hand, for something we don’t like we may say something like:
- It’s boring
- It’s difficult
- I wish I don’t have to do this.
Can you see the difference?
1. Find something positive about the task
Each task can teach you something. For example, putting together my receipts and tax information. I do believe this is one of the most universally disliked tasks. However, this task feels good to me because I am feeling organized and getting things straight instead of hiding from it. Try it!
2. Watch your self-talk
Our self-talk may run automatically that we barely notice. But, if you take closer look, you will recognize the kind of self-talk you have. So don’t just do things on autopilot. Watch your thoughts and identify the kind of self-talk you have.
3. Use negative self-talk as trigger for positive one
When you notice that negative self-talk takes place in your mind, use it as a trigger to initiate positive self-talk. You already find positive things about the task (from step 1 above), so you can start using them to say something positive about the task in your mind.
4. Be persistent
Replacing negative self-talk with positive one takes time, so be persistent along the way until you startliking the task. Perhaps it hasn’t yet been love, but liking is a good start. When you have positive attitude toward a task, you will see that your productivity improves.
As you may have guessed, or already understand, these tips don’t just happen – and nor do they stick around if you don’t practice them. Keep at it — and the many benefits you reap will be beyond your imagination.
The wisdom of NOT telling clients “you’re wrong”
February 25, 2012
Actual story used in discussion with client today: “Two wise men came into a village where the natives believed that watermelons were a sign of the Devil.
The first wise man tried to convince them of the error of their ways. They called him a heretic and killed him.
The second said, ‘how interesting. Why do you think that?’ and he discussed the possible virtues of watermelons for months. Eventually, the natives realized their folk wisdom was superstition and they dropped it. The wise man became king.” Use it as you wish.
It’s all about Mindset
February 23, 2012
I love the quote from Henry Ford, “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” SO right.
This is particularly on-target when it comes to building something that takes a long and sustained effort — like building a business. And it has not escaped my attention that I, just as my clients, am very susceptible to the winds of confidence. Being an entrepreneur is not so much about the business, though….it really is about the frame of mind you have to have to do that sort of thing. The ability to weather anxiety, insecurity and the nagging thoughts: am I doing the right thing?
It seems to me – and this is just my two cents – that if you believe a thing to be true, and can see it being true, it’s much more likely to BECOME true. This is just as true with the positive things as the negative ones. So – what say we stop proving that a thing is true (I have few clients, the bank account is dwindling and my confidence is crumbling) and start proving the positive to be true (I have great clients, my bank account is building and my powerful ideas are building) and just call it TRUE, huh? Take a stab at being absolutely 100% positive you are on a “mission from God” to share your talents with the world and what do you bet – the road rises up to meet you in that completely light-filled glorious space.
What’s all the hubbub about Pinterest?
February 22, 2012
As someone who pays attention to this whole social media explosion, the recent spike in interest about Pinterest has grabbed my attention. Naturally, I realize it’s a new social media outlet that relies on visuals to connect us all in a frenzy of “pinning,” but there has to be more to it – no?
So – I raise my hand and a flurry of information is quickly swamping my in-box. After reading and deciphering this how-to hurricane, I think I get it now. Remember the other day when I wrote about “getting found” on Google and how backlinks are key to elevating your organic search? Well, Pinterest creates links BUT – and this is a big BUT – it’s not about Google. The links you create with Pinterest are NO FOLLOW links. Instead, Pinterest is about connections, people and driving people to your content DIRECTLY. For example, you have a pic on your blog and you “pin” it to Pinterest. Voila. A link. Pinterest links have marketing value because they allow pinners to encounter your content and visit your pages in just one click. People, not Google, care.
In addition, the Pinterest site now connects with Facebook, according to a recent announcement, enabling users to automatically post new pins to their Facebook feed for others to see. This means more eyes from other channels get access to your pictures. However, remember that you still cannot connect Pinterest to your Facebook business page. Another cool thing is that when members are browsing through pins, they will also have the ability to share posts through Facebook, Twitter or email. This feature is great to boost social sharing and get your evangelists to spread the word about your brand.
These are the basics – and there’s a lot more to read in my in-box. Connection – as always – is the key to any social media, but it’s YOUR CONTENT that will ultimately do the “engaging.”
Teaching vs. Doing
February 21, 2012
Like most of us, I started out my working life learning. I was hired by a TV station to be the new weekend producer and after one weekend of training with the previous weekend producer – who was now the 11pm producer – I was on my own. It was the kind of job that went by you like a freight train on fire. But – you learned.
The next thing that happened was I “did”. For many years, I wrote, ran tapes, edited stories, assigned reporters to cover stories and managed the “children”. I was a doer. Next thing you know, I am teaching. Teaching the next weekend producer who came in when I was promoted. And so it goes.
Each of us are a combination of doers and teachers – which one do you like best? If you can zero in on which makes you the happiest, perhaps this is a bit of knowledge you can follow – right into a new career.
Are you a teacher or a doer? If you’re a doer, you’ll probably charge by the hour – if you’re a teacher, you’ll charge by the lesson. Think about it.
Why video?
February 17, 2012
I know most of you – if you’re anything like my clients – are overwhelmed by the new social media marketing options. And that’s on a good day. So – let’s really throw you in the deep end — VIDEO.
Before you get scared — you can do it. It’s NOT painful. You won’t lose consciousness. AND – best of all – you can do it YOURSELF.
But why, MJTVgirl? Why are you killing me with more “to do’s” on my already huge marketing to do list?
Well, because. It’s literally 50x more effective at getting your website to the top of the Google search engine. That’s why. And – it’s a great way to broaden your reach, engage your clients, customers and potential customers; AND (breathe) it’s really helpful in starting and engaging brand new people in your conversation.
So….want to get started? Check out my video on video….of course 
What to do when they can’t afford you.
February 17, 2012
Many thanks to Darla LaDoux for this gem of wisdom.
When I sit down with my clients, I ask them “who is your perfect client”. After working through a few “must haves” we usually get to “my perfect client is one who can afford…..”
Stop right there.
I’ve got news. They can never afford you. I don’t care what business you are in – if you are selling a product or a service, or if it is cheap or expensive. No one is sitting around with a pile of money that they are waiting to spend with you.
It’s only when they connect with the benefit of what you are selling in a way that is beyond a transaction that they will be willing to invest. They buy for their reasons Do you know the reasons your prospects buy from you? What is the bigger “why,” that is the true benefit in their life? If you design websites, what does your client really get from you? Is it more sales and profit? Is it the peace of mind that comes from finally getting it off their to-do list? Is it personal pride and enthusiasm about their brand that really drives them even more than money? You’ve got to know the motivation of your people. When you describe your ideal client, it should never be about what they can afford. It needs to be about what they believe.
mary jo cranmore
