This was originally a 19 things I learned in 2019 list but as I reflected, I realized that the meta lessons came from a tapestry of experiences from 2009 to 2019 that I felt more valuable to me (and I hope valuable to you) as I wrote in my journal this morning.
I could list every win and loss but I got more out of seeing how much has evolved since then. And holy moly have things really changed in 10 years!
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Build your brand and your business, with all of
the fun and none of the fluff.
Whenever I talk about lead generation (a.k.a. strategies for attracting traffic, and magnetizing thousands of perfect potential clients and customers to your community), I talk about one very special acronym:
O.P.P.
These letters stand for the 3 steps of lead generation that can bring thousands of new fans, reader, and followers into your world, and turn them into buyers — creating brand leverage no one can compete with:
Those 3 letters are: Organic, Paid, and Partner traffic.
However, before you get into that, I want to be clear what I mean when I say “lead generation”…
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Build your brand and your business, with all of
the fun and none of the fluff.
I’ll come right out and say it: There are a LOT of myths and lies making the rounds in this marketing world of ours.
Lies around how you should show up. Around what you should say, when, and to who. Around “top secret” strategies and tech and processes that simply don’t work anymore.
So… why are all these lies and myths being beamed out from every corner of the interwebs?
Because frankly, the industry’s changing and changing fast… faster than most people can keep up.
It’s not just algorithms shifting, either. We live in an over-consuming society that’s so inundated with marketing materials, people have tuned out. We’ve drank so much Kool-Aid we’re over caffeinated, and in a sugar coma.
This is particularly tricky for marketers, because it means as soon as a strategy works, and fellow marketers catch on, that strategy stops working just as fast.
However, don’t worry my friends. Because this isn’t the end. Instead — it’s a rise.
More specifically: The rise of the skeptic.
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Build your brand and your business, with all of
the fun and none of the fluff.
See, most people who set out to change lives with their businesses, or serve the planet, don’t enjoy the process of selling. It feels gross, pushy, and just not “like us”. At least not at first.
(And frankly, that’s a good sign. It proves you’re in business for reasons beyond cold, hard cash.)
However, no matter how much you hate selling, or how icky it makes you feel… you don’t really have a choice. As business owners, we do the things that we need to do to get our message out there, make it matter, and monetize it — and in the case of every business on earth, that means making sales.
So… how did I get over my distaste for sales? And how can you?
By recognizing where this dislike of sales comes from… and reframing it.
Let me be clear about something: Overall, fear of sales comes from ego. Fear of sales comes from thinking this is all about you. Fear of sales comes from worrying about what others think, or that your stuff is not worth anyone’s time or hard-earned money.
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Build your brand and your business, with all of
the fun and none of the fluff.
I talked a bit in my last post about the importance of showing up and being seen, and stepping into your spotlight as an entrepreneur. But you know what’s just as important (and just as uncomfortable) as showing up for your right people? Repelling your wrong people. I know, I know. Everyone wants to be […]
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Build your brand and your business, with all of
the fun and none of the fluff.
Is content still king really?
We’ve all heard the saying “content is king”.
It’s a marketing adage as old as time, which leads many entrepreneurs to wonder: Is it still true?
After all, it can feel like blogging is a shout into the void these days…
Or, as you stream on Facebook Live to an audience of 1 or 0 people, it can feel as if you’re not doing much to build your business and brand.
But I’m here to tell you, the answer to that question is…
Absolutely yes. Content is still king, now more than ever.
I say that because despite what it feels like? All that content static you’re seeing is a good thing.
In this age of serious excess digital noise, readers, customers, and raving-fans-in-waiting are trying to wade through the racket of countless blog posts, emails, free offers, and programs, and find people who are giving value to them.
That means if you’re sharing value consistently? They’re going to find you.
The way to get found is to really come from a place of your brand personality and understanding your audience along the way.
Here’s the hard part though: That doesn’t happen overnight. You have to show up.
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Build your brand and your business, with all of
the fun and none of the fluff.