Living The Life You Deserve: Intentionally
In school, work, and play, it is easy to get swept up in the moment and lose sight of the longterm goal. The number of things demanding our attention seem to grow each day. It is hard to keep from being overwhelmed or consumed by everything. Of course, in the “Play” column, getting swept up in the moment can be healthy; we need to be able to operate without boundaries. In work and school, however, we must exercise a little more discipline in how our time is used if we want to be proactive rather than reactive. This is living with intention. When we operate within the bounds of intention, we are giving ourselves…
Stop Waiting. Start Creating.
Success requires action. Planning is great, but a plan without forward movement is useless. Stop waiting. Start creating. From Michael Hyatt For a complete collection of my quote cards, click here.
How to Deal with Client Change Requests During a Project
We’ve all been there. Your client emails you three weeks into a project and requests a major change. This isn’t the kind of change that requires some minor copy edits or design tweaks. No. This is the kind of change the necessitates a complete redesign or a total revision of the project scope. You can’t stop clients from requesting project changes; but you can turn them into opportunities. Click To Tweet The bad news is that you can’t stop this from happening. All clients will inevitably change their minds at some point during a project. But, you can set expectations and mitigate these changes so you keep your sanity and…
Remove Frustration with Social Media Scheduling
Have you ever felt overwhelmed trying to manage your brand’s social media accounts? Or wake up in a panic wondering if you have published a time-sensitive promotion to your social media followers? What about the feeling of being chained to your computer or mobile device to maintain a consistent presence? It’s time to put an end to those feelings. To get started with social media scheduling, use a calendar to map out all upcoming promotions. Click To Tweet Social media managers overseeing their brand’s online presence can sometimes feel that they always need to be accessible or publishing the latest content. During off hours, this need can cause those around you to…
Create a Culture Where The Customer Is Respected As the Sole Reason You Exist
Create a company culture where the customer is the center of all you do. Because they are. For a complete collection of my quote cards, click here.
What if Giving Thanks Included More Giving
In this season of giving thanks for our many blessings, what if we consider increasing our emphasis on “giving”? Consider what you have to give to each of the following: Your customers Your employees Your visitors Your favorite charity Your family Your friends Your competitors Your ___________________ It’s commendable to give thanks. It’s honorable to give. Happy Thanksgiving
4 Keys of Successful Agencies
In real estate investing, there are a few key strategies successful investors use to mitigate their risk: Never over-extend yourself Buy in a single market that you can monitor, study, and understand Never buy based on emotion Look for an angle to add value to an existing investment Never manage a property from a distance With the right principles in place, the particulars take care of themselves. Click To Tweet Running your agency or consultancy is no different. Whether you are just starting or looking to grow, these strategies can make or break your business: Your Time Is Limited Do all you can to outsource what others can do. Develop a…
Content Marketing For Any Industry
Content marketing is a scalable way to reach exactly the right person, at exactly the right time. And it works for any industry. For a complete collection of my quote cards, click here.
Overcoming Objections to Inbound Marketing [Blab]
What We’re Blabbing About Freelancers, Agencies, and Consultants: Have you ever run into sales objections when proposing inbound or content marketing services to a prospect? This week, we discuss how to address and overcome these objections – including the dreaded cost vs value objection. If you are stumped on how to overcome an objection we did not answer, tweet either of us and we will be glad to help. The Shaun & Sean Show: Live on Blab Thursday at 12pm EST + 9am PST About the Shaun & Sean Show The Shaun & Sean Show is a live broadcast between inbound marketers, Shaun Nestor and Sean Royer. Nestor operates a digital…
Questions From ‘Generating Sales Leads Using Social Media’ Workshop
Thank you to everyone who joined me last week for “Generating Sales Leads Using Social Media” workshop. We had a lively question and answer session at the end and I want to publish some of the questions that we covered. Don’t forget about your past customers; they have valuable insights that they will happily share with you. Click To Tweet I will be hosting an encore presentation, you can register here: Without further ado, here are some questions asked during the last social media workshop: Recommended Tools for Social Media Scheduling Debbie asked, “What tools do you recommend for social media scheduling?” Great question! Scheduling your social media posts…
Your Superpower
How many people on this planet can say they have done all the things you have done? How many others have faced the same trials and sorrows? How many can boast of having the same emotions, reactions, viewpoints, bias, suspicions, opinions, hypothesis, and feelings? You have something to offer. You bring something unique to the table. You are you. Click To Tweet Exactly zero. For better or worse (depending on how you choose to view it), this set of experiences defines our life’s fingerprint. It is your superpower. When you speak, it is the sum of your whole life. When you make a decision, it made from your exclusive perspective. When you…
Everything Is Easier When You Don’t Concern Yourself With What Everyone Else Is Doing
Everything is easier when you don’t concern yourself with the actions, opinions, or passive comments of others. Stay focused on your calling and realize your success. For a complete collection of my quote cards, click here.
Selling on Social Media Workshop – Today
Have you ever struggled to generate new sales leads using social media? Or maybe you feel like social is a massive time suck that takes you away from running your business? In today’s free, online-based workshop, I will be covering how to combat these feelings and how to use social media to generate qualified sales leads. You can register here. For many business owners, there is a fear of using social media. For some, it is the fear of running out of things to say, for others it is the fear of “always selling” to long-time supporters like friends and family. While these are real fears, there are also real…
The 3 Best Social Media Calendar Templates (for Free!)
With a 140-word maximum, social media sure seems like it was designed to be quick and easy. You can write a message and upload a photo to Facebook in under 30 seconds, or craft a blog post and immediately publish and promote it to your followers on LinkedIn Pulse. But, while social media is constantly being touted as the fastest way to communicate, many companies are doing the complete opposite and taking their sweet time to plan and craft their social posts. Unless you’re sharing what you ate for lunch, posting on social media requires forethought, strategy, and planning. Click To Tweet Unless you’re sharing what you ate for lunch, posting on…
Aim to be a Trusted Advisor, Not a Vendor
It is so much better to be considered a trusted advisor rather than a vendor. Look how you can help your client reach their goals, rather than simply satisfying your own. For a complete collection of my quote cards, click here.
Making the Most Out Of Your Holiday Marketing [Blab]
What We’re Blabbing About With the holidays approaching, marketers and business owners around the country are scrambling to make the most out of their marketing. Whether you have an ecommerce site or physical store, you won’t want to miss Sean Royer and me discuss how to use your online marketing to drive sales this holiday season. The Shaun & Sean Show: Live on Blab Every Thursday at 3pm EST + 12pm PST About the Shaun & Sean Show The Shaun & Sean Show is a live broadcast between inbound marketers, Shaun Nestor and Sean Royer. Nestor operates a digital marketing consultancy from Seattle, Washington and Royer operates Synecore Technologies out…
Free Workshop: Using Social Media to Generate Sales Leads
Like I’m sure you’ve experienced, generating high-quality leads for your business is increasingly difficult. Buyers have changed, their buying habits have changed, and — thus, our marketing must change. I know it is incredibly challenging to attract the right type of prospect, but social media helps build the bridge between brand and consumer. I invite you to join me for my next free workshop on how to use social media to generate sales leads. In this one hour workshop, I’ll cover how to avoid the time suck of social media, how to out-perform your competition, and how to attract prospects to you. I look forward to seeing you and helping…
How to Get Prospects to Respond to Your Email
The average person receives 85 emails per day. And we only spend 15-20 seconds reading each one. With numbers like these, sending a cold email to prospects seems frightening. How do you make sure your email doesn’t get lost in a sea of newsletters, personal correspondence, spam, and other sales pitches? Instead of introducing yourself or explaining why you’re reaching out, start your email with the focus on the prospect. Click To Tweet Luckily, by spending some extra time carefully choosing your words, cutting the fluff, and crafting a clear call to action, you can greatly increase your odds of getting a prospect to respond to your email. Here’s how…
3 Critical Elements of a Successful Social Media Sales Strategy
Imagine showing up to run a race and learning that there is no formal course. Or that your cross-country road trip partner has not planned a single detail between point A and B. Such is the same for marketers using social media without a clear goal. Creating an ideal customer persona does not lock you into an exclusive contract with this audience. It serves as direction behind your messaging. Click To Tweet Any social media marketing should be driven by a strategy. Having a map or blueprint of your action helps keep teams accountable, helps maintain consistency, and helps track ROI — the return on investment — for your social…
A Social Selling Strategy
A social sales strategy does not need to be overly complex. If you focus on providing value to your prospective customers, you will see success. It’s that simple. For a complete collection of my quote cards, click here.
3 Must-Have Strategies for Social Selling on Twitter
If you could say anything to a potential customer, what would it be? Now, what would it be in 140 characters? The distance between a prospect and a business can be crossed with a simple “@” sign. #socialselling Click To Tweet Today, the distance between a prospect and a business can be crossed with a simple “@” sign. Thanks to Twitter, there has been no easier way to directly communicate with our target audience, for free. For consumers, it means 24/7 access to information and knowledge. For businesses, it means limitless interactions with the people that matter most. Social selling, the act of using social media to interact with prospects, has become…
Blab Just Changed Personal Branding With Live Embedding
I talk a lot about content marketing and personal branding. Moving forward, nearly every person will be their own “brand” regardless of their current employer. This is even more relevant for consultants, industry experts, coaches, authors, advisors — those of us whose livelihood depends on successful personal branding. For advisors and consultants, using Blab’s live embedding feature is a must for branding continuity. Click To Tweet Blab’s Announcement This week, red-hot startup, Blab announced that users can now embed live Blabs on their own websites. This is awesome because your audience will see live Blabs, and never need to leave YOUR page. They can watch, chat, and call in — live. After the…
30 Marketing Ideas for the Modern Marketer
Sometimes it is hard to keep the creative juices flowing. With all the tasks vying for our attention, plus fighting social sharing overload, it is difficult to maintain “freshness” in our marketing. Here are 30 ideas that you can use in your next marketing campaign to mix things up. Remember to track the results; if we can track it, we can improve it! Here are 30 inspirational marketing ideas for the modern marketer Pick a quote from an older blog post and link to it on Twitter / Facebook Make a previous quote into an inspirational graphic and share Combine 4-5 blog posts into an ebook to make a downloadable offer Create…
Celebrating Servitude
When we celebrate an attitude of servitude, we will find ourselves lifted up. For a complete collection of my quote cards, click here.
Freelance vs Agency: Which One Is Better?
Zero commute, working in your PJs, doing your laundry during the workday — freelancing sure sounds appealing, doesn’t it? But then you think about happy hour with colleagues, learning from incredibly smart, experienced colleagues, and working with big, national brands. And then agency life sounds pretty sweet, too. Agencies come with security, while freelancing brings flexibility. Click To Tweet It’s an age-old debate: agency or freelance? Freedom vs stability? Autonomy vs relationships? Freelance vs Agency: Which One Is Better? There’s no right answer, but here are some pros and cons of each: Freelancing: The Good Let’s start with arguably the biggest benefit of freelancing: flexibility. You can work where you…
Better Marketing
Once a year or so — usually around this time — I feel internally challenged to step up my writing, better my consulting, and improve my marketing strategy. Last year I launched Daily Marketing Minute, a 90-day personal challenge that was opened to the public. Better marketing doesn’t feel like marketing at all. Click To Tweet This year, I’m fascinated with an aspect of true marketing: ads that people share. Regular people. Sharing ads. Now that’s marketing. What does it take to create an advertisement that delivers so much value that consumers are eager to share their experience with others? There are examples, here, here, here, here, and here. Those are the popular ones.…
You Miss 100% of the Shots You Don’t Take
Some motivation to GO FOR IT! A photo posted by Shaun Nestor (@shaunnestor) on Sep 23, 2015 at 9:28am PDT For a complete collection of my quote cards, click here.
People Will Never Forget How You Make Them Feel
People will NEVER forget how you made them feel. For better or worse. A photo posted by Shaun Nestor (@shaunnestor) on Sep 20, 2015 at 9:32am PDT For a complete collection of my quote cards, click here.
Fall Down 7 Times, Stand Up 8
Success comes from not giving up. Keep up the fight, you’ll see your victory! A photo posted by Shaun Nestor (@shaunnestor) on Sep 16, 2015 at 6:56pm PDT For a complete collection of my quote cards, click here.
How Important is a Mobile Friendly Website to your Business?
If you’ve been spending the last two years of your life with your eyes glued to your smartphone, then you probably haven’t noticed that everyone else is doing the same thing. While this new lifestyle isn’t exactly helpful for our social life, it has huge upsides for businesses, giving you a powerful way to directly connect with consumers.
Why Content Marketing Can Be a Bad Idea for Your Business
Do you remember the video of skydiver and BASE jumper Felix Baumgartner breaking the speed of sound in the Red Bull Stratos project? Or Google’s interactive, timely Google Doodles? These are just two examples of successful content marketing, where brands are engaging consumers in a completely non-promotional way. Content marketing has taken off in the past couple years (what is content marketing? Learn more about it here). In fact, 72% of marketers feel that content marketing is essential for their business. It is a fun, authentic way for companies to connect with their target audience and build awareness and brand loyalty. 72% of marketers feel that content marketing is essential…
23 MORE Industries That Can Benefit From Content Marketing
A few weeks ago, I wrote a list of 23 industries that can benefit from having a strong inbound or content marketing strategy. Since then, I’ve thought of 23 more that should have been included in the first list. If you think you cannot benefit from a plan that attracts the right people, at the right time, with the right information, you’re sorely mistaken. Without further ado, here are 23 more industries that can grow and attract new customers through content marketing: Tradeshow Hosts / Promoters Freelancers Educational Institutions Accommodation & Hospitality SaaS Long-term Health Care / Retirement Home Debt & Credit Repair Personal Assistant Organization DIY Services Warehouse, Storage, and Distribution Employee…
These Two Words Are Prohibited In Sales & Marketing
“How do I squeeze more business out of an existing customer?” “I am preparing an email blast to my list…” These two words: squeeze and blast are prohibited in my office. When talking about our customers, we should not use words that invoke some sort of adversarial separation between us and them. This is not a battle to “squeeze” more dollars out of our customer by “blasting” them with interruptive advertising. When talking about our customers, we should not use words that invoke some sort of adversarial separation between us and them. Click To Tweet Our Language Creates Culture How we speak to one another broadcasts underlying characteristics — both positively and negatively. When we…
No One Is You — That Is Your Superpower
You have a unique perspective that no one else can create. This is your competitive advantage in everything. A photo posted by Shaun Nestor (@shaunnestor) on Sep 6, 2015 at 4:24pm PDT For a complete collection of my quote cards, click here.
I’m Not Here to Be Average; I’m Here To Be Awesome
I’m not here to be average. A photo posted by Shaun Nestor (@shaunnestor) on Sep 3, 2015 at 8:30am PDT For a complete collection of my quote cards, click here.
How to Respond When Someone Asks You for Coffee [Template]
How many “Do you want to grab coffee sometime” emails do you get each week? To clarify, these are not the fun, catch-up sessions over a hot cappuccino. These are the “do you want to meet for coffee so you can give me free advice about my business” types of coffee invitations. One or two of these requests can be flattering and easy to accommodate, but the issues arise when you get handfuls of these every week. How you handle ‘Let’s do coffee’ requests says a lot about you as a business person. How do you respond? Click To Tweet What do you do? How do you decide who is “worth”…
Great Customer Service is the Result of Two Things
It’s easy to show up. It takes guts to care. But that’s what sets us apart from everyone else. A photo posted by Shaun Nestor (@shaunnestor) on Sep 2, 2015 at 7:43am PDT For a complete collection of my quote cards, click here.
7 Simple Social Media Tips
Social media is a revolutionary method of communicating with fans, followers, prospective customers, and Strangers (those who you, likely, would not otherwise reach). Even more compelling is the ability to use social media to reach your competitor’s circle of influence and — quite frankly — steal them away. Here are 7 simple social media tips that will start you on your way to building a brand of awesomeness (more on that coming soon!) 1. Listen, Then Talk Just like a cocktail party, social media is an on-going conversation discussing every known subject. Rather than taking a traditional “sales” approach and blasting your message into the discussion, listen. What is the…
Understanding Customer Personas
Understanding customer personas, sometimes called ‘buyer personas‘ or ‘buyer personalities‘, is an important first step in the inbound marketing process. Knowing the overall personality of your customer, where they live, their age, their interests / hobbies / likes / dislikes, makes marketing to them much easier and relevant. It allows you to add contextual relevance to their needs. Customers Come First Connecting with your customers is the single most important thing to your business. And without it, your products don’t sell, and you lose your customers to your competitors, more often than you care to admit. Now that we’ve gotten that out in black and white, it’s time to talk about how…
How Social Media is Changing the Sales Process
There is a fundamental shift in sales today; and your competitor knows it. Old marketing methods are producing old results. It obviously isn’t working the way it used to. There is a gold rush for education as companies scramble to sell to a more knowledgeable buyer. Smart marketing and inbound marketing principles are beginning to move into traditional markets. This leaves a narrowing window of opportunity for brands to get onboard. Effective use of social media shortens sales cycles and wins more deals. Click To Tweet Socially-Adept Websites Smart companies are changing their websites from simple online brochures to complex marketing platforms that display contextual content based on the individual…
Why Do I Only Hear From You When You’re Selling?
“We’re Back!” That is the subject line from a company haven’t heard from in ages. They were announcing their latest widget and telling me to buy now. Was I important to them prior to the launch? Why didn’t they warm me up? Why didn’t they court me? Why didn’t they woo me? Successful sales has always revolved around successful relationships. Successful relationships have always revolved around a successful balance of give and take. Selling to your customers is a relational withdrawal. Are you remembering to make deposits?
How to Write an SEO Post that Is Optimized for Google and Ranks on the First Page
Search engine optimization (SEO) is like a cat-and-mouse game between Google and content creators. Writers are always trying to meet Google’s search algorithm to make it on the first page and Google is always changing its algorithms to ensure that only the best content ranks. Google wants us to find what we’re looking for and as a result, it will display high-quality content over keyword frequency or backlinks. Click To Tweet So, how do you win with Google? First, you must change your perspective on SEO writing. You are not writing a shell of a piece to merely meet Google’s requirements and include a keyword X amount of times. You…
23 Industries That Are Ripe For Growth with Content Marketing
Sometimes I wish I were in a different industry. Why? It’s not that I dislike marketing — just the opposite, actually. With inbound marketing, there is so much potential to out-maneuver your competition. Are you? Click To Tweet But I’d really love to apply what I know about content and inbound marketing to promote my new business in another industry. There is so much potential for brands to outmaneuver their competition and dominate their industry if inbound marketing strategies are applied. Off the top of my head, I can think of 23 industries that could attract more customers, generate more revenue, and increase lifetime value of customers: 1. Beauty &…
Four Elements of Social Selling
Last week, LinkedIn opened their Social Selling Index (SSI) to the public. I find scores like this fascinating, we have so much social noise out there, sometimes it is hard to know what is working and what’s not. It is nice to see the data to prove (or disprove) the sales and marketing trends we’re seeing right now. While this particular Index is still new, I don’t think it is a novelty scoring system. Social Selling is a very real aspect of modern sales. So, don’t think of this as another Klout. In fact, if I had to choose to increase my LinkedIn score or my Klout score, I’d pick LinkedIn. The last thing…
What Is Content Marketing?
Big data, native advertising, vlogging, content marketing. With new buzzwords cropping up every week, how do you know which new marketing strategy is actually worth pursuing? And which ones will just fizzle out and die, à la MySpace? While you don’t have to immediately start video blogging (vlogging), we do recommend that you pay closer attention to “content marketing.” This strategy is not a trendy, temporary buzzword, this is a tried-and-true strategy to attract, engage, and ultimately convert potential customers. Content marketing is basically a fancy way of saying, “Writing helpful stuff for your target audience.” Click To Tweet Content marketing is basically a fancy way of saying, “Writing helpful…
Professional vs Personal Social Media Profiles: How to Differentiate
Who are you? And who do you want to be? This is no ordinary existential crisis. This is a 21st century question we should all ask ourselves. Who do you want to be on social media? What is your brand? What do you want to broadcast to millions of people over the Internet? With social media, we truly have the power to impact how we are perceived. And, like it wasn’t difficult enough, we now have to answer these questions for our two identities: personal and professional. Professionals must be intentional about separating work and personal social media profiles Click To Tweet Whether you are a freelancer, agency owner, or…
The Costly Misstep Agencies Make When Pitching A Prospect
Eight out of ten agency owners I speak with are making the same fatal mistake when pitching their services to prospects. That’s a full eighty-percent! Even more concerning is the misstep is so easily correctible. Once freelancers, consultants, and agencies realize how to fix this, they experience larger contracts, longer retainers, and higher close rate. Who wouldn’t want those things!? When you lead with value to the client, you close more sales at higher rates. Click To Tweet So what do so many agencies do that cause them to lose the sale? They show the value for themselves, not the prospect. It sounds simple, yet nearly every agency I work…
The Biggest Mistake You Can Make When Networking
Networking is not easy stuff. You’re constantly putting yourself out there in potentially uncomfortable situations, meeting strangers for coffee or amping up your small talk game at a conference or networking event. Then, you finally break through and meet that one connection who introduces you to his or her friends, and everything falls in place. You get a new job, you learn about your passion, you get a new mentor, you land a new client. Make a habit out of following up and staying on contact with your network. Click To Tweet These relationships are hard earned and extremely valuable. And the single, worst thing you can do is let…
How and When to Start A Blog For Your Brand
I talk a lot about blogging. A lot. In fact, I have written nearly 400 blog posts about the benefits of blogging. I know my professional success would only be a fraction of what it is today without blogging. Simply, blogging is the reason I can pursue my passion of helping others grow their own business. Now that you know how important blogging in my own business, it may not be a surprise to learn that I think you should start a blog for your business immediately. You see, just like investing in the stock market, investing in a blog pays dividends over time. The sooner you start, the sooner you…
How To Develop a Social Media Strategy
Whether you care to accept it or not, social media is here to stay. It is becoming a powerful marketing tool for businesses all over the world to connect with their customers. The questions is no longer, “should we be doing social media?” It is now, “are we doing social media right?” One way to do it right is to have a strong social media strategy. Many brands are simply using social media as a way to promote themselves. They’re not using it as it was designed: as a communication platform. Social media is a two-way street of dialog between a brand and the consumers. Unlike traditional marketing platforms – like…
Social Media Marketing for Coffee Shops
Social media is a relationship-based form of technology that has been adapted to market to people. Never before in the 150 years of marketing history have we seen such wide adaption of two-way marketing. When you think of TV, radio, newspaper, and billboards, they push a message to the consumers. Social media has changed that to a two-way style of communication and marketing. Advertisers and brands are no longer pushing a message to consumers, but consumers are pulling information that they are seeking. Large and small brands alike are able to benefit from building this relationship with their current and prospective customers. For coffee houses, using social media is a…
3 Major Reasons Your Marketing Efforts Are Not Successful
NOTE: This is written to the forward thinking marketer who has overcome the first hurdle of getting stuff done: the excuse. “It didn’t work.” “We tried that already.” “Our previous web guy / consultant / designer / gardener didn’t understand us.” Congratulations, you’ve made it through the hardest part. Kudos for accepting a level of responsibility for a previous marketing campaign failures and your genuine interest in seeing the fruits of your labor and improving. Now, my people, let’s get to the nitty-gritty! Here are 3 major reasons your marketing efforts are not successful: 1. Not Consistent Consistency in marketing wins the race. Look at megabrands like Coca-Cola, Ford, Budweiser,…
How To Separate Your Work and Personal Life as an Entrepreneur
As entrepreneurs, it is really hard to not think about your business or your ideas. There is always so much to work on, it may seem like the To Do list gets longer the more you’re away from “work”. You may even feel guilty for not working when you’re at home or — on vacation (gasp). You’re not alone! Here are some recommendations for how to separate your personal and work life as an entrepreneur. First, let’s clarify that it should be hard to turn off your work mind. This is your life’s purpose. Don’t fight it. Instead, be intentional about how your approach your work and personal life. If…
Informational Interviews: Get the Inside Scoop About Your Passion
What if you could get the inside scoop about your passion from someone who has years of experience? What if you could learn the challenges associated with your passion ahead of time and prepare yourself? What if you could get connected to a whole network of people in your dream industry in just 30 minutes? Take the guesswork out of your passion with informational interviews. Informational interviews are one of the most effective, easiest ways to break into an industry. And, not only will you make connections that may very well lead to your dream job, you’ll also get the inside scoop and expert advice on the industry you’re pursuing.…
Passion or Hobby? Take This Quiz to Find Out
What’s the difference between a passion and a hobby? They can seem very similar — both are what you enjoy, what you spend a lot of time doing, and what you would do even if no one paid you. But, how do you know if you are a recreational blogger or if you should pursue writing full time? Or, if you love cooking meals for friends or if you should go to culinary school? First, I have to say: if you are wondering if your interest is a passion or a hobby, take a moment and recognize how lucky you are to be in this predicament. The majority of people…
Using Webinars to Generate Revenue
Have you ever attended a webinar? That is, a live meeting or presentation held on the internet. Most webinars are either sales or training-related. The best ones deliver a high amount of value to the participants. Chances are, you came away from your last webinar experience with a great deal of respect for the presenter and viewed them as an expert in their field. That is because webinars, like television or radio, position the speaker as an authority. Someone obviously vetted them and selected them based on their credentials and knowledge. Have you ever considered using webinars for your own sales campaigns? When Should Webinars Be Used in Sales One…
Want to Quit Your Job and Follow Your Passion? Ask Yourself These 5 Questions
“I Quit My Six-Figure Corporate Job to Pursue My Passions.” “How I Quit My IT Job at 35 to Pursue My Passion.” “How I Quit My Job and Found Myself.” We’ve all seen the headlines. Someone making great money quits his job to follow his passion. And, lo and behold, he finds the same degree of success when he turns his dream into his career. (By the way, all those headlines above are real). Boy, do they make it sound easy. Why would you have to think twice about leaving a stable, well-paying job to find a completely new career path? These folks sure found success. Unfortunately, like most things…
How to Overcome The Biggest Challenges of Social Media Marketing
Social media is quite the beast. From corporate boardrooms to home-based hobbyists, the idea of “social media marketing” can cast fear into the hearts of even the most courageous marketers. There are many misconceptions surrounding social media — especially as it relates to marketing or promoting your business. Today’s marketers must understand that social media is not built for brands. Rather, social media is about relationships. Click To Tweet There is an incredible amount of noise happening because the barriers of entry for social marketing is nearly nil. All brands — regardless of size, marketing budget, or clout — can promulgate their message in the social realm. This simplicity, however,…
How to Weave Your Passion into Your Everyday Life
You’ve already done the hard part. You’ve identified your passion. You’ve experienced that euphoric high when you’re in the zone and love what you’re doing. And, let’s be honest, as soon as you pinpoint that passion and let your mind wander to your dream job, there’s no going back. And why would you? Over 80% of people don’t enjoy their work and nearly 75% of people don’t know their passion. You’re part of the lucky group of people who have found their passion. Like I said, the hard work is over. But you have to keep that momentum going and make the effort to exercise that passion each and every…
How to Increase Traffic to Your Website With Little to No Budget
Regardless of your industry or product, we all want to increase the amount of traffic to our website. Right? After all, more visitors usually means more sales. But what happens when you feel like you’ve hit a brick wall in terms of website traffic? The easiest way to increase website visitors is to pay-to-play. You can buy ads on social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter to send more targeted traffic. You can also pay Google to appear in the search results more often. Investing in your website today will result in new customers tomorrow. Click To Tweet But money does not grow on trees and this model is not always…
I Need Your Help [Survey]
Every day I hear from folks in various stages of their business — the one thing they have in common: they all feel “stuck.” I want to help overcome that feeling and have decided to develop a brand new training course that addresses the common problems brands are facing right now in the world of social media, content marketing, and generating new business online. I need your help I have a couple of topics with nearly complete outlines, but I want to hear from you. Which of these courses would you find most valuable to your current position? The Topics 1. Social Selling: The art of building a profitable audience 2. Webinars:…
How to Find and Identify the Right Mentor
The first rule to finding a great mentor: you do not talk about finding a great mentor. Seriously. We often think of finding a mentor like finding a job. You search online for a couple hours, make the ask and “apply” to be someone’s mentee, and wait to hear if you’ll be accepted. If you go about mentorship this way, you will never, ever find a mentor. Maybe this is why so many people don’t have one — the majority of people are looking at it the wrong way. A mentorship doesn’t happen after one email exchange. It doesn’t happen after meeting for coffee. And it doesn’t even happen after…
5 Tips for Asking for LinkedIn Recommendations (and Two Scripts)
We all crave social validation. When we want to try a new restaurant, we instantly turn to Yelp and read the reviews. If a restaurant doesn’t have any reviews, we probably won’t go there. The same goes with clothes, technology, outdoor equipment and more. Basically, if an item is sold on Amazon, we take the time to read the reviews. And those reviews can have a real impact on our purchasing decisions. The same goes with your agency’s services. Your potential clients want to read testimonials from your other clients and see validation for their choice to hire you. It’s one thing to see a portfolio of your work, but it’s…
Why LinkedIn Company Pages Are a Waste of Time
When social media became a “thing,” companies scrambled to create Facebook profiles, Twitter pages, Google+ pages, Pinterest boards, and LinkedIn company pages. Why did they do that? What was the reasoning behind a B2B company creating a Pinterest board or a doctor’s office making a Twitter page? Before you start creating original content or buying ads, you need to define your goals identify ROI. Click To Tweet It’s simple. Because everyone else was doing it. And, honestly, after working in social media for more than five years, that is one of the most ridiculous and frustrating things I have ever heard. Don’t get me wrong. I am a big proponent of social media…
5 Little-Known Ways to Maximize Your LinkedIn Presence
How well do you really know LinkedIn? Yes, you can join groups, publish on LinkedIn Pulse, and customize your profile, but that’s just scratching the surface. The majority of LinkedIn users do the bare minimum. They add their resume to their profile, upload a picture, and connect with former colleagues. But, by spending a little more time upfront on your profile, you can be found more easily, get more connections, and ultimately find more clients. And, we’re not talking about spending hours on your profile — these simple tricks take minutes, but have a powerful impact on your LinkedIn presence. Get found by new prospects by taking the time to complete…
3 Tips for Managing Your To-Do List & Boosting Your Productivity
“Too much month at the end of the money” I first heard that quote in 2004 when I was involved in a round-the-world internet marketing conference circuit. Over the years, I’ve found it to be an incredibly succinct statement that can be applied not only to our finances, but our time. Your schedule is yours to control. Are you intentional about how to spend it? Click To Tweet In America, we live in a culture that seems to celebrate “being busy” and even over-working. In fact, a recent study found that some marketing agency partners were manufacturing timecards that exceeded 80 hours per work week to get promoted. We are…
How to Use LinkedIn Groups to Land New Clients
What’s the last group you joined? No, I’m not referring to a weekly running group or Spanish language group. I’m talking about LinkedIn Groups. As every marketing professional knows, one of the biggest challenges we face is finding “our tribe,” the perfect group of people that fit our target audience. We can create killer content and compelling ad copy, but if it doesn’t find the right audience, it can be all for nothing. Identifying that focused, niche segment of people is the sweet spot for growing your agency. And luckily for us, LinkedIn Groups has already done all the hard work. Finding your tribe – that ideal audience – is…
LinkedIn Pulse 101: Everything You Need to Know
Anyone who has written a blog post or guest article knows that writing the actual piece is only half the battle. The real challenge is getting your post in front of your target audience. Sure, you can post the article on social media and send it out in an email, but that will only reach so many people. How can you get new eyeballs on your content? LinkedIn Pulse may be the answer for all writers, from frustrated bloggers to aspiring thought leaders. The self-publishing platform offers a win-win for everyone involved. For writers, they get the opportunity to reach a huge audience of people, for free. For LinkedIn, they get great content that increases engagement on their…
36 Places To Get Free Images for Your Blog
They say a picture is worth a thousand words — and with our diminishing attention span, using visuals in our marketing is becoming even more important. And I think we can all agree that traditional stock photos are pretty bad… I mean, really? That said, where do you find the best images for your blog? Copyright Concerns First, it is important to note that, while it may be easy (and tempting) to just use Google Images, those images are owned by someone, not Google. So simply finding them does not entitle anyone to use them. You must look for images where the owner has given express permission for those photos…
In Remembrance of Those Who Gave Their All
Today is more than BBQs and a day off work. Today, we remember the service men and woman who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom enjoy each day. This country was founded on certain beliefs – the idea that we have the right to worship, express our thoughts, and be active in the direction of the land. Our homes are private, our trials are fair, and our public squares are open. Those beliefs are expensive. To the approximate 664,440 American soldiers who have laid down their life for us: thank you. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John…
5 Networking Disasters You Can Make on LinkedIn
With more than 360 million professionals registered on LinkedIn, it can feel like you struck networking-gold. After just a couple keystrokes, you can find dozens of potential clients in a certain city, with the right title and at the right kind of company. As an agency owner, it sure can be tempting to connect with every single person and start making your sales pitch. After all, you’ve identified your target audience and you can send these influencers a direct message, for free. Why wouldn’t you connect with them? “I’d like to add you to my professional network” is a horrible way to start a professional relationship. Click To Tweet Networking on…
How to Know Exactly What Your Prospect Is Thinking
Wouldn’t it be helpful if you knew exactly what your next customer was thinking? Believe it or not, your prospects have a lot of questions about your product they want answered before they contact you. We know from studying the behavior of buyers, that they progress through three stages of the buying process: Awareness > Consideration > Decision As salespeople and marketers, we want to enter the process as early as possible. But how do we know what they are thinking? How can we get helpful insights early in the Awareness Stage? Your next customer is telegraphing exactly what they want you to tell them. Are you listening? Click To…
Should You Charge Late Fees?
“Our bookkeeper is on vacation!” “It must have gotten lost in the mail!” “I never saw that invoice…” Here they come. The never-ending stream of excuses for late checks. Getting your clients to pay you on time is one of the most frustrating and most common issues you will face as an agency owner. But, however annoying it can be to constantly nag clients, managing late invoices comes with the job. If you regularly have to deal with the same group of late-paying clients, it may be time to consider imposing a late fee as part of your pricing model. Chasing checks every month costs you time, which will cost you money…
The Best Way to Approach New Clients
Client outreach is a huge part of business development. Yet most sales folks are stuck using methods that are outdated or just ineffective. Should you continue cold calls? Mass emails? The best way to approach a new client is to look for ways to genuinely build a relationship with them. Here are some tips on how to attract new clients Use Content To Share Your Expertise First, start with blogging about the needs of your clients. I would encourage you to create a blog schedule and begin publishing regularly. The topics of those blogs should be very, very specific to the needs of your ideal customer. For example, “3 Ways Your…
Why You Should Publish Your Prices Online
You can find anything online. From stalking former high school friends to ordering your groceries, we have grown accustomed to accomplishing any task we want on the Internet. With millions of search queries right at our fingertips, we expect to find the information we need in seconds. And, when that information isn’t available, we move on to something else. Case in point: restaurants. I bet that you are more likely to go to a restaurant with 50 Yelp reviews than a restaurant with zero reviews. In the absence of information, we grow suspicious. When information just can’t be found, we immediately start having doubts. The fear of being undercut is an advantage for…
How Blogging Helps You Rank Higher In Google [Webinar]
Please join me for an upcoming webinar co-hosted with the Agency Growth Formula. I will be discussing how blogging can help you rank higher in Google and other search engines. The webinar is free, but seats are limited to the first 250 participants. I expect this webinar to fill up quickly! The webinar is at 10am (Pacific) on Thursday, May 14th. You can register here Blogging Helps In the Sales Cycle When prospective clients start their buying process (we know that they progress from awareness to consideration stages before finally reaching the decision phase) they often go to the web to gain education and research. Like you or I, their search often begins at Google. By blogging, you…
The Best Social Media Platform For Promotion is….
Which social media platform is best for promotion? …all of them. Or none of them. Frankly, this popular question is only one-half of the right question. A better question is Which social media platform is my audience on? Don’t just seek out the best social media platform to promote on. Seek out the platform where your audience wants to form a relationship with you. Click To Tweet Marketing to teens on LinkedIn is likely to result in failure. Teens aren’t flocking to LinkedIn. Similarly, marketing to the VP of Sales of Ginormous Corp on SnapChat will result in a goose egg. Asking only half of the question is like asking, “which…
How to Tell Your Clients You’re Raising Your Prices
It’s hard enough asking your boss for a raise. But, it’s a whole new ballgame when you’re the boss and you decide to increase your rates. First, it can be hard to tell if you are really justified in charging more for your services (you don’t have someone like a boss to “approve” the raise). You also don’t want to come across as greedy to your clients. And, it can be really challenging and uncomfortable to figure out how to tell your clients you’ve essentially given yourself a raise. Well, it turns out, these two scenarios are more similar than they may seem. In both cases, you have to be…
So, What Is It You Do?
I’m not sure if my grandma could articulate what I do, exactly. And I know my folks have a good idea, but, in general, it’s a bit of a mystery to those around me. They know I do “internet stuff” and help companies, but that’s about it. What Do You Do? This is a question that is asked countless times at networking events, in an effort to try to establish some semblance of a relationship — ultimately, though, it is just a polite way of filling the time before launching into our own prepared speech about what we do and how the other person can help us. Perhaps a better…
The 3 Biggest Pricing Mistakes
Pricing is one of the trickiest things about starting a business. Why? Because we all get scared about setting prices. If you charge too much, you’ll lose clients. If you charge too little, you’re leaving money on the table. If you’re charging the same rates as your competitors, you’re just being a copycat (and you’re not placing enough value on the unique services you provide). With something so important as pricing, you can’t afford to be scared or unsure. Your agency’s success and growth depend on the money you’re bringing in. Period. You could provide the best content creation services in the whole city, but if your pricing is off, you just won’t…
3 Scripts: Asking Clients for Referrals
You can spend hours Googling the best tips, tricks and best practices for asking clients for referrals, but one thing is missing from all those articles – the actual words that are supposed to come out of your mouth. We’ve all been in that situation, whether professional or personal, where we spend hours researching how to do something, but when it comes to go-time, we just can’t find the right words to say. Or, we never really knew what to say in the first place. That’s especially true for asking clients for referrals. Many of us are shy or feel too pushy when we essentially have to ask current clients…
[Webinar] 3 Ways to Generate Qualified Leads Through Social Media
Hey everyone, I will be presenting a brand new webinar next Thursday, April 23rd at 10am PST. I encourage you to sign up! I will be talking about 3 Simple Ways to Generate Qualified Leads Through Social Media. Registration is now open here. I look forward to meeting you on the call! -Shaun
Someone Referred You…Now What? How to Turn Referrals into New Clients
Everyone talks about how to get referrals — the ways to get your existing clients to refer you to a new pool of people. We’re guilty of this, too. We’ve written about how to build your agency through referrals, the wrong ways to ask for referrals, and how to do the work for your clients so they’ll be more likely to refer you. Well, that’s all great to know, but what the heck do you do once you actually get a referral? There’s not a lot of information out there about how to turn your referrals into new clients. It’s like everyone is more focused on getting names and contact…
Progressive Profiling: What Carnival Cruise & Shopify Teach Us
Raise your hand if you hate filling out forms. I’ll bet a lot of hands are up right now, heck, I am even typing this one-handed… In sales and marketing, collecting data online is incredibly important. When the web was first introduced and became a primary pillar of marketing, we developed online forms to help collect that information from our website visitors. It was basic, it was effective, and it accomplished the goal. No one particularly liked filling out forms, but it was all we had. Fast forward to 2015 and marketing has evolved, the web has evolved, and consumers have evolved. But most forms have not. Why Use Dumb…
How to Get More Referrals by Doing the Work For Your Clients
We all like simple. In an era where we can order just about anything with the touch of button on our smartphone, we have become more and more accustomed to easy. Remember when we used to have to call to order a taxi? And wait on hold for minutes, and then wait outside your pick-up location for an indefinite amount of time? Now we just tap a button and our taxi calls us when it’s time to go. That’s the kind of simplicity we’re used to. And we need to operate under this way of thinking whenever we want people to do something for us. If it’s not easy, they…
Respond Within 10 Minutes for Best Results
“Respond within 10 minutes for best results.” That is the helpful tip found on the bottom of every email notification real estate giant Zillow sends to agents. It is no surprise that a quick response to a prospective client, regardless of the industry, results in improved close rates and overall customer satisfaction. The early bird gets the worm, as they say. Here are 3 quick tips to improve your response time to prospective customers 1. Use Marketing Automation The use of automated marketing has up-ended the sales process in recent years. Tools like Marketo, HubSpot, SalesForce, and ActOn have made it fairly easy to create workflows and triggers to separate…
The Wrong Ways to Ask for Referrals
There’s a right and wrong way to do just about everything. With client issues, the right way is always to vocalize concerns and solicit feedback. The wrong way is to ignore issues until they go away. With missed deadlines, the right way is to communicate ahead of time and warn your client that the project will be late. The wrong way would be to avoid the client and scramble to get the work delivered, even if it’s sloppy. And, just like every other facet of business, there’s a right and wrong way to ask for customer referrals. And, it’s especially important that you ask for referrals the right way, as…
Cultivating a Culture of Confidence Within Your Agency
Confidence is extremely sexy. Just ask anyone in the dating scene, a mate with confidence is attractive. In fact, a recent survey from Men’s Fitness Magazine found that nearly 80% of women identified self-confidence as the sexiest trait a man can possess. (Men, let’s be careful not confuse confidence with arrogance. One is desirable, the other is repulsive.) Obviously confidence is a big deal in the dating scene. But what does it have to do with running an agency? Turns out, the parallels between developing a romantic relationship and a business relationship are quite similar. That said, it stands to reason that a prospective client wants to see confidence exuding…
3 Lessons Learned from the Top Podcasts
Millions of listeners can’t be wrong. From Serial to This American Life to Fareed Zakaria GPS, these podcasts have achieved success in all forms – millions of downloads, hundreds of broadcasts, and perhaps most important of all, a loyal, engaged following. So, what makes a podcast about foreign affairs so popular? Why was Serial, a show about yet another murder mystery, catapulted into iTunes history? Why is it so interesting to hear about every day stories from every day people? Here are three lessons learned from these top podcasts, and what you can do with your podcast to achieve the same level of success: Lesson learned: Be a good storyteller…
How Highly Regulated Industries Should Use Inbound Marketing
A large percentage of my work includes helping those who are in highly-regulated industries such as financial advisors, insurance sales folks, health and medical professionals, housing and real estate, and loan processing. Many falsely believe that regulations outright prohibit the use of social media, inbound marketing, email, or blogging. I have a completely different take. Many falsely believe that regulations outright prohibit the use of social media, inbound marketing, email, or blogging. Click To Tweet The use of social media and blogging in these industries is actually a huge competitive advantage, because your competitors are fearful of even exploring its use. The field is yours for the taking. The Reality…
Best Practices: Dos and Don’ts in Podcasting
Don’t miss deadlines. Do listen to client feedback. Don’t be late to a meeting. Do think outside the box. Everything we do is made up of “dos” and “don’ts.” Ever since we were young, we were taught, “Don’t chew with your mouth open” and “Do say thank you.” The same goes with our jobs — we eventually learn the best practices for dealing with clients or the common pitfalls to avoid. But, when you’re starting something new, it can be almost impossible to know what is right and what is wrong. This month is all about setting you up for podcasting success, so we’re sharing the biggest do’s and dont’s…
5 Free Ways to Promote Your Podcast
You’ve submitted your podcast to iTunes and thousands of listeners come pouring in, right? Does the whole “If you build it, they will come” saying apply to podcasts? If only it were that easy. In some ways, making content for your podcast is easier than promoting it. It’s fun to think of new ideas, interview interesting people, and talk about a subject you’re passionate about. The real challenge comes when an episode is ready to go live. How do you motivate people who have never heard about you to give up 30 minutes of their day to listen to what you have to say? It’s not easy, but it definitely…
9 Ways to Be More Productive Today
Are consumers getting a good deal or a bad deal? That was the question posed in an article I read earlier today. I found the article interesting until the very last point, where the author said that a “lack of time and mental bandwidth” basically excused the personal responsibility of these busy consumers — who don’t realize they are getting a bad deal. Thereby placing the fault on the industry for making things unfair. Unfortunately, buying into the belief that you are disadvantaged because of a ‘lack of time’ only feeds a victim-like mentality. And winners do not participate in this type of thinking. When I read that quote, I…
5-Minute Guide: Getting Started in Podcasting
If you thought podcasting had its 15 minutes of fame and became outdated, then you obviously haven’t been following the explosive fame of “Serial,” the fastest podcast to reach 5 million downloads in the history of iTunes. The show centers around a journalist’s re-investigation of a 15-year-old murder story. “Serial” has consistently topped the iTunes chart since it debuted in early October 2014 and averages 1.5 million listeners per episode. Podcasts are coming back. According to Edison Research, 15% of Americans have listened to a podcast in the past month, up 9% from 2008. And podcasts are up 25% year-over-year. With its growing popularity, you don’t have to investigate a…
Money on the Table: How to Price Your Agency’s Services
Isn’t it funny how much of a difference pricing can make? A t-shirt that costs $12.00 may seem overpriced, but $9.99 seems so much more affordable, even though the actual difference is only two dollars. Pricing is so much more than numbers and monetary value. It can say a lot about quality of services, competition, and value. And, it’s a tricky thing. If you price too low, you may not be able to sustain growth and you’re less likely to go the extra mile. If you price too high, you get beat out by a lower-cost competitor. Pricing is so much more than numbers and monetary value. It can say…
How Top Producing Real Estate Agents Use Blogging [Quick Tip]
The key to using a blog to attract new customers is to identify the burning questions your customers are asking — and answer them. “But what about giving away all of my trade secrets?” “What if my competitors read what I’m writing?” You will never cannibalize your business by providing valuable information to your prospective client; in fact, just the opposite. The more you share, the more trustworthy and credible you are in the eyes of your visitors. Hint: if you can give away all your knowledge, you are 1) not continually learning, 2) not an expert. Hint: if you can give away all your knowledge, you are 1) not…
Setting the Course: Creating a Strategic Plan for Your Agency
To say agency life is busy may be an understatement. Work isn’t confined to the normal 9-5 schedule, and it can feel like there are never enough hours in the day to find new business, make sure existing clients are happy, contribute to projects, and lead a team of employees. Oh, and you still need to make time to think about the future of your agency and where you want to be in the next five years. Creating a strategic plan for your agency can easily fall on the backburner. It can seem like there are more pressing issues in the present, like an unhappy client or an impending deadline.…
5 Out-of-the-Box Questions to Identify Your Purpose
While discovering the “true you” and your “place in life” can sound like themes to a Disney movie, these favorite childhood characters may be on to something. Finding the passion and purpose of your agency is a real journey, one where you’ll learn more about yourself, get in touch with your inner child, and break away from reality. Why is it so important to identify your agency’s passion? Not only will it give you a competitive advantage and allow you to dominate a niche space, it will also help with your overall brand and messaging. Passion can go a long way in differentiating yourself and developing your brand’s identity. Click…
9 Keys to Finding Your Agency’s Passion
I believe each day is a blank canvas of opportunity or disappointment. Sure, there are days when nothing seems to “go right”, but there is an overarching joy found when you actively pursue your passion. When things get hard, it is important to maintain focus on that internal passion to overcome the challenges you’re experiencing. There are some things you just can’t teach, like passion and excitement. – Laurie A Meacham As an agency owner or leader within your organization, the job is even harder because your team expects you to fearlessly lead and keep the course. If you find yourself wavering, or lacking that internal drive, I’ve outlined 9…
8 Tips to Build Your Business With Referrals
If you want anything in life, your best bet is simply to ask for it. You may be surprised at how successful this easy (yet bold) approach can be. I’ve seen it work in dozens of scenarios, from being upgraded to first class to receiving a higher salary to getting free samples at a bakery, all from simply asking. The same goes in our professional lives. Do you really want to work with a certain company? Do you want more referrals? You guessed it; just ask. In the business world, client referrals are one of the most lucrative sources of growth. People are more than 30% more likely to trust…