Categories
PR for small business The Marketing Moxie Show

Episode #71 – How Not to Pitch Yourself

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Pitching yourself can be scary, but there’s a right way and a wrong way to go about it. If you’re going to do it – you want to do it in a way that you’ll be successful and from a place of understanding the real exchange that goes on.

Acting like you’re doing someone a favor or like you’re not worthy isn’t the right way to go about it – ever.

Items Discussed in this Episode:

  • How do you extend the invitation where you’re making the ask?
  • You want to make sure you come across in the best light when you’re trying for an opportunity
  • Do your homework, be smart, and make sure you know what your target actually needs
  • Don’t make the assumption that everyone wants you or that you’re doing them a favor
  • When getting your pitch together, be honest but very clear about what you can offer
  • Keep it short and sweet, people are busy!

Links for this Episode:

Guest Post Pitching Guide

Link to Free Marketing Moxie Facebook Group

Categories
content marketing strategy conversion rate strategies

The Real Reason You Need to Care About Your Conversion Rate

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If you build it, they will come. (Insert other tired clichés here.)

When it comes to the web, that’s sooooo not the case. For some reason, even in 2015, we’re conditioned to think that you launch your site and ta-da! The world will be SO excited and you’ll be drowning in traffic.

Nothing could be further from the truth. To have traffic (aka visitors) to your site, you’re going to need to hustle. From blogging to social media to guest posting to whatever else you decide to do, you’ll need to put time in to getting them to your little slice of Internet.

And once you’ve done the hard work of getting them to your site, the even harder part starts…keeping them there.

Unfortunately, this is where so many websites (especially in our online entrepreneurial world) fail. Epically. Massively. Disastrously.

There’s countless reasons this happens, but the bottom line is that if you have visitors coming to your site and you’re not converting them, all of your efforts are a bloody waste.

If that seems dramatic, hold on to your hat – because it comes down to simple math:

Let’s say you get 100 visitors to your site, but only 2 convert into a sale, which gives you a 2% conversion. If you want to make more sales and more money, do you try to double the number of visitors to your site?

Or do you improve your site so you can get 6 or 10 of the visitors to buy from you? By improving your conversions, you’ll get 3x or 5x the sales from people already visiting your site.

So in classic sales speak, do you serve the people you already have or do you work to acquire more leads?

As someone who literally built the foundation of my business on referrals, I know exactly what I’m going to do in this situation. I’d focus on ensuring that the people already coming to me are getting what they need to improve my conversion rate, instead of hustling and grinding to get more and more and more traffic.

The answer isn’t more traffic, it’s more conversions on your site. If you want to reach your business goals, you need to give a flying fig about this conversion rate stuff. (Even if you’re a creative and math makes you all stabby, because this is the stuff that impacts your bottom line and very likely your sanity.)

So, why, then, are so many sites failing when it comes to creating the connection with visitors and closing the sale?

[Tweet “Your website doesn’t have a traffic problem. It has a conversions problem, says @magspatterson #conversionschallenge”]

Here are just a few of the reasons it happens:

#1. Pretty Over Practical

Have you ever arrived on a stunning website and thought, “Okay, this is so cool. Wait, WTF am I supposed to do now?” Me too, and way more often than I care to admit.

While we can all make fun of the web 1.0 sites out there from the Internet marketing dudes that are red, black and yellow, I’ll tell you one thing, those sites often convert like gangbusters. They work because they are extremely well thought out and use proven principles to move people into action.

Does this mean you need an ugly site from 1999 to convert visitors? No. Hell no. But it does mean you need to get much more intentional about what you want your visitors to actually do when they land on your home page. You need a plan that takes them from home to the place where you want them: a place where they feel comfortable enough to opt-in, buy, or get in touch.What’s the plan that gets them from home to the ultimate place where you want them to opt-in, buy or take action?

It’s way too easy to be caught up in the cool design, groundbreaking images or funky navigation. But if your visitors don’t get it, it doesn’t matter.

When you’re assessing designers, you want to look for someone who speaks the language of conversion and digital strategy. Pretty is great, but if your site isn’t doing its job, it’s not going to give you the ROI you need. In a world where User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) are critical (thanks, Apple), you can’t afford not to have a clear plan for how people interact with your site.

#2 Copy That’s Clever, But Not Clear

Way back in the day, when I was studying writing for the web, we had a catchy way of assessing our writing, and we were marked against this filter. Meet the 4Cs: – clear, correct, complete and concise.

If your copy can’t pass that test, you may have a conversion problem.

Clever, cute, quippy, whatever you want your copy to be, you can’t sacrifice clarity. Because without clarity, no one – and I mean no one – is going to be able to decipher what you’re really saying. And that means they’re they are not going to stick around to sign up for your list or read more about your products or services.

Truth is, as attached as you may be to your words, cut that by about 95%, because that’s about how much your reader really cares. Yes, you need to connect with them and address their problem, but they also want you to do it in a way that doesn’t make them feel like they’re a Ph.D. candidate or that they need a dictionary to understand.

If you want your copy to convert, you need to answer your customer’s most burning the question: “What’s in it for me?” and then make sure that you’re speaking your reader’s language. And if you really want to have copy that gets results, please don’t confuse conversion-boosting copy with the breed of personality-driven, fluffy copy that’s all style and no substance.

#3 You’re Making it Too Damn Hard

Nothing, and I mean nothing, kills conversions like making it too damn hard for a visitor to do business with you.

If you really want people to convert, you need to make things dead easy for them to follow through. From clear pricing to answering questions upfront to having calls to action that make sense, your job is to reduce the number of decisions they need to make.

It’s called Decision Paradox. And if you’ve ever been to the Cheesecake Factory, you know exactly what that’s all about. When we have too many decisions, we tend to over analyze things. So the fewer decisions you can offer up for your visitors, the better.

A great example of where many online businesses make it too hard is with pricing. If you make it hard for your visitor to figure out what something costs and how to do business with you, you’ve just created friction. With every second they spend doing math or figuring out what happens if they do press buy, you’re giving them time to reconsider.

Same thing with your call to action buttons. You need to make it so crazy simple that they can take action on autopilot and feel like they’re making the right choice. Asking for too much info, making them click one too many times, or being unclear means more decisions. And with every decision, they become more apt to abort their mission.

Life is hard enough, so if you make it hard for visitors to get the information, purchase or subscribe, you’re not building trust, and you’re less likely to convert them into action.

Think about your favorite stores or brands. I’m willing to bet they’re the ones that make things simple. Their merchandising, their pricing and the overall experience is relaxing and makes it easy for you to give them your money.

Your website should do the exact same thing. Less is more, especially if you’re talking conversions.

[Tweet “Are you making it HARD to do business with you? @magspatterson breaks down common problems”]

 

Categories
content marketing strategy The Marketing Moxie Show

Episode #70 – Become A Blog Genie (Three Wishes Optional) with Rita Barry

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Blogging is one of those business things we do over and over…and over, which means it turns into a chore. But don’t worry, today’s guest Rita Barry has us covered. As a pro blogger, Rita has some amazing advice on how to build a blog with real traffic, create systems and much more.

Items Discussed in this Episode:

  • How Rita went from a hobby blogger, to a professional blogger to teaching blogging
  • Rita explains how the healthy living blogging community inspired her to start blogging and getting to know that community
  • We can try to force a result or an outcome in our business, but sometimes things are going to happen as they should
  • The top things people don’t realize about building a blog
  • Rita explains how the amount of work that goes towards a blog can deter people, but can be totally worth it to grow your business with the right help and plan
  • Networking and building relationships is key to developing and growing your blog
  • You don’t have to network with people who you wouldn’t normally build a relationship with, you can connect with people you would truly be friends with so it’s not fake
  • Rita talks about systems to fill the gaps for bloggers: it’s not just as simple as ‘write, post, publish’!
  • Figuring out what your steps are for creating a blog is key, then break it down for the week so you don’t sit down to a blank screen on Tuesday night to publish Wednesday

Top 3 Takeaways for this Episode:

  1. It looks easy to publish a blog. You need to take the time to delve into the individual steps you take to publish your blog from start to finish. Nailing down these steps will help stop you from feeling so overwhelmed.
  2. Understand the importance of online relationships. It’s not just good enough to blog or spend our time writing, we have to take the time to actively engage with other bloggers and our readers to be able to cross-promote and get your name out to a wider audience. Do it from a place of genuine service and the rewards will follow.
  3. Look at your blog systems. Maybe you need a blog systems overhaul. Really look at where your systems need help, where they bottle neck, and where you’re falling down. It’s really important to understand that without a blog system, you may be skipping vital parts.

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Links for this Episode:

bloggenie.ca

Link to Free Marketing Moxie Facebook Group

Categories
Feisty Friday The Marketing Moxie Show

Episode #69 – What if…Facebook Went Away Tomorrow?

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Tough love and straight talk for those of you (um, me included) who rely heavily on Facebook for your business, because if it all goes away overnight, we’re going to have some big ol’ problems. In this bite-sized episode, I break down how to diversify and why building on “rented land” is a problem for the long-term.

Items Discussed in this Episode:

  • How finding what I thought was my perfect vacation home relates to running your business on Facebook
  • Most of us who have online businesses are very Facebook dependent
  • I’m challenging you to get all of your eggs out of the Facebook basket and diversify, and I’ve got some tips for how we can do so
  • Use your Facebook ads on Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube, etc. Another platform may surprise you with its results for your business
  • If you’re connected on Facebook, connect on other platforms also with the same people
  • It’s not a matter of if Facebook will go away, it’s a matter of when it will go away

[Tweet “What if Facebook went away tomorrow? #feistyfriday with @magspatterson”]

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Links for this Episode:

Link to Free Marketing Moxie Facebook Group

Categories
Business Strategy for Entrepreneurs conversion rate strategies

Why You Need Conversion Rate

Categories
conversion rate strategies Grow Your Business Online

Give Your Gut Check a Reality Check: Why Conversion Rate Matters

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A couple of years ago, I finally realized that one of my real superpowers in my business was my intuition. And that as the CEO of my enterprise, this is one of the most valuable tools I’ve got in my arsenal.

When I ignore my intuition, things go to shit pretty quickly. So when my gut speaks, I listen.

I’m going to wager to guess that you’re nodding right along, because you, too, rely on your gut to run your show.

But there’s a little problem with too much intuition, too much relying on all the feelings ﹘ sometimes it can be seriously short-circuited by things like PMS, ego or that nasty bitch in your head. (Or possibly even delusions, because hey, sometimes big dreams give way to delusion.)

Which is why if you really want to succeed, you need to find a way to strike a balance between the realities of your business and your gut feelings. I like to think of this as the gut check vs. the reality check.

Why You Can’t Ignore the Numbers

When you’re in camp intuition, it’s all too easy to let that be your driving force and run from a place of knowing.

And that’s a big old problem. I know because I see this every freakin’ day, sometimes multiple times a day. People struggling to make their business work because they’re doing their absolute best but they aren’t looking at the numbers. Or they’re unwilling to because they feel like that makes their business icky or soulless.

I get it, I really do. But if you’re going to be the boss, you need to get this in check and understand that, if you’re going to succeed, your gut cannot be the only thing running the show.

Knowing your numbers doesn’t make you sleazy or soulless. It makes you smart. Smarter about your decisions. Smarter about what to do next. Smarter at predicting results. Most of all, it sets you up in a way that means you can set goals and reach them.

When you know your numbers, you can create a realistic plan and reverse engineer what you need to do from there. Best of all, you’ll suddenly find more flow and ease in your business because the plan is solid and you’re not killing yourself chasing unicorns.

Business gets a lot less scary when you have facts on your side.

[Tweet “Knowing your numbers doesn’t make you sleazy or soulless. It makes you smart. New post by @magspatterson”]

Breaking Down Your Numbers: Making Conversion Rate Your BFF

So, what numbers do you need to pay attention to? There are a lot of numbers floating around your business, and unless you’re a math whiz, you likely don’t want to crunch them all day long.

There’s one simple number that can help our businesses grow and thrive.

Meet conversion rate.

This little number is something you want to make your BFF because it holds so many secrets to what’s really happening with your marketing and sales. This is exactly why conversion rate matters.

(If you want to learn the ins and outs of conversion and what exactly conversion rate is, check out the new challenge I have coming up at the end of this post.)

And before you tap out by saying, “Hey Maggie, I’m not like the Internet marketing dudes. I’m not going to run my business this way,” I encourage you to take a second and hear me out.

How did your last launch go? Your last anything? Did you meet your goals, or were you flying on a wing and a prayer? What if you could make where you’re succeeding even stronger so you could reach more people?

I know that as online business owners we’re all special snowflakes, so this type of thing can feel super restrictive, but knowing your conversion rate actually is a proven way for you to take power back in your business. For you to be the fierce and feisty CEO of your empire, because you’ve got shit handled.

Plus, things get simpler when you combine the power of your gut feelings (intuition) + reality (facts) to guide the way.

A great example is list size. In no way do I advocate for treating your list like an ATM or focusing on growing in a way that’s not aligned with your vision. (Nor do I condone becoming obsessed with numbers.)

A typical conversion rate when selling to an email list in our industry is 1%. You may get a higher conversion rate depending on your activities, but if you plan for 1%, you’ve got a great baseline.

So why then do people expect to have a list of 1000 people and get 100 people enrolled in their thing? It’s because they don’t know the numbers. Or they expect that their special snowflake status will supercede facts and they will be the raging success story that defies the odds with their 10% conversion rate.

What if…instead of making things so hard, we looked at the facts at hand?

What if…we just took a few minutes and really focused on the realities of running an online business, instead of raging so hard against the “rules” because we’re scared of being a sleazebag?

What if…we used our gut check alongside our reality check?

Here’s a math equation you can stand behind no matter how creative/special/unique/amazing/mathphobic you may actually be:

Gut check + reality check = unstoppable success

That’s something I totally stand behind in my biz, and I invite you to join me in finding out how you can put conversion rate to work.

[Tweet “Join the free Conversions Challenge with @magspatterson to get your gut checked. #conversionschallenge”]

Categories
systems The Marketing Moxie Show

Episode #68 – Getting Your Business Organized with Alaia Williams

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If you’ve ever thought “I need to get organized”, today’s episode is for you.  My friend and systems powerhouse Alaia Williams joins us to talk systems, organization and tools.

Items Discussed in this Episode:

  • Tackling a large project all at once can cause you to crash and burn, start small!
  • Alaia shares her favorite systems for getting started on organization
  • There’s a misconception that systems in your business will restrict you, when really it helps free you up
  • When picking a system, it’s really important that it integrates with what you already use
  • Contact management systems are key, Alaia shares her favorite and some runner ups based on where you’re at with your business
  • Finding a financial system of some sort that works for you is essential, Alaia shares some of her favorites that helps eliminate time wasting
  • Project management systems work very differently for each business, you have to find the one that works for you
  • What do you use for a calendar? Alaia uses google calendar and she explains why and how it works so well for her and her systems
  • How to figure out what your marketing is and create a system around it versus just picking a popular one
  • Alaia uses the book ‘Get Clients Now’ (link below) to teach us how to create your marketing system around getting more clients

Top 3 Takeaways for this Episode:

  1. When it comes to systems and organizations, we are so overwhelmed. Starting where you are and being okay with that versus tackling an entire huge project all at once is key. It’s okay to take on one small change at a time instead of revamping your entire organization system.
  2. Essential Systems are contact management systems, and it’s something most of us are falling down on. It’s so important to act with integrity and make sure you’re really closing the loop on communication for follow through. Also finding a system for financial management that works for you is key.
  3. Get the book ‘Get Clients Now’ (Link below) to prioritize your most urgent need in your business.

[Tweet “The #1 system you need – and it’s probably not what you think…@alaiawilliams + @magspatterson have you covered”]

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Links for this Episode:

Alaia Williams

Contactually

Basecamp 

Asana

Get Clients Now By CJ Hayden

Link to Free Marketing Moxie Facebook Group

Categories
Business Strategy for Entrepreneurs The Marketing Moxie Show

Episode #67 – Are You Pushing or Pulling?

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Do you feel like marketing sucks up all your time, but your business is kind of flatlining? It may be a case of too much push and not enough pull in your marketing. If so, it’s time for you to push outside the safe zone so you can share your story and message with a wider audience.

Items Discussed in this Episode:

  • Marketing can be such busy work where we spend all our time working on our business and not in our business
  • To get the highest possible value out of your marketing, you can’t just push your content into the world and expect something to happen
  • How do you actually grow a platform? You have to start pulling!
  • I share some examples of how to pull people to your site by stepping off your own platform
  • If stepping outside your comfort zone seems scary, start small and work on one thing at a time

[Tweet “Stop trying to push and start pulling people instead to your biz. #marketingmoxie @magspatterson”]

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Links for this Episode:

Guest Posting Platinum Package

Link to Free Marketing Moxie Facebook Group

Categories
Business Strategy for Entrepreneurs

How Saying No Saved My Sanity and My Business

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Today we’re doing things a bit differently, as I’m part of the amazing Racheal Cook’s Business That Loves You Back Blog Tour. It’s no secret that I’m a Rachael super fan ﹘ she’s a client and friend ﹘ but what I love about her most is that she’s 100% the real deal. Follow the #BizLoveBlogTour and don’t miss a post!

If you’re just joining us, check out Megan Flatt’s post from yesterday (she’s my go-to girl when I’m having a major mom/business meltdown), and tomorrow you can head on over to the always awesome (and fellow storyteller) Tea Silvestre.

And with that, I give you my post all about saying no in your business.

I’m a hustler by nature. I don’t know if it’s because I’m part Irish and Italian and that’s just baked into my DNA, or because I’ve always been hell-bent to prove everyone wrong. Maybe it’s a bit of both.

Growing up, I was never the superstar, the lead in the school play, the soloist in band, or the one who got noticed. This served to be a blessing in so many ways, as I could do exactly what I wanted and gave little concern to the rules or expectations. Pretty much anything I did was considered solid.

On the flip side, that also was a complete curse. By the time I had arrived at college to study communications, I was seriously being underestimated by the people who mattered.

The message from my program coordinators? I wasn’t good enough for the type of career I wanted. (To this day, I don’t think that was malicious, but more that they didn’t see my potential.)

That was a turning point. Suddenly, the stakes were too damn high, as I had a mountain of student debt and I wanted the BEST possible job upon graduation. Good enough simply wasn’t good enough any longer.

A Hustler is Born

Shit got real in that moment (debt will do that to a girl), and a hustler was born.

Over the years, that hustle has served me extremely well. I was able to land the position I wanted at a fast-growing PR agency and climb my way up to Account Director. I worked on coveted accounts and learned everything I needed to know to strike out on my own. Hustle is what helped me build the 1.0 version of my business quickly and keep a steady roster of clients for many years.

But with my online business (aka business version 2.0), that hustle was proving to be to my detriment. As my business grew, I said yes to more and more, until I started saying yes to everything.

To clients. To opportunities. To shit I really had no business doing. To continuing to run two other businesses on top of what I was already doing. To putting everything else ahead of myself.

Late in 2014, I realized that the problem was that my hustler woman had become a yes woman. And not in the goes-along-with-everything, people pleaser kind of way; rather my default answer for everything was yes.

It had to stop if I was going to stay sane.

I knew if I was going to grow a business that loved me back, I had to love myself enough to say no. Why could I say no to making beans for a church supper while the business version of that request felt freakin’ hard?

[Tweet “Love yourself enough to say no. New post from @magspatterson #bizloveblogtour”]

Most of all, I had to stop trying to prove to the world that I would be successful. The brutal truth was that at this point in the game, I’ve exceeded every expectation I’d ever set for myself, or that anyone had ever set for me. I was already successful beyond measure, and there was really nothing left to prove ﹘ except maybe to that voice in my head.

My life, my family, my health and my sanity are more important than proving to anyone ﹘ especially that nasty bitchy voice in my head ﹘ that I was good enough. Because I am simply awesome, thank you very much, bitchy voice be damned.

So now, my first answer to everything is no. If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a hell no every. single. time.

By serving myself better, my business loves me back so much more. I’d say we’re having a bit of a love affair at the moment. And don’t worry, my husband is fully aware. He sees the change in me and how I do things, especially when I actually go to bed with him at night instead of burning the midnight oil until 2 a.m. (Full disclosure: I do stay up late still sometimes working, but by choice, not out of necessity.  I still do my best work when the world is quiet.)

I’ve made space for growth in a way that has me doing things in a way I’ve never done before. Not everything has to be rushed. Amazing clients are showing up in that space, and I see a bright future where I’m not running off little sleep and lots of caffeine.

I won’t lie. Saying no is hard. But every time I say no, it gets a bit easier. No. Two letters, a small word that has helped me build a business that loves me – because it’s my business at the end of each day, not someone else’s. If I don’t love it and it’s not loving me back – then what the hell is the point?

[Tweet “Build a biz that loves you back. Otherwise WTH is the point says @magspatterson #bizloveblogtour”]

Categories
business storytelling The Marketing Moxie Show

Episode #66 – The Problem with Being the Best Kept Secret

podcast-66

The idea of being a best kept secret sounds like a good idea because it’s exclusive. But as an online business owner, it’s a terrible idea that’s seriously bad for your biz!

For you to show up fully and make an impact people need to know about you. Today’s episode breaks down how to overcome this at a high level with some tangible ideas on how to put yourself out there more.

Items Discussed in this Episode:

  • The real challenge is not our competition or the market, it’s obscurity.
  • If no one knows who you are, that will kill your business.
  • It can be really challenging to show up in the middle of a party and introduce yourself, but the online world is easier to navigate and I’ll tell you how.
  • Why showing up to give your service with receiving nothing in return is so important.
  • How I figured out I couldn’t just rely on referrals for my business and what I did about it.
  • People want to tell others about you, but you have to let them know you’re open for business!
  • If you’re letting your clients know you’re open for business and you’re showing up and service, what else do you need to do?

6 Core Concepts of Being ‘Sticky’ (From Made to Stick):

  1. Simplicity: In order for your audience to really latch onto something, it has to be easy for them to grasp.
  2. Unexpectedness: The idea that you need to create friction and violate expectations.
  3. Concreteness: To be clear, you need to talk about things in terms of human action.
  4. Credibility: Let the concepts of what you’re putting out into the world be credible on it’s own merit.
  5. Emotions: You need to make people feel something to connect to you and your brand.
  6. Storytelling: When you hear a story, it becomes a shared experience and part of your imagination.

[Tweet “Are you too good of a well-kept secret? @magspatterson #marketingmoxie on putting an end to that”]

Top 3 Takeaways for this Episode:

  1. If you want to have a successful business, being the best kept secret is a terrible idea! You need to be somebody that people know your name. Being of service and being open and transparent is going to increase your chances of not being obscure.
  2. Referrals and Reciprocity should be a given. Really service the clients you have today and serving them is what’s going to make this happen. Don’t be too focused on generating new business instead of service your current clients.
  3. We need to be using the ‘sticky principles’ to be intentional in the ways you create your ideas and information so people can really hold onto it.

 

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Links for this Episode:

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

Link to Free Marketing Moxie Facebook Group