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Feisty Friday The Marketing Moxie Show

Episode 57 – ME Marketing: It’s Not All About You

FF-57-2

It’s the first episode of what I’m calling Feisty Friday where I tackle a trend, issue or question and break it down into practical, actionable steps.  This first one is addressing the focus of personal brands meaning let me talk about ME all the time, make marketing all about ME, and holy crackers, I really don’t give a flying anything about what you’re saying. You sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher and you’re missing the point. To make marketing meaningful, you need to make it about your community and your customers.

Items Discussed in this Episode:

  • The focus of marketing has seemed to switch to being all about ‘me’
  • What this comes down to is a case of bad storytelling
  • The main question that should be answered in your story should be ‘what’s in it for me?’
  • There is a simple fix, and I’ll explain it here
  • There are many ways to make small changes in your story to help your marketing

[Tweet “News Flash! Personal brand doesn’t mean it’s all about you. Cut out the ME marketing @magspatterson”]

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Links for this Episode:

Get the Storytelling Shortcut (Free Guide)

Link to Free Marketing Moxie Facebook Group

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business storytelling

The Big Problem with the Hero’s Journey for Business Storytelling

The-Big-Problem-with-the-Heros-Journey-for-Business-Storytelling-FBTWIf you’ve studied or read about storytelling at all, you’ve probably heard of what’s called the Hero’s Journey.

Never heard of it? Not to worry. If you’ve seen the original Star Wars Trilogy, you get the concept. (See also: Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, and the movie I went on my first date to see, The Goonies.)

The Hero’s Journey, or the monomyth, was developed by Joseph Campbell and is a basic pattern of storytelling that is found in narratives from around the world. It’s essentially the universal story or myth, as it shows up across eras, cultures and geographies.

He wrote about it in his book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, and described it this way:

A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.

Epic Business Stories with Yoda

Hello, Luke, Yoda and Darth. The Hero’s Journey, while universal, is an epic tale—which is why it takes three movies for Luke’s whole arc to play out. George Lucas actually wrote Star Wars using Campbell’s work and considered him a friend. (If you want to geek out with storytelling plus Star Wars, this video and visual breaks down the Hero’s Journey in the trilogy.)

The very epic nature of The Hero’s Journey makes it problematic for most for us as marketers. Relying on this type of story assumes we have the full attention of our audience as well as the content to make it work.

What if you don’t actually have a strong enough story with all the twists and turns of the Hero’s Journey? Your story falls flat and ends up trying too damn hard. You become yet another person sharing their “I quit my job” story, which is so so SO tired.

Is Your Audience Going to Stick it Out?

The reason the Hero’s Journey works and is the go-to is because it captures our attention and pulls us along for the ride. Plus, it’s the type of story we’re all conditioned to expect, thanks to novels and Hollywood.

The Hero’s Journey has 12 distinct steps:

  1. Ordinary World: This is the hero in their everyday life, before the adventure starts.
  2. Call to Adventure: Something happens to our hero and the adventure starts.
  3. Refusal of the Call: The hero tries to refuse the adventure out of fear.
  4. Meeting with the Mentor: The hero meets a mentor, who gives them  guidance and prepares them for the journey ahead.
  5. Crossing the First Threshold: The hero sets out for the adventure and crosses the threshold.
  6. Tests, Allies, Enemies: The hero is faced with the rules of the new world and during the process their strength is tested and they meet friends and foes.
  7. Approach: The hero has a setback and tries a new approach or idea.
  8. Ordeal: The hero is challenged with a massive obstacle, potentially a life/death situation.
  9. Reward: After surviving the ordeal, the hero meets their goal.
  10. The Road Back: The hero sets out on the road back to their regular life.
  11. Resurrection Hero: The hero faces the final test before returning to their everyday life.
  12. Return with Elixir: The hero returns to the ordinary world and brings back the “elixir” to help everyone else.

When it comes to your storytelling, do you think your audience has the time or inclination to sit through the equivalent of The Star Wars Trilogy to build the know-like-trust factor?

Unless you’ve got the charisma of a cult leader or Yoda is your business coach, it’s not likely to happen. People are busy and you’re just one more voice clamouring for their attention.

[Tweet “Are you Luke Skywalker? No? Then stop turning your story into an epic trilogy, says @magspatterson”]

Deconstructing the Hero’s Journey for Business Storytelling

One of the big problems outside of the epic nature of The Hero’s Journey for business storytelling is that, in many ways, these types of stories are not relatable.

We see several themes played out again and again as people tell these stories, a few of which you may recognize: the rags to riches story, the overnight success story, and the “I quit my job and you should, too” story.

Are these inspirational? Totally.

But if this story is the only one you’re telling, you’re missing the mark because you’re making it all about you. You’re not answering “what’s in it for me” for your audience.

There are so many ways to tell stories in your business, but if you’re going to use the Hero’s Journey, deconstruct it so you’re not telling an epic story, but a much more bite-sized one.

Every one of the 12 steps of The Hero’s Journey could give you the jumping off point for stories to share in your business.

Here’s a few prompts to get you going:

  • Ordinary World: What was your life like before you started your business?
  • Call to Adventure: Why did you start a business? What was the turning point?
  • Meeting with the Mentor: Who inspired you? What mentors did you have?
  • Tests, Allies, Enemies: What roadblocks have you faced? What roadblocks do you help your customers overcome?
  • Return with Elixir: What have you learned? How does that help your clients? Why do you get them?

Take these within the context of the bigger story of your business and how you help your clients, how you serve your community, how you are using what you know to make a difference, and why that matters.

Most of all, just start sharing stories. Storytelling is an art, so you never know what will be the thing that grabs your audience’s attention.

If you want more prompts for storytelling, check out The Storytelling Shortcut, a fun and fast guide to help you find story ideas you can use starting now in your business.

[Tweet “Try bite-sized stories instead of the Hero’s Journey for your biz storytelling. New post from @magspatterson”]

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content marketing strategy The Marketing Moxie Show

Episode #56 – Copywriting for Conversions with Jen Havice

episode 56

The term conversions is thrown around all the time with copy, but what does that mean and how can you create copy that actually converts? My friend Jen Havice joins us today to shed some light on copywriting for conversion and all the need to knows.

Items Discussed in this Episode:

  • Learn Jen’s #1 conversion killer.
  • How when someone lands on your page, you’ve only got a couple of seconds to grab their interest, so pay attention to how you’re grabbing it.
  • Jen explains what ‘value conversion’ is, and why it’s not as scary as you think.
  • Making sure your message doesn’t get lost in your design can be tricky, but it’s necessary to make sure each page of your site has a goal.
  • The more decisions you’re asking the client to make the harder you make it for them to take action.
  • Some basic conversion tips you need to know, even if you have a small site.
  • Jen’s absolute best trick for creating copy that converts.
  • Pay attention to your buttons and if what they say are affecting your conversion.

Top 3 Takeaways for this Episode:

  1. You need to make sure with any page of website copy, that you have a clear goal for the page.
  2. What does your customer need to make the decision to buy? What will make them feel comfortable, what will reduce friction, etc.
  3. Understanding conversion and the numbers behind your website is not just for big sites. Understanding the structure and copy of your page and whether they are connected or not can make or break your conversion.

[Tweet “Talking conversions with @jenhavice and why using the word submit is a bad idea. @magspatterson hosts”]

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Links for this Episode:

Make Mention Media

Jen’s Conversion Copy Review Service

Marketing Moxie Episode 55

Link to Free Marketing Moxie Facebook Group

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social proof

Social Proof: If You’re Gonna Do It, Do It Right

blog 2.26

We’re all selling something. An idea. A product. A service. A dream. Rainbows and unicorns. Maple sugar lollipops.

Whatever is it you’re selling, it likely doesn’t sell itself. And neither does you just talking about how great it is, which is where social proof comes in. From testimonials to number of customers you’ve worked with to social media presence, social proof is a mighty powerful force.

Until it’s not. Until you as the seller botch it entirely and social proof becomes your biggest enemy and it slowly undoes everything you’re working so hard to do.

In the words of the Wham! song I’m Your Man “If You’re Gonna Do It, Do it Right.” While it’s a song about ahem, romantic liaisons, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley are dishing out solid advice on social proof.

The Basic Types of Social Proof for Sellers

The type of social proof you use should largely depend on what you’re selling and your audience.

A good place to start is testimonials, because people like to be able to see that you’re legit and more importantly, a little thing called implicit egotism means they like to do things that people just like them do. So if people “just like them” buy your product or service, they’ll be able to see themselves doing it too.

Aside from testimonials, we’ve got a lot of other options for social proof including:

Media Logos – The bar or box with media logos showing you where the company or personal brand has been featured.

Subscriber Counts – How many subscribers are on someone’s email marketing list.

Social Media Proof – Boxes that show the number of followers or likes on various social media channels.

Endorsements – Celebrity endorsements that show your product or service is worth noticing.

Ratings/Reviews – For product based businesses, particularly this shows satisfaction and real user feedback.

Social Shares – For blog posts or other content how many shares you have of a specific piece of content.

Client Logos – If you work with recognizable brands you can feature their logos or in case studies.

There are so many options, which is amazing news, so you have a hope of avoiding what I consider the cardinal sin of social proof. The place where it all goes wrong and you actually do yourself a disservice – negative social proof.
[Tweet “What Wham! can teach you about social proof for your biz with @magspatterson”]

How Negative Social Proof Trashes Your Credibility

Surely, any social proof is good right? Having even a wee bit should help encourage people to trust you.

Wrong. So wrong.

The book Yes! 50 Secrets From the Science of Persuasion shares the results of countless tests of theories around persuasion. In the book, there’s a rather famous study on negative social proof where they tested three different signs in the Arizona Petrified Forest to stop people from stealing the petrified wood. The sign that included negative social proof actually increased the number of thefts by 3 times.

Crazy, right? Basically, negative social proof isn’t good for anyone.

There are countless tests that demonstrate how this plays out online but the jist of all of them is that low social proof makes people not trust you or perceive that your product/service is of low quality.  

Having a good understanding of how using social proof incorrectly can  mess with your ability to close the sale is a must if you’re selling anything.

Here are a few key place to audit for how you stack up with social proof:

#1 Poorly Executed Testimonials

Testimonials can go wrong in a lot of ways but the biggest one is simply not having enough of them. If you have a praise page on your website, you need to have at least 5 or more testimonials on it. Having less than that makes your visitor wonder if you’re inexperienced or frankly, not that good.

Instead of placing them on a single page, use the quotes on your site where they support a service you are trying to sell and are in context. Having no proof in this case is actually better than so/so proof that’s pointing out you don’t have a lot of testimonials.
If you have a lot of testimonials, a few things can help you amp up the social proof:

  • Use quotes that are short (2-3 sentences) max and share an impactful message. People are lazy readers.
  • Have the quote be specific about the value you deliver.
  • Include pictures of who’s giving the quote as people trust testimonials much more if they have a picture.
  • Ensure they match who your customer is. They need to see themselves, so if all you have are “big names” and you actually target mere mortals, you’re missing the mark.

#2 Social Sharing Gone Wrong

From social sharing buttons to a Facebook badge in your sidebar that shows how many page likes you have, these can be very effective ways to share that you have an audience.

But if you turn around and look at it from your site visitor – and potential buyer’s perspective – how impressive is 9 tweets on your last blog post? Or the fact that you have 372 Facebook likes?

Those types of numbers are sending the right message. It’s not saying – hey, this person is so freakin’ good you must buy from them. It does just the opposite, it’s depressing and doesn’t instill confidence.

This is a simple fix. Get rid of your social sharing plugin. Kiss your Google+, Facebook Like Boxes and all that jazz goodbye. They probably just make you feel bad anyways, so clean things up and focus on what you do have.

#3 Celebrity Endorsements

This is a touchy one, but stick with me for a second. While not entirely scientifically proven, I’m going to put this out there.

There’s no doubt a celebrity type endorsement can help you. In the online entrepreneur game, we see this all time with well-known personal brands lending their name to help someone they are connected with or has been a client. Which in and of itself, isn’t a problem in a lot of cases.

Where the problem as I see it comes from is three real places, all of which I’d recommend you proceed with caution with your celeb endorsements:

  • When the person is someone who hands out endorsements constantly and you see them splashed all over the web.
  • The person hasn’t ever worked with you or used your service. (Sound the BS alarm!)
  • That person is not aligned with your business or approach and will actually repel your audience.

If you’re going to use celebrity type endorsements be wise to how it makes your visitors feel. Does it get them excited and make them trust you that much more? Or does it make them roll their eyes?
Watch out for negative social proof and don’t let what’s supposed to help actually hurt your business. Get smart about your social proof as a seller and make your job that much simpler.

[Tweet “Is how you’re using social proof backfiring? New blog post by @magspatterson”]

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marketing strategy The Marketing Moxie Show

Episode #55 – Attracting the Right Clients with Yasmine Khater

episode 55

The copywriting series continues and I’ve invited Yasmine Khater to talk about attracting clients and figuring out your services on today’s show. While it may not be copy, this is one of the things that I find easily trips people up when it’s time to get your website ready.

Items Discussed in this Episode:

  • How do we go about finding the right clients for you? There is no magic formula, but there’s ways to save time doing it.
  • Yasmine explains how to go from having a client who is interested to a converted sale.
  • Focus on understanding what your client really wants and who they are is key to turning an interested client into a sale.
  • Dig deeper into yourself and what you like to do, along with what you are good at as you figure out your services.
  • Yasmine points out the things we need to keep in the back of our minds when we’re communicating with our clients as far as sales psychology goes.
  • Why being more focused can get you more money in the door right now.
  • What is ‘messaging breakdown’ and how can you fix it.

[Tweet “Business is a work in progress says guest @yasminekhater #marketingmoxie #podcast”]

Top 3 Takeaways for this Episode:

  1. Before you create the offer, you really need to understand the customer. Just having the copy and all the launch elements doesn’t mean you’re selling something that is actually needed. People buy based on an emotional reaction. Do your homework up front to save you pain and frustration later!
  2. Create a plan for content that makes sense and serves your business model. Think about you can create a really cohesive set of content that makes sense.
  3. If pushing through fear is causing you to spin out, then you need to really examine where the root of your fear comes from. Working on your emotions to not feel that fear can be hugely beneficial to your business.

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Links for this Episode:

Yasmine Khater

Yasmine’s Free 10 Day Earn 5K Bootcamp : www.bit.ly/5kbootcamp

Link to Free Marketing Moxie Facebook Group

Categories
content marketing strategy

Are You Being Manipulated By Social Proof? (Here’s What You Can Do to Stop It.)

blog 2.19

The other day a friend shared a web page with me for a $25,000 plus coaching program. It was accompanied by the message “Is this for real?”

I quickly went to check it out. I thought that with a package at that high a price point, I’d find an amazing sales page with some seriously persuasive copy. Right?

What I found there was nothing short of shocking. While the copy made me queasy, the lack of social proof on the page is what had me shaking my head. I mean, would anyone buy a package worth this much without at least some testimonials speaking to the results of the program?

It’s a mystery to me. But it got me really thinking about how we’re being manipulated by social proof.  I think we use this term so loosely but we don’t really think about all the ins and outs of it. And when it’s used incorrectly, it’s a big problem for you and your business, plus, as if we’re buying anything, we need to look for it. Because buying anything without that proof is a recipe for you to get ripped off.

Why We Need Social Proof

Social Proof is a term coined by Robert Cialdini in his 1984 book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. In the book, he defines 6 influencing principles, one of which is social proof which plays off our desire to follow the rules.

It’s based on the psychology of “herd mentality” where we all follow the herd because it’s a shortcut for making decisions on our own. The reality is that we’re kind of lazy when it comes to deciding for ourselves so we rely on these social signals to tell us what do to. Most of the time, we don’t even realize we’re doing it.

As a seller, you definitely need social proof for your customers so you can provide them with the “signals” they need to make decisions. This comes in the form of testimonials, as seen on logos and more. Plus, you need to know some of the ways you may be shooting yourself in the foot with your social proof possibly making people not do business with you.

If you’re buying anything, you’re very likely being manipulated by social proof. To stop it and make logical and not purely emotional decisions, you need to become a student of social proof to protect yourself and make sure you’re not following the herd.

Do you want to be one of the sheep or a goddamn shepherd? Do you want to be the person buying the $25k plus coaching program that’s full of crap? Because when you invest badly, you’re basically stacking your money in a pile in the middle of your office, smothering it in lighter fluid and sending it up in flames by tossing a match as you walk out the door?

Wouldn’t you rather be the person who says “are you effing kidding me” and is willing to hold out for something that’s actually worth your hard earned dollar bills?

[Tweet “Are you a shepherd or a sheep? @magspatterson on what you need to know about social proof.”]

Next week I’ll dive into the world of how to use social proof in your business as a seller, but right now let’s focus on what we need to do to be the shepherd and not one of the sheep as a buyer:

#1. Get Clear on YOUR Desired Results

If you’re about to make an investment in anything from a $39 ebook to a $3900 program, be clear about the results you are seeking. It sounds so simplistic, but so many times we look to be told what results we actually want and we end up swept away by a tide of shoulds.
Taking the time to get really clear on what exactly we want BEFORE we start our research or read a single sales page is the only way to save ourselves. Top notch copy convinces you and converts you without you even knowing it, so if your desired outcomes are fuzzy, stop before you hit buy.

As part of that, be very specific in terms of what you want. If you’re looking to increase your income and make more money, before you look for a coach, figure out exactly by how much. There’s a big difference between doubling from $10k to $20k and $100k to $200k. With a clear outcome in mind, you can start asking the right questions so your emotional brain isn’t sucked in by engaging stories and big promises.

Only with your desired results clear can you then assess if something is truly right for you. Does the result they can deliver match what you want? Great, then look for the proof of the result with a testimonial, case study or something else that demonstrates they can walk their talk.

#2. Where Are the REAL People?

Have you ever had a bad boyfriend who made a lot of promises and didn’t deliver? Maybe he left you waiting to be picked up after work on the dodgy as hell street corner and meaning you ended up getting asked on “two” dates by dudes in minivans looking for a “good time”.

That’s sort of what buying services on the Internet is like.  You make a purchase and then hope to hell you’re not stuck on the street corner and end up taking the city bus home.  Which is why you want to be very discerning about who you consider doing business with in the first place.

So, where’s a girl to start? Start with their testimonials:

  • Is there anyone you know there?
  • Are there pictures next to testimonials?
  • If you don’t know these people can you easily find them on Google?
  • Do the testimonials seem to line up with what they are offering?
  • Are they from this decade?
  • Do the testimonials speak to results or are they all wishy washy?

See how that pans out for you and then see what else you can find, because not all testimonials are created equal. In fact, shockingly, people make this stuff up. I actually had a copywriter use my name last year in a fake quote saying what a good job she’d done.

If you’re looking at a higher value service ($1500+), ask to actually speak with someone – a real person – by email or phone. First, the person who you are purchasing from should be able to answer your questions on a one-to-one basis. Then, it’s totally okay to ask to speak with a reference. If someone says they can deliver the goods, they should be able to conjure up someone who you can speak with.
Also, take your time to look at portfolios, writing samples and anything else you can get your hands on. And if something doesn’t seem to add up and they can’t explain it. Take your hard earned dollar and run.

#3. Look for the Proof of Social Proof

One of the dirtiest social proof secrets around if you ask me, is the misrepresentation of “as seen on” by modern day snake oil salespeople. I’ve written about this in detail here with examples, but no post on social proof would be complete without this.

As the saying goes, let the buyer beware. The As Seen On bar lurking on many home pages needs a little more verification, which is why you should always look for an associated press page.
Look to see if the press logos lineup with what’s on the press page. How recent is that coverage? Being featured in Forbes eight years ago for another business isn’t good enough.

There’s entire businesses masquerading as experts on authority that are teaching people how to game the system using citizen journalism and press releases to get those press logos. So please don’t take them at face value. And if they don’t have a press page, I’d question where those logos actually came from and not factor that kind of social proof into any decision making.

#4. Take Everything With a Salt Shaker

When you’re aiming to be the shepherd and not just one of the sheep, it’s up to you to buck the norm and not fall into a groupthink.
Just because your friend or your buddy in a Facebook group says someone’s the best thing around doesn’t mean you need to accept it. Be skeptical. Don’t settle for taking it with a grain of salt, bring the whole damn salt shaker as you assess what’s what.

If you pay careful attention and you hang out in online groups, you’ll see the consistent pattern of groupthink at play. Which really just is like social proof on steroids because people truly don’t want to have to decide for themselves.

Let’s face it. No one wants to be the one to ask the hard questions for fear or reprisal or being told you have an upper limit problem because you dare question the norm.  So, Instead, people take what others say as tacit approval, they chalk it up to them being too {fill-in-the-blank} and they follow along.

Do you know how many times when I DO say something that people say “OMG, thank you, I thought I was the only one who thought that?” More times than I could ever count, and that sigh of relief I can hear when they say that is palpable.

It’s a clear indication that we all need to speak up more. We need to do it thoughtfully but in a way that raises the bar on what we all expect from ourselves and other business owners.

If no one raises their damn hand and throws down on the cult of personality and says “hey, wait a second, something here just isn’t right.” Next thing you know, someone who has no business being in business is a superstar because people believe everything they’re told.

That’s what sheep do.

You, you’re a shepherd. It’s up to you to show up and lead your flock. Do your homework, ask better questions and spend your hard earned dollar wisely. And run screaming from $25k coaching offers with no testimonials or specific outcomes.

 

[Tweet “Lead your flock. Do your homework and spend wisely. Post from @magspatterson “]

Next up, social proof on the sellers side of things in a much less feisty voice.

Categories
content marketing strategy The Marketing Moxie Show

Episode #54 – B2B Doesn’t Mean Boring with Jessica Mehring

episode 54

Good old business-to-business  copy can be so boring as we travel through the world of features and industry jargon. But it doesn’t have to be this way! Jessica Mehring of Horizon Peak Consulting is one of the absolute best B2B copywriters I know, and she’s sharing how to make B2B copy more exciting and engaging in this interview.

Items Discussed in this Episode:

  • Jessica explains why B2B copy can be so boring and how to not fall into that trap
  • The biggest mistake to avoid making in B2B copy
  • What kind of things can we learn from B2B copy?
  • Jessica’s favorite ways to figure out what the value is for customers in your business
  • What is ‘iteration’ and why is it important for your copy?
  • What content marketing really is and how it works
  • Jessica gives us the list of books she’s reading now and why
  • How you can bring the elements of fiction writing into your copy

[Tweet “B2B copy doesn’t need to be boring says @HorizonPeak”]

Top 3 Takeaways for this Episode:

  1. Before people will buy from you, they need to see the value they will get.
  2. Do your research! Find out from your market how they receive content and what questions they need answered in that content, and give it to them.
  3. If you want to write copy that’s not boring, start reading. Books, magazines, blog posts. Take note of headlines, story structure and more.

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Links for this Episode:

Horizon Peak Consulting

Link to Free Marketing Moxie Facebook Group

Categories
Business Strategy for Entrepreneurs the ugly bits

4 Things About Online Entrepreneurship That Are On My Last Nerve

blog 2.12

Less than 24 hours back from my annual Winter break where I pump myself up with vitamin D and family fun, and I gotta say. I’m tired.

Not in the usual I need a “vacation from my vacation” type of way, but in the whole “crap, I’ve had two weeks off and have a new lease on life” kind of way. Perspective is everything. And this perspective I have is from the outside – from the real world away from the computer screen  – means that certain parts of online entrepreneurship are on my last nerve.

Before I let it rip, it’s worth saying that I still adore my amazing clients, community and business BFFs, but there’s some things afoot that need to be said.

You may not agree, and that’s fine by me. Because in my world, we can disagree and still respect one another, that’s how grownups operate. Speaking of which, that’s a nice intro into my first point.

#1. Be Grateful for Feedback. Not Ridiculously Hard Headed.

The online world is probably the only place I know of where it’s okay to dismiss feedback automatically as someone being a “hater” or a “troll”. The lack of honest, straight forward feedback to people who seriously suck and need a slap up side the head for their own good is mind boggling.

I’m not talking about the feedback that is rude, obnoxious or insulting because that should be dismissed. There’s no need to be careless or thoughtless, but feedback too many times isn’t given out of fear of reprisal. And when it is, too often there’s way too much drama, along with passive aggressive Facebook updates and tribes of friends pulling the mean girls routine. (I kid you not, I’ve seen it all first hand.)

In the real world, feedback is a thing, especially from your paying clients.  So we all need to harden up and be grateful for it when we get it. It’s not easy for people to give, and you should be thankful when they do. I’m willing to bet, that there’s a big old kernel of truth in their feedback if you’d just get over your ego for one minute, so stop being hard headed and see how you can use that to improve and grow.

And yeah, I don’t like negative feedback either. It sucks. It hurts. But I know this one thing for sure. It makes me better. It fires me up and pushes me harder, which makes me better at what I do every single day.

#2. Being an Entrepreneur Doesn’t Make You a Superior Person.

I’ve had a business for nearly 10 years, and for 8 years I didn’t identify myself as an entrepreneur. Because, well, that was for startups in my mind  – not small companies in even smaller country towns in rural Canada.

Now, while I do use that terminology, I’ve got to say, I still see so much BS around being an entrepreneur that it makes me want to count myself out many days.

Newsflash. Being an entrepreneur doesn’t make you a superior human being. Not everyone should be an entrepreneur. And having a “normal” career doesn’t mean you’re wasting your potential.

Yes, the economy is trending towards more and more independent workers, which you know I love. But the entire workforce can’t be that way. It’s a terrible idea.

Take my husband for example who works for Canada Border Services at a land border with the U.S. What the dickens happens when they all decide to quit and fulfill their “purpose” as entrepreneurs?  We just open up the border and good luck?

What about your family doctor who decides she’s throwing in the towel and frolicking on the beach in Bali? How long until you’re able to find a new doctor – months, years?

Your faithful barista at Starbucks at your office away from home? Who’s gonna make your tall soy milk latte now?

My point exactly. There’s undercurrent in entrepreneurship that we think everyone should join the party. Please stop it. Not everyone should be at this party.

[Tweet “Not everyone should be at the online entrepreneurship party, so stop inviting everyone. New blog post by @magspatterson”]

I don’t know if it’s because we’re so freakin’ excited about our work, or we want people to justify just how entirely loco this ride is sometimes by having them come along with us. But we need to cut this out because entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone.  We’ve discussed this at length at my house and how you’ve got to be a special breed of crazy to take this on.  Plus, the economy needs workers and employees.

It’s not a bad thing, it’s reality, because I take my safety, healthcare and cappucinos seriously.

#3. Please Speak English. Seriously.

For a about one million years I worked in the software industry, which just in case you haven’t had the pleasure of reading a product data sheet or whitepaper is all about the jargon. From your whozitwhatsee to your SAAS, they speak their own language.

When I left the tech world, I was so excited to not have to deal with jargon anymore. Wrong. I was SO wrong.  Online entrepreneurship is actually worse.

I have a big side eye on you coaches, especially life coaches. Speak English please. I have no idea what the chuck you’re talking about 99% of the time. I’m a relatively intelligent individual who works with words day in, day out and I’m stumped about finding my authentic purpose and passion so I can soar.

Yes, you should speak your audience’s language. But I can guarantee that your tribe really doesn’t understand what you’re saying either. You may have a dynamic enough personality that they like you and follow you anyways. But, this is why so many coaches are struggling. They’re stuck in their coach speak while the rest of us want English or our language of choice.

Clear will always trump clever. Which is why the coaches I know that are crushing it have clear value propositions that anyone off the street can grasp in a heartbeat. If you can’t nail in a single sentence what you can do for me and how, you need to reboot your messaging immediately.

#4. Cease and Desist on Kissing Ass.

Influencer marketing. Connecting with the big guns.  Call it what you will. I call it kissing ass. My friend who shall remain nameless calls it the social BJ.

Network. Connect. Build legit relationships. But if your sole purpose is to connect with someone to get ahead, you’re doing it my friend and hopefully you get out with your dignity intact.

Now, this may seem super rudimentary like networking 101, but online and social media makes this SO much easier for people to do. It’s so much, much worse online because you don’t need to look someone in the eye.  So you push the envelope and name drop, kiss ass on Twitter and see if they will notice you.

It’s sort of like trying to get invited to an A-list party in High School.

I graduated high school a long time ago, and quite frankly, I give zero fucks if you make $10k or $10 million. How much you make, how many followers you have doesn’t make you the kind of person I want to connect with automatically. No one gets more value in my book because of how much money they make. It’s much deeper than that.

Yes, I may want to learn from you if the opportunity presents itself if you’re a successful business owner but I am not going to treat you any differently because of it.

I think people do this because they think that’s what they are supposed to do. And really and truly it’s not. You’re good enough.

This type of thing is sad and delusional because these people that you’re trying to socially sleep with, they know exactly what you’re doing.  So stop degrading yourself and start acting with some integrity. Stand on your own merits and not the fact that some “big name person who matters” likes you or buys into your schtick.

This entrepreneurship thing is hard some days and if we can all just raise the bar and cut this crap out, we can make it much simpler. And so much more enjoyable because we’ll be improving our businesses, being clear about what we do and quit acting like everyone should quit their job this very second. That in my mind would make this world a MUCH nicer place to be.

[Tweet “4 Things on My Last Nerve About Online Entrepreneurship – post from @magspatterson”]

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content marketing strategy The Marketing Moxie Show

Episode #53 – Copy for Your Next Launch with Courtney Johnston

episode 53

If you’re launching anything in 2015, you’ll want to listen to this episode where our guest Courtney Johnston walks us through the must-have elements of our launch copy – most of which is so easy to overlook, including all those must-send emails. Nail the copy for your next launch with everything we cover in this episode.

Items Discussed in this Episode:

  • Courtney explains what we should do to plan in advance for our launch copy and not do it all at the last minute
  • The three pieces of launch copy you must nail no matter how complicated or simple your launch
  • Why your ‘cart closing’ email may be the most important one you write
  • Courtney’s best tips for getting your message clear before your launch
  • It’s okay to name a specific goal or result your client will achieve by using your program
  • The most effective and important types of emails you should have covered off during your launch

[Tweet “Launching? @courtRJ has your copy covered in this episode”]

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Top 3 Takeaways for this Episode:

  1. Have a launch plan. Figure out ALL of the pieces of copy you need well in advance so you can be smart and strategic.
  2. Understand that communicating with your list is critical during a launch and that you’ll have 7 different types of emails going to them during this time.
  3. Be very clear on the outcome of result of what you’re offering. That’s the #1 thing people want to know.

Links for this Episode:

Courtney’s Launch Copy Planning Kit

Rule Breakers Club 

Link to Free Marketing Moxie Facebook Group

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content marketing strategy The Marketing Moxie Show

Episode #52 – Nailing the Why for Your Copy with Nikki Groom

episode 52

You’re sitting down to write…and you’re having a hard time figuring out what to say, or even why you’re saying it. Which is where our guest Nikki Groom comes in. Today we’re talking about helping  you with nailing the why for your copy and how you don’t need to find your voice, you just need to use the one you already have to be effective.

Items Discussed in this Episode:

  • Nikki discusses how she helps people create the ‘why’ in what they do
  • You can’t know your ‘why’ if you don’t know your ‘who’
  • The ‘why’ doesn’t have to solve a life changing event, it can be something small that makes a difference in someone’s day
  • Nikki explains how we can use our voice to infuse into our copy, but not overdo it
  • Nikki shares some of her best editing tips
  • Nikki and I discuss how to use storytelling in the right way and not let it go off the rails.
  • How to not get stuck in your own head when it comes time for writing

[Tweet “You don’t need to find your voice. Use the one you have says @nikkigroom”]

Top 3 Takeaways for this Episode:

  1. Creating the ‘why’ in your business can be tricky, but it is essential for copywriting. You’re looking for why your business is needed by your audience, not why you do it for yourself. Once you learn to write like this, it will flow naturally.
  2. Make sure you’re using your voice in your copy. You don’t want to mimic someone else or the ideal version of yourself, you need to be you. Then it’s easy to be consistent through your blog, about page, social media, on phone calls, etc.
  3. Powerful stories can be impactful. No one wants to see the ‘perfect’ you all the time. On the other hand, be cautious to use when it’s appropriate.

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Links for this Episode:

Nikki Groom

Link to Free Marketing Moxie Facebook Group