Do Prospects Like & Read Your Content?

October 23, 2011 By Lisa Angelettie 5 Comments

Do You Know If Prospects Like & Read Your Content?

Likable Content One thing I know for sure is that you do not have a thriving business if you do not have highly likable and marketable content to attract lots more clients. So one of the first things that I ask my clients who have created blog articles, videos, podcasts, etc. is whether they know if their subscribers and visitors (prospects) like the content that they’re creating AND if they are actually reading it. Many people can’t ever give me a definitive answer. So here are some tips to get you the answers and results you need.

First, you need to be sure that you are creating content that your readers want. There are two solutions for this:

1. Create content that solves a problem for your potential clients
2. Create content that entertains them

Second, be sure that you are addressing the problems of prospects by asking them what they are. So you can:

1. Pay attention to customer service emails
2. Ask them to respond to your content via blog comments, Facebook comments, Twitter, etc.
3. Survey your list and ask them directly what types of content they’d be interested in (Surveymonkey.com)

Third, take notice if you are getting thank you emails and testimonials. People who are enjoying your content will occasionally say thank you. If no one has responded, I’d begin to question if you are creating content that is really “speaking” to your ideal client. Make sure you are:

1. Asking for testimonials. When you are working with a client and they mention a specific result they recently achieved and it’s a good one — make sure to ask their permission if you can take what they said and use it as a testimonial. Writing it for them and getting their approval is a much easier way to ensure that you get them.

2. If your VA handles customer service for you, make sure that they are forwarding all the great fan mail you’re getting. It’s good for morale and it also shows you that you are on the right track with your content creation.

Fourth, take a look at your statistics. Look at things like:

1. Your ezine link clicks. Did people actually click on the article links in your ezine this week? Make sure you take a look at your ezine broadcast stats to see. Publish enough ezine issues and you may start to see a pattern in the types of information that grabbed your readers attention.

2. Your blog stats. Take a look at your blog stats using WordPress Stats or Google Analytics and pay attention to the blog articles that received the most clicks. Of course some of these stats are influenced by the ability for people to find your content via search engines which may not exactly speak to if they liked it — so make sure to pay attention to your bounce rate as well. A higher bounce rate means that people are popping onto your site and clicking off. A lower one means that your site is sticky and that people are staying longer reading content on your blog.

I hope this gets you off and running on how to create more likable & readable content. Remember the #1 key is to actually get it done! Start implementing today. If you have any questions or comments about how to create more likable content, leave a comment below and let’s start a conversation…

Is Fear Of Criticism Getting In Your Way?

October 15, 2011 By Lisa Angelettie 4 Comments

Is Fear Of Criticism Getting In Your Way & Stopping You From Creating The Business Of Your Dreams?

I have always prided myself on the fact that I give personal and speedy customer service to my clients and customers. While I do have several virtual assistants for specific things, I try to answer many customer service emails myself, because I remember being on the other end of that. Heck, I still am! And I always appreciated when a business owner contacted me directly. Not for everything though – not like a change of email address or something small — but for the bigger issues. Say when someone has a question about a product or program I have. I created it, and I’m asking you to trust me & pay me to teach you something, so why can’t I take out a few moments to answer a few questions about it? Hey – that’s just me🙂

But the other side of this – is that this opens me up to ALL the customer service emails. The ones that thank me (which I love:), that ask me questions like I’ve already mentioned, and also the ones that have something negative to say. The critics! And for a long time – those were the emails that use to truly bother me.

I wouldn’t lose sleep or stop eating, but I could hear the words in that email if I went to write something or try a marketing strategy. It was a nagging little voice that had me second guessing myself about many things. And second guessing is simply a waste of time and permits a lot of bad energy into your business. Next thing you know, you need someone else to cosign on every major decision because you aren’t sure if you are making the right ones. Ugh! What a mess!

Or here’s another example — have you ever had a great idea but then talked yourself out of it by the next morning because of the criticism you anticipated from others or from one particular person? Do that enough and you will have left enough great ideas behind that could have made you a millionaire 10 times over.

Or how about the “professional” critics? Are you a service professional in a licensed or certified profession and you’ve got colleagues constantly questioning your philosophy, your marketing, your ethics, your new income stream? These are people who either fear the unknown or fear you becoming greater than them. Cutting you down is their quickest solution for feeling better about playing small or safely. Imagine if Dr. Ruth listened to her colleagues?!

So How Did I Get Out Of Criticism’s Way?

1. I realized that there are just some people who have allowed the fear of criticism of others to seep into all parts of their lives. If you’ve grown up in a family of critics – chances are that you fear it, will do anything to avoid it, but that you also have had your fair share of giving it as well. (This was me.) So it was important to realize first that this was a part of who I was and it had to change. You know — you cannot change what you do not acknowledge.

If you find yourself criticizing others in your niche, in your mastermind group, in your family — then I’m talking especially to you! You know who you are. Recognize it and decide today that it’s just not acceptable any longer. You will not be able to grow the business that you were meant to have if you fear other people’s criticisms and if you criticize others. Let it go.

2. I know now that people who criticize are really dealing with some of their own issues. It has nothing to do with you. For instance, if a fellow entrepreneur criticizes how much you are charging for your new product or program — it’s probably because they have their own issues around charging and cannot get what you are asking or are afraid to even price their stuff at that price point. Their criticisms are stemming from their own fears, inadequacy, jealousy, etc. — not from anything you are doing or not doing.

3. Criticism is not truth. Just because someone said it, doesn’t make it so. When you take it on – you are validating it’s truth. Therefore the real key here is to not take it on as truth. Drop it. Forget it. Ignore it.

4. Work and play in your business fearlessly! Fear of criticism should never stop you from being creative, for trying something new, for stepping outside the box, for being uniquely you. Try to remember the big WHY you’re in business to begin with. Why do you do what you do? Who do you do it for? My big WHY is my family. And all I have to do is look at a picture of them in my office or look outside in the yard and see my kids playing to remember that my fear of criticism is unfounded and not real. Keep your big WHY in mind and you’ll be able to push criticism completely out of your way to greatness!

Identify Your Ideal Client

September 12, 2011 By Lisa Angelettie Leave a Comment

Identify Your Ideal Client

Are you struggling with how to find and target people who desire and most importantly will pay you for your services? Then I can pretty much guarantee that you haven’t clearly identified your ideal client, because once you do, it will be clear where to find them and what they want. Enjoy this brief but succinct article from branding expert and Diamond client Kelly Green on how to quickly and easily identify your ideal client.

In a previous post “Have You Chosen Your Niche“, I identified some critical strategies for clarifying your niche. Now, once you’ve clarified your niche you must identify your ideal client within that niche. Why is this important? Because you still need to develop compelling marketing messages that will hit your target. Think of it like throwing darts at a dart board. In order to hit the bulls-eye, the target must be clearly identified.

Hopefully you went through the exercises I suggested in order to clarify your niche. By doing so you would have come up with a visual of the market you serve. That includes the demographics of that market. But as you can see below, demographics will only tell you part of the story for your ideal client.

In or to connect the dots and get a more complete profile, considering the following. (This will let you know precisely what needs must be addressed in all of your marketing campaigns):

Demographic bases (age, family size, life cycle, occupation)
Geographic bases (states, regions, countries)
Behavior bases (product knowledge, usage, attitudes, responses)
Psycho-graphic bases (lifestyle, values, personality)

Here are some questions to ask yourself when considering your ideal clients’ psycho-graphics:

What does my ideal client actually look like? What is his/her lifestyle?
What career/ profession are they in? Where are they in their career/ profession? Do they even have a career/ profession?
How do they spend their free time? What is motivating them to seek the solutions you are providing?
What are my target market’s Hot Buttons? What do they really care about (in their words) in regards to my services? (Be very specific)
What is the core solution I provide for that ONE ideal client?!

Now that you have your completed ideal client profile, get out their and market your services! Good luck! Happy Branding!!

Kelly Green, is YOUR Personal Branding Coach! Empowering small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs such as yourself, to attract more clients by building a masterful brand. Learn from a 15-year marketing veteran of the entertainment industry the Insider Branding Secrets to propel your Personal Brand to superstar status! Get more visibility, more clients and more money!

Attraction Marketing

August 30, 2011 By Lisa Angelettie 1 Comment

What Is Attraction Marketing?

Singer Rihanna & Rap Artist Drake

Does It Work For Coaches & Consultants?

Attraction Marketing is the practice of drawing potential clients to your offers by showing them what your product or service is and how it will benefit them BEFORE they purchase it. The key to effective attraction marketing is to make the information and list of benefits so appealing that the client can easily make the decision to invest in you. Another name for attraction marketing is reverse marketing, but “attraction marketing” really gives a more accurate portrayal of the marketing process that happens.

While many industries practice attraction marketing, for us coaches and consultants, it works really well. For example, if you want to implement the use of attraction marketing in your business right away, a good way to do so would be in how you market your ezine or email newsletter.

One of the biggest challenges for solopreneurs is the consistent effort of building a list. Asking folks to simply subscribe because you have a few smart things to say is so 10 years ago! Your potential clients want to know what you teach, why you teach it, how they will benefit from it, and what results they may see.

Once you tell a prospect who you are and how they will benefit from having a relationship with you — I guarantee your conversion rate will be higher this month. You can see an attraction marketing type of newsletter optin page here ==>Newsletter Example

The real point is this. Think about how hard you have to work if you pursue clients in a direct way such as cold-calling, marketing mailings, etc. Now picture yourself doing 2/3 less of that work because you are organically attracting clients who are dying to work with you to your optin page and they are joining your list! Working with clients who have sought you out is a much different experience than being unnaturally aggressive towards client attraction.

So from this moment on, think about your marketing in terms of the number of “benefits” that your prospective clients will receive when working with you. Put those benefits front and center of your articles, web copy, social media — and when you do — you will emerge the leader in your marketplace!

Should I break that down a little more simpler?

1. Think about your work with clients to yourself.

2. What unique brilliance do you bring in your work with them?

3. Flesh that brilliance out into readable bullet points for blog articles, directory submissions, squeeze pages, and anything else you can think of that will make them drawn to you.

That is attraction marketing in it’s finest form!

Apex Award 2011 Winner

August 3, 2011 By Lisa Angelettie Leave a Comment

Apex Award 2011 Winner: Lisa Angelettie!

In the middle of writing, promoting, living my life, blah blah blah — I forgot to toot my own horn! I recently (last month:) won an award for Web Writing from the annual Apex Awards for Publication Excellence.

Go Lisa! Go Lisa!

Okay that’s enough:) But just a note about awards…

Winning awards adds a measure of credibility to you as a mentor, coach, consultant, etc. and to your business. So what’s the secret to winning one? You have to enter your work!

Don’t be afraid, shy, or self conscious about sharing your SUPER POWERS with the world! By not tooting your own horn, you are keeping someone out there from knowing all about and all that you can do for them.

So look to your niche and do a Google search on what awards are presented. Example Search: “raw food + awards”

Read the guidelines and submit! Good luck and feel free to announce your win back over here when you get a chance:) We’d love to cheer for you.

Credibility Counts – How To Boost Credibility In Your Niche

July 21, 2011 By Lisa Angelettie 3 Comments

Credibility Counts – How To Boost Credibility In Your Niche

Think about your last significant purchase. What was your criteria for making that purchase? Price? Quality? Reliability? When a customer or client decides to make a purchase, factors such as these are all driven by the level of TRUST they have for the business.

If you are a credible business owner or solo-professional – people are more likely to buy from you versus your competitors. So have you considered your credibility factor later? These are some of the things that you can do to bump up your credibility factor and start to present yourself as the expert you are…

1. Get Published
It is very easy to become “published” these days with the variety of self-publishing options out there — but the way that you can maximize your credibility factor as a published author is to make sure that you always write high quality content and to get as much exposure for your writing as you can.

2. Get Support
Outsourcing a lot of tasks in your business is a very smart decision because you can spend more of your time doing income generating activities, but there is also the other added credibility booster benefit of giving you a more professional appearance. The reality is that if you have an assistant or a team you are more credible than someone who is doing all the work themselves.

3. Use Professional Resources
Consider the experience of the processes in your business. What types of resources do you use? What is the experience of signing up for your newsletter? Is there a smooth flow from opting in and confirmation? Do subscribers get your email delivered regularly? A top notch autoresponder and/or newsletter service (like Aweber) will ensure that the majority if not all of your emails end up in your subscribers email boxes and not the spam folder.

What about purchasing products and services from you? Are you using a professional shopping cart and/or payment processing system or is your checkout process a little amateurish?

4. Increase Visibility
To increase credibility in your market, sometimes people just need to know that you exist. Start bumping up your visibility by getting as much exposure as you can. Free ways you can get started doing this is by local public speaking, guest spots on teleseminars, guest blogging, and local press (your local newspaper would love to do a story on your business!)

5. Recommendations
Amazon is a great example of how user recommendations, referrals, testimonials, etc. can totally drive a businesses sales. I base most of my buying decisions online based on recommendations, user reviews, and testimonials. Sometimes it is word of mouth and other times it’s right there for me to see on the site — but it is absolutely a factor in my buying decisions. So make sure that you are very proactive about collecting words of encouragement, testimonials, and praise from your clients and customers. It can literally be the difference between a sale vs. someone clicking away.

Conclusion
While I am sure you will be able to use one of these suggestions to ramp up your credibility factor, I always recommend for business owners to take a look at what credibility factors matter to you when you buy something or invest in someone — then model that in your own business. What drives you probably drives a lot of other people as well.

Feel free to add you credibility suggestions to the discussion here. We can all learn from each other…

How To Write Articles That Attract Clients (Even If You Stink As A Writer!)

July 11, 2011 By Lisa Angelettie 11 Comments

How To Write Articles That Attract Clients (Even If You Stink As A Writer!)

Imagine attracting all the clients that you need by simply writing articles! Sweet huh? Writing articles has assisted me in growing my business in tremendous ways and one of those ways is by helping me to attract clients, especially ones that I enjoy working with and this is why…

When I write an article, I make sure that I accomplish two things. One is that I am either answering a pressing question or explaining a concept for my ideal client and the other is that I am writing in or using my own unique voice and perspective to do so.

Including both of these elements in the articles I write have been crucial to my success as an entrepreneur.

So how do you do this if writing is not something you think that you do well?
It’s pretty simple actually. Here are my tips for writing articles that your ideal potential clients will devour while using your own authentic, brilliant voice to do so.

1. Get Over Yourself
First you have to get over that term paper you tried to write a million years ago. Just because you didn’t do so great on papers or maybe you don’t like writing letters – has nothing to do with writing articles for your business. Let all of that baggage go and put it behind you. Who you are today is an entrepreneur looking to help and/or empower others – and that begins by getting your message out there in a big way.

2. Answer A Question
Most of your clients have questions that they don’t have the answers to which is why they are turning to you. How do I get over a broken heart? How to I close the sale? How do I find my next speaking engagement? These are the types of questions that BEG for an article to be written to answer them. The key is to make sure that you are answering a “pressing” question or concern of your potential clients.

The great thing about answering a question in an article is that you don’t have to wonder what you’re going to write about – you already know the answers AND it doesn’t have to be perfect. People just want quick help, they don’t necessarily need you do deliver it as if it’s a dissertation. Don’t worry about how “smart” you sound. That’s not important. What’s important is that you actually know what you’re talking about and give a good, solid answer in your article.

Quickie Template

Introductory paragraph about the question you are answering.
Write out the question. (The best questions are ones from asked you by present clients.)
Write 2-3 paragraphs answering the question.
End the article with an outro paragraph summarizing the Q&A.

3. Write In An Authentic Voice
A lot of my friends and family have told me that I have very strong opinions and tend to think emotional things through in an analytical way. I’m not the funniest gal, but that’s okay, that’s me. That’s how I talk on the phone with girlfriends. That’s how I talk to my children. And that is how I write my articles.

This is also called my “writer’s voice” and you have one too. The key is for you to always use it, because when you do you will naturally attract clients to you that already like your style. Another great thing is that your writer’s voice is totally unique to you and it will establish your individuality in the marketplace.

When you let go of the misconception that you can’t write, and then begin to write articles that include these two essential elements, you will begin a continuous flow of your ideal clients to your site and your offers. What a great way to make a living:)

Do Prospects Like & Read Your Content?

Do You Know If Prospects Like & Read Your Content?

Is Fear Of Criticism Getting In Your Way?

Is Fear Of Criticism Getting In Your Way & Stopping You From Creating The Business Of Your Dreams?

So How Did I Get Out Of Criticism’s Way?

Identify Your Ideal Client

Identify Your Ideal Client

Demographic bases (age, family size, life cycle, occupation)

Geographic bases (states, regions, countries)

Behavior bases (product knowledge, usage, attitudes, responses)

Psycho-graphic bases (lifestyle, values, personality)

What does my ideal client actually look like? What is his/her lifestyle?

What career/ profession are they in? Where are they in their career/ profession? Do they even have a career/ profession?

How do they spend their free time? What is motivating them to seek the solutions you are providing?

What are my target market’s Hot Buttons? What do they really care about (in their words) in regards to my services? (Be very specific)

What is the core solution I provide for that ONE ideal client?!

Attraction Marketing

What Is Attraction Marketing?

Does It Work For Coaches & Consultants?

Apex Award 2011 Winner

Apex Award 2011 Winner: Lisa Angelettie!

Credibility Counts – How To Boost Credibility In Your Niche

Credibility Counts – How To Boost Credibility In Your Niche

How To Write Articles That Attract Clients (Even If You Stink As A Writer!)

How To Write Articles That Attract Clients (Even If You Stink As A Writer!)

IMPORTANT LINKS

From The Blog

CONNECT WITH ME

Do You Know If Prospects Like & Read Your Content?

Is Fear Of Criticism Getting In Your Way & Stopping You From Creating The Business Of Your Dreams?

So How Did I Get Out Of Criticism’s Way?

Identify Your Ideal Client

Demographic bases (age, family size, life cycle, occupation)

Geographic bases (states, regions, countries)

Behavior bases (product knowledge, usage, attitudes, responses)

Psycho-graphic bases (lifestyle, values, personality)

What does my ideal client actually look like? What is his/her lifestyle?

What career/ profession are they in? Where are they in their career/ profession? Do they even have a career/ profession?

How do they spend their free time? What is motivating them to seek the solutions you are providing?

What are my target market’s Hot Buttons? What do they really care about (in their words) in regards to my services? (Be very specific)

What is the core solution I provide for that ONE ideal client?!

Top Online Document Sharing Sites

What Is Attraction Marketing?

Does It Work For Coaches & Consultants?

Apex Award 2011 Winner: Lisa Angelettie!

Credibility Counts – How To Boost Credibility In Your Niche

How To Write Articles That Attract Clients (Even If You Stink As A Writer!)

IMPORTANT LINKS

From The Blog

CONNECT WITH ME