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Baby Steps to Bigger Plans – Project ABC Update

Posted on December 8, 2012 | In Firepole Marketing Updates

I had a wonderful confirmation moment around mid-November.

I went to an annual Montreal event called Expozine, where regional zine makers and small press book publishers meet to show off and sell their wares. I poked around, talked to some interesting people and discovered that I was basically at a convention for my ideal customers.

Sweet.

It gets better – in one publication I actually found a comic strip expressing the exact pain I’m hoping to alleviate with Paying for Life. The exact one!

Confirmation like that doesn’t happen too often, and I am suitably grateful.

It also inspired me for an idea that I’m still developing – but that I think will be a killer Red Panda offering. I want to hash out the details, test for interest, and run it by Danny – but if all goes well, expect more details in January.

Red Panda content is something like Engagement from Scratch! - a super valuable, free piece of content that people will subscribe for, use, love and share; hopefully coming back to it again and again. A cornerstone of your blog, essentially.

The little moral of this story is to, no matter how frighteningly busy you are, go out in your community once awhile – ten minutes talking to human beings in the flesh can validate days, and weeks of work.

Since my last post, I’ve left around 50 comments on blogs about the web, accumulated about 40 subscribers. I’ve also set up and run several split tests (results still pending) and sent out my first guest post pitches. At this point in the process, as so many of you know, the learning curve is pretty steep.

Here are some things that I’ve learned…

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Multi-Passionate Customer Profiles: What to Do When ‘ONE Person’ Isn’t Enough

Posted on December 6, 2012 | In Guest Appearances

You’re pretty smart, right? You must be; you’re here.

So, I’m guessing you get the concept of the customer persona, and you’ve spent some time imagining your ‘one person‘ to improve your marketing.

But… is one customer persona all you need?

Not every business is so monogamous. If you’re multi-passionate, then your situation may be more complex.

If you suspect that ‘one person’ isn’t enough, I’ve found an interesting way to work with this issue.

As Danny Iny says, “Answers are easy. Asking the right questions is hard.” So let’s start with the big question:

Is There More Than One ‘One Person’ for Your Business?

If you think there might be, then we’re in the same boat.

Turns out this problem is pretty common. You have more than one exciting idea, and you feel like you’re missing out if you focus on just one of them.

For example, I have a successful freelance writing business, but I’ve also started up a blog to help people earn money from freelance blogging. Plus I have this great new business concept that I want to explore in the coming year…

But it’s important not to over-complicate things. The more lines you have to follow, the easier it is to get tangled! So let’s look at the possibility of keeping just one customer persona first.

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10 Habits of Highly Charismatic Email Marketers

Posted on December 4, 2012 | In Guest Appearances

How many emails do you get on any given day?

Let me guess… 50? 100? More?

You might really look forward to some of them. Notes from family and friends, and latest updates from your favourite bloggers, too. We all do.

And then you are bombarded by unsolicited sales messages. People whose lists you did not opt-in to, whose messages you did not ask for. In other words – SPAM. You might get less (if you are lucky) or more (if you are lucky enough to be an influencer). These are the ones you delete upon sight.

Contrast this with another, slightly different type of email that arrives in your inbox. Sales emails from the sites you have gladly given your email to, information about their latest product line, or discount announcements you might qualify for.

Here’s the thing: you probably don’t mind opening up these emails. In fact, if you are not too swamped, you are quite likely to read through till the end. And, you might even end up buying something. The exact result they are after.

So, what makes you, or anyone else for that matter, click open an email and ignore the rest of them?

Why do you read the whole email and might even take some action?

Well, it’s got something to do with the charismatic nature of the email marketer. They are doing everything to get you to open, read and act upon their messages.  And they are doing it right.

Their habits make them successful and set them apart from the rest of the group. Let’s dive in to the 9 habits of highly effective email marketers…

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Quick Ways to Boost Conversions TODAY!

Posted on December 2, 2012 | In Guest Appearances

More than 90% of websites get something on their landing pages seriously wrong.

It might even be closer to 95%…

And they’re practically kicking people away from opting in.

The few sites that get things right include the likes of Apple and Amazon. Big companies with gargantuan amounts of traffic. Not to mention huge teams of highly trained employees working night and day to perfect landing pages.

But it’s not really that difficult to get the basics right – even a solopreneur can make a very highly converting landing page – all on their own.

If you’re serious about running a business online, you should check that you aren’t making these easy-to-fix mistakes on your landing pages…

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Why Everyone Thinks You’re A Suck Up (And How To Start Being LOVED By The RIGHT People)

Posted on November 30, 2012 | In Guest Appearances

Do you try really hard to be liked by everyone; readers, customers, social media fans, your boss, family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, acquaintances, the postman…?

If so, you’re behaving like a suck up..

And no one likes suck ups.

Ask yourself this: do you really perceive yourself to be worth less than other people?

Because that’s how you are coming across. Now, I don’t believe it’s what you really want to be doing even if a small part of you believes it’s true. (Falsely!) If you don’t respect yourself, no-one else will be inclined to…

This kind of behavior doesn’t affect just your personal life, it plays a big role in the success or failure of your business.

Act like a suck up and you will be marking yourself as a pleaser and will come across as though you are desperate to prove that you And your product or service are worth someone else’s attention.

Fear isn’t attractive on any level, and suck-up behavior in the form of self-deprecation, fawning over clients, willingness to take less than you need etc. rings loudly of fear.

Even if it’s unintentional. Even if you’re trying to be nice. Even if you really do just want everyone to like you, or do the best job possible.

It’s no way to run a business.

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Hiring for Excellence: How Danny Iny Built the Firepole Marketing Team

Posted on November 28, 2012 | In Fireside Chats with Danny Iny

Long ago in days of yore, a young baker wanted more out of life than flour and dead fruit.

She consulted craigslist, and noticed an ad for an entrepreneur’s assistant.

Could this be it? She wondered. Could this be an opportunity to use that third of a business degree, and sadly untapped creativity?

It turned out that it was! That was the first time I’d ever seen any mention of Danny Iny – and none at all yet of Firepole Marketing. Little did I know then that two and a half years later I’d still be on his team, helping to create this Fireside Chat series.

Almost every business needs to go through the process of hiring at some point and it’s exciting because it means you’re growing. But, knowing exactly how and when to go about it – that can be a challenge.

So today’s topic is all about hiring, and what it’s been like for us to grow from one to two to four, how to tell if you’re ready to expand your staff, as well as the best way to go about it.

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Got a Cool Engagement Strategy to Share? ($2,000+ in Prizes are Waiting…)

Posted on November 26, 2012 | In Engagement Strategies Contest

Last January we ran the very popular Marketing That Works Ideas Contest and we had some AMAZING entries that generated huge amounts of interest and discussion. We had fun, readers had fun, and contest finalists had fun. We all learned so much, we knew it was something we wanted to do it again.

Well, now a new year is coming, and with it a new chance for you to share your brilliant ideas, gain some fame and win some fabulous prizes. This year the theme of our contest is Awesome Engagement Strategies.

You’ve probably already read Engagement from Scratch! and the Naked Marketing Manifesto – so you know we take engagement SERIOUSLY. And as much as we believe in it, and preach it and try to practice it – we know that sometimes (most of the time) the very best ideas come from the community itself – and that means you!

So we’re going to be featuring 15 guest posts in January from different marketers from around the world all about their favorite, new, innovative or even crazy engagement strategies.

And we’re going to be giving the best of them over $2,000 in prizes, including consulting time with Danny Iny, free recognition and plenty of good, old-fashioned cash (electronically transferred) money.

So, do you have…

  • A brilliant strategy for engaging your audience that the world needs to know about?
  • A secret to getting your readers or customers deeply involved with you and your business?
  • A unique insight on the company-customer relationship that could revolutionize the way we interact with our audiences?

If you do, then it’s time to share your ideas with the world through Firepole Marketing’s Awesome Engagement Strategies Contest.

Here are the details…

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Jumpstart your Productivity – Best of the Web

Posted on November 24, 2012 | In Best of the Web

With the end of the year slowly creeping up on us, we’re getting *very* excited about what’s coming in 2013.

We’ve been doing a lot of planning for the future, and we’ve also managed to squeeze in some great features this month, including: an amazing podcast interview featuring book launch advice from Tim Ferriss, a Project ABC Update, tons of webinars, and a handful of guest posts, too.

Now that November is nearly over, work days are becoming shorter and productivity can feel a bit stunted – so this month’s Best of the Web is meant to jump-start your productivity for the final sprint until the (brief but) calm repose of the holidays…

So dive in, enjoy, and hang in there – the holidays are coming! :-)

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How to Ask Your Readers to Pay with a Tweet (Without Pissing Them Off!)

Posted on November 22, 2012 | In Uncategorized

Asking readers to ‘Pay with a Tweet’ seems simple, right?

You get a tweet about your product; they get the product for free.

Trouble is, it’s not that simple.

The free product isn’t “free” if you’re asking for something in return – even if it’s just a tweet.

And it’s not “just” a tweet. You’re asking your readers to promote and endorse your product to their followers – without letting them go through it.

You’re asking them to trust you without giving them any reason to.

When Megan whether asking readers to ‘Pay with a Tweet’ an ethical practice or not?

I just about jumped in my seat.

First, because somebody was finally asking that questions and second, because the answer isn’t a “yes” or a “no” but an “if”.

Confused?

In a nutshell: Asking your readers to pay with a tweet is an ethical practice if you do it right…

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Do you know why you EXIST? (Business Lessons from Mario and Princess Peach)

Posted on November 20, 2012 | In Guest Appearances

Why do you exist?

I don’t mean “I help entrepreneurs create more value by using generic phrases.” I mean why do you exist.

What is your primary purpose for even being in business?

Mario might say something like “I exist to Save-a the Princess. I’ll burn-a down, jumpa on, and beat anyone who threatens my princess’s safety to death with a turtle shell-a.” He’s been saying it for over 30 years, he’ll probably say it for another 30 more.

The reason I bring this up is because no one is really talking about it. Sure you can read about Unique Selling Propositions, Brand Characters, and Ideal Customers all day long, but if you don’t know why you exist, your primary mission for being in business, you’re sunk.

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On Motivation, Nearly Falling To Your Death, and Why You Should Never Give Up On Yourself

Posted on November 18, 2012 | In Guest Appearances

Are you getting the results that you crave?

Does it seem like you’re doing everything you’re supposed to do, with little to show for it?

Why does it seem like the harder you work, the less you get done?

Starting a new business was supposed to be fun, right?

And it was, at first.

Remember day one? Remember the spark that you felt?  That powerful surge that coursed through your veins with so much energy you could hardly contain your enthusiasm?

You felt unstoppable.

You set wheels in motion and things just started to click.

You didn’t see what was coming next. You turned a corner and ran straight into a wall.

Messages aren’t returned. Promises are broken. Quitting and walking away seem to be the best options.

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What’s the Best Way to Thank Your Clients?

Posted on November 16, 2012 | In Ask the Readers

It’s time again for one of my favourite features – ask the readers, where we take a break  and get you to do all the work. ;-)

This month’s ask the readers question is all about gratitude.

We know that the only reason we’re in business is because other people – our readers, customers, clients, and visitors – give us their time and attention – and sometimes, money. ;-)

Don’t get me wrong, we all know that we strive to provide excellent value for money and attention, and to over-deliver on our promises. But sometimes, we want to do a little more. We want to thank our customers for trusting us, buying from us, and developing relationships with us.

How to go about it, though is something else. What is the best way to do it?

The last thing you want is for someone to feel like there’s being buttered up for a bigger sale, however, so it can be a fine line to walk…

Free gifts? Extra information? A card? What have you tried, and has it worked the way it intended you to?

How do you thank your loyal followers, fans and supporters?

Please leave a comment and let us know what you think!

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