They Moved 1500 Miles from Home, Lost Multiple Revenue Streams, and Still Grew Their Business by 32% – Here’s How

Meet Adam and Livia. They made $12,000 with their first Yes Engines launch, while living in Hungary where the average monthly salary – YES MONTHLY – is a mere $500. But they’ve come even further than that: Today they live in the UK and run a self-sufficient business built on the Yes Engines sales system.

“We did it. We’re self-sufficient, we live and work on our own terms, and we know how to grow further.”

So how did they do it?

Are You In Control? Or Is Your Business
at the Whim of Other People?

Let’s start at the beginning:

Adam and Livia were running a small blog in Hungary. And they tried almost EVERYTHING under the sun to make money from it:

“[Before Yes Engines] we had 12 different revenue streams. Banner ads, giveaways, offline talks, writing print articles, offline trainings, print book revenue, the rare sponsorship deal, B2B coaching – and that was just for the blog. On the side I also took writing and editing jobs, because I still lived by the freelancer mindset – say yes to everything that comes along, because who knows when the next job will come? Who knows when the money runs out?”

Now don’t get me wrong, having multiple revenue streams is a good thing…

…but grasping at straws is NOT a smart strategy. And it sure sounds like Adam and Livia were spreading themselves way too thin.

Look, if you want to make money online, it’s very simple:

You build an audience, and you sell them stuff.

Now, the problem for Adam and Livia was they had no clue HOW to sell…

And the first mistake they made is a very common one. Especially when you’re new to selling. But even experienced people do it:

They made excuses for WHY they’re selling.

As if you had to apologize for making a living! Or as Livia put it after she realized how silly this is:

“If I’m dying from hunger, I can’t help anyone.”

And she’s right.

So if you’re doing this, please stop! You’re running a business… not a charity. If you want to grow that business you need to make sales and you need to stop apologizing for it.

Now, back to the story…

So what happened when Adam and Livia joined Yes Engines?

They created 3 – STRATEGIC – blog posts (more on that in a second…) and sent them to their audience over the course of about 2 months. Then, they sent out a link to a sales page…

…and made 252 sales in 4 days, earning about $12,000 in revenue – or about double the average yearly salary in Hungary.

(And yes, they did it all in Hungarian. Of course, the Yes Engines system works in any language

But it didn’t stop there…

Within a year, they almost doubled their entire business.

“Just the one online course we developed following Yes Engines to the dot gave us 40% of our 2015 revenue, [depending on the exchange rate] it was around $33K.”

So, multiple revenue streams is nice and all… But when each one is just a tiny trickle it still doesn’t add up to much. By using what they learned in Yes Engines, Adam and Livia were able to almost DOUBLE their entire business with only one product!

Now guess what happened…

In 2016, all of those old “trickles” of revenue that used to be Adam and Livia’s entire business DISAPPEARED:

“In 2016, 10 of our 12 old revenue streams just stopped coming in. Clients – down 83 percent from last year. Sponsorships – gone. Book revenue – gone. Offline talks – gone. Invites to talk for free – lots. Paid – none.”

Uh-oh. So what did they do?

You’d think that with losing around 40% of their revenue, it would be a bad year, right?

Wrong.

They DOUBLED DOWN on everything they learned in Yes Engines. And made more than they ever did before…

“Everything Clicked Into Place”

Before I share their results, let’s talk about how Yes Engines helped Adam and Livia make 2016 their most successful year yet…

And it has to do with the STRATEGIC content you give away before you sell anything online.

Look, it’s no secret:

When you want to create – and sell – something online, the process is simple: you give away some content, and then you sell something.

You see everyone do it. Sometimes they do it in the form of an email series, other times a webinar. And you see me do it too. Heck, maybe you’ve even tried to do it yourself.

But how do you know how much to give away? And how do you create content that both delivers value and makes people want what you’re selling?

That’s where the Yes Engines Sales System comes into play.

Yes, the process is still the same – the content we give away is called the Preview and the sales pitch is called The Offer – but how we created the content is much different.

You see, there’s a proven step-by-step system for creating this content. And there’s a “plug and play” sales pitch template that you can follow as well…

…and believe it or not, this can help you create a Yes Engines Email Sales System, a Yes Engines Webinar Sales System, a Yes Engines Video Launch Sales System, and a Yes Engines One-On-One Sales System.

In Adam and Livia’s case, they created an Email Series and it worked like magic.

“After I watched Module 3, I got multiple A-ha! moments at once about how it all fits together. How the interviews inform the preview content, which set up the sales page content. Then I finally saw it as a system, everything clicked into place. That’s when I could first write preview content that made sense – I knew where it was leading, I knew where its place was in the system.”

And because they understood the system, they could do it again, and again, and again, to make 2016 their most successful year yet.

Here are their results:

2 Courses, 5 Launches, and
$60,000 in Revenue

Because they had built their business on the Yes Engines system, overall they still made 32% more than in the previous year.

How?

They created two more products… And did a total of 5 launches following the Yes Engines blueprint:

“And that’s because during the time we did work, we created two new Yes Engines-based courses, had a total of five launches, and they brought in close to $60,000.”

That’s impressive enough. But there’s one thing I still haven’t told you about Adam & Livia’s story…

2016 was an intense year for them, in a pleasant but also in challenging way:

They moved 1,500 miles from Hungary to the UK!

I imagine they could have never done it, if they were still living on the average Hungarian salary of $500/month…

(The most impressive fact to me: Because of the move, they didn’t have a fast internet connection for 3 months. I have no idea how they survived

And yet:

“The bottom line is Yes Engines revenue grew 150% in 2016, making our Yes Engines products account for 80% of our total company revenue.”

For Adam & Livia this was a huge milestone. They finally achieved what they’d always worked for:

To live and work on their own terms.

“The Best Investment
We’ve Ever Made as a Business”

What a story!

It shows you what’s possible when you invest in a proven system, trust that it will work, and simply follow each step.

That’s what Adam and Livia did. And that’s why they say Yes Engines was the best investment they’ve ever made in their business:

“It’s the best investment we ever made as a business. It was also the most intense and most complex training that I had ever done. But it was all worth it.”

Now, as I mentioned, Yes Engines enrollment is closed, but it opens on Monday.

from
http://feeds.socialtriggers.com/~r/SocialTriggers/~3/rAnOWkX5PrQ/

20 Ways to Be Just Another Mediocre Blogger Nobody Gives a Crap About

A troubling thought, isn’t it?

You’re slaving away at your blog, but you can’t help wondering if you have a shot in hell of getting anyone to read it.

What makes you any different from the millions of other bloggers hoping for attention?

You’re all doing the same stuff. Cranking out posts, messing around on Twitter and Facebook, leaving comments on popular blogs — you know, the usual.

But nobody gives a crap. Readers have seen it all before. You’re not offering anything new, so why should they hang around?

Good question. And the problem is, you don’t really have an answer.

Most of the time, you feel like you’re stumbling around in the dark. You can’t tell what’s working and what’s not. It feels like a big, never-ending guessing game.

Maybe you came here to find some answers. Maybe you’re hoping I’ll tell you what to do.

But I won’t.

Not because I don’t want to, but because sometimes you can’t understand what to do until you first understand what NOT to do. So, let’s start there.

Here’s a big, fat list of ways to be a mediocre blogger. How many are you guilty of?

1. Tell Stories

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People love stories, but that doesn’t mean you should tell any. Here’s why: telling a boring story is worse than not telling any stories at all, and unless you’re trained in storytelling, yours are pretty much guaranteed to be boring.

If you doubt me, go to a bar and tell a story to someone in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear. If everybody in the bar stops talking to listen to you, you’re a good storyteller. If they don’t, you suck.

And almost everybody sucks.

2. Be “True to Yourself”

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Let me guess. Tried-and-true marketing techniques just don’t feel right to you, so you’re scrapping it all in the name of authenticity?

Well, I’ll be damned. I must be psychic!

No, the truth is everyone feels that way in the beginning, and everyone has to do it anyway. To get good at something, first you have to follow proven techniques and screw it all up, and then you learn, and then you follow proven techniques and do it correctly, and then one day, when you’ve been doing it a long time, and you’re a freaking master, you invent your own techniques. Promoting your work is the same process as learning to play the piano.

If it feels inauthentic, it’s not because there’s something wrong with the technique. It’s because you’re doing it wrong, and you need to keep practicing.

3. Build Your Twitter / Facebook / Google+ / Pinterest / LinkedIn Following First

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Here’s your thinking: the reason you’re not getting any traffic is because first you need to build your following on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn, or [ insert your social network here ]. Once you start getting some traction, then you can promote your blog, and the traffic will start flowing free and easy.

Heh. Wrong.

Yes, social networking is important, but you know what’s even more important? Focus.

By dividing your attention between so many different places, you’re pretty much guaranteeing you won’t do any of them well.

My advice: ignore social networks entirely in the beginning. Wait until you have 1,000 blog subscribers before you even think about building up a following somewhere else.

(And if you want to know how to get that first 1,000 without spending a nanosecond on Facebook or Twitter — here’s a clue.)

4. Write Short Posts

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In my opinion, no beginning blogger should be publishing anything under 1,000 words. And really, 2,000 words should be your goal.

Why?

Three reasons:

1. Readers perceive long content to be more valuable. They’re more likely to bookmark it, share it, and link to it.
2. Most other bloggers are too lazy to write long content. If you’re willing to put in the effort, you’ll stand out.
3. There’s some good evidence that Google prefers long form content. And giving Google what it wants is smart.

The bottom line: stop writing short posts. Or at least intersperse them with much longer content.

5. Give Common Sense Advice

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Do you believe in preaching good old-fashioned common sense?

If so, I worry about your chances, because common sense is boring. Readers have already heard it so many times they tune out the minute they even catch a whiff of conventional wisdom.

“But… but… common sense is what they need!” you say. My response: it doesn’t matter. If nobody is paying attention to you, you can spout all the truth in the world, and it won’t do anybody any good. So, stop writing posts that make people want to stop listening.

6. Insist on Originality

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The opposite of common sense is also dangerous.

Some writers also get so obsessed with being original that they become incapable of ever publishing anything. And when they do happen to stumble across an original idea, it’s so strange and foreign to the reader that they can’t even follow it.

The better approach: find ways to approach old topics from fresh angles. It’s a lot easier, and it’s a lot less risky.

7. Be Polite

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Do you hold back from asking influencers for links because you’re worried about bugging them? Or worse, do you hold back giving your readers the truth because you don’t want to offend them?

Well, newsflash: real bloggers fight for their ideas. There’s no need to be obnoxious, but you can’t go around squeaking out requests for help and dancing around hard truths.

You have to demand attention. You have to take stands. You have to be totally and utterly shameless.

The world already has enough cowards. So please, don’t be another one.

8. Write “When You Can”

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For a lot of people, finding time to write is like packing a suitcase.

You put in all the important things first, close it to see if everything fits, stuff in more things, check it again, and so on and so on until there’s no more room. Whatever doesn’t fit gets left behind.

In life, those “important things” that get scheduled first are your job and family. If you have any room left, you stuff in friends and relaxation and whatnot. And then, at the very end of the list, you have your writing.

Because it’s the last to be scheduled, it almost always gets “left behind.” Not because you want to neglect it, but because your life is already full to bursting, and you just can’t find the space for it.

The solution: schedule it first, not last. Make it one of the “important things” you put in the suitcase first. Believing you’ll find time for it otherwise is just delusional.

9. Worry About SEO

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Speaking of delusional…

Lots of people see blogging as a way to get search engine traffic. Find a keyword you want to rank for, publish a post around it, and a few months later, you’ll have all the traffic you can handle.

Right?

Wrong.

Getting search engine traffic isn’t about keywords. It’s not even about blog posts. It’s about creating something so amazing everyone talks about it and links to it.

So do that. You can worry about SEO later.

10. Start Multiple Blogs

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In my opinion, it’s pretty much impossible to build a popular blog in less than 10 hours a week. If you want to grow quickly, tack on an additional 10.

Say you have two blogs. 2 X 20 = 40 hours a week of work to grow both of them quickly.

Are you willing to dedicate that kind of time? Do you even have that much extra time in your week?

If not, pick the blog that’s most important to you and jettison the rest.

Otherwise, you’re not blogging. You’re just dabbling.

11. Search for the Perfect Domain Name

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Blogs are like living things. They evolve. Even if you found the perfect domain name today, you would hate it a year from now, because the focus of your blog will change.

The better solution: pick a domain name that’s good enough and go with it. Sure, changing it later is a headache, but never having a blog because you’re such a damn perfectionist is an even bigger headache.

Pick it. Register it (affiliate link). Move on.

12. Show the World How Clever You Are

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Got a clever domain name? A clever headline? A clever post?

You’re probably pretty tickled with yourself, right?

Well, I hate to break it to you, but cleverness almost always backfires. People won’t get it. Sure, they would understand if they spent a few minutes thinking about it, but they’re in a hurry, and there are a gazillion other blog posts to read that don’t require so much thought.

Instead, be clear. Don’t make people figure it out. They’ll reward you by coming back.

13. Try to Be Seth Godin

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Every once in a while, I’ll give a student some advice, and they’ll respond with, “But that’s not what Seth Godin does!”

*strangles student*

Think of it like this. Let’s say you like to play a little US football.

If I handed you a helmet right now and pushed you into the middle of a professional game, how do you think you would do?

I’ll tell you how you would do: you would get your ass handed to you. Those guys are genetic freaks who have prepared their entire lives to do battle with other genetic freaks. You’ll never be able to do what they do, no matter how hard you try. In fact, even trying could be deadly.

It’s the same thing with Seth. He’s the blogging equivalent of a 350-pound lineman who can run a mile in under 4 minutes. In other words, he’s so freakishly talented he can do things nobody else can.

So, stop trying to copy him. You don’t have his kind of talent, and if you did, you wouldn’t want to copy him anyway. The whole thing is just silly.

14. Wait Until You’re in the Right Frame of Mind

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This one is so tempting.

You’re feeling tired or frustrated or [ insert your negative emotions here ], and you think, “I’ll never be able to write like this. I’ll just stop and come back when I’m in a better frame of mind.”

The truth?

You’re procrastinating. You’re scared of how difficult it is to express your thoughts, and you’re using your emotions as an excuse to quit.

It’s understandable, but that’s not what good writers do. Good writers write.

It doesn’t matter if they are tired. It doesn’t matter if they are going through a divorce. It doesn’t matter if their kids are screaming. It doesn’t matter if they’re sick and dying in the hospital. It doesn’t matter if terrorists drop a nuclear bomb on their hometown.

They write. End of story.

15. Agonize over Your WordPress Theme

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It’s the same issue as searching for the perfect domain. You’ll never find it, and even if you do, you’ll hate it later. So, pick something good enough and get on with your business.

You have 15 minutes. Go.

16. Wait Until [ Insert Freelancer Here ] Can Help You

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Are you waiting for a graphic designer or programmer or copywriter or WordPress specialist to help you with something?

Well, stop. If you’re ever going to get anything done, you have to refuse to wait for anyone. Ever.

A lot of times that means doing without. You might have to give up your fancy theme modifications or custom logo or WordPress plugin. Sure, they would be useful, but do you really need them?

No. You need to get off your lazy butt and stop procrastinating.

17. Use Free (Or Cheap) Hosting for Your Blog

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Can you get by with it?

Sure.

Should you get by with it?

Not if you can help it. Here’s why:

At some point in the future, you’re going to have a problem with your blog. It’ll get hacked or slow down or just disappear mysteriously, and you won’t know what to do.

If you have a free or cheap host, you’ll be on your own, and you’ll waste days or even weeks trying to figure it out. At the end of it all, you’ll realize how foolish you were to skimp on hosting and move to a premium host like WP Engine (affiliate link) who fixes stuff for you when it breaks.

Or you can be smart and just do it now. The choice is yours.

18. Build Your Rss Subscriber List

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You didn’t get the memo? RSS is on life support, and it’ll die any day now.

Smart bloggers stopped depending on it a long time ago. Instead, we get our readers to subscribe via email.

So should you.

19. Publish Great Content — in the Wrong Place

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Is great content important?

Sure.

Should you create as much of it as you can?

Absolutely.

But should you publish it on your own blog right now?

Probably not.

To explain why, imagine if Martin Luther King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech to an empty room. It’s one of the greatest speeches in history, no doubt, but without an audience, without anyone to hear it and spread the word, it loses power.

Great content works the same way. Before you have an audience, publishing it on your own blog is a waste of time.

You’re better off publishing it as a guest post instead. Borrow a blog that already has a huge audience and use it to funnel those readers into your list.

Then, once you have a small group of dedicated followers, really ramp up the content on your blog. Just not before.

20. Give Up

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After reading through all these mistakes, you might feel like, “Well, damn. I’m just a screw-up. I might as well quit.”

But you shouldn’t. Here’s why:

We’re all screw-ups.

In my first three years, I made every mistake on this list. Every single one.

Not only did all my blogs fail, but I was banned by Google, my first guest post was rejected by Copyblogger, and I got so carried away bragging about my interview with Seth Godin he had to ask me to stop. Looking back, it’s horrifying how many mistakes I made.

But I’m still here.

I learned from each failure. I got advice from smart people. I mastered the craft.

Listen to other popular bloggers, and you’ll hear the same story. Over and over and over again.

It’s not a coincidence. That’s how success happens. You live and learn.

If you’re guilty of some of these mistakes, it just means you’re still in the beginning stages of the journey. Take your licks, do your best to learn from them, and never, ever lose faith in yourself.

You really can do this.

There’s nothing wrong with you.

Just.

Keep.

Going.

About the Author: Jon Morrow is the CEO of Smart Blogger. Check out his new blog Unstoppable and read the launch post that went viral: 7 Life Lessons from a Guy Who Can’t Move Anything but His Face.

from
https://smartblogger.com/mediocre-blogger/

How to Optimize Your Blog for Success

Is your blog accomplishing the goals you’ve set for growing your business?

Do you ever feel like you are just floundering as you work on your blog?

In this episode, I will walk you through a step by step plan for how to optimize your blog for success.

The Problem with Most Blogs

When I first started blogging, it was about freebie websites. Then, I evolved into teaching about blogging.

Number one problem – we don’t think clearly about our business goals

Over the years, I’ve made many changes to the content and structure of this blog. This blog is all about blogging (how meta is that).

With all of that, I’ve come to an interesting realization – My blog is not optimized for success.

This is a problem that I think most bloggers face.

We create content, create more content, add it to previous content, and continue plowing ahead.

The problem is that we don’t think clearly about our business goals. This is reflected in the structure of our blogs.

The end result is that we end up with no clear path. And if there’s no clear path, everyone wastes time and energy.

But from this point on, it’s gonna be different. Because you’re gonna listen to this episode.

Before You Optimize Your Blog

In order to really optimize your blog, you need to answer the following questions first:

1. What is your primary goal?
2. What is the clearest path to accomplishing that goal?
3. What are your secondary goals?
4. What are the clearest paths to accomplishing those goals?

Determine Your Business Goals to Have a Clearer Path for Your Business

Generally speaking, if you’re blogging as a business, your primary goal is to make sales.

This may be sales of your own product, an affiliate product, a service etc.

If that is the case, the clearest path is usually some variation of the following:

1. Someone finds a link to your site. The title is compelling enough that they decide to click through.
2. They consume your content and find value in it.
3. While consuming that content (or after), they see that you have a highly-relevant resource freely available.
4. They opt in to get access to that resource.
5. You follow up with content that helps them solve a specific, highly relevant problem.
6. It becomes clear that the next logical step is for them to make a purchase.
7. They buy.
8. You say Cha-ching while pumping your fist (and smiling).

ANY distraction from that path makes your goal less likely.

The Distractions

Here are just a few things that tend to be distractions:

• Your content is hard to find
• It’s hard to determine what your blog (or content) is about.
• Irrelevant content on your blog
• Banner ads
• They have to work too hard to find the next step

Let’s walk through the steps that will help you minimize the distractions and accomplish your goals faster.

How to Optimize Your Blog for Success

IMPORTANT: Before we go into the steps, there’s something I want you to understand. The things I lay out are what I consider to be ideal. However, no situation is perfect. Don’t beat yourself up if you aren’t doing every step.

Choose a Blog Name That Makes Sense

The name of this blog is Become a Blogger. Before doing anything else, you already have somewhat of an idea of what the blog is about. I teach you how to become a blogger.

Choose a name that communicates the value of your blog. Make your tagline clear.

If possible, choose a name that communicates the value of your blog. Now, this won’t always be possible, and it’s definitely not a deal-breaker.

There are MANY successful blogs out there with made up names, and even blogs that use the name of the author.

Have a Tagline That Clearly States What Your Blog Is About

Whether or not your blog name communicates the purpose of your blog, you can always do that in your tagline.

Make this clear and your blog visitors will instantly understand your blog’s purpose.

Install the Yoast SEO Plugin and Get Familiar with How to Optimize Each Post

Yoast – Recommended tool for bloggers using WordPress

When Google is your friend, you are a happy camper. The search engine can send you lots of traffic on a daily basis.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can be a very tricky thing, but the best tool out there for bloggers who use WordPress is the Yoast SEO plugin.

If you aren’t using it, install it, familiarize yourself with how it works, and use it to optimize all of your content.

You can also use it to optimize some basic social options like adding your Facebook Open Graph data, Twitter card data.

Install a Social Sharing Plugin

Social media is a great way for people to discover content

Do you spend time on social media (rhetorical question). Of course you do. And so do most of the people in your audience.

Social media is a great way for people to discover content, including yours.

Make sure your blog is optimized for social sharing using a social sharing plugin. The only one I recommend at the moment is Social Warfare.

I do that because it does a great job of helping you take control of how your content is shared on social media.

You can customize which images show on which social network, the copy in the tweets, and other details.

The have a free basic version and a premium version. If you can afford it, go with the premium.

Choose a Conversion-focused Theme

Choose a theme that is optimized for getting people to take action.

This is something I’m starting to emphasize more. There are many WordPress themes out there.

However, there are some that are optimized for getting people to take action.

An example of conversion-focused themes is ThriveThemes. It comes with all kinds of built-in features to help you get your blog visitors to opt in to your email list.

Their themes come pre-built with all kinds of fancy forms, call-to-action buttons and other features to get people to take action.

However, even if you don’t have a conversion-focused theme, you can always use tools like OptinMonster or ThriveLeads to add forms, popups, etc to your site.

At a bare minimum, create attractive forms using your email marketing service and add them to strategic locations on your blog (more on this later).

Create a Lead Magnet

The lead magnet must be highly relevant to the experience your audience are having while on your blog.

A lead magnet is a resource that you create to incentivize people to join your email list.

In order for it to be effective, it must be highly relevant to the experience they are having while on your blog.

Great lead magnets solve a specific problem. Fortunately, they don’t have to be complicated. It can be a simple one-page PDF.

Make the Opt in a Prominent Feature of Your Blog

Now that you have your awesome lead magnet, it’s time to make it very obvious that getting it is the next logical step. Here are some ways to do that.

1. Rework your home page. This will probably be the one of the highest trafficked page on your site. Instead of just letting it show your most recent posts, make the opt in the focus. You can also highlight a few other actions they can take that would be most helpful.
2. 

   Place an opt in form in strategic locations in your blog.

   Place an opt in form in strategic locations like at the top of the sidebar, within your content, at the bottom of your posts, pages, and blog. The psychology here is that if they are consuming your content, they are being primed to take the next logical step. This step must be obvious.

3. Phrase your resource as a solution to a problem, not a benefit. People will be more likely to take action to solve pain points than to gain some benefit.
4. If possible, get a nice cover graphic. Visuals matter.

Optimizing the Follow Up

When someone opts in, they are saying “I’m interested”. However, they can easily fall by the wayside or get turned off.

It is important to have a follow up sequence that nurtures them by:

1. Providing tons of value
2. Giving quick wins
3. Exposes them to the next logical step (hint: to buy something)

Dealing with Secondary Goals

Once you’ve made your primary goal clear, it’s time to focus on your secondary goals.

Start by choosing one secondary goal (i.e. joining your Facebook group, making an affiliate sale, etc).

Once you’ve identified that goal, follow a similar procedure to determine the next logical step your blog reader can make to get closer to that goal.

Make that next logical step VERY clear/obvious.

Ruthless Elimination

Once you have determined your goals and are in the process of optimizing your blog, it’s important to do something that may seem painful.

Analyse every element of your blog and ask yourself the following questions: How does this element help my blog reader take the next logical step that brings them closer to the goal.

If it doesn’t, ruthlessly eliminate it. I know it sounds painful, but by making the path more clear, you’ll be doing your visitors a great service.

How to Decide on Exceptions: Cost-benefit Analysis

Ok, so that was the theory behind having a perfectly optimized blog. However, no blog is perfect.

In fact, it can be very beneficial to make exceptions to the guidelines I covered in this episode.

Some distractions can be worth it.

For example, if you have enough traffic, you may be able to justify the distraction of having ads, because it brings in revenue to help you serve your audience better.

Do a cost-benefit analysis and make decisions on a case by case basis.

A Few Miscellaneous Points

There are two other things I want to mention that can help you optimize your blog:

1. Optimize your about page. This is another high-traffic page on your site and you should not waste the opportunity. Make sure to capture your reader’s attention immediately and then make the next logical step VERY clear (the opt in).
2. Make it easy to contact you. In some cases, that blog reader may need additional convincing by being able to contact you directly. Make it clear how they can do that.

Let’s end on a question

What ONE thing will you do to optimize your blog a little more? Let me know in the comments area below.

Resources Mentioned

• Yoast SEO plugin – recommended SEO tool for bloggers
• Social Warfare – recommended tool for optimizing social sharing
• ThriveThemes – conversion-focused blog theme
• Tools to help put up pop-ups and add forms to your blog:
  • OptinMonster 
  • ThriveLeads

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The 7 Fatal Mistakes People Make Selling Stuff Online

When an entrepreneur asked Mark Cuban about the secret to success in business, he fired back:

“Sales cure all.”

And he’s 100% right.

More sales means more revenue. And more revenue means you can do what you love and make a great living doing it. You no longer need to count the pennies in the couch before you make a decision.

The problem is, people often make HUGE mistakes in their quest for generating more sales…

…and I’ll reveal each of them today.

Here’s Why You Must Fix Each Of These Mistakes Today

I’m Derek Halpern, and I’m the founder of Social Triggers.

You’re here because you heard I can help you sell more, at higher prices, without ever feeling salesy.

And I can. Especially when I show you how to eliminate each of these seven deadly sales mistakes.

But don’t take my word for it…

One of my flagship training courses is known as Yes Engines, and it’s THE course for business owners who want to learn how to sell.

It’s not for sale right now, but here are the exact words from people who took the training:

“Using just the first module of the course, my wife and I landed a premium
client and sold them a $1000 coaching package, earning half the price of
the course right away.” – Adam Dobay

“After applying just the first module, I got 6 out of 6 of my next client
conversations to buy! Our conversion rate is now closer to 3 out of 4
clients per prospect call.” – Stephanie Clairmont

“After making these small changes, we basically did 11 or 12 grand
overnight, and woke up to emails of people buying…” – Daniel Daines Hutt

Now of course, these results aren’t typical. I’m only sharing them because I want to you show you one thing:

I’d rather not talk about myself and my own success, like so many other “gurus” out there. I’d rather highlight the success I’ve helped OTHER people achieve.

And that’s what makes me different.

Sure, I live in a fancy NYC apartment, with a doorman, a maid, and other cool stuff. I also work from home in my sweatpants. But the fact that I did all that for myself doesn’t necessarily mean I can help other people do it.

But the case studies that I’ll share in the next week, on the other hand, show you, “Yes, Derek can help other people too.”

That said, let’s jump into the 7 deadly sales mistakes…

Deadly Sales Mistake #1: Blame The Prospect (better known as “Bye Felipe”)

Have you ever heard the expression, “Bye Felipe?”

If not, I’ll explain. There’s a viral Instagram account known as Bye Felipe. And on it, it features conversations between men and women.

Not just any conversations though…

Apparently, when some childish, misogynist men approach women on an online dating site, and get rejected, they get hostile.

Instead of blaming themselves for saying the wrong thing, they blame the women.

So dumb.

And while we can clearly see how dumb this is, the sad truth is, business owners make the same “Bye Felipe” mistake when they sell.

Instead of looking at how they sell their products and services, they often BLAME THE PROSPECT for not buying.

And that’s the FIRST deadly sales mistake.

You see, they say things like:

“Well, they really should have bought, but they just don’t understand!
They’re so dumb.”

“It’s not my product. They just lack confidence in themselves. That’s why
they didn’t buy!”

“They need this. They just don’t realize it. Some day they will be smart
enough to realize it!”

And sure, when we break it down, all of these things may be true…

…But it doesn’t matter.

When people don’t buy what you sell, even when what you’re selling can change their lives, it’s YOUR FAULT.

It means you didn’t make them trust you.

It means you didn’t accurately describe the benefits of what you’re selling.

It means you didn’t properly address all of their fears and concerns in your sales pitch.

And while this may be a tough pill to swallow, it’s actually kind of freeing.

When you blame yourself instead of the prospect, that gives YOU the power to make the sale on YOUR terms.

And when you know the Yes Engines system for how to do it, it’s something you can do over and over again.

But more on the Yes Engines sales system later.

Over the next few days I’ll reveal more about how to make people buy, but for now, let’s go to the next deadly sales mistake.

Deadly Sales Mistake #2: Using Gimmicks And Tricks To Make The Sale

If you’ve seen my videos, you know that I hate discounting. It eats your profits and ruins growth.

I once had another entrepreneur call me out for this. He said:

“What a load of bollocks… do what I did… DOUBLE the cost of your
service and advertise it on your website at the inflated price. Then sell it on
Groupon for 50% off. We sold 800 units!”

First, let’s talk about the big elephant in the room.

I got called an idiot because another entrepreneur thinks LYING to their customers is a good idea.

But that’s not even the main point.

What happens when those 800 people realize they were lied to? Do you think there’s ANY CHANCE they’ll EVER go back to your business?

No way.

Smart business owners know that it’s never about the first sale. It’s always about the first sale… and the sale after that… and the sale after that.

Even if you’re in a business that’s traditionally a one-and-done sale — like wedding photos — you’ll never generate any word-of-mouth by using these types of gimmicks.

And that’s why you should NEVER use them.

There are better ways to convert people into paying customers. You don’t have to compromise your integrity or trick people.

This is something I cover extensively inside Yes Engines. And I’ve tested it in my own business and my clients’ businesses too.

As an example, you might have heard that scarcity helps you sell more, so you think, “well, I’ll just artificially limit the number I can sell! Yea! Scarcity!”

But that’s a gimmick too.

Don’t do it. And I’ll show you what to do instead. For now, moving on…

Deadly Sales Mistake #3: Selling What You Want (Not What The Customer Wants)

When I ask business owners to tell me what they’d like to sell, they almost always lead with, “I want to sell…”

Well, here’s a little “inside information” that I’m passing on to you because you’re reading this:

When you talk about what you want to sell, you already failed.

One of the main tenants of the Yes Engines sales system is that it’s NEVER about what YOU want to sell. It’s about what your prospects want to buy.

I first stumbled on this idea in an almost 100-year-old book by a direct mail advertising guy named Robert Collier.

In it, he told the story of The Book of Etiquette. And how this book did nothing but gather dust on the shelves of some stock room.

Until one day, this guy named Nelson Doubleday brought it to life and sold a million copies.

How?

As Collier put it:

“Not, you may be sure, any wave of culture or politeness sweeping over
the nation, but simply the fear aroused in the readers of Doubleday’s
letters and advertisements that some unconscious gaucherie might cause
them embarrassment.”

It was all in how Doubleday sold the book.

Instead of promising people a “Book of Etiquette,” he’d tell a story with a headline like:

“Why I cried after the ceremony”

“Why they all laughed at me”

“Why she blushed with shame”

And then the book flew off the shelves.

Why?

Because no one wakes up and thinks, “I sure need some more etiquette in my life.” But everyone wants to avoid embarrassment…

…and Doubleday showed people how The Book of Etiquette accomplished just that.

And that’s the secret.

Stop selling what you want to sell.

Start selling what people want, and show them how they can get it when they buy your product.

Now of course there are specific strategies for this. Some of which I’ll reveal soon. But moving on…

Deadly Sales Mistake #4: Treat All Prospects The Same

When you’re looking to persuade someone to buy, the reality is, they have all sorts of problems and objections that prevent them from buying from you.

Now, you know it’s up to you to persuade them — after all, you can’t blame the prospect — but that doesn’t change the facts.

Some people DO lack confidence, some people DO procrastinate, and it’s your job to help them overcome these issues.

Here’s the problem…

When you’re dealing with someone who lacks confidence in themselves, you would say something different than when you’re dealing with someone who lacks confidence in you.

And the reality is, most people who start selling their products and services for the first time — especially online — don’t do this.

They just talk to everyone as if they’re the same person and that’s a HUGE MISTAKE.

You see, you will encounter people in your business who should buy, could buy, but for whatever reason, aren’t buying because of some little hang up.

I call these people The Sideliners.

(They’re on the sidelines between “buying” and “not buying.”)

And in my experience, the reason why they’re not buying is one (or all) of these 4 reasons:

They don’t care enough.
They’re skeptical of you.
They’re worried about their own abilities.
They’re procrastinating.

As you might expect, addressing each of these concerns requires you to talk differently.

This is tough when you’re selling online — where it’s a one-to-many sales scenario — but it’s not impossible.

I show you what to do inside Yes Engines and in the remainder of this free series on selling.

So keep reading…

Deadly Sales Mistake #5: “My Work Speaks For Itself”

People actually believe this. And every time I hear someone say it, I want to run around and hit my head against hard things.

Because I’ve done the research. The same people who say it are having a hard time showing people why they should buy what they’re selling. Here’s an example:

“I am a professional photographer and my work speaks for itself, but when
I open my mouth I have a hard time closing the sale! Those that I have
worked with, however, LOVE the product and experience.”

Interesting, right?

Some people buy and love it, but what about the rest of the people?

Why is it so hard to encourage people to buy what you sell if what you’re selling is so great?

When Ralph Waldo Emerson said:

“Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door.”

He was right… but he said that a century ago!

The world has changed.

Now you need a better mousetrap, and you need the ability to show people why it’s better, why it’s important to start using your mousetrap now (instead of the other mousetraps), and why they’re crazy for not using it.

If you JUST create an awesome product, or offer great services, and leave it up to your consumers to convince themselves that it’s right for them, sure, you may get some sales. You may even have a profitable business.

So, I understand why people who believe “my work speaks for itself” believe it.

But how many bad products do you see selling well? That’s because having a great product is only one part of the equation.

The next part of the equation is the ability to sell that product. In my experience, having a great product and selling it well has a 1 + 1 = 3 effect on your business.

You may be confident in your ability, but there are people out there who aren’t.

Let’s say you’re selling a fitness product. Everyone knows there are people who know they should exercise more, but for whatever reason they don’t.

Why not?

Because they might have a psychological block. They might think, “I’m not the type of person who can exercise. I’m just unhealthy and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Deep down, you know they’re wrong. You know exercising could potentially help them. You can tell them that until you’re blue in the face, but it’s not going to do anything to move them to take action.

And that’s why you’d be an idiot for “letting your work speak for itself.”

Now this doesn’t mean you have to be one of those snake oil salesmen. There is a GREAT way to sell (without being salesy).

And it’s something I reveal in detail in my training called Yes Engines.

But let’s talk about the next mistake…

Deadly Sales Mistake #6: The “Surprise” Product Launch

Let me paint a picture for you:

You work on putting together a new course that you want to sell. You make all the finishing touches, and you’re proud of your work.

So, you fire off an email to your email list (or post on social media)…

“Hey everyone, I’m so excited! I Just put together this new product and you
should buy it right here!

Now I know you probably won’t write those exact words. But the point is that you work on a product, and then when it’s time to announce it, you just announce it.

Be honest:

Have you ever done this?

Yes, right?

Well, here’s the problem:

This is a BIG mistake. Selling successfully is about building anticipation as much as it’s about delivering a great product.

You have to make people want what you’re selling BEFORE you start selling it.

You have to address the Sideliners so that when you do finally announce your product or service, they’re ready to buy.

And when you do it the right way, you can create a FLOOD of sales you would have never have seen otherwise.

Now this doesn’t mean you should HYPE your stuff up.

But you do need to tell people something is coming BEFORE it’s coming, so that they can begin thinking about whether or not what you plan on selling is right for them.

Heck, look at this ebook. I’m giving you valuable advice, and I know you’re digging it because you’re reading this sentence right now, but you might also notice that I plugged the fact that I have an in-depth course on selling called Yes Engines.

It’s not for sale right now, but I’m sure you know it’s coming. And that means I’m doing my job the right way.

Now of course you can’t just share “ANYTHING.” There’s a specific formula to follow when building anticipation for the product you’re about to release…

…and that is something I’ll cover more in this series and inside the training course Yes Engines.

For now, let’s move to the last deadly sales mistake.

Deadly Sales Mistake #7: Ignoring Your Sales Process

Believe it or not, there are some people who ignore learning how to sell. They say, “Well, That’s just not me,” and they bury their heads in the ground.

But this is a mistake. A BIG mistake.

I’ve been building businesses online for the last 10 years.

And over time, I’ve seen people start businesses, get successful, and then fade away.

Why?

Some people get early success, and then they stop learning.

They think they don’t need to consistently invest in themselves (or their businesses), and they use their current success as justification.

But what they don’t realize is that they’re starting on a path towards disaster.

Today, the people and companies that do well — and keep doing well — focus on creating great products and services…

…and they have great salesmanship to match.

That’s how you get the 1 + 1 = 3 effect on your business.

And the reality is this:

No matter what stage of business you’re in, you MUST learn how to sell.

It’s an urgent need.

As I said to start this little ebook off, Mark Cuban said, “Sales cure all,” and he’s right.

Each month, my email marketing bill costs around $4,000.

YES, AROUND $4,000 JUST TO SEND EMAIL TO YOU.

That’s why I laugh when I see people complain about the $15 per month a company like AWeber charges.

You see, you wouldn’t be looking to save $15 per month if you had sales coming in. That $15 per month won’t even be on your radar.

Just run the numbers…

What if you pick up a new way to approach selling in your business… and you land an extra sale, or two, or three?

If you’re selling expensive web designs that cost $5,000 or more, learning to sell can literally pay for itself.

And in some cases, that’s exactly what happened.

Here’s a quote from a Yes Engines member:

“After only applying a handful of Yes Engines techniques, one prospect I
was talking to signed up for my most expensive program. In other words,
this course paid for itself!”

Now, Yes Engines isn’t for sale right now.

But you need to make a commitment to yourself. If you plan on building a successful business, “selling” isn’t something you learn later. It’s something you learn right now.

You Know My Full Story… But This Is The Secret Behind The Success

I started Social Triggers in 2011. And within 5 short years, it turned into a multi-million dollar business.

How?

I believe one of the main reasons why I was able to grow so fast, and so efficiently comes down to one little fact: when I got started, I knew how to sell.

This means, I knew how to attract the right people that wanted to buy. It means I knew how to persuade those people to buy. It means I knew how to bring revenue in the door… and that’s what I did.

And while this is great for me, selling effectively changes lives.

I started my business because I wanted to change lives. But as I mentioned earlier, people have different things holding them back from wanting to change their own lives.

When you know how to sell the right way, you can help people get out of their own way. You can help people make lasting change in their lives…

…and of course, you can be rewarded for it.

So, start by eliminating each of these deadly sales mistakes…

…and keep watching for more emails from me in the coming days.

For now…

I’d like to you leave a comment and share with me one simple thing:

How important is generating more sales and customers to you?

On a scale of 1-10.

How important is it?

And…

What impact would it have on your life and business?

Be honest with yourself.

Over the next week I’ll share with you some things I learned about selling products and services online…

…and some of it may go against everything you may have seen (or learned) before about selling.

I’d like you to keep an open mind, and focus on how it impacts you directly. So, let’s get clear on that right now.

How important is it?

And what kind of impact would it have?

Reply right now.

And look for another email from me soon.

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http://feeds.socialtriggers.com/~r/SocialTriggers/~3/P8Mmnsu9jKk/

How to Create Your Blog Editorial Calendar for 2017 (with Spreadsheet)

How to Create Your Blog Editorial Calendar for 2017

Download my 2017 Blog Editorial Calendar

Do you ever find yourself struggling to come up with content ideas?

When you look back at your content on your blog, does it ever seem kinda random?

In today’s episode, I will walk you through how to create a blog editorial calendar that will help you accomplish your blogging goals.

What is an editorial calendar

An editorial calendar is a calendar where you plan out all of your content for a predefined period of time.

This can be anything from jotting down blog post titles on a sheet of paper and assigning dates to them to creating a complex spreadsheet where you map out your content.

Side note: I took the time to create a 2017 Blog Editorial Calendar spreadsheet. Want it? Sure, no problem!

Click here to get the spreadsheet

Why You Should Create a Blog Editorial Calendar

There are three main reasons I believe that every blogger should consider creating a blog editorial calendar.

An editorial calendar helps you accomplish your business goals.

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Would you try to build a house without a blueprint? I wouldn’t.

You need to have plans to accomplish your business goals.

Yet, so many of us approach blogging that way (myself included). Here’s the thing – if you’re in this blogging thing for real, you’re building a business.

To build a business, you need to have goals. And to accomplish those goals, you need to have a plan.

If one of your goals is to launch a product teaching people how to clean their houses on March 1, you want to create the right kind of content at the right time to prime your audience for buying that product.

A blog editorial calendar will help you do this.

A plan gives you a structure to work within

I know, I know – you’re a rebel blogger. You don’t want structure. Structure is for people who work the 9 to 5. Right?

WRONG!

One of the major misconceptions among creative people is that structure limits creativity. I’ve come to learn over time that this is far from the truth.

When done well, structure can give you a platform on which your creativity can actually flourish.

It doesn’t mean you can go outside of that structure. However, the structure allows you to organize your ideas in ways that can lead to creativity.

Save time and energy coming up with ideas

Plan to save time and energy

Have you ever found yourself struggling to come up with a topic for your post that’s supposed to go live tomorrow?

I know I have, and that’s wasted energy.

Instead of doing that, spend some concentrated time creating a great editorial calendar and then use your energy to create the content.

Because it’s the content that will move the needle and get people to do what you want them to do.

Before creating your blog editorial calendar

Ok, you’re sold. And you’re ready to run out there and create your editorial calendar.

Before doing so, it’s a good idea to do some basic research. The goal here to to figure out what kind of content your audience (or potential audience) is looking for.

Here are three ways to do that, one of which is applicable even if you don’t have an audience.

Way #1 – ASK your audience

Create surveys to ask your audience.

One of the best ways to know what your audience wants is by simply asking them.

I know, it seems simple. It is. And it’s also extremely powerful.

Create a survey and post it on your blog, send it out to your email list, and share it on your social channels.

The most important question to ask on the survey should go something like this:

If you could wave a magic wand and have one problem solved with your [insert niche topic here], what problem would you solve?

This question gets to the heart of the matter. It helps you to understand what your audience is struggling with.

When you understand that, you can step in like superman and save the day. Why?

Because everybody wants to buy from Superman. Duhhh!

Dig into Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a great tool to find out about your audience’s interests.

Google Analytics is a powerful tool. It’s a great way to spy on your audience. It literally shows you everything they do on your site (and you were worried about the N.S.A?).

Here are some of the things you want to find out in Google Analytics:

• What pages/posts are people visiting the most?
• To get to your blog, what are people searching for?
• Once they’re on your blog, what do they search for?

When you know the answers to those questions, you will be in a better position to create the content that is already working well for you.

Listen to the episode and you’ll find out how to find these details in Google Analytics. It can get a little tricky, but it’s worth figuring it out.

Scout through Social Media

Search through Social Media for Blog Topics

A great way to come up with blog topic ideas is by looking at the questions people are asking on social media. This is something you can do even if you don’t have an audience.

Join Facebook groups related to your niche and see what’s being discussed. Do Twitter searches and see what comes up over and over.

Go wherever your audience is and see what the chatter is all about. This will help you come up with content ideas.

How to Create your Blog Editorial Calendar

Once you’ve done your research, putting together your blog editorial calendar is actually not very complicated.

It will take some time, but you’d be surprised to see that you can actually knock it out in one afternoon.

Here are the three steps I recommend:

Step 1: Plan your Themes

When I decided to create an editorial calendar for 2017, I knew I didn’t want to come up with random blog post ideas. I wanted it all to be connected.

In other words, if someone listened to this podcast episode, I want the next episode to be the logical choice to listen to next.

When you sit down to create your editorial calendar, come up with a theme for the year, one for each quarter, and one for each month.

Of course, the monthly themes should make sense in the context of the quarterly themes and the quarterly themes should make sense in the context of the theme for the year.

This will make the next step easier.

Step 2: Brainstorm blog post titles that fit within those themes

Once you know your themes, just start throwing titles out there that fit those themes.

Use ideas that you got from surveying your audience, checking Google Analytics and/or Social Media to come up with those titles.

Once you have your list, arrange them in a order that makes sense to you.

Step 3: Fill out the calendar, one month at a time

This is it. This is where you start plotting things out and giving dates to those content ideas.

It’s where the commitment happens.

When doing this, make sure to pay attention to any holidays that would affect your niche. If valentine’s day is around the corner, my blog post might cover something like “ten ways to show your blog readers that you love them”

Side note: That’s actually a pretty good idea that I just came up with. I’m about to go and revise my editorial calendar

Other things to keep in mind

There are two other points you should keep in mind when creating your editorial calendar.

If there’s a flow to your content, link them to each other strategically.

Link connected pages strategically

Because you went through the process of creating an editorial calendar, there will most likely be a logical flow from one piece of content to the next.

If that’s the case (and I encourage you to make that the case), make it obvious that they are connected by linking them to each other strategically.

This will encourage your readers/listeners/viewers to stay around longer. By doing this, they will be more likely to subscribe to your email list and even buy your product.

And yes – that’s a good thing

It’s ok to change things up a little

Just because you have a structure, it doesn’t mean that you can’t ever deviate from that structure.

Come on! We’re bloggers. We are rebels (somewhat).

Just kidding (not really).

It’s important to allow for your creative juices to flow when they flow. If you feel led in a different direction for a specific blog post, feel free to explore that leading.

Remember, it’s important to have fun, and sometimes that fun comes in spontaneous ways.

Get my FREE 2017 Blog Editorial Calendar Spreadsheet

Ok, so you’re ready to go and create an awesome editorial calendar for 2017.

You have all kinds of amazing ideas on how you can create a great spreadsheet that will allow you to track everything.

Hold up. Take a minute and breath. Slow down speed demon.

I already did the hard work for you. Yep, I created an editorial calendar spreadsheet.

It took me weeks to create and refine and it’s ready for you to use it.

Click Here to Download my 2017 Blog Editorial Calendar

My question for you

Let’s end this bad boy with two questions. Do you use an editorial calendar? If not, will you start? Let me know in the comments area below.

Resources Mentioned

• 2017 Blog Editorial Calendar

Infographic

How to Create Your Blog Editorial Calendar for 2017

The post How to Create Your Blog Editorial Calendar for 2017 (with Spreadsheet) appeared first on Become A Blogger by Leslie Samuel.

from
http://www.becomeablogger.com/24127/blog-editorial-calendar/

The biggest lie you tell yourself (and it keeps you broke, unhappy, and miserable)

When you want to pursue something, there’s a good chance you’re already doing something else.

Maybe you have a full-time job. Maybe have a pack of kids screaming for more candy. Maybe you have a job, kids, AND a sick relative.

Time is TIGHT. And you’re tired. So, you tell yourself, “I can’t do it now… I don’t have the time…”

And I totally get it.

Despite what these other motivational clowns say, “HUSTLE! SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK! SLEEP 4 HOURS A NIGHT” is a fantasy.

You need rest. You need energy. And sure, you can “tough it,” for a short while, but you can’t do the whole “no sleep” thing for any extended period of time.

That said, there’s also one thing you should consider: you may be lying to yourself about how much time you do or do not have.

I know I do…

AND I KNOW BETTER.

Last year I felt like I didn’t have the time for any fun passion projects. All I did was Work. Eat. Sleep.

Sure, I traveled around the world (and that was a blast), but when I was home, Work. Eat. Sleep.

Business was good. Life was good. But…

Work.

Eat.

Sleep.

And I got tired of it.

I had stuff I wanted to do, but I told myself I didn’t have time for any of it.

Or, at least, that’s what I told myself.

It’s funny how that works, right?

There’s something you want to do for fun… for profit… for any reason whatsoever… and you just don’t do it because you don’t have the time.

But is it really true? Do you REALLY not have the time?

I decided to put it to the test…

Out of sheer necessity.

So…

I got a personal trainer, and started going to the gym again.

(And I lost almost 30 pounds).

I signed up for a standup comedy class.

(And I even went to some open mics under a stage name).

I started doing yoga.

(And I used to think Yoga people were weird).

I started taking guitar lessons.

(Because why not?).

And I kept working.

(We launched two new products at Social Triggers).

The funny part?

I felt like I had no time to do anything…

…but I did.

I HAD PLENTY OF TIME.

So, what was the REAL problem?

Well…

I had stuff I wanted to do, but the truth was, I didn’t really know how to get started.

Let’s use standup comedy as an example…

I’ve thought about doing standup comedy for quite some time. I like making people laugh. I like being the center of attention. And I like writing jokes.

So, standup comedy is a natural fit.

I even went so far as to keeping an Evernote document of things I could eventually turn into standup comedy routines.

Look. Here’s a screenshot of when I made it: 5/17/2013.

And I amassed about 200 jokes in this document.

But I never did anything past put together joke ideas.

WHY?

Well…

Jokes ideas were the easy part.

But what else did I need?

I wasn’t sure. I knew I had to write the joke into a routine. I knew I had to practice them in front of a live audience. But HOW? AND WHERE?

I read books. I talked to comedians. But still. WHAT DO I ACTUALLY DO?

“Ah, I don’t have time for this.”

And there it is.

I don’t have time really is code for I don’t know what I’m supposed to do… and I don’t have time to figure it out.

But when I signed up for a class, everything changed.

After I signed up for a class, I did my first open mic within about 2 weeks.

Now, why am I sharing this example?

Well…

I’m betting this might sound eerily familiar.

You’re here because you want to start (and grow) an online business.

That much I know.

Maybe you want to grow your email list.

Maybe you want to generate more sales.

Maybe you want to start a blog.

It doesn’t matter how.

Just like I had a list of joke ideas, I’m sure you have a list of ideas as well.

But how can you make those into a reality?

In my case, the secret was some guided instruction from an expert.

So…

That’s what I’m going to do for you.

Over the next 2 weeks, I’m going to walk you through a simple way to get started with your online business.

(And if you’ve already got one, I’ll show you how to actually grow it!).

But, for now…

Here’s what I want from you:

I’d like you to leave a comment below.

And please share the #1 thing you’re struggling with when it comes to growing this business.

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47 Resources for People Who Love to Write but Can Never Find the Time

Tugs at your soul, doesn’t it?

You love to write. You always have.

But honestly — who has the time?

Not only do you have a job and family and friends, but there are a gazillion tiny distractions popping up on your cell phone 24 hours a day, all interesting, all seemingly important, all keeping you from what you were born to do:

Write.

The good news?

2017 is your year. This year, you’re going to make it happen.

Here’s how:

Put Your Ass in That Chair

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Having the time to write, and using that time to write, are two very different things.

In fact, many people who perceive that they have too little time actually just fail to take advantage of spare time when the opportunity arises.

It doesn’t matter how much time you find for writing if you can’t consistently get your ass in that chair.

So use the following resources to help you to win the motivation game:

1. Mentally prepare yourself for the realities of what’s ahead by reading this letter to beginning writers.
2. Visit the Writer’s Relief blog to get 100 words of encouragement from five different writers who understand what it’s like to struggle.
3. Stick around on the same blog to read more tips on staying motivated to write.
4. Feeling sneaky? Use these 10 tricks to motivate yourself to write.
5. Find your tribe and get fired up by this passionate writing community on Reddit.
6. Or go all-in and take yourself off to a writing retreat.

 

Set a Blazing Fire in Your Belly

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An inspiring goal will cut through procrastination and bullshit like a hot knife through butter.

You’ll wake excited to work. Time will magically appear in your calendar. And finding focus when you sit down to write will be easier than ever.

Conversely, writing time without a clear goal easily becomes wasted time. It’s the writer’s version of busywork — it looks and feels like writing but produces little of value.

The following resources will show you how to create goals that make finding writing time a cinch:

7. Decide whether you’re an “artist author” or a “professional author” and set your goals accordingly.
8. Apply this six-step system for setting writing goals you’ll actually stick to.
9. Or use these 7 questions to help you set meaningful goals as a writer.
10. Find out what best-selling author Seth Godin believes is one of the main goals of a being a writer.
11. Download this handy workbook for the goal-oriented writer that will help define and organize your writing goals.
12. Use these six steps to make sure your goals are grounded in reality.
13. Or use these questions from Prolifiko to validate them.
14. Watch this TED talk about why you might want to keep your goals to yourself.

 

Feed the Body to Fuel the Brain

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How often have you had the time to write but didn’t take advantage of it? Maybe you didn’t feel like writing. You weren’t in the mood for it. It happens sometimes, right?

Well, you can blame it on an absent muse or just accept that your mind doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Your physical state affects your mental state. The body is the vessel for the mind.

If your body feels tired and sluggish, your brain is unlikely to produce its best work. (Which is another great reason for getting up early to write.)

Use these resources to help your body support a focused, creative mind:

15. Discover which are the creativity superfoods in Articulate Marketing’s guide, What writers should eat.
16. Once writing, keep your brain fuelled with the right healthy snacks.
17. Find out what people on Quora believe are the best foods for serious writers.
18. For fun, you could try eating like your favorite authors.
19. If your appetite is still not quelled, check out Jane Hu’s Writer Food From A To Z.
20. See how moving your body could sharpen your mind with this research.
21. Check out this fitness routine for writers.

 

Stop Saying “Yes” to Every Damn Thing

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Let’s face it, many of the tasks and responsibilities that squeeze your writing time get put on your plate by someone else.

And that’s fine — unless you only said “yes” because you couldn’t find a nice way to say “no.”

Because here’s the thing, tasks you begrudge don’t just steal time from your writing, they sap your mojo too.

If you’re serious about finding more time to write, you’ll need to retrain your inner people-pleaser to be less of a pushover and more of an asshole.

Check out these resources to discover how to say “no” without burning too many bridges:

22. Follow these 21 tips from Psych Central for saying no.
23. Use this simple email script to say no to someone (even a good friend) who’s asking for help.
24. Borrow one of these handy phrases for saying no in a way that doesn’t make people regret they asked.
25. Learn how to say “no” in specific scenarios with this guide from Fast Company.
26. Check out 100+ answers to the question “How do I learn to say no?” on Quora.

 

Go Over to the Dark Side

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There’s something magical about starting your work in those dark, early hours when few others are awake.

In fact, getting up early to write feels like unlocking a secret level in your favorite video game. Once you’ve done it, you can’t believe you didn’t discover it sooner.

Not only that, but your writing benefits from a well-rested brain, which does wonders for your focus and creativity. And when the session is over you can start your normal routine smug in the knowledge that you have already met your writing quota for the day.

The following resources will help you release your inner morning person:

27. Discover why waking early is the 1-step plan for super-productivity — and learn exactly how to do it.
28. Review this infographic from Funders and Founders for some handy visual tips about getting up early.
29. Join the 5 a.m. club with the help of this video from best-selling author Robin Sharma.
30. Still need convincing of the benefits of rising early to write? Read a fellow skeptic’s account of her experiment with early morning writing.
31. If you’re a self-confessed night owl, you’ll probably need these quick tips for making early mornings work for you.

 

Embrace the Drudgery

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There is tremendous power in repetition.

Writing habits, routines, and rituals — all create working patterns that make success almost inevitable.

Make yourself a slave to the routine, and the results will follow — or so the theory goes. But many writers can attest to the power of repeated effort marshaled in the right direction.

Of course, you need to repeat the right things — and what works for you may not work for others.

But if you use the following resources to create — or inspire — your habits and routines, you’ll create a system for success:

32. Learn how to build your own writing routine that starts where you are right now.
33. Check out these 16 tools to help you develop a daily writing habit.
34. Read James Clear’s guide to the daily routines of 12 famous writers.
35. Or visualize the working patterns of 26 famous creative people — including Haruki Murakami, Kurt Vonnegut, and Maya Angelou — with this colorful chart.
36. Feeling adventurous? Try one of these strange writing rituals from famous writers like Truman Capote.
37. Read Grammarly’s list of healthy writing habits you can adopt today.

 

Tie Yourself to the Mast

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If you’ve ever tried to stick to a regular exercise routine, you’ll know that getting yourself to the gym is the hardest part. Once there you do the work because, well frankly, hanging around a gym and not exercising is a little creepy.

It’s the same for writers. If you have a dedicated space for your writing, you’ll find it much easier to write once you’re there. (And your brain will start to associate the location with writing, making it quicker to get in the zone.)

That’s why you need to find a place where not writing is harder than writing.

The following resources will help you find your perfect writing spot:

38. Start by reading this list of 22 places to write when you’re tired of writing at home.
39. Find inspiration to fuel your writing by experimenting with these completely unexpected places to discover your muse.
40. Or get inspired by these real-world special spots where successful authors go to write. (Heck, you might even live near one of them.)
41. If leaving home isn’t an option, recreate the soundscape of your local coffee shop using Coffitivity.
42. But wherever you go, be sure not to be seduced by The Myth of the Perfect Writing Environment.

 

Get Your Other Sh*t Done Quicker

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If you really have no space for writing in a typical day, you only have one option.

You need to get your other work done quicker.

Counterintuitive, right? To get more writing done, you need to get better at the non-writing stuff.

Because it’s a zero sum game — less time spent on everything else means more time for writing.

So if you’ve shunned personal productivity in the past, now’s the time to get your house in order.

Check out these resources to discover how to do it:

43. Give yourself a crash course in productivity systems with The Ultimate Guide to Personal Productivity Methods from popular app-maker Todoist.
44. Learn how productivity works with another handy infographic from the folks at Funders and Founders.
45. Watch Marie Forleo talk about prioritizing your tasks and learn her one tip that does it all.
46. Head over to Medium and read Product Hunt’s list of 32 of the Best Productivity Tools You’ll Ever Need.
47. Finally, find out what Quora users think are the ultimate productivity apps.

 

Let’s Make This Your Best Writing Year Yet

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Can you feel it yet?

The gentle pull of destiny.

It’s drawing you toward the work you were born to do — writing words that change people’s lives.

And the more time you spend on your craft, the stronger that pull becomes.

It knows you have something important to say.

It yearns for you to put your ideas out into the world.

It demands that you start taking action.

Just remember, 2017 is your year.

And you now have all the resources you need to succeed.

So, are you ready to make it happen?

About the Author: Glen Long is the managing editor of Smart Blogger. He lives in London with his wife and two young boys (one human, one canine). This year he’s resolved to eat less sugar and play more board games. Catch him on Twitter?

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