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Have you ever read an "About Me" page that looked and felt like an entry in an encyclopedia, or listened to a webinar presenter share a backstory that made you wonder why they were telling you all of this? Now, here's a better question: did you read or listen to the whole thing, or did you get bored and click away from the page partway through? Some bios inspire their audiences to contact you, or encourage them to buy your services. Others attempt to show the company's or presenter's credibility, but are too dry or irrelevant to get... Read More

Another business owner recently asked me, "How do you keep your business profitable?" Today, I'm going to share the answers I gave them: 7 short, sweet tips for staying profitable. Business Profitability Tip #1: Don't stop marketing. Some business owners keep marketing until their schedules are full or their income is at a comfortable level, then they stop. As a result, if one of their clients stops working with them or reduces their purchases, they end up in a financial crisis. Even if you already have as many clients as you need,... Read More

When I receive a proposal for a guest post or evaluate a client's education-based marketing, there's one mistake that will make me say "can't publish, must revise" faster than almost any other. A mistake that wastes your audience's time, and will make you look useless in the eyes of your potential clients. That mistake is saying "learn how to X", "research how to Y", or "figure out how to Z". Why is this type of teaching point so unacceptable? Imagine if you were sitting in math class, and your teacher said, "Now figure out how... Read More

Sometimes, you need to focus for a long period of time without getting distracted or bored. Whether it's writing a blog post, mapping out the content for a group program, finishing a project for a client, or anything else that requires a protracted period of mental concentration, I've found that having pleasant, non-distracting music in the background can be invaluable. It helps me to concentrate, and it makes the task a lot more fun. If you need help to concentrate on your longer and more mentally taxing tasks, here are some of my... Read More

If you're a highly intelligent, educated person, you probably have a special challenge when it comes to making sales. You explain your offering to your client, you tell them what you'll help them do, and you give them a list of the things they'll get... ...but instead of getting as excited as you thought they would, and immediately taking action to purchase a product they obviously need, they go blank-eyed and seem to lose all interest. They might ask you "What does that mean?", give a neutrally polite "that's interesting", or tell... Read More

"‹ When you make a marketing video, are people watching the whole thing, and are they reaching the end of the video with a desire to take the next step? Or are they clicking away and forgetting about it the moment its over or, even worse, giving up on it halfway through and leaving? Today, Im going to share 10 classic mistakes Ive seen people make in their marketing videos, and how to avoid boring your viewers into abandoning your videos. Mistake #1: Not getting to the point IMMEDIATELY. Yes, your animated logo is cool. No,... Read More

Did you know that your best leads and marketing allies are usually your satisfied customers? When someone has used your product or service and loved it, they've a lot more inclined to work with you again, and to recommend you to their friends, than a stranger to your business would be. This is especially important in light of the fact that bringing someone from being a total stranger to becoming a loyal repeat customer and advocate of your business can take a lot of work. You've got to get their attention, hold that attention, earn... Read More

One of the biggest challenges business owners face is finding the time to do everything they need to do - or using some other way to get it done. As my JV partner, Matthew Radin, has commented a few times during our calls, "You have three basic choices: do it yourself, get someone else to do it, or it doesn't get done." Today, I'm going to give you some criteria you can use to determine which option you should take for any given task. Here are the criteria you can use to decide whether to do it, delegate it or delete it. 1. Does... Read More

When you try to raise curiosity in your potential clients, are you actually getting them interested, or just confusing them and turning them off? There's a right way and a wrong way to build curiosity. I recently participated in a #wattpad4 conversation on Twitter , where fiction authors congregate to discuss their craft. While the conversation was focused on fiction books, one of the participants gave a piece of advice that applies very strongly to marketing: "It's crucial that the opening line be CLEAR. Any questions the... Read More

Don't you hate it when you're supposed to write some content for your business, but you just can't figure out what to say in the first few sentences? One of the biggest challenges for a writer is knowing where and how to start. I've noticed this in my capacity both as a marketing copywriter and a novelist - sometimes, the first scene or paragraph is the hardest. This challenge stems partly from the fact that the first sentences are the most important. They're the ones that help your readers to decide whether or not to keep reading,... Read More