The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing™️ Podcast: Recent Episodes
Bobby Klinck
Are you an online entrepreneur who is looking to sell a course, membership, or other digital product? The Certified BADASS Online Marketing™️ Podcast can help. Learn from a renegade-thinking Harvard lawyer turned online entrepreneur as he shares his best tips, tricks, and frameworks to help you build a heart-centered, serve-first kind of business where you'll have raving fans knocking on your door asking to buy. In his no-nonsense way, Bobby Klinck offers the swift kick in the A$$ that you’ll sometimes need to stop thinking—and start getting things done. Find out more at https://bobbyklinck.com/podcasts
My team and I have made a pretty big decision.
We’ve decided to shut down BOM Coaching, the BOM Membership, and BOMU at the beginning of 2023.
This is not a decision we’ve made lightly. It is something I’ve struggled with. But ultimately, it’s a decision that I’ve made for my own sanity and for the sake of my team.
Take a listen to the final episode of the Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast to hear the reasons why we've made this decision and what it looks like for the future of my business.
In the Email Marketing That Doesn’t Suck podcast series, Harvard Law Grad Turned Online Entrepreneur and “email guy” takes a deep dive into all things email for online business owners.
The series is anything but your typical podcast. This isn’t a meandering series of episodes that touch on different topics in a seemingly random path. Instead, this series is built as an audio mini-course to get you started doing email right.
Episode 11: Measuring Success
How do you know if your email is working? This episode cuts through the vanity metrics and gives you the real scoop.
Grab all the resources Bobby mentions and go deeper with email marketing at www.bobbyklinck.com/email
In the Email Marketing That Doesn’t Suck podcast series, Harvard Law Grad Turned Online Entrepreneur and “email guy” takes a deep dive into all things email for online business owners.
The series is anything but your typical podcast. This isn’t a meandering series of episodes that touch on different topics in a seemingly random path. Instead, this series is built as an audio mini-course to get you started doing email right.
Episode 10: Learning and Market Research
Did you know email is a great way to learn about your audience? Give this episode a listen to learn how to do it.
Grab all the resources Bobby mentions and go deeper with email marketing at www.bobbyklinck.com/email
In the Email Marketing That Doesn’t Suck podcast series, Harvard Law Grad Turned Online Entrepreneur and “email guy” takes a deep dive into all things email for online business owners.
The series is anything but your typical podcast. This isn’t a meandering series of episodes that touch on different topics in a seemingly random path. Instead, this series is built as an audio mini-course to get you started doing email right.
Episode 9: Selling With Email
Let’s be honest, email is ultimately about making you money. In this episode, we dive into how you do exactly that.
Grab all the resources Bobby mentions and go deeper with email marketing at www.bobbyklinck.com/email
In the Email Marketing That Doesn’t Suck podcast series, Harvard Law Grad Turned Online Entrepreneur and “email guy” takes a deep dive into all things email for online business owners.
The series is anything but your typical podcast. This isn’t a meandering series of episodes that touch on different topics in a seemingly random path. Instead, this series is built as an audio mini-course to get you started doing email right.
Episode 8: Building Relationships With Email
In this episode, we tackle how to create connection and build the know, like, and trust factor with your email marketing.
Grab all the resources Bobby mentions and go deeper with email marketing at www.bobbyklinck.com/email
In the Email Marketing That Doesn’t Suck podcast series, Harvard Law Grad Turned Online Entrepreneur and “email guy” takes a deep dive into all things email for online business owners.
The series is anything but your typical podcast. This isn’t a meandering series of episodes that touch on different topics in a seemingly random path. Instead, this series is built as an audio mini-course to get you started doing email right.
Episode 7: Six Objectives for Emails
Just about every email you send should fall into one of six categories. This episode explores those six categories.
Grab all the resources Bobby mentions and go deeper with email marketing at www.bobbyklinck.com/email
In the Email Marketing That Doesn’t Suck podcast series, Harvard Law Grad Turned Online Entrepreneur and “email guy” takes a deep dive into all things email for online business owners.
The series is anything but your typical podcast. This isn’t a meandering series of episodes that touch on different topics in a seemingly random path. Instead, this series is built as an audio mini-course to get you started doing email right.
Episode 6: Think of Email As Modular
Discover why you should not be looking for a plug-and-play email map but instead should focus on your funnel.
Grab all the resources Bobby mentions and go deeper with email marketing at www.bobbyklinck.com/email
In the Email Marketing That Doesn’t Suck podcast series, Harvard Law Grad Turned Online Entrepreneur and “email guy” takes a deep dive into all things email for online business owners.
The series is anything but your typical podcast. This isn’t a meandering series of episodes that touch on different topics in a seemingly random path. Instead, this series is built as an audio mini-course to get you started doing email right.
Episode 5: Writing Great Emails
If you want your email to not suck, you need to write great emails. This episode dives into how to do just that.
Grab all the resources Bobby mentions and go deeper with email marketing at www.bobbyklinck.com/email
In the Email Marketing That Doesn’t Suck podcast series, Harvard Law Grad Turned Online Entrepreneur and “email guy” takes a deep dive into all things email for online business owners.
The series is anything but your typical podcast. This isn’t a meandering series of episodes that touch on different topics in a seemingly random path. Instead, this series is built as an audio mini-course to get you started doing email right.
Episode 4: Let’s Talk Deliverability
This episode demystifies what it takes for your emails to land in your subscribers’ inboxes instead of ending up in spam.
Grab all the resources Bobby mentions and go deeper with email marketing at www.bobbyklinck.com/email
In the Email Marketing That Doesn’t Suck podcast series, Harvard Law Grad Turned Online Entrepreneur and “email guy” takes a deep dive into all things email for online business owners.
The series is anything but your typical podcast. This isn’t a meandering series of episodes that touch on different topics in a seemingly random path. Instead, this series is built as an audio mini-course to get you started doing email right.
Episode 3: Email Should Be Permission-Based
In this episode, you’ll discover the contours of email and why you should rely on and even reconfirm permission from your people.
Grab all the resources Bobby mentions and go deeper with email marketing at www.bobbyklinck.com/email
In the Email Marketing That Doesn’t Suck podcast series, Harvard Law Grad Turned Online Entrepreneur and “email guy” takes a deep dive into all things email for online business owners.
The series is anything but your typical podcast. This isn’t a meandering series of episodes that touch on different topics in a seemingly random path. Instead, this series is built as an audio mini-course to get you started doing email right.
Episode 2: Where Does Email Fit In
This episode defines where email fits into your overall marketing picture and explains the goals you’re trying to achieve.
Grab all the resources Bobby mentions and go deeper with email marketing at www.bobbyklinck.com/email
In the Email Marketing That Doesn’t Suck podcast series, Harvard Law Grad Turned Online Entrepreneur and “email guy” takes a deep dive into all things email for online business owners.
The series is anything but your typical podcast. This isn’t a meandering series of episodes that touch on different topics in a seemingly random path. Instead, this series is built as an audio mini-course to get you started doing email right.
Episode 1: Why Email Matters
This episode dives into why you should care about email as someone building a brand based on your knowledge and expertise.
Grab all the resources Bobby mentions and go deeper with email marketing at www.bobbyklinck.com/email
In this episode of the Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast, Bobby shares upcoming plans to shift his approach to the show. He'll share some important changes coming to the format of the podcast content, why he's making the change, and what you can expect moving forward.
What We’ll Be Covering… * What is the Banker Phase * Where and what you need to focus on for your business finances * What is the Leader Phase * The importance of utilizing leadership skills on your team
Episode Resource Links * BADA$$ Online Marketing University (BOMU)
What We’ll Be Covering… * What the Scientist Phase Is * What scaling means in a knowledge brand * The agency model of scaling * The productized model of scaling * What you need to do the Scientist Phase * The importance of a product-market fit * How to do a qualitative testing of your scaled product * How to do a quantitative testing of your scaled product * The biggest milestone to hit in the Scientist Phase
Episode Resource Links * BADA$$ Online Marketing University (BOMU)
What We’ll Be Covering… * What you need to focus on the Builder Phase * How to set up your conversion and customer experience machines * Why you need to create a website * How to create list-building options * Why you need to set your email marketing system * Why you need to have a customer experience machine setup * What you need to focus on the Recruitment Phase * How to start your content marketing * Why social media shouldn’t be your main content * Why you need to set up paid ads * Why guest outreach is important * The biggest goal of phases two and three
Episode Resource Links * BADA$$ Online Marketing University (BOMU) * Facebook Ads
What's In This Episode… * The Planner Phase of building an online business * The overall objective of the Planner Phase * The 3 big parts of the Planner Phase + Looking inside yourself + Looking at your market + Putting together your business plan
- Why you need to determine your core competencies and areas of expertise
- Why you need to know what you believe in and stand for
- Why you should figure out what makes you unique
- The importance of listening to people who are already serving your target audience
- Why you need to be among your people
- How to identify your core differentiator
- How to put together your business plan
Episode Resource Links * BADA$$ Online Marketing™ University (BOMU) * Gallup CliftonStrengths Finder * DiSC Assessment * Myers-Briggs Type Indicator * Enneagram
What's In This Episode… * The 7 phases of building a knowledge brand * Phase One: The Planner Phase * Phase Two: The Builder Phase * Phase Three: The Recruiter Phase * Phase Four: The Scientist Phase * Phase Five: The Banker Phase * Phase Six: The Leader Phase * Phase Seven: The BADA$$ Phase * Why we need a process when building a knowledge business * How to avoid the feeling of overwhelm when starting a business * How to avoid ending up with several unfinished projects * Why you need to see the big picture of building your business * Why you need enough data and correct information * How to avoid wasting a lot of your resources * Why a checklist doesn’t work
Episode Resource Links * BADA$$ Online Marketing™ University (BOMU)
What We’ll be Covering… * What encompasses customer experience * What is a customer experience machine * The five elements of building a customer experience machine + Brand Avatar – creating a consistent feel for your brand + Intentional touchpoints – being intentional about touchpoints and personalizing them as much as possible + Product Design – how you design your product to give a great experience + Product Delivery – how you deliver your products to your audience + Customer Support - providing ongoing support when your customer needs you
- Why you need to be have a consistent brand feel
- How you should establish a brand voice
- Why your brand designs should match your avatar
- Your brand avatar is not something you make up
- Why you should be willing to do the unscalable in your business
- The importance of customizing your touchpoints
- How you should think about improving various experiences of your customers
- Why the needs of your customers matter more than yours
- How to streamline your process for a WOW experience
- Why you should be willing to invest money to improve customer experience
- The importance of delivering products where your audience is
- Why you should think about when your customers need you
Episode Resource Links * BADA$$ Online Marketing™️ University (BOMU™️) * BADA$$ Online Marketing™ Membership * Legal Templates * ConvertKit for an email service provider
What's In This Episode: * What is conversion in this context * The 2 big pieces of conversion moments in building your online business * The 5 elements of a conversion machine + Your website and the core pages that you need + Your list-building efforts to grow your audience + Your email marketing and why it’s one of the most powerful tools to convert a lead into a buyer + Your product suite and why you need a mix of products + Your messaging and the importance of delivering the right message at the right time to convert your leads into the right offer * How I find great success in email marketing * How we develop a strategy to serve people at multiple places on their journey with our legal templates * The key to creating your product suite * The kind of messaging that we use in the marketing side of building a business * Why getting all of these things working in sync will make your conversion machine humming
Extra Resources From Today’s Post * BADA$$ Online Marketing University™ (BOMU™) * Legal Templates * FREE Privacy Policy Template * BADA$$ Online Marketing™ Membership
In this episode, we’re talking about your traffic machine, one of the four critical elements in creating an online business. We start at the beginning of a customer journey, which covers how you catch people’s attention and get them into joining your world. There are five key elements here: your weekly content, social media posts, paid ads, guest outreach, and affiliates. You need to cultivate a strategy on how to do all of these to generate traffic to your business, which will help you succeed in the long term. What’s In This Episode * What a traffic machine is all about * The 5 elements of a traffic machine + Weekly Content - raising awareness and building trust with the audience + Social Media Posts - engaging with the audience and promoting your content + Paid Ads - attracting people to your lead magnets + Guest Outreach - finding a way to reach out to people who’ve collected your audience and getting into their world to provide value + Affiliates - having other people promote your products and send traffic to your and they get a commission on sales
- Why weekly content is a critical part of a traffic machine
- How weekly content bring people more naturally into your world
- Why it takes time for long-form content to get traction
- The importance of being consistent with your content publishing
- Why social media is a great way to promote your content
- What you need to consider when choosing a social platform for your business
- Why you should use paid ads, especially in building your list
- The different kinds of ads you can run
- Why you should focus on conversion ads at the beginning of your business
- How guest outreach works and how to do it
- Why you shouldn’t ask to be a guest on someone’s platform straight away without building relationships
- How affiliates work and why you should set it up at the late part of the game
- What you need to think about when creating an affiliate program
Resources In This Episode * BADA$$ Online Marketing University™ (BOMU™) * Legal Templates * Affiliate Program * BADA$$ Online Marketing™ Membership * Paid ads tool: Taboola or Outbrain
In this episode, we’re talking about the topic of awareness content and why it matters for your online business. Awareness content, or awareness level content, is content tailored to your audience based on their current level of understanding of an issue.
When you’re creating awareness content, you need to be thinking in terms of the basic questions your audience is searching for and create content around this. This means you need to have a deep understanding of your audience’s struggle. You can do this by finding where they hang out online and listening in or getting on a call with them.
Often marketers create content that is too far removed from their audience’s current level of awareness. For example, educating your audience about emotional eating won’t resonate if they don’t understand that emotional eating is the reason they can’t lose weight.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why awareness content is designed to get attention * Why you need to tailor your content to address the issues and questions that your ideal customers are asking * Why you need to think about what your audience might type into Google * Why this “What Is Marketing” series is all about awareness content * Why you have to do the work to understand the questions your audience has * Why you need to create content that addresses people at various levels of awareness * Why awareness content will hook people and draw them into your world * Why we tend to create content that is more advanced than where our potential audience is
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Episode 271: What Is Your Audience’s Level of Awareness * Tired of buying overpriced online training programs that don’t live up to their hype? We thought so. That’s why we created our 100% FREE program, BADA$$ Online Marketing University. BOMU will teach you what you need to know to build and market your online business. Get started today! * Feeling stuck in your business but can’t afford a high-ticket coaching program or mastermind? We’ve got you covered. The BADA$$ Online Marketing Membership is the perfect fit for online entrepreneurs who are in the early stages of building their business but want some extra support, coaching, and accountability. * If you’re collecting data on your website, you’re legally required to post a privacy policy. Now you could spend hours researching and writing your own, or you could just grab my FREE Privacy Policy. * The ups and downs of online business can be overwhelming when you’re doing it alone. In my FREE Community, BADA$$ Online Marketers, you can meet biz-minded friends, ask your questions, and get support. Come join the fun! * Are you on the ‘gram? Stop by and say “hi” to Bobby on Instagram!
In this episode, we’re talking in-depth about building out the operations machine in your business. I realize this may not sound like the most exciting thing ever, but it’s an important step if you want to build a real business.
Your operations machine deals with the behind-the-scenes stuff that isn’t customer-facing. Most people think of it as the “unsexy” part of running a business. It includes the legal and financial stuff as well as systems to get you out of the day-to-day of your business.
We’ll look at the various parts that make up these two sides of your operations machine and cover when you should focus on building the different parts of your operations machine.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * The two sides to your operations machine * + Compliance + Automations and delegation * The compliance side focuses on * + Legal – LLC, getting agreements in writing, state and local business requirements, industry regulations + Finances – bank accounts, bookkeeping, cash flow, planning, controls * The automations/delegation side of your business includes * + Tech + Team + Systems * Tech * + Best to keep it simple when you’re starting out + Start with an all-in-one system and a way for people to book a call with you + Tech and automation can get out of the day-to-day but you need to be selective about what you automate * Team * + Hiring team members should help you make more money + There are benefits and challenges with growing your team + Most people in the online marketing space are hiring too early (before they’re making enough money) + If you have free time, it’s probably too early for you to hire + Your first hire should take on repetitive tasks for you so you can focus on higher-value tasks * Systems * + Developing standard operating procedures + Project management + Systems tend to grow as your team does
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Tired of buying overpriced online training programs that don’t live up to their hype? We thought so. That’s why we created our 100% FREE program, BADA$$ Online Marketing University. BOMU will teach you what you need to know to build and market your online business. Get started today! * Profit First by Mike Michalowicz * Calendar booking options: Calendly or Acuity * All-in-one options: Kartra or Kajabi * Feeling stuck in your business but can’t afford a high-ticket coaching program or mastermind? We’ve got you covered. The BADA$$ Online Marketing Membership is the perfect fit for online entrepreneurs who are in the early stages of building their business but want some extra support, coaching, and accountability. * If you’re collecting data on your website, you’re legally required to post a privacy policy. Now you could spend hours researching and writing your own, or you could just grab my FREE Privacy Policy. * The ups and downs of online business can be overwhelming when you’re doing it alone. In my FREE Community, BADA$$ Online Marketers, you can meet biz-minded friends, ask your questions, and get support. Come join the fun! * Are you on the ‘gram? Stop by and say “hi” to Bobby on Instagram!
In this episode, we’re talking about your audience’s level of awareness and how that impacts your online business. This was a concept I dug into during my live event in December 2021, and people found it very helpful.
A lot of people aren’t thinking about their audience when they’re marketing. Instead, they’re trying to sell a specific product to people who don’t know they have a problem or who only recognize their symptoms. Obviously, that's not going to work well.
Part of your role as a marketer will be to move people along the awareness continuum. Your content should help bridge the gap between where they are to get them to the point of being solution aware. Then you can educate them about your product.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why you need to recognize where your audience is on the journey of solving their problem * Why this “journey” is a continuum * Problem unaware – they are blissfully unaware of their problem * Symptom aware – they recognize they have a pain point (symptom) but don’t know what the problem actually is * Problem aware – they recognize what the underlying problem is but don’t know the solution * Solution aware – they understand their problem and recognize the solution * Product aware – they don’t just know about the solution generically but are also aware of your product as a solution * Why your message to your audience needs to meet them where they are + If your audience is only symptom aware, you can’t talk to them as if they’re solution aware + You need to create content that will help your audience move from whatever level of awareness they’re at to being solution aware + Then your conversion content needs to help them become product aware and make a decision about whether your product is the right product for them
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing Membership * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
In this episode, we’re talking about the 4 machines that your business needs to succeed. This topic is part of an ongoing conversation we started a few weeks ago about what it really means to create a freedom business.
There are people in the online marketing space who are selling the idea that building a business is easy and that all you need to do is hire a VA to run it and you’ll be earning money while you sleep in no time. But this isn’t realistic.
Now, you might be wondering what I mean by “machines.” These are simply the different teams or functions in your business that handle a lot of different tasks. In this episode, we'll do an overview of the 4 machines you need in your business so you can see the big picture. In future weeks, we’ll dig into each of these 4 machines so you can see more specifically what you’ll need in each one.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * What people really mean by “freedom business” * The two kinds of freedom you need to create in your business * + Money freedom + Time freedom * The marketing machines (traffic, conversions, customer experience) are what create the money and money freedom * The operations machine is what helps you create time freedom * The operations machine has 2 main roles: * + Ensuring you’re dealing with all the requirements and compliance issues + Getting you out of the day-to-day * Challenges to building your operations machine * + You need to build a team so you’re not doing everything yourself + You need money to fund a team + Building a team too soon can stunt your growth + Why it’s important to stay lean in the early stages of your business + Why you also need to think of time in terms of its value * The machines in the marketing area * + Traffic = getting attention + Conversion = turning leads into buyers + Customer experience = experience people have with your brand at every stage * Why the funnel model is short-sighted * How the machines in the marketing area are interconnected * Why you need to build all 4 of these machines if you want a successful business
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * E-myth Revisited * BADA$$ Online Marketing Membership * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
In this marketing fundamentals episode, we’re talking about onboarding and why it matters for your online business. Now, of course, you know what onboarding is. But the reality is that most people don’t think much about this process. And that’s a problem because onboarding is pretty freakin’ important.
A good onboarding experience is critical for creating loyalty and retention. Let’s dive into this concept and see how it plays out in the online business space.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Onboarding is important but often overlooked * Onboarding is the start of the journey to build loyalty and retention * Onboarding for new subscribers should start with your free content * The email sequences you need as part of your new subscriber onboarding process * You also need an onboarding process for paid offers * It’s a mistake to focus on getting people to buy and not think about customer experience * Why you need to help people take action and get value * Why you need to overexplain and keep it simple * The level of onboarding will depend on the product * Ways to engage and get people into action as soon as they buy * Why focusing on onboarding helps people get success and this, in turn, helps you * Why you should have an onboarding sequence ready to go when people buy your product
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Episode 233 | Episode 235 * BADA$$ Online Marketing Membership * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
In this episode, we’re talking about why you need to build a brand if you want a successful business. Last week we talked about the false promise in the online marketing space. This week we’re going to talk about the solution—the real work.
This will be a high-level overview because there are lots of parts to building a successful business. Then in the coming weeks, we’ll be digging into the specifics.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Many of the popular leaders in the online marketing space aren’t teaching you to build a business but instead are teaching people to create a product, a sales strategy, a marketing strategy, etc. * A real business is more than this—it’s about a product mix that can serve people at different levels, price points, and places in their journey * Why a funnel is not a business—it’s a marketing and sales strategy * Real businesses don’t have a single funnel and don’t rely exclusively on funnels * Why you need to stop thinking about your business in terms of your product (course creator, membership owner, coach, etc.) * Fundamentally, what you do is help your customers solve their problems * Why you’re ultimately going to have different kinds of products and solutions * Why you need to map out the path/journey that people are on as they’re trying to solve the problem that they’re experiencing and how you can create a suite of products to serve these people for the long term * Why you need to make sure your product suite makes sense * What we can learn from the tech world via The Lean Startup * Why you shouldn’t think about scaling at the beginning * Step 1: Start with problem identification * + Has to be a problem your audience recognizes (at least a symptom) + A problem they will value solving + The problem has to be solvable within your constraints (expertise and profitability) * Step 2: Find the right problem-solution fit * + This has to be the right solution for your customer, not just what you want to do + It’s helpful to start with 1:1 so you can gain insight and work out your processes and ideas * Step 3: Find product-market fit * + This is rare + You know you’ve found it when you have to scale * The value of thinking like a realist
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Episode 257 * BADA$$ Online Marketing Membership * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
In today's episode, we’re going to talk about what a value ladder is and why it matters for your online business. "Value ladder" is a term you frequently hear in the online marketing space. The main concept is that you have a lineup of offers that increase in value and price. Let's break it down.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * The term value ladder refers to a lineup of offers that increase in value and price. * One model of a value ladder is a process where people start at the bottom and move up * Another model provides the same solution but allows people to choose the level of support that works best for them * A different type of model is to create offers that make sense for the journey your customer is on * Why I created a value ladder that corresponds with where people are in their journey of building a business * The difference between a value ladder and series of upsells and one-time offers * The mistake that many entrepreneurs make when it comes to their value ladder * How a value ladder can increase customer lifetime value
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing Membership * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Happy 2022! Today we’re going to be talking about the false promise of the online marketing world. This is the first episode of an arc where we’re talking about important concepts that we presented at our live event in December.
We’re going to be looking at what it really takes to build a business and cutting through the B.S. that is so prevalent in the space. We’re going to be deconstructing the promises that people are making so you can figure out what you really need to be doing to build your business.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * The problem with the promise that you can create a scaled product, choose a launch vehicle or go evergreen, and fill your funnel with ads and get rich * The slogans you commonly hear with the promise * Why it’s generally much harder to make a living with a course than working 1:1 * Why this promise is BS * The info product myth: is lack of information the actual problem your customer is facing? * Why you need to ask yourself how much is information worth? * The problem with people being focused on what they want to create rather than what their audience actually needs * The problem with the idea that a launch is the best way to sell your product and why this is short-sighted * Why high-pressure sales tactics are so common in the online marketing world and why there’s so much deception * The problem with thinking you can use paid ads to fill your funnels and not focusing on other types of marketing * Why the online marketing world isn’t exempt from the rules of traditional marketing * Why you need to step back and ask yourself
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing Membership * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
In this episode, we’re talking about what customer acquisition cost is and why it matters for your online business. This conversation is a continuation of the last episode about another metric that you need to know: customer lifetime value.
If you’re going to build a successful business, then your customer lifetime value must be higher than the cost to acquire a customer. Let’s look at the specifics of how to find this metric.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Customer acquisition cost is the average cost of all the front end sales and marketing efforts from when someone becomes aware of your brand to the point that they buy divided by the total number of customers * If customer lifetime value > customer acquisition cost, you’re in a good place * Why you need to understand all the costs involved in acquiring a customer and not just paid ads * Examples of the costs that should be allocated to customer acquisition cost * Why it’s important to calculate the cost of customer acquisition for your different marketing channels * How to use the information you gather from looking at your customer acquisition cost
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing Membership * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Today we’re going to dive into our end of the year review. Taking time to look at the past can help us see trends in the industry so we know how to move forward.
I wanted to share some of the trends I’ve seen in my business, conversations I’ve had with others in the industry, and changes I’ve observed this year.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * That 2021 was a hard year for most people in the online marketing space * How iOS updates impacted online businesses * The role of market saturation and sophistication * How 2020 set unrealistic growth expectations for many businesses * The bright spots in 2021 for holistic marketing * How social media changed this year * What growth looked like in my business this year * + No affiliate launches + Revenue from sales of our own products went up + Removed urgency from our sales + Mapping the customer journey (EP 257: Why I’m Launching A Membership) + The limitations of hiring contractors + Money management lessons
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing Membership * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
In today’s marketing fundamentals episode, we’re talking about a very important business concept: customer lifetime value and why it matters in your online business.
This is one of two universal business metrics. The other is customer acquisition cost.
Customer lifetime value tells you how much a customer is worth to you so you can figure out how much you’re willing to pay to acquire a customer.
This is especially relevant in the online marketing space where the cost to acquire a customer is generally higher than traditional product businesses.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * The two metrics every business needs to know * What customer lifetime value is * What customer acquisition cost is * What the biggest cost is in the online marketing space * Why you want to find ways to increase customer lifetime value * Why it can be difficult to determine customer lifetime value and one tool that can help you figure this out * Where I started out with customer lifetime value and where I am now * Key questions you need to ask: how do I increase customer lifetime value and decrease customer acquisition cost * How this data can help you refine your business
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing Membership * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
I’m really excited to release this episode because I’m sharing the lessons I learned while writing my email marketing book called Email Marketing That Doesn’t Suck.
I know that some people in my audience are interested in writing a book, and I wanted to give people a realistic look at what it really takes.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * How joking about writing a book turned into reality * What my initial vision for the book was and why that changed * Why I decided to write about email marketing * How to figure out whether you’re writing the right book * Why you need to plan on a long process to write a book that will help your brand * How long it actually took to write my book * How having an outside book team made this possible * What’s involved after you write the book * Why you need a passion for your subject * Why you need to be clear on your message as you go into the writing process * Why a book should be based on work you’ve been doing rather than ideas you’re working through * Why writing a book will show you that you’re never done evolving * Why you need to have a plan and a clear goal for how your book fits into your business * Why you need to think about how to support people after they read your book * Why you need to think about launching and promoting your book * If you want to be on the book launch team, email me at bobby@bobbyklinck.com
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing Membership * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
In today’s marketing fundamentals episode, we’re talking about what a SWOT analysis is and why it’s a useful tool for your online business.
This type of assessment is an important part of creating a marketing plan. Professional marketers will tell you that before you put together any sort of marketing plan, you need to do a situation analysis, like SWOT, so you know where you stand.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * SWOT analysis is a type of situation analysis * The letters stand for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats * 2 are internal and 2 are external * S = strengths, this is about an internal analysis of what your company is particularly good at doing * W = weaknesses, areas where you’re lagging behind competitors or areas where you intentionally have decided not to focus * O = opportunities, this isn’t about specific comparisons to competitors but about opportunities in the larger market and trends * T = threats, this involves looking at threats and trends on a macro level
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing Membership * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Today I’m sharing about my planning process for 2022. Now if you know me, you know that I’m not much of a planner, but after a lot of trial and error, I found a process that works for my business.
If you’re looking for a way to plan that doesn’t cause you to get lost in the details, be sure to listen in so you can try this approach as plan 2022 for your business.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why we took a more flexible approach to planning 2022 * Why trying to plan too far in advance can be a mistake for some businesses * Why we decided not to plan the details for projects outside of Q1 * Why we started with the big things that impact the schedules of others * How we decided on a promo schedule for our legal templates * How we decided on the focus of the team for Q1 * When we’ll start the more granular planning for Q1 * How we figured out how to manage my time and what I’ll be doing for much of the year
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing Membership * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Today my guest is Katie Wussow who is a business coach who works with creative service providers to help them build their businesses. Katie and I have a lot in common, including living in DC and graduating from the same college. The big difference is she actually got a useful degree: finance.
In this episode, Katie and I dive into how she figured out what business she wanted to create and the problems she experienced when she followed the popular advice that she should create an online course. Be sure to stick around to the end to hear Katie’s best advice on how to create plans for your business.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Katie’s journey into the business world and how she discovered what business she wanted to start * How Katie got scrappy and leverage her network to start her business * How doing 1:1 work in the beginning helped her create a structured program * Why Katie uses the term coach instead of consultant/strategist * How Katie figured out a way to make her business more scalable * How Katie is thinking through the issue of repeat customers * What went wrong when Katie launched her course * What she did to pull out of the slump she experienced * Why Katie moved away from launches * Why she discovered that the course model doesn’t work well for people who are trying to build an in-person creative service business * Why Katie started doing 1:1 coaching again * How she figured out the differences between her group coaching program and 1:1 program * Why audience building is still one of Katie’s biggest challenges * What Katie means by business planning * + Visionary plan: creating a long term plan + Strategic piece: understanding your market, client, offers, and marketing plan + Tactical piece: how to plan, set goals, and implement * Katie’s best advice about planning, figuring out what you need to work on, keeping up with all your ideas * One question to help you figure out what to do to move your business forward * The biggest thing Katie learned about marketing
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Katie’s planning freebie | Instagram | The Game Changer Podcast * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
In today’s episode, we’re talking about the customer journey. We’ll look at what the customer journey is and how it affects your online business.
Knowing where your customer is coming from is an important aspect of building a business that’s based on your knowledge and expertise. Until you take the time to understand the struggles your customers are experiencing and figure out the best way to help them get results, you’re not going to have the clarity you need to know what to create in your business.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * What the traditional definition of the customer journey is * Why you need to understand the entire journey your customer will face * Why the customer journey is what allows you to understand your customers * What you need to know to map out your customer journey * What you need to understand about your customers * How understanding the customer journey helps you build your business
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing Membership * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
In today’s episode, I’m making a big announcement. I’m launching a membership. I’ll be sharing the journey that led me to this conclusion and how it fits into the overall structure of my business.
As you listen, you’ll want to pay attention to where your business is in the process and whether there are phases you might have skipped. While each business is unique, that doesn’t mean that you have to wing it. Each of these phases is an important step in building a business that will last.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * What led to my decision to start a membership * What led me to make my BOMU program free * Where our hypotheses were wrong when it comes to people implementing information * What we discovered from working with our coaching students * How we developed a process to help people in our coaching program * 7 phases for building an online business * + Planner phase (educated guess about the problems your customer is experiencing and what solution to create) + Builder phase (building your conversion and customer experience machine) + Recruiter phase (building your traffic machine) + Scientist phase (experimenting to come up with the idea for your scalable product) + Banker phase (hone in on the money and get your financial house in order) + Leader phase (building up your team to free up your time) + BADA$$ phase (focused on legacy and not breaking things) * When your business is at the final phase, you should be focused on 3 things * + Setting the vision + Working on things you love to do + Doing the things that only you can do * How we realized that our coaching program is best for phases 4-6 * How the BOM membership serves people who are in phases 2-3 (and BOMU serves phase 1) * What’s included in the BOM membership and whether it’s right for you
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing Membership * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Today I’m sharing the second half of my interview with Melanie Howe. We talked about Melanie’s health crisis and the way it impacted her business. Melanie also talks about the benefits of using live video in your business and shares some tips and strategies to help you get started.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * The health crisis Melanie faced and how this impacted her business * The experience that helped Melanie get back into action * Why consistency is critical for live video * The benefits of live video * Why live interaction is valuable and how to build it up * Why you should focus on delivering good content * Why live interaction helps draw people in * How live video allows you to serve and delight your audience * How live video can be used with any eye to repurposing it * The point of live video is to have conversations in the moment * Why now is the best time to get started with live video * Why video is the most repurposable type of content there is * Why going live isn’t difficult * How to get started with a content strategy * How to go live from your phone * What to use to hold your phone when you go live * Where to look when you’re live * How to think strategically about your content and create a plan that aligns with the seasons of your business * Why live video is more for lead generation than selling * How live video opens opportunities to be a guest on someone else’s platform * Just start going live now
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Melanie’s YouTube Live (Tuesday at 2 pm ET)| Facebook Group | Melanie’s website * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
In today’s marketing fundamentals episode, we’re talking about integrated marketing communication and why it matters for your online business. This is an important concept that refers to the effort to promote a consistent message through multiple channels and strategies that work together. The goal is to deliver the same message through all the different channels you use, so your message and brand are the same everywhere.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why you need a consistent message across all the channels you use * Why you need to stop thinking that one communication channel is better than another * Why you want all your channels to work together * Why the whole is greater than the sum of its parts when it comes to your business message * Combining social media, email, paid ads, and affiliate marketing is a way to create an integrated system to reach your audience * How you can make this work for your online business
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
In today’s episode, I’m going to level with you and address what I see as a growing problem in the online marketing space — people thinking that business doesn’t require hard work. There’s a growing notion that you can pick and choose the work you do in your business and you don’t have to do anything that’s hard.
Basically, the anti-hustle culture has gone too far and is trying to convince you that hard work isn’t what it takes to be successful. There is some truth that hustle doesn’t equal success, but this is a false argument. Hard work is necessary to get success. It isn’t sufficient to get success, but it is necessary. In this episode, we’re going to face the facts.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why you have to do the work to be successful * Where the idea of not having to work hard is coming from * Why you have to put in the work, especially at the beginning of your business journey * Why you can’t look at someone further along in their business journey to tell you what you don’t have to be doing * Why the role you play in your business will shift over time * Why the concept that business should be easy is problematic * Building a business is hard and requires a lot of moving parts * + You have to generate traffic on a consistent basis (content, social media, ads, affiliates, etc.) + You have to convert that traffic into leads and ultimately buyers (website, freebie, list building, nurturing, messaging, creating the right offer) + You have to be able to fulfill on your offer (not just meet expectations but exceed expectations) + You have to do the boring operations work (legal, tech, team, customer service, systems, etc.) * Once you do the hard work to set these things up, you may be able to step back, but it’s gonna take years * If you choose not to do the work that’s necessary to build your business, then you have to figure out an alternative way to get the results you want * + Ex: don’t want to create content + Ex: don’t want to be on social media * Why at some point we have to get over ourselves and just do the damn work * If you have a business, you’re gonna have to do some things that you don’t like, especially until you’re able to outsource
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Today I’m interviewing my friend Melaine Howe. Some of you may remember that Melanie is the reason that I embraced the “more cowbell” concept in my business. In this episode, we dive into how she found her current niche: live video. She also shares openly about the challenges she has faced in building her business and how live video can help you grow your business. This is a fun episode, so be sure to tune in.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Melanie’s journey into the online marketing space and how her ideal client has changed over the last 4 years * How Melanie found herself hanging out more with her peers than her ideal audience and how she learned to leverage that * How Melanie has processed some of her false starts in her business * Some of the common problems that Melanie and Bobby have faced * Why action is difficult but also the most important way forward * How Melanie decided on her niche and how that changed her business * Why consistency has been a problem for Melanie and how she made it work for her * Why people misunderstand what a “freedom” business is * Why Melanie doesn’t like writing emails and how she is working around that * Why Melanie doesn’t like writing sales pages
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Melanie’s YouTube Live (Tuesdays at 2 pm ET)| Facebook Group | Melanie’s website * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
In today’s marketing fundamentals episode, we’re talking about an important economic concept: barriers to entry. These are factors that make it more difficult for a newcomer to enter a market. Barriers to entry protect existing businesses from competition and tend to allow monopolistic pricing. Let’s dive in and discuss why you need to create barriers to entry in your online business.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Where barriers to entry are high, you tend to have higher prices and profits * Where barriers to entry are low, you have to bring prices down because of competition * Regulatory and professional requirements are examples of barriers to entry * High start-up costs in a market create a barrier to entry * Switching costs are another type of barrier to entry (e.g., banking) * Technology requirements can create also a barrier to entry * In the online space, there aren’t many barriers to entry — this means it’s easier for you to get started but it’s also easy for your competitors * One way switching costs show up in the online marketing space is technology * You need to create barriers to entry in your business to help you protect it + One way to do this is customer loyalty + Another way is via technology (for example, I created legal agreement generators, which creates a type of barrier to entry for potential competitors) + Another example of a barrier to entry is creating a repository of assets that would make it difficult for anyone to catch up with you (for example, I created my FREE training program BADA$$ Online Marketing University)
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Today’s episode is a little unusual cause we’re going to talk about why your business sometimes needs to be “boring.” The reason we need to talk about this is because the most common message we hear about business is that it should be “fun” all the time. We need to talk about the distinction between enjoying what we do in our business and having fun. Your business will involve work, but there should be more to life than your business.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * The different types of personality challenges people face/create in business * The challenge of being a “multi-passionate” entrepreneur * + Your attention is spread too thin + You confuse your audience * The challenge of being a constant “tinkerer” * + You don’t allow enough time to get data to make a decision + Constantly trying to make adjustments to evergreen products before you know what you should change * The challenge of constantly having new ideas * + Acting too quickly before you can tell if the idea is worth pursuing + Always chasing new ideas diverts your attention and doesn’t allow enough time for things to work * Create systems to keep up with your ideas * Allow a cooling off period for your ideas rather than acting on them immediately * Avoid talking about every new idea with your team * Commit to doing fun stuff and also allow some aspects to be boring
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Today I’m interviewing my friend Heather Sager about speaking from stage. Heather recently led a session in my group coaching program, and I wanted more people to be able to benefit from her expertise.
Just to be clear, when we say “stage,” we’re not just talking about a physical stage. We’re talking about all the ways you speak to your audience. If you don’t feel confident speaking to your audience, this episode is for you.
Heather and I might look like opposites, but we both have a lot of experience with public speaking, so we had a great time talking about the ups and downs of speaking, messaging, and running a business.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why speaking is a marketing tool * Why Heather struggled with her messaging and what she did about it * What Heather’s breakthrough realization was * How Heather talks about messaging * What ingredients you need in a presentation and why there isn’t a specific recipe * Why presentations need to be clear and structured and aligned with your style and audience * Why Heather struggled with her high influencer tendencies (DISC profile) and how she came to terms with it * How Heather has dealt with feeling like she doesn’t fit in * How the death of Heather’s mother helped her learn about speaking, fundraising, and dealing with being in the spotlight * Why you need to pay attention not just to a program but also the person behind it * An activity to help you get clarity on your message * Why your speech needs to align with your brand, natural tendencies, and message * Speaking isn’t just about sharing ideas, but it’s also a marketing tool and a skill
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Heather Sager | Instagram | Heather’s Podcast * Understanding Your Gallup Strengths with Anna Nelson * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
In today’s short marketing fundamentals episode, we’re diving into the question of what is holistic marketing and why it matters for your online business. This concept of marketing is well-known in the traditional marketing world, but it hasn’t fully translated into the online business space. We’ll cover what holistic marketing is (and isn’t) and what it looks like in your business.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * What holistic marketing is * Relationship marketing * Integrated marketing * Internal marketing * Performance marketing * Why you need all four aspects of holistic marketing in your business * Why a broad understanding of marketing is necessary for business
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Today we’re talking about the most overlooked part of your online business: customer experience. We talk a lot about the cool stuff that happens in the front-end funnels but not so much about what happens after people buy. Focusing on this part of your business will give you more bang for your buck than anything else. We’ll look at 3 reasons it’s important to “wow” your customers (and audience) and how to actually impress people.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Impressing your existing customers will get you repeat customers * It costs more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one * If you don’t “wow” your customers, you’ll continually have to acquire new customers * To get repeat customers, you have to deliver * Impressing your existing customers will get your referrals * Referrals are basically free leads * Having a program that gets results and takes good care of customers is the foundation of an affiliate program * Why your program needs to get people the results you promised them * You need to overdeliver on what you promise * Why you need to take responsibility for the results of your customers * Why you need to get better at coaching/teaching so you can help your students * Why you need to be willing to do the non-scalable work
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Today we’re talking about designing a visual brand. My guest, Patrick Sesko, is a designer who has years of experience working with traditional brands to create visual assets. Now he works with online entrepreneurs to help them with their visual branding. Patrick also contributed a course on branding that you can access for free in BADA$$ Online Marketing University.
We’ll be talking about the struggles that Patrick has faced in his business, especially due to the pandemic. Be sure to stick around to catch his best branding advice for online entrepreneurs.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Patrick’s journey into the online course space * Some of the struggles Patrick has faced along the way * Some of the make-money schemes Patrick and Bobby have observed * The different ways that Patrick and Bobby deal with overwhelm * How the pandemic affected Patrick’s business and how he pivoted as a result * Why it’s important to be consistent in your business * Why most people don’t have both an eye for design and messaging * Common design mistakes that many online marketers are making * How to pick the right colors and how many you should have * Why less is more when it comes to color * Patrick’s best advice on fonts * Why it’s better to be consistent than perfect with your visual branding
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Patrick Sesko * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
In this episode, we’re going to be talking about the 7 Ps of services marketing and why they matter to your online business. Last week we covered the 4 Ps of marketing that apply to all businesses. This week, we’ll talk about the other 3 Ps that apply to services businesses. It’s important to recognize that when you’re in the online marketing space, you’re really in the services industry because you’re not selling a physical product. That’s why we need a plan for the other 3 Ps.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Product — what is the product you’re delivering * Price — what pricing strategy will you use * Place — how are you going to deliver the product * Promotion — how you message and advertise about your product * People — the people who work in your business and help serve your clients * Process — establishing a process to help people get results and create efficiency * Physical evidence — establishing credibility and helping customers recognize the successes they’ve made
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Today we’re talking about an important issue: why your business, course, or membership has to solve a real problem. As I’ve listened to the types of businesses and courses that people are creating, I’ve noticed that many entrepreneurs are coming up with ideas that don’t solve real problems. In this episode, I’m sharing a few important questions you need to ask before you dive into a business or course idea.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * What a business really is * Why the ultimate goal of your business should be to make your customer’s life better * The common mistakes people make when coming up with a business * The question you need to ask when you’re building a business * The areas where you can most easily start a business: health, wealth, relationships, recreation * Why the type of solution you offer affects the size of your market and how much you can charge * Why your solution has to address a problem your audience recognizes they have * How to make sure your product is actually providing the solution * Why you need to build a learning experience that helps your audience get results * Why selling information isn’t going to get people results and your solution needs to get people into action * The order to follow as you build your business
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Today I’m talking with Arfan Husain who is the Facebook Ads coach in my group coaching program. Arfan and his wife help coaches grow and scale their businesses. As they built their business, they experienced a lot of ups and downs both personally and as business owners, and Arfan shares about his mental health struggles with us today. Be sure to stick around for the second half where he breaks down the latest trends with Facebook ads.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * How Arfan got started as a Facebook ads manager and how his business grew from there * The personal mental health struggle Arfan faced at the end of 2020 and how he had to make changes to his business so he could take care of himself * How a successful business can create stress for entrepreneurs * How Arfan discovered that his rates were too low and why he decided to raise them * The routines Arfan put in place to protect his mental health * The types of ads Arfan runs for clients * What’s going on with Facebook ads after the iOS changes * Why you can’t compare 2021 numbers to 2020 * Why the reporting is more difficult to interpret and why you might need 3rd party software * What kinds of ads to run if you’re just getting started * When it’s a good idea to run engagement ads * How to build out an overall advertising strategy if you’re just getting started * What’s working with audiences * How to find different interests to target * What the learning phase is and what it takes to get out of learning limited * How to use the rule of 3 in your ads * Why you need to plan out 3 months for your Facebook ads * How boosting posts can hurt your future campaigns * Why you have to think through how ads fit into your overall marketing plan
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Arfan’s website | How To Create Effective Ads * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Today we're discussing one of the fundamental principles of marketing that not many online marketers are talking about. Marketing is more than selling, but most people in the online marketing space are only focused on selling. In this episode, we’ll break down the 4 aspects of marketing that you need to think about for your online business.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Product—finding and developing the right product that satisfies the needs of your customer, finding demand then creating a product to meet the demand rather than creating demand for a product you create * Price—what people pay for your product, this is much more complicated than what most online marketers are teaching, and includes constraints, discounts, payment plans * Promotion—the communication between you and your buyers, this is what gets all the attention in the online marketing space, involves the right message to the right person at the right time * Place—the means of delivering your product to your customer, the big choice is thinking through how we deliver our product (audio, video, community), this is about what your customer wants not you * Each one of these is a lever you can pull and change in your marketing * You have to think about all four Ps as you create your marketing plan
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Pricing Blog Post * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Today’s episode is a bit of a kick in the backside. We’re going to be talking about why creating content is important for your business. This episode won’t focus on the how-to because I recently did a whole series on that. Instead, we need to have a candid discussion about the fact that most people aren’t regularly creating content in their business because it’s hard.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why the notion that business should be easy is causing people to think they don’t have to do hard things * It might be hard for you to do things that are necessary for you to build a successful business, but you still gotta do it * The hard truth: if you’re not creating regular content, you’re going to have a hard time building a successful knowledge business * Why content is necessary for a knowledge business and is the core of our marketing efforts * Content establishes you as an expert * Content is how you attract people into your world * Why you need content that delivers a real message and demonstrates your expertise * Content attracts, nurtures, helps you sell, and helps you retain people * Why you need to start with 1 piece of long-form content each week but * Why you need a strategy for content that identifies the messages you need to deliver to your audience and helps you establish thought leadership * Why your content needs to move them toward wanting to buy your product (without being salesy) * Creating long-form content makes creating content for social media easier
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Today is the second half of my conversation about the money stuff with Mel Abraham. Last week we talked about how to think about money in your business and the major health crisis Mel faced.
This week we’re looking at how to set up systems outside your business so that you don’t have to worry about building a business that you can sell.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why money problems are a symptom, not the cause * Why your business needs to be cash flow positive * Why short-term and long-term goals look different * How much should you be taking out of your business once you are making money * + Have an emergency fund of 3-6 months (especially if you have a team) + 50% of profits to be used for your lifestyle + 50% to build your money machine * Why it’s difficult to sell a personal brand business and why you have to build it to sell * How to think about debt and cash flow * What a sinking fund is and how it can help your business * How pre-selling events can cause problems in your business * What a drip account is and how to manage it * Why you need to know your numbers * Why you’ve got to set aside money for taxes * Why the money stuff is based on a few simple principles and isn’t as complicated as many people think
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * The Affluent Entrepreneur Show | The Money Plan Workshop | Instagram * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
In today’s marketing fundamentals episode, we’re going to dig into the issue of brand voice. As subject matter experts and content creators, we need to have a solid understanding of this concept so we can apply it in our businesses. Let’s dig in and discuss the benefits of defining a consistent tone and approach to messaging for your business.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * What a brand voice is. * What a brand voice is not. * Why you need to know the overall impression you want your audience to feel when they interact with your brand * The difference between your personal voice and your brand voice * Why brand voice is more than words or phrases * How brand voice impacts the type of content you create * Why all the aspects of your brand voice need to fit together * Why brand voice matters for your audience * Why your brand voice needs to be consistent and coherent across the board
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Last week we talked about the fact that you actually do need subject matter expertise to run a business. But that’s not all you need. Today we’re going to talk about the expertise outside of your subject matter that you need to master in order to build a successful online business.
- There are multiple kinds of expertise you need in your business
- Yes, you need to be an expert in your field, but you also need other kinds of expertise
- Front-end marketing
- You need to be able to attract an audience
- You need to master your messaging
- You need a general understanding of the process of marketing
- You also need content expertise
- This is about presenting information in a way to attract people
- You need to create content for the level where your audience is
- You need to build skills in delivering your message (written, audio, and video)
- How you serve your customers
- In addition to the basics, you need to deliver a “wow” experience
- This is one of the most important parts of business
- Your service will cause people to tell others about your business
- Overdelivering is critical
- Marketing happens after the sale too
- Operations
- Processes and standard operating procedures are key
- Efficiency matters so you can do more with what you have
- Systems can help you scale faster
- Efficiency allows you to be more agile in your business
- Systems help you maintain better service
- You don’t need all of these right away
- You need to focus on serving people at a baseline level and build from there
- For service businesses, start with operations and work backward
- For coaching and courses, start with front-end marketing
- Once you’ve built your expertise, you’ll spend less time doing and more time working in these non-subject matter areas
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Today I’m talking with my friend Mel Abraham about how entrepreneurs should be handling their money. Unfortunately, this is an area where a lot of online business owners get in trouble, so I figured it was time to call in an expert for a frank discussion.
Mel was an accounting professional for years, and now he teaches people how to use their business to create financial independence in their lives. In this episode, he shares the basics of business finances and how his own personal health crisis inspired him to make financial education his focus.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * What caused Mel to pivot from accounting to online business and how it turned out * The first product he created * Why Mel didn’t go all in with his online business at first * The 3 things you need to do to start your online business * + Preparation + Evaluation + Execution * How hard work fits into the business equation * Why turning your passion into a business changes your relationship with your passion * Why you need a plan and a safety cushion before you go all in * Why you need to have a realistic plan for investing in your business * What a burn rate is and why you need to know this number * Why it’s easier than ever to start a business and why that’s both good and bad for you * Why you need to be an expert before you market yourself * Why you need to focus on doing the work to set yourself apart as an expert * How a health crisis changes Mel’s life and business * How Mel’s money machine allowed him to focus on his health * Why a money machine is not your business but is leveraged income * Why time is more valuable than money * The truth behind the hours for dollars myth * The problem with the advice to reinvest all your business proceeds back into your business
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * The Affluent Entrepreneur Show | The Money Plan Workshop | Instagram * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
On Thursdays, we’re going to start a new series where we break down some of the foundational concepts of marketing. To kick things off, today we’re answering the question, what is digital marketing? We’ll break down a few misconceptions about digital marketing and look at what it really is.
It’s important for online marketers to know about traditional marketing because we’re doing the same thing but online. Instead of newspapers, billboards, and television, we use digital channels like email, social media, and blogs.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Digital marketing is marketing using digital channels * What is different about digital marketing? * + The ability to communicate at scale in a customized way + Digital marketing allows you to tailor your messaging * The focus is still on sending the right message to the right person at the right time * You should understand and leverage the strengths of your particular communication channel
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about the topic of expertise. The gurus out there are telling people that they only need to be a step or two ahead of their audience and don’t need actual subject matter expertise in order to make money.
But the reality is that you do need expertise if you want to build a business that will be successful in the long term. We’ll look at why you need expertise whether you’re in a crowded market or a brand new market and why being only a step or two ahead of your audience could backfire.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * The 3 reasons you need expertise * You’re in a crowded market + You’re going to have a tough time standing out if you can’t be at the top of your market + How can you position yourself as an expert in the market if you don’t have expertise and why would people choose you (unless you were significantly cheaper...) * You're in a market with no competition + No competition suggests it’s not a viable market or you’ll struggle once others enter your market + If there is no competition, you need to ask why. Chances are there isn’t a real market. + If you are able to create a new market, without expertise, you’ll struggle to sustain your position + Without expertise, you won’t be able to create barriers to entry + Amount of money you can make = number of people you can help x the severity of the problem you can solve + If you don’t have expertise, how serious of a problem can you solve? + If you don’t have expertise, you become a commodity * You can’t continue to serve your audience + What will you do when your audience catches up with your expertise? + Expertise allows you to charge more and be able to stay on top of your field + Trying to build expertise along the way is much harder * Tough love, if you don’t have real expertise, don’t create a product. Instead, make the effort to build expertise * No matter where you are in your business, you need to continue to learn and grow
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
In today’s episode, I’m continuing my conversation with Andrea Ames. While Andrea’s background in the corporate world as a technical content writer helped develop her expertise, there were still a lot of things she had to figure out. We dig into the ups and downs of her journey and how she experimented to figure out what her people wanted. She also shares practical ways you can improve retention in your business.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * What people wanted Andrea to help them with and how this led to some challenges * Why she decided to focus on content and what the outcome of this was * Why some of the traditional online marketing efforts didn’t work with her audience * How a mindset of experimentation helped her move forward * Why most step-by-step programs don’t work * Why you must understand what your audience wants * Practical ways to get people engaged * How challenges and positive reinforcement can benefit your customers and your business * The value of an unexpected reward * The first question to think about when you’re planning your strategy to help people stick around and make progress
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Andrea Ames | Facebook | LinkedIn * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Today we’re going to be talking about the importance of repeat customers. A lot of business coaches teach that you only need one product. This might be enough to get you started, but the reality is you need to give people the opportunity to buy from you more than once.
For knowledge brands, the biggest expense in your business is usually customer acquisition. Building in ways for people to buy from you more than once will reduce your cost of acquiring customers and help you build a successful business for the long term.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE:
- The definition of a repeat customer
- Why repeat customers have always been important in business
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- It costs more to acquire a new customer than retain an existing one
- Why getting new leads is more difficult in 2021
- How repeat customers can help you scale
- Why repeat customers are even more important in an online business
-
- The biggest cost in online business is to acquire new customers
- Repeat customers can help you significantly decrease your cost to acquire new customers and increase your profits
- How to create repeat customers
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- Have a plan for your product suite where people can buy from you multiple times
- Price your product in a way that makes sense
- How an ascension model can fit in
- How a continuity program can fit in
- Why you need to focus on customer experience
- You need to get people results and overdeliver
- Why you need to think about fulfillment as part of the sales process
- Why you need to think about how you can surprise and delight customers
- Why you need to think about retention so people will want to stay
- Don’t feel overwhelmed
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- You don’t have to have multiple products at the beginning
- You shouldn’t start with a scalable product
- Start with an evergreen product or a 1:1 offer and reinvest some of the profits from the first product to build out the others
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Today we’re talking with Andrea Ames. Andrea’s background is in the corporate world where she was a technical content writer for companies that were going digital. She came into the online space thinking she would help online entrepreneurs build their skills. As she’s built her online business, she’s had to face the challenge of defining her niche, but through this process, she discovered her strength is helping business owners with retention.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * What a technical writer is * Why so many companies don’t have documentation for their software products * Why marketing doesn’t end with the sale * Why retention is so important * Why it’s cheaper to retain an existing customer than acquire a new one * Why relationship marketing matters * How content can be revenue generating * What principles can help you delight your customers * What assets can make a difference in your business * The challenges Andrea faced when she transitioned from corporate to running her own business * The money mindset shifts Andrea had to make * What caused Andrea to struggle with selling and how she reframed selling
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Andrea Ames | Facebook | LinkedIn * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Today we’re going to get granular and tactical about what it takes to build a business around your knowledge and expertise. We’ll focus on the three main types of knowledge businesses and what you need to have in place to be successful. Be sure to stick around to the end because I'm also going to share what I think we should be striving toward.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Type 1: Info sellers * + The product is information + Requires skill and knowledge but is copyable + Competition drives down cost + What it takes to be successful over the long term * Type 2: Service businesses * + 1:1 work + Requires skill but is widely available + Competition drives cost down + What it takes to be successful over the long term * Type 3: Expert businesses * + Sell a variety of products + Requires high level of skill and devotion to craft + Expertise creates barriers to entry + What it takes to be successful over the long term
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Today I’m interviewing Chrissie Kenaston who is the copy coach in my group coaching program. In keeping with the theme of real talk about entrepreneurship, Chrissie shared the challenges she faced as she built her copywriting business and how long it took her to make real money as a service provider.
In addition to her copywriting business, Chrissie is also a published author and military spouse. She opened up about how those parts of her identity fit into her business.
Last but not least, we took some time to geek out about copywriting. You don’t want to miss Chrissie's take on the biggest mistake that entrepreneurs make in their copy and how to do market research.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * How long it really takes to make money * Why the challenges don’t stop when you’re making money * What Chrissie’s biggest struggles are now * The value of story in writing * The difference between content writing and copywriting * The biggest mistake that online entrepreneurs make * How to do market research and find the language your ideal customers use * Why you need a long sales page * How to put together a sales page and what should go on it * Why you need to focus on clear over catchy * Practical ways to get better at writing copy * Why it’s important to test things in your business
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Chrissie Kenaston | Instagram * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
In this episode, we’re talking about the struggles of selling information. It’s time to deal head-on with the misconception that all you’ve gotta do is put some information out there and people are gonna buy it. It’s not nearly as simple as it sounds. My goal here is to help you understand some of the specific challenges you need to be thinking about as you build your knowledge business.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * You have to be innovating constantly * + Things are always changing + Your products have to change to keep up + You have to keep updating your marketing and delivery + It’s not "create it and forget it" * The kind of business you choose matters * + There is a cost involved in changing + In most types of business, the incumbent has the advantage because change costs time and money + There isn’t an incumbent advantage with information + With things like coaching and DFY services, there is more of an incumbent advantage * How to generate interest in your product without cannibalizing the product * + Quandary of paid versus free content + The webinar paradox + When my coaching clients stop selling information, things get easier * The scale challenge * + Low or no barriers to entry + Becoming “the” person in an area before competitors come in
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
It’s time for another Friday interview episode! Today my guest is John Meese, the former dean of Platform University. John Meese is an economist by training and an author who has been thinking about how we can thrive and not just survive, especially in light of the big reset of 2020.
John Meese shares with us about his decision to start a physical co-working space at the beginning of 2020 and how that impacted his life and business. In addition to business struggles, he faced immense personal challenges in 2020, losing his grandfather and father within a few months of each other.
In this episode, we talk about navigating the challenges of life, the 3 different kinds of products you need as an entrepreneur, and where your product fits in the hierarchy of needs.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why you need to think about your business in terms of where it falls on the hierarchy of need * How your mindset around challenges can help you get back up when life knocks you down * Why the best businesses are those that create real products to solve real problems for real people * The 3 types of products John Meese recommends: gateway product, continuity product, and flagship product
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * John Meese | Survive and Thrive Book | Thrive School Podcast * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Talking about the economics of knowledge might sound like a geeky topic for a podcast episode, but if you’re building a knowledge business, this is an important concept to understand.
Over the next few episodes, we’re going to continue our discussion of what it takes to build a knowledge-based business. If you haven’t listened to episode 226, be sure to take a listen so you can understand the big picture of what we’re covering in this (unofficial) series.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * How to assess your business in light of traditional product businesses when it comes to valuing what you sell * Why information loses its worth as it is more widely available * What things can devalue your knowledge products * Why the barriers to entry in the information product space are low and why this leads to competition * Why you need to think of ways to create barriers to entry in your own business * How to position the value of your skills if you’re a service-based business
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Building an online business isn’t all rainbows and puppy dogs. But most entrepreneurs don’t pull back the curtain to show the hard stuff. That’s what this series is all about. I’ll be bringing on subject experts who have built thriving businesses but are also willing to share the challenges they’ve faced along the way.
To kick things off, my Integrator, Katie, is interviewing me about the challenges I’ve faced in building my business. Grab your beverage of choice and take a listen to find out what she asked and hear my answers.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * What was the most difficult part of Bobby’s online business journey * Why listening is more important than talking when you’re getting started * The belief shifts that changed the trajectory of Bobby’s business * How Bobby deals with imposter syndrome and keeps moving forward * What Bobby’s biggest struggles are now * What it means to market to your team * What Bobby’s biggest challenges are with leading a team * How Bobby gets stuff done even though execution isn’t his strength * What it means to be a thought leader and why this is hard * When Bobby considered throwing in the towel * What makes a powerful “why” for your business * What advice would Bobby give to beginner Bobby * What has surprised Bobby the most about himself
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Today we’re shifting gears to tackle the topic of what it means to be a knowledge business. We’ll be addressing some misconceptions about knowledge businesses and laying out the principles that you need to make a knowledge business work.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Knowledge businesses are different than other kinds of businesses (but not new) * + Pricing strategy + Selling transformation (not a physical product) + Personality + Inventory + Logistics * The 3 Pillars of building a knowledge brand * You need to be an expert * + Expertise in your subject matter + Expertise in marketing and business building * You have to solve a real problem * + The bigger the problem, the more money you can make + The difference between information and implementation * You need to focus on the quality of service * + How to get repeat customers + Social proof and brand ambassadors + Why you need to be asking how you can serve your people better
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Ep 176: You Have To Understand The Why Of Marketing * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
We’re starting something new today! If you’re listening to this the day it drops, you’ll notice that it’s Friday, which isn’t the normal podcast day. Since we don’t normally have guests on Tuesday, we decided to revamp our Friday episode and turn it into interviews with subject experts.
But this won’t just be a traditional interview show. Instead of just asking guests to share about their subject matter, we’ll be digging into the struggle and the challenges that online entrepreneurs face in building a business. These interviews will go behind the scenes so that you can see the ups and downs of entrepreneurship and hear what it takes to succeed.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * What to expect from the Friday interview episodes * The benefits of understanding the ups and downs of entrepreneurship * Why we also need to talk about our failures and struggles so we’re not only telling half the story
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Today we’re wrapping up our series on inbound marketing with a discussion of how to create a content plan. Last week, we talked about creating an overall strategy, and in this episode, we’re talking about creating the plan for our long-form content.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * How to take your content strategy and turn it into a plan * Why you should focus on evergreen content as much as possible * The types of topics you should be creating content about + Thought leadership content + Awareness content * Awareness + Do people even know they have a problem + Trojan horse content * Thought leadership content + Educational/how-to content + Belief shifting content + Why you need both types of content * How to pick topics + Define your content pillars - What are the areas that people need to be educated about - What mistakes belief shifts do you need to talk about - Explaining your core differentiators + Brainstorm topics based on those pillars * Why you need to focus on the basics * Ways to organize your content
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Today we’re getting back to the marketing stuff and talking about content marketing. In Episode 218, we set the foundation for what content marketing is, and today we’ll look at how to create a content strategy that works for your online business.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Guiding principles for your overall content strategy
+ Why you should favor long-form content over short form
+ COPE (create once, publish everywhere)
+ Spend as much time promoting content as you spend creating it
+ Focus on creating evergreen content
- Long-form content strategy
- Creating campaigns around each piece of long-form content
- Pick a core format that lets you establish thought leadership (video, podcast, blog)
- Understanding how people find your content
- Recognizing how people consume content
- The value of starting with video
- Creating a plan for social media
- Pick one primary platform to promote your content and engage with your audience
- Create multiple pieces of content based on your long-form content
- Don’t post and ghost
- Determine your engagement strategy
- Creating a plan to promote your content
- Search based (e.g., Pinterest, YouTube)
- Using paid ads to promote content
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Episode 218 * BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Online membership sites are a great way to create regular, recurring revenue in your business. But like every other kind of online business, you still gotta deal with the legal stuff.
Today we’re wrapping up our series on legal stuff for different kinds of online businesses and focusing on membership sites. We’ll cover the different agreements you need to have in place, what should be in them, and why getting your agreements in writing is critical.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Online business legal basics (check out Episode 219 to get details on trademark searches, copyright infringement, and IP transfer) * The value of getting your agreements in writing * The differences between a membership agreement and a course agreement * What you need to include in your membership agreement * + Fees (pros and cons of monthly vs. annual) + Payment plan authorization + Cancelation policy + Refund policy + What they get + Intellectual property and privacy + Dispute resolution * Other agreements you might need
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Episode 219 * Online Legal Foundations (inside BADA$$ Online Marketing University) * Ultimate Legal Checklist * Legal Templates * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Over the years, I’ve worked with many coaches to help them deal with the legal stuff. That’s why I wanted to record a podcast that covers the specific issues that coaches need to consider as they build their business. Whether you’re just starting out or have an established coaching business, be sure to listen in so you can make sure you have what you need to protect your business.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: What you need on your website
- Privacy Policy (click the link below to get this for free)
- Terms of Use
- Disclaimer
Your Coaching Agreement
- Why you need a written agreement
- The different sections you need in your agreement
Other agreements you might need
- Course agreement
- Digital product agreement
- Membership agreement
- Group coaching agreement
- Team agreements (for contractors and employees)
- Publicity releases (testimonials, guest coaches, podcasts)
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Online Legal Foundations (FREE Inside BADA$$ Online Marketing University) * Ultimate Legal Checklist * FREE Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
Many online entrepreneurs have built successful businesses offering valuable services like web development, copywriting, social media management, or virtual assistance. While it can be tempting to jump into working with a new client before you have an agreement in place, that’s not a good idea.
If you’re a service provider and are wondering what you need to know about the legal stuff, then today’s episode is for you. We’ll cover what agreements you need to have and what you can do to help prevent disputes before they arise.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * The agreements you need if you’re a service provider * Client Agreement * + Why you need an agreement before you exchange money + How a client agreement protects your relationship with your clients + How an agreement helps you avoid disputes + Why your agreement should be as specific as possible + Why you need to define payment terms + Why you need to define ownership of the work + Why you need a dispute resolution clause * Team Issues * + Independent contractors versus employees and the common misunderstandings around these classifications + Why you need agreements with your contractors and what should be in them + Agreements you need with employees * Other issues to consider * + Why you need a privacy policy, terms of use, and a disclaimer on your website + Naming issues for your business + Why every agreement in your business should be in writing
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Client Agreement * Service Provider Pack * Ultimate Legal Checklist * Free Legal Foundations Course (Inside BADA$$ Online Marketing University) * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram
“I love dealing with the legal stuff!” said no course creator ever. I know the legal stuff isn’t sexy, but protecting your business is pretty freaking important. That’s why we’re going to take a few weeks off from talking about inbound marketing and focus on the legal stuff for different kinds of online businesses.
Today we’ll be focusing on the legal stuff that course creators need to know. If online courses are part of your business model, then this episode is for you. Don’t let what you don’t know hurt you.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * How to choose a name for your course * + Trademark basics + Google + Social media + What to do if the name is already taken * What you need to know about legal stuff as a course creator * + Copyright issues + Intellectual property rights * How to protect your course with a course agreement * + Guarantees + Disclaimers + What they get + What they pay + Refund policy + Length of access + Dispute resolution * Other agreements you need in place in your business * + Contractors + Guest Teachers + Testimonial release + Affiliates + Website policies
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Legal Foundations Course inside BADA$$ Online Marketing University * Online Business Legal Checklist * Trademark search * Contractor Agreement * Guest Teacher Agreement * Course Agreement * Course Creator Pack * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram * Episode 35: Naming Your Business * Episode 38: Copyright Law * Episode 40: Right to Publicity * Legal Template Shop
Content marketing is a big topic, so we’re going to be breaking it down in more detail over the coming weeks. Today we’ll be looking at content marketing from a higher level. We’ll see how it fits into our overall marketing strategy and discuss the different types of content and the purpose they fill.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE:
- How content fits into the different phases of the buyer journey
- The different types of content you’ll need for different phases of the buyer journey
- What content marketing includes
- Why long-form content trumps the short life span of social media posts
- How long-form content can help you build authority and solidify your message, beliefs, and systems
- How to incorporate promotional content, attention content, thought leadership content, and engagement content into your marketing
RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * BADA$$ Online Marketing University (BOMU) * Free Privacy Policy * BADA$$ Online Marketers * Follow Bobby on Instagram * Episode 211
Email marketing has always been thought of as a tool for converting leads to buyers… and that is definitely one area where it shines. Any time you’re planning a promotion or launch, you should think strategically about how you can use email as part of your sales efforts.
A word of warning though… if you’ve neglected your email list when you aren’t selling, chances are that you won’t have much success when it comes time to sell. The sales process is where you cash in some of the equity that you’ve built with your list through the connection efforts we talked about in the last episode.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE
- Why you can’t just send some emails and expect to sell
- The emails that you should include in EVERY promotional sequence
- The psychology behind a sales sequence
- Why you should be sending more emails than you think
- How many emails you should send during a promotion
- A quick and easy tactic so that you don’t have to feel bad about sending too many
RESOURCES FROM TODAY'S EPISODE
- BOMU
- LEGAL TEMPLATE LIBRARY
As an entrepreneur building a knowledge brand, one of the key parts of the inbound journey is to build connections with your audience members. This is a part of the journey that sets us apart from typical product brands… we need to build the know, like, and trust factor to get people to buy.
Email marketing is a particularly good tool for building that connection with your audience, but you have to be intentional about how you use email. The majority of the emails you send over the life of your email marketing should be designed to build connection.
In this episode, we’re talking about HOW to build that connection.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE
- How to build credibility with email
- What to cover in your welcome sequence
- How to write awesome weekly emails and effective newsletters
RESOURCES FROM TODAY'S EPISODE
- BOMU
Email marketing is a key element of a successful inbound marketing strategy. Email gives you the chance to deliver a message directly to members of your audience without algorithms or other obstacles placed by tech platforms.
Email marketing is also particularly important because it is the quintessential example of permission-based marketing. You are only sending emails to people who have expressly raised their hand and asked for you to communicate with them.
To get the most out of your email list, you need to approach email marketing the right way, which is what we’re talking about in this episode.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE
- Where email marketing fits in your customer journey
- Why email marketing is a journey, not a destination
- The right way to approach email marketing
RESOURCES FROM TODAY'S EPISODE
BOMU
Today we’re talking again about a subject I love: list building. We’ll be breaking down how to build a high-converting opt-in page so that people will want to join your list.
This episode is part of our inbound marketing series. Last week we talked about lead magnets, and today I’m sharing the 3 key ingredients to creating a high-converting opt-in page.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE
- The single purpose rule
- How to optimize the layout of your opt-in page
- How to write stellar copy for your opt-in page
RESOURCES FROM TODAY'S EPISODE
- BOMU
If you want to build your list, you need to create a stellar lead magnet that your core audience will gladly give their email address to get. The trouble is that figuring out what makes a great lead magnet can be really confusing. In this episode, we’re taking the guesswork out of it (at least as much as possible!).
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE
- What makes a great lead magnet
- How many lead magnets you should have
- How to pick the right kind of lead magnet
RESOURCES FROM TODAY'S EPISODE
- BOMU
- Canva templates
As an online marketer, you’ve no doubt heard that you should be building your list. But maybe figuring out exactly how to do it is tripping you up. That’s why we are doing three episodes in a row about list building. In this episode, we are tackling list building basics. We talk about how list building fits into your marketing and the nuts and bolts of how to get started.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE
- How list building fits in with inbound marketing
- Overview of the list-building process
- Make sure you’re getting the right people on your list
- The most important rule of list building
RESOURCES
- BOMU
If you’re listening to this podcast, you are an inbound marketer… or at least you should be one. You don’t have money to spend blasting generic brand awareness ads to your customers. Instead, you need to attract, nurture, convert, and serve your potential customers in an orderly journey. That is the inbound marketing journey.
What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:
- The difference between inbound and outbound marketing
- How each type of marketing should fit into your overall marketing strategy
- The five phases of the inbound journey
- The five types of content you need to create to move people along the journey
- The biggest mistake marketers make in differentiating the phases of marketing
- Where you should focus your advertising dollars
- How content marketing fits into the puzzle
- How social media marketing fits into the puzzle
- How list building fits into the puzzle
- How email marketing fits into the puzzle
- What a closing channel is and why you need to have one
Resources In Today's Episode:
BOMU
Hubspot
AccessAlly
One thing that my followers have figured out by now is that I am NOT shy about expressing my opinions about things... which means I tend to make some pretty definitive statements. When I make those statements, I believe them to my core, but I'm not ashamed to admit it when I change my mind later.
This episode is my mea culpa for three things that I got wrong... and not just by a little. These aren't little things. These are places where I have changed my mind big time. Buckle up for some big admissions.
What You'll Learn in Today's Episode
- Three pieces of advice that I've given that were wrong
- Why creating a single piece of content each week might not be enough
- How we are changing our content marketing to build authority
- The different kinds of content you should be creating
- Why running sales that include price cuts aren't always bad
- What we can learn from Nordstrom
- Why "adding value" may not be the best way to generate sales
- How to handle promotion if you're creating multiple pieces of content each week
- Why I'm softening my stance on newsletters
- Resources In Today's Episode
Resources In Today's Episode:
BOMU Sign Up
YouTube Channel
The Blog
We’re wrapping up our Ethical Way series with my guest, Zach Spuckler. Zach and I had a great conversation about ethical marketing and how people use negative emotions in their marketing. We also ventured into other important online marketing topics.
Zach has been in the online marketing world for a while. He has been the Periscope guy, the Facebook ads guy, and now he’s the challenge guy. We talk about trends in the online marketing industry, like how messed up sales calls can be and why it’s important to be transparent about the real costs of starting an online business.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * How to think about using negative emotions in marketing and the false dichotomies that are common in the online marketing space. * Ways you can avoid negative emotions in marketing and not follow the script of work with me or be broke forever. * Another way to do webinars. * The problem with the bait and switch on webinars and discovery calls. * The problem with using shame and guilt to get people to buy your products. * The difference between a manipulator and an influencer. * How to avoid using sleazy tactics in your marketing and where the line is between playing loose with the facts and lying. * Why you should focus on inspiration based marketing over fear based marketing. * Why you need to be transparent about who your product is for and who it’s not for. * Why you need to disclose the other costs associated with your program. * The damage that results from a narrow definition of “success.” * Why it’s good to be thinking about whether you’re marketing in an ethical way and why people won’t always agree. * Just because somebody says it right doesn’t make it right and just because somebody says it’s wrong doesn’t mean it’s wrong. * Why you have to find what feels right for you and not just do what works for others.
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/2QunEIV
We’re continuing our journey down the ethical way, and today I’m joined by Tarzan Kay to talk about ethical marketing. Tarzan has been thinking and talking about writing ethical copy, and I’m excited to share our discussion about how we can be ethical online marketers.
We dive into how we think about ethics in online business and some of the assumptions that people make when they hear the word “ethical.” We also don’t hold back in discussing some of the problematic tactics that are so common in the online marketing world. You don’t want to miss this episode.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * When Tarzan realized there was a problem in the online marketing industry. * The complexity between people being vulnerable and in enough pain to need a solution and the pressure put on them to take responsibility for their situation. * How negative emotions are used to manipulate people instead of influence them. * Where the line is between agitating pain and acknowledging the problem. * Why we need to do the work to understand why the offer is important and how to make it compelling without making people feel negative emotions. * How to use testimonials in a way that represents real results. * What role money plays in your marketing and why you need to tell the whole story when you’re including revenue numbers. * Why you are the one who gets to help change the online marketing industry. * Why Tarzan named her program Copy Caboose. * Why you need to assume that our customers are as smart as you are. * How to deal with fast action bonuses and other persuasion strategies. * The problem with introducing something not true, like “deciding to add a payment plan.” * Why you need to consider how your marketing makes people feel. * Why you need to play the long game instead of just focusing on the short game. * The truth behind marketer math and revenue numbers.
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3v0NYt7
We’re talking about ethical marketing and our responsibility as business owners in the information space. Today we’re going to have a little fun talking about whether there’s a snopes for marketing. What are our duties to check information we’re passing along in our products?
Last summer I had an epiphany and started to ask questions and investigate some of the marketing practices that are common in the online space. Now I compare this to the game of telephone. Someone discovered a way to make money online and passed it along. But where do we draw the line between passing along information and investigating what we’re passing along?
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why online marketing is like a bad game of telephone. * Why it’s problematic to say you don’t need to be an expert to teach others. * Why the fact that it worked doesn’t mean that it’s right. * Why you need to investigate the information that you hear from others before you decide to repackage and sell it. * When repeating something becomes dishonest. * Why you have a duty to act and perform your due diligence as a marketer and where that line is. * When it’s your duty to verify information before you continue to share it on the internet. * Why I’m going to question things a lot more than I have in the past. * How to look outside the echo chamber so you know what to question. * Why you need to be especially skeptical about self-serving information. * Why if you’re going to spread information, it’s incumbent upon you to do some questioning before you pass it along.
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/2Qjcsik
We’re continuing our ethical way series where we’re talking about what it means to be an ethical online marketer. This isn’t me simply telling you what to do but asking questions about common industry practices. Today we’re diving into the issue of objections.
Objections are a big deal in the online marketing world. But it’s time to take a step back and rethink when we should bust objections and when a question or concern is a valid reason not to buy. We’ll be talking about understanding where that line is.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why we’re taught to think of everything as an objection to be busted. * Why it’s a problem to take this approach to objections. * The reality with completion and success rates for online courses. * How we’ve been trained to treat valid reasons people shouldn’t join as objections to bust. * Why people don’t have success with most online programs. * Why it’s unethical to say this will work even if you have no list and no audience. * Why we need to reframe the question from is it possible to succeed to would a majority of people be able to succeed? * Why we need to ask whether our marketing decisions are doing harm and honestly ask whether most people with this question/limitation would be able to succeed with my program? * Why you need fairness in balancing the needs of the buyer and seller. * Why you need to reconsider presenting a promise that only a small percentage of people will get and whether you're being honest about how hard it will be. * Why you shouldn’t avoid responsibility for how your marketing is causing you to address objections. * Why we need to recognize money, time, and pre-requisites as valid objections.
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3rZh0HP
As online marketers we use a lot of words and phrases that might seem confusing to people who aren’t in the know.
Some are just lingo that is annoying. Those clearly don’t raise ethical issues, but it’s probably not good marketing to use those publicly!
Some are confusing because we are using euphemisms... like when we use "masterclass" because our people don’t want to attend a "webinar."
Other times we’re using words that are simply untrue... like creating a list of "Frequently Asked Questions" that includes questions that no one has ever asked us.
In this special #Friday Live edition of The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast, we’re talking all about the ethics of these word games.
This isn’t an episode I had planned, but was inspired in the moment. That’s why it’s a live episode!
Enroll in my FREE training program, BADA$$ Online Marketing University to keep building your badass biz: https://bobbyklinck.com/bomu/
We’re continuing our conversation about ethical issues that come up in the online marketing space, and today is a doozy. We’re going to talk about the ethical limits on the promise and case studies. We need to have a discussion around both of these topics.
If you haven’t listened to the last several episodes, be sure to go back and start with episode 202 where we started this conversation about how we should be marketing products that aren’t tangible, physical products. What does ethical marketing mean for those who sell coaching, services, or information? Let’s dive into the issues that come up with our promise and case studies.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * How to think about the way we communicate the result that people get from our products. * What it looks like to foster trust and honesty in the marketplace. * Questions to ask about our products: do our products do what they claim, do we stand behind them, and do we honor our promises? * How we can honestly talk about our products and the explicit and implicit promises they make. * Why we need to rethink the norm of talking about the home-run successes (and only saying that these results aren’t typical in small print). * Why we need to realize that our success isn’t a good indicator of other people’s success with the same process and what our responsibility is to disclose this. * Why we need more transparency in presenting promises and how unusual the results are. * The difference between a case study and a testimonial. * What types of testimonials and case studies to include and what responsibility we have when we present this. * Why we need to be careful about case studies and testimonials that are results driven. * Why we need to include more context and all the relevant information with a case study. * Why we need to be careful about creating false hope with our promise and case studies.
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3wEVU4V
We’re continuing our exploration of the ethical issues that come up in the online marketing space when you’re selling a transformation rather than a physical product. Today we’re addressing the responsibilities we have as marketers for the results of our students.
In the past, I’ve said that we’re not responsible for the results of our students. This is the conventional wisdom in the online marketing world. But what I want to talk about today is: have we taken this too far?
How does our marketing affect the results of our customers and what role does it play in causing people to buy? If our promises convince them to buy, then we need to take some time to think about what our obligations are for their results.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * The extent to which we as marketers have to take responsibility for the results our audience gets. * What the American Marketing Association says about our responsibility to our customers. * How our promise impacts purchase decisions and what our obligation to help our students get these results is. * How every decision we make in our marketing has consequences. * What your responsibility is if you have a limited open cart period. * What your obligation to tell people if your product isn’t the right fit for them is. * What your obligation to tell people that your event or call is a sales opportunity is. * Every decision you make comes with consequences. * Why we need to stop thinking that we don’t have any responsibility for the results of our student who do the work. * Email or find me on social media and let me know what you think. I’d love to continue the discussion.
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/2R6SUOx
Today we’ll begin digging into the ethical questions around building an online business. We’ll be asking what it means to be an ethical marketer when we’re selling something that promises a result or transformation instead of a physical product.
Last week we laid the groundwork for our series, and this week we’re going to talk about our obligation to tell people about details that might be relevant to their decision to buy our programs or products. This episode is intended to start the conversation, but I would love to hear your thoughts too. I’ll be sharing where I’ve landed, but I can’t tell you exactly what the right thing for your business is.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Acknowledging that we’re helping people with problems that aren’t easy to solve (that’s why they’re still there). * What our obligation is to tell people that this is going to be hard and where the line is between presenting a false impression about how much work is involved and the full picture. * How the American Marketing Association code of ethics addresses this situation. * What our obligation is to disclose all that is involved (time, cost, software) in our solution to their problem. * The role of omission vs. commission in representing our products ethically. * Why you should ask yourself where the line is for YOU on this issue. * What your duty is in your marketing if you offer a follow up program (e.g., backend membership) that helps people get results from what you offer in the course. * What it means to be transparent if you know that the hardest part of what you’re teaching comes after they finish the course. * Questions to ask to help you know what to disclose: * + Would you want to know if you were a buyer? + Are you reluctant to disclose because you’re afraid people won’t buy? + Do you need to make it clear that there is something else they need to use your product? * Be sure to find me on social media and share your thoughts.
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/2Orjy3K
We’re starting a new series today. This one is all about ethical marketing and seeks to start a discussion around the question of what ethical marketing looks like in a space where the product is a transformation instead of a physical product.
We’ll dive into the ethical framework that I’ll be using for this series. To be clear, this isn’t just me telling you what the ethical way is. I want to start a conversation and talk about these things because not enough people are doing this.
My purpose isn’t to make you feel bad about yourself or moralize. My point is to help you think about these issues so you have your north star in your business.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why ethics in marketing is an issue no matter what you’re selling * Why we need to have this discussion * Why it might be time to reframe some of the ways we market our products * What makes the online information space different from physical products * What our responsibility is in sharing what it’s going to take to get results * What our obligations are regarding our promise and sharing case studies and testimonials * Why ethics shouldn’t be scary and what it’s really about * What kinds of questions we need to ask ourselves about what we promote * What the code of ethics for professional marketers includes
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3tHzqhf
This is a particularly exciting episode because I’m making a big announcement. I’m going to properly introduce you to BADA$$ Online Marketing University. Today is the day that BOMU is no longer a single course but is a “university” with MULTIPLE courses.
I’m going to share WHY we’re giving away all this amazing information for FREE while most people are charging big bucks for this kind of training. BOMU is an all-in-one place to learn all the marketing stuff you need to learn how to build an online business. These trainings were created specifically for small online personal brand businesses.
After I share all the awesomeness that’s inside, I’ll also explain how BOMU is the ultimate expression of the lessons I shared in the previous episode.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Today is the day that BOMU is moving platforms and is no longer just a course but a whole marketing “university” * What the 3 foundations courses will teach you * What the other 2 courses will help you figure out * What courses are still to come later this year… * Why I’m doing this crazy big project for FREE * Why BOMU is the ultimate expression of the 5 lessons I shared in Episode 200
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3f3oRkA
Today we’re marking episode 200! To celebrate this accomplishment, I’m sharing 5 lessons I’ve learned on my entrepreneurial journey. Each time I reflect on what I’ve learned, I realize that while some lessons stay the same, more often than not, they change as I grow.
Recently my entrepreneurial journey has been coming full circle. I’ve found myself revisiting things I learned a long time ago. One of the things I’ve revisited is Hubspot’s inbound marketing program, which was training that I applied in my law firm back in the day.
As I moved into the online space, I became the legal guy. Now I’m also the email and marketing guy. But this inbound marketing emphasis has also become more important as I’ve begun sharing my beliefs about being a serve-first entrepreneur. Be sure to list in as I share how this all fits together.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why your training is never done. * Why information and training are important, but action is what matters. * Why you need to simultaneously be thinking about the short term and the long term in your business. * Why you need to be thinking in terms of overall strategy rather than tactics. * Why you need to focus on inbound marketing in the online information space.
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3bNyS3A
Today I’m joined by a special guest, my friend Mel Abraham. We talk about the realities and challenges of being an entrepreneur. But we also get down and dirty and discuss the money stuff and what it means to build wealth and affluence.
Mel shares how a medical diagnosis changed his life and allowed him to accept where he was in life. But he also realized that the business he had built allowed him to step back from the daily operations so he could fight cancer without worrying about money. It also inspired him to think about why he was here and how his experience and knowledge could help others.
Join us as Mel talks us through how entrepreneurs can think about their money stories and blocks, make smart decisions about money, and define what it means to create a richer lifestyle.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * How money stories impact us * Why your business can be the best engine to help you generate wealth * Why you need to optimize your business profits to create a financial machine * Why you shouldn’t reinvest all your profits back into your business * Why you need to diversify your income streams and plan for the inevitable * What your business margins and allocations should look like in an online business * How to think about wants vs. needs and be intentional with your money * How to think about investing * The difference between productive debt and destructive debt * Why wealth is measured in time and not dollars
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3rvAdRS
Today we’re wrapping up our series on the serve-first way, where we’ve talked about the mindset shifts required to be a serve-first entrepreneur. The serve-first way is about a simple concept: I put the interests of those I serve over my own.
In an earlier episode, I talked about marketing over selling. Marketing focuses on the needs of your customers and selling focuses on the needs of the seller. This is a central shift in becoming a serve-first entrepreneur.
Being a serve-first entrepreneur is about being a marketer and understanding what people need and creating a solution to serve them. It involves building relationships at many levels and taking a long view of your business. You can either be a salesperson and sound like an infomercial or you can be a serve-first entrepreneur.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why you need to start with the question: what would serve my audience best. * Why you need to shift from asking how can I make more money → how can I make more impact and serve more people? * Why you need to shift from asking when do I want to launch → when will my people need my product and be ready for it? * Why you need to shift from asking how do I get more followers → how can I create content that will be valuable to my people? * Why focusing on what will best serve your audience will ultimately help you build a thriving business you love. * How a serve-first approach helps you create brand evangelists. * Why having only one product in your business is not a serve-first way. It isn’t good for you or your audience. * Why you need to think about lifetime customer value as you decide on your business model and your products.
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3b2ARz8
We’re continuing our discussion of what it means to be a serve-first entrepreneur. Today we’ll talk about taking a long term view of our business and discuss the long term benefits of this approach.
I’ve been talking a lot about my free resource BADA$$ Online Marketing University. This is an example of taking a long term view of business. I’m giving away my best content to serve other entrepreneurs in the online space.
But taking a long view approach to online business isn’t popular. Everyone wants to be an overnight success. They’re looking for the easy button. Even though that’s not the way life works, that's what we expect.
The people telling you that you don’t want to trade dollars for hours aren’t giving you the full context. It has distorted our view of hard work and success. We get wrapped up in the overnight success stories, but they’re not usually overnight success stories.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why the “overnight success stories” aren’t what they’re cracked up to be. * Why you should be cautious of taking the “hare” approach or the easy way. * Why using shortcuts to get ahead will eventually backfire. * Why success comes from gradual growth and goodwill. * How the online marketing world plays to our worst tendencies. * Why the claims and messaging in the online marketing space have gotten out of hand. * Why the serve-first approach takes longer and why you need to have a long view. * Why taking the long view in your business and doing the work will make you more successful over time.
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/2Z9gmLF
Today we’re continuing our series on what it means to be a serve-first entrepreneur. We’re talking about marketing to a warm audience versus a cold audience. A warm audience already knows you because they’ve read or listened to your content or been on your email list. Any audience that doesn’t know you and your beliefs is a cold audience.
In selling and messaging, what you say needs to match the level of awareness of your audience. This is true for selling and even freebies. We’re going to focus on how a warm audience vs. a cold audience impacts our marketing.
If you’re trying to sell to a cold audience, it will be hard. Marketing is about making the right offer to the right person at the right time with the right message. How would you be able to do this to a cold audience of people who don’t know you? This is why advertising to a cold audience straight to a sales page is hard.
Often entrepreneurs will have success launching to a warm audience like their email list. After they exhaust their list, they move outside that audience into a cold audience. But because this new cold audience doesn’t know them, their launch will likely flop. So how do you move forward?
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * The benefits of a warm audience over a cold audience. * Why it’s much harder to convert a cold audience. * What you have to do to convert a cold audience. * Why gimmicks and tactics aren’t the serve-first way. * Why the serve-first approach means growing your warm audience. * What it takes to build a warm audience. * Why fake urgency is not a serve-first approach. * Why you should focus on attracting a cold audience and connecting with them rather than selling to a cold audience.
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/2YRVSHc
We’re continuing on our journey looking at the serve-first way. Today we’re talking about people over transactions. This is about honoring the people in our audience rather than thinking about them in terms of transactions or leads or numbers.
This particular topic was a challenge to know how to introduce because it’s counter-intuitive. Putting people first, above your bottom line, is the right thing to do, and it’s also how you build an audience and grow your revenue over time. But you’re not serving just so you can make more money.
Some online entrepreneurs have the “buy from me or you’re out” mentality. We have gotten so fixated on an immediate ROI, and we complain about freebie-seekers. If your focus is on making money, that’s not the serve-first way.
I’ve regularly had people on my list for twelve to even eighteen months before they buy. I even have people on my list who have never bought from me but have sent their friends or made important introductions.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why the concept of people over transactions is mind-bending. * How the holistic marketing approach impacts your relationship with your audience, team, and peers. * Why treating people well, whether they buy from you or not, will help grow your business. * How people normally become brand ambassadors vs how you can create brand advocates among people who haven’t bought from you. * How being a serve-first entrepreneur can create a ripple effect in the world. * Why you need to think of everyone in your world as a person, not just a lead or sale.
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3rylC7P
In today’s #Friday Live edition of The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast we’re talking one of the biggest travesties of language happening in the online space.
In the online world, you often hear the term "internet marketer" used to describe the most aggressive sellers out there. The people who loves funnels, put you though 18 upsells, use every gimmick and trick in the book, and don’t care about you if you don’t buy right away.
It’s no wonder that most people really don’t want to be called an internet marketer!?! They sound a lot like the WORST salesmen out there.
In today’s episode, we’re talking about why those morons are the LAST people who should be called internet marketers... what that term actually means... and why we should embrace being thought of as a marketer!
Learn this concept and more when you enroll in my free program, BADA$$ Online Marketing University: https://secure.bobbyklinck.com/bomu
Today is part 4 of the series on the serve-first entrepreneur way. I believe this is the best way to build an online business. This episode will focus on why we need to focus on marketing over selling and how they’re different.
Most online marketers are actually online sellers. You don’t hear them talking about the full definition of marketing from the American Marketing Association. If you read the AMA’s definition of marketing, you’ll realize that it’s much more involved and isn’t focused on selling.
Marketing involves creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings. Basically, marketing is all of the stuff involved in creating a product that has value for a customer. It isn’t focused on selling but on creating value.
Marketing isn’t just about you and the customer. It’s also about creating offerings that have value with your partners. But it goes beyond that. Marketing should have value for society at large.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * What the real aim of marketing is. * The limitations with thinking that selling is service. * Why serve-first means spending a lot of time on things other than selling. * Why marketing includes finding your people, building connections, understanding their needs, creating the right product and offer for them, and delivering it well. * Why I don’t pressure people to buy. * Why when you market the right way, you will have a thriving business.
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/36txorT
In today's #Friday Live edition of The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast we are talking about why I want my students to get to the point that they don't need me. Yep. You read that right. I don't want my students beholden to me over the long term. My goal is for each of my students to learn what they need so they can fly without me... ...and maybe just get to the point that we end up peers in the same mastermind group. Interested to hear how to build your business with my forever FREE online program, BADA$$ Online Marketing University? Sign up here: https://secure.bobbyklinck.com/bomu
Today we’re diving into part 3 of our series on being a serve-first entrepreneur and focusing on giving over taking. I’ll share about how giving over taking works in my business and the shift you can make to implement this in your business.
Serve-first entrepreneurs ask: have I given more value than I’ve gotten in return? This should be our goal. The concept of giving over taking should show up in relationships with your customers and audience and eventually with your team, peers, vendors, and more. Relationships matter in business.
The more you increase the difference between the value your customer gets and what you charge them is how you shift into a serve-first mindset. People who are trying to squeeze out every last dollar as sellers don’t succeed in the long term. Customers don’t want to do business with people who are cut-throat and only focused on getting the most from them.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * The first place where the serve-first approach needs to show up in your business. * Why the value of information is limited. * Why if people aren’t buying your course because all the information is in your freebie, then the problem is with your course. * Why you need to ignore the “charge more” advice and what to ask instead. * Why serve-first is how you win long term. * How the law of value impacts your business and increases your impact. * Why adopting this give more than you receive mentality will help you succeed.
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3sUdD6z
In this week’s #Friday live edition of the Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast, we’re talking about abundance and why you need to adopt it as an entrepreneur.
Too many entrepreneurs operate from a place of scarcity, constantly worried that people are going to screw them over. That mindset is a recipe for disaster and will prevent you from truly growing.
As usual... Papa Klinck (aka, my dad) makes an appearance in the form of a story.
If you haven't already, join my FREE Online Program, BADA$$ Online Marketing University: https://secure.bobbyklinck.com/bomu
This is part two of our eight-part series on being a serve-first entrepreneur. We’re going to talk about shifts you need to make to build a truly serve-first business. We’ll also discuss why you need a passion for your business that goes beyond money.
Being a serve-first entrepreneur means you're not obsessed with creating a business that is totally passive. That’s why it’s important to love what you do. This is about building a business that will last. If you’re passionate about the business you’re building, you’re not going to be looking for ways to “retire” but will want to keep doing what you do.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * How entrepreneurship is similar to the music industry. * Why if money is your goal, you’re better off working for someone else than building your own business. * What people don’t tell you about entrepreneurship. * The 3 distinct passions you need to be thinking about as you build your business. * + Why you need a passion for the people you serve. + Why you need a passion for your cause. + Why you need a passion for your solution. * Why if you chase profits rather than passion, the chances you’ll make money are low. * Why if you put passions over profit, you’ll become magnetic.
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3sz2PKQ
In today’s #Friday Live edition of the Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast, we’re talking about how to decide whether you should join everyone who’s swarming to the Clubhouse app.
But this isn’t an episode about a single new social media app or platform. This episode is about how to assess ALL the new opportunities you are going to face as an entrepreneur.
Too many entrepreneurs feel like they HAVE to join whatever the newest thing is... and I’m here to tell you that’s wrong. But you’ll also learn a simple test you can use to decide whether to hop on any new trend.
Join BADA$$ Online Marketing University: A 100% FREE online program for online entrepreneurs who want to build businesses that actually last.
We’re starting a new series today called the serve-first way. It’s about approaching entrepreneurship with a priority of serving your audience. This first episode is the foundation for a different way of doing business, one that’s genuinely focused on serving.
Let’s begin with why I’m passionate about the serve-first model. A few years ago, people began to notice that I do things differently. I was serving and giving instead of focused on getting. A lot of people talk about this in the online space, but often it’s just a way of differentiating ourselves from the lamborghini marketers.
My views on serving in business come from watching my dad run a chain of drug stores in the 1980s and 1990s. His belief was that the customer is always right--no matter what. Of course, customers aren’t always “right,” but the customer is still the center of your business.
Growing up I didn’t want to be a business owner. I wanted to be a professional. But little did I know that my dad’s values were rubbing off on me. I learned that your revenue is a function of how many people you serve and how well you serve them. That means growth is centered on serving more people and serving them better.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Serve first has some presuppositions. * Serving people well will help you grow and build goodwill. * If you don’t serve people well, you’ll be on the hamster wheel of trying to find new people to buy from you. * Serve first isn’t a tactic. It has to be who you are. * Serve-first isn’t about making the most money possible but serving people in the best way possible. * Serve-first makes it easier to connect with people online. * What serve-first really is (and isn’t!). * Why serving well is more important than profits. * The problems with some of the tactics in the online marketing space. * How we rationalize our marketing decisions. * Why we need to rethink the phrase “selling is serving.” * Questions to ask to understand our motivations.
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3nA0WKl
In today’s #Friday Live edition of The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast, I’m talking about fear… and why we need to stop acting out of fear.
This isn’t the episode I intended for this week, but it seems like a discussion that needs to be had. So, I’m going there.
We’ll be talking about how fear has people paralyzed and how it only gets worse the longer you let it fester.
It’s the first episode of 2021, and I’m excited to share a recap of my virtual live event from last month. I’m joined by my integrator Katie, and we’re diving into the results, the ups and downs, and the takeaways from a $300K event.
Rather than speaking in general terms, we’re sharing numbers, including ticket sales and costs.
We had a mix of bonus tickets and ticket purchases. For tickets purchased, there were two price points: event only ($97) and VIP ($297). The revenue we made from ticket sales offset our costs, which were right around $24K.
One of the benefits of running a virtual event is they’re much cheaper. We reduced our costs even more since I didn’t want my team traveling during the Covid spike, I decided not to bring in an AV crew, and I used my basement instead of renting a space. Our biggest costs were the SWAG boxes, the tech platform, and Facebook ads to a warm audience.
We had 148 people attend any part of the event, which was about a 70-75% show up rate. But since it was a virtual event, people don’t necessarily show up for the full event like they would have if they had traveled. We had about 100 people present for each main event.
At the pitch session, there were 102 at that session. But the problem was that my microphone went out two times, once when I was pranking them and then again when I was starting my pitch. People tried to refresh to get their sound back, and unfortunately, many of them couldn’t get back in the session. Despite this, the results exceeded our wildest expectations.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * The breakdown of my $300K event from December, including costs * What the offer was and the conversion rate * The trick I pulled off to share my new FREE program * The impact of my announcement of BOM University * Why we had the results we did * How I pitched using the same material I had been teaching * Why we didn’t have to do any post event follow-up * The planning process for the event * Why we were transparent and created the event without gimmicks * How we created a virtual event that didn’t suck * The extra touches that people loved * Why we didn’t use Zoom as our platform and what we used instead * Overall takeaways
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3ncMnvV
It’s the time of year when we make time for a retrospective. I’m calling today’s episode: So… THAT Year Happened. Today we’ll take a look at what happened this past year and what’s coming in the year ahead.
Twenty-twenty will go down as a really weird year. It has been a very strange time. None of us could have anticipated what happened in the spring with Covid-19 and racial tensions. It felt like A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.”
Despite the difficulties of 2020, I had my best year yet in business. But at the same time, this was a devastating year for many businesses, especially brick and mortar businesses. In the online space, some people had breakthrough years while others continued to struggle.
Basically, 2020 accelerated trends that were already happening. Many businesses discovered that people can work from home. Some big businesses have given up the old model of working in the office. People became more accepting of online learning.
There is a downside to some of these trends. There’s going to be more competition. Supply and demand in advertising shifted when the pandemic first started. Now the costs have gone back up. In addition, the easy-button inspired marketing that had been successful until now, is falling short. That means marketers need to become more sophisticated.
Even though this year has been a roller coaster, a new calendar isn’t going to magically change everything. So as we move forward, it’s good to hope for the best and remember there will still be challenges ahead.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * I more than doubled my revenue from last year. * This growth happened without a huge influx of subscribers. * I found my message and gained clarity of purpose. * I worked out the specifics of my product suite. * I got clarity on my team. * I discovered I was built for the stage (live or virtual) and hosted an event that was the highlight of my year. * Why I’m leaning into my messaging and focusing on marketing fundamentals and connection. * Why I’m leaning into BOMU and adding more courses to it. * Why giving is my word of the year again. * Why we’re not planning to launch anything new next year.
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/37WIlTW
In this episode, we’re talking about one of my favorite topics: radical giving. The concept of radical giving has been a central part of my business for three years, and it has made all the difference. Today we’ll break down what radical giving is.
As a side note: radical giving is the motivation behind my newest initiative: BADA$$ Online Marketing University. The first course in the program is Online Marketing Foundations. We’ll be adding more courses throughout the year, so that you can get all the training you need in one place for FREE.
If you’ve been in my audience for a while, you’ve probably heard me talk about radical giving. So what is the concept of radical giving? Most people who teach about giving view it as something tactical. It’s something transactional or strategic. How much should you give away for free and what should be paid? That’s NOT what I’m talking about here.
Radical giving is not a tactic you use so that you can get something back. It’s a different way of thinking about business. My first few years in my business were hard. I was doing all the things, and nothing was working. At the end of 2017, I was at a low point after my launch flopped.
At a New Year’s eve service, my pastor was talking about the power giving has in our lives. I decided “giving” would be my word of the year. This brought about a fundamental shift in my life and business. I found joy in giving, not because they were giving back, but just because of the joy giving. Most people think this sounds like a crazy idea.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * When I started giving, I became magnetic and people wanted to be in my world and hear from me because I wasn’t trying to attract them with tactics and strategies. * I became more joyful because I was focused on giving and serving others. * This new outlook caught the attention of people in my network and major players in our industry. * I now have a raving fan base of people who send their friends to my world because they know I’ll take care of them. * Annual giving report: my goal was to give away $4,000,000 in privacy policies. To date, we have given away 13,000 privacy policies ($3,900,000 worth of privacy policies). I also allowed Amy Porterfield to include my course terms and conditions in her Digital Course Academy. That’s another $3,000,000 in value, which makes a total of $6,900,000. * We are also giving away BOMU for FREE. * For 2021, we set a goal to give away 20,000 privacy policies. Another ambitious goal we set is to have 30,000 members in my FREE program BOMU. There are also people in my community who have offered to make some of their training available for free inside BOMU. * I want to serve entrepreneurs because I believe they’re contributing to good things in the world. * That New Year’s service and my decision to pursue radical giving changed my life. * Now I ask you: how can you be a radical giver in your space?
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bobbyklinck.com/podcast/ep-188-radical-giving-redux/
How do you build a real business that will be around for the long term? There are a lot of misconceptions about this. Today we’ll talk about building an online business that is poised to last and how to think like a business owner.
If you didn’t catch last week’s episode, be sure to go back and listen. At the end, I announced a big surprise project we’ve been working on called BADA$$ Online Marketing University or BOMU. This is a FREE resource that will help you build a solid foundation for your online business.
The first course in BOMU, Online Marketing Foundations, is already up. We’ll be adding more courses to BOMU over the coming months. The purpose of BOMU is to help online entrepreneurs shift from being online sellers to online marketers. This means making the shift from being in the information business to the implementation business.
Right now most online entrepreneurs are building themselves a job and not a business. If you want a business, it requires something different, and you’ve gotta be serious about putting in the time and money.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why you need to shift the mindset that you can build a business without investing any money or time. * Why you gotta deal with the legal stuff and the financial stuff. Real businesses deal with the legal stuff (e.g., contracts and agreements) and the financial stuff (e.g., business bank account). * Why you need the right business model. * + Bringing in consistent positive sales revenue (i.e., your monthly income needs to exceed your expenses) + Building goodwill + Creating a business that works when you don’t and can scale
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/2Ku9HHK
If you hang out with online entrepreneurs very long, you are BOUND to hear them complain about how their list is full of "freebie-seekers."
In today’s #Friday live edition of The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast, we’re talking about why we need to STOP complaining about freebie seekers...
...at least if you want to call yourself a "serve-first" entrepreneur.
I’m welcoming freebie-seekers and everyone else into a brand new FREE training program called BADA$$ Online Marketing University. It’s a program that we will be adding courses to teach you ALL of the things you need as an entrepreneur.
You can join for free (and I won’t complain) at www.bobbyklinck.com/bomu
If you’re an information product business owner, you need to hear today’s episode. I’m talking about the future of this industry. We need to be thinking about the future of our business model, so we can plan and adapt and not become obsolete.
Let’s talk about the future by starting with the past. Information isn’t a new industry. But it’s important to note that your purpose isn’t to sell information but to solve a problem. You have to identify the problem you solve and the value of the solution you sell. The problem needs to be front and center in your mind.
You also need to consider: what is the problem your business model solves? What is the differentiator in your business? You can’t hide behind the claim that you’re providing information. Instead, you’re going to have to make some changes to the way you think about your business model.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why information used to be a valuable commodity. * Why information is less valuable now than it used to be. * 3 reasons why people might be willing to buy an information product for you (but this won’t last) * + You have organized or curtated information so it saves someone time. + You’re super niched and people can’t easily find the information for free. + If you or your process are unique, that gives you advantage. * Most people want results not information. You’re not in the information business. You’re in the implementation business. That means you need to provide support and community to help people get the results you promised. * What we’re doing in my business to focus on implementation: VIP Days, Boot Camps (3-day get it done workshops), and Group Coaching. * What we’re going to be giving away for free: BADA$$ Online Marketing University! This is a place where you can get a comprehensive marketing education for the online space for FREE.
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/2VLVd8J
Every business needs processes to manage projects and tasks. But this is a place where many entrepreneurs get stuck. That’s why I’m sharing our project planning method and cycle so that you can get a peek into how Team Klinck works.
In case you haven’t heard, I can be a little bit difficult to control when it comes to projects. That’s why we created a system to help keep me in check. We were also trying to create a system that works for us since, unlike many online businesses, we don’t do traditional launches.
Today, I’m going to break down what we’re doing and the model we’ve implemented. But this exact system might not work for your business. The important thing is that you create something that works for you and make changes when necessary.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * How we mixed different project management theories * The questions we asked ourselves about how we want to balance different interests and responsibilities * The 3 categories we created for work * + Projects + Rogue tasks + Recurring tasks (batchable vs. non-batchable) * The other guidelines we created * + We only work on one project at a time as a team + We don’t limit our projects to revenue generating + We build extra time into projects and sprints so we have a cushion + When someone is working on a project, they’re not working on non-batchable recurring projects + Each person will clear the deck of batchable recurring tasks before starting a new project so they have full capacity + When you’re not working on a task, you attend to rogue tasks and take a rest * The 3 project types we created * + Major projects--promotions, live events, evergreening a funnel, creating a new product, redoing our tech stack + Product enhancements--thinking about how we improve existing products + Internal improvements--internal team work, wikis, systems * Why we created a project backlog and a system for how it should rank (impact, time, effort, readiness, cost) and reassess it regularly * How we implemented a Planning Cycle * + Start with a debrief (looking back at the last project cycle) + Assess whether we need to change the project backlog + Plan what’s going to happen with projects (major, enhancement, and internal) and who is actively involved * Why we’re not limiting ourselves to quarters and instead are operating on cycles. * Why even if this system doesn’t work for you, you need to find something that does.
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/2Jk5WEP
In today’s #Friday live edition of The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast, I’m taking on Black Friday.
The reality is that most Black Friday deals are bad for all involved... the marketer and the buyer! We’re talking all about why in this episode... and discussing how to approach Black Friday the RIGHT way.
And I’m leading by example by explaining why I adopted a "Pay Me More" approach for my Black Friday deal!
Check out the Bobby RUINS Black Friday Sale: www.bobbyklinck.com/paymemore
Since it’s Thanksgiving week in the United States, I wanted to take the opportunity to show gratitude. This is going to be a different kind of holiday because of Covid. Normally we gather with extended family, but this year we’re celebrating with immediate family only.
This has been a difficult year, and it can be hard to talk about gratitude right now. At the same time, I realize that I have many reasons to be thankful. That’s why I want to share with you what I’m thankful for in my business, and I want to encourage you to do the same thing.
I have many things I could be thankful for in my business, so I picked four big changes that have come about this year. If you’ve listened to some of my other recent podcast episodes, you’ve probably heard me hint at some of these shifts. But these four changes have made an otherwise difficult year more enjoyable.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: The four things that I’m grateful for in my business:
- I truly found my voice and my message.
- That I launched my email course.
- That I’m working closely with a small number of people in my coaching program and with a few clients for VIP days.
- My team
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/2KpImqf
In today’s #Friday live edition of The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast, we’re talking about a very important distinction that most people in the online space miss — marketing and selling are NOT the same thing.
Today’s episode was inspired by a podcast I heard recently on a well-known podcast in the space, where the host was effectively equating the two. As someone who believes words have meaning, I gotta clear up the confusion.
Because the reality is that marketing isn’t only different from selling… great marketing makes selling unnecessary. And that’s not just me talking. In the episode I’m sharing a quote from one of the most influential business minds out there.
We need to stop being online sellers and start being online marketers. Give this episode a listen to learn the difference.
Want to hear more? Join me at my 3-day Virtual Event, BADA$$ Online Marketing Live on December 4th-6th: www.bobbyklinck.com/bomlive
I recently realized that I’ve been making a big mistake, and I wanted to share what I’ve discovered and apologize. Doing what we’re used to doing is hard to give up because we often don’t recognize we’re stuck in the status quo. That’s why I’m sharing about this mindset shift I’ve made. For those of you who enjoy hearing about my mistakes, be sure to listen up.
Mea culpa. I recognized that part of the reason I’ve been doing this wrong is that I was following advice I’d been given. We’re all guilty of doing this. It’s an evolving practice. So here’s my mistake: my guru rants. These are rants where I’m deconstructing what the gurus are teaching. But I realized I was doing it wrong. My rants come across as I’m attacking the person, as if it’s personal.
I love talking about what’s wrong with marketing and deconstructing the conventional wisdom. But something about my guru rants felt off. As I thought about it, I realized it felt off because it seemed like I was attacking my friends. I realized that what I was taught early on, that you need a villain, was the reason behind this. But this approach of creating a villain isn’t consistent with my values. We need less vs. them. But I was doing that in my marketing, and I was wrong, and I’m sorry.
Some of my friends took my rants personally. My goal wasn’t to hurt them, so I won’t be personalizing my criticism going forward. Even as I ranted about how we shouldn’t just do something because that’s what we were taught, that’s exactly what I was doing.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why it’s so hard to break out of the status quo. * Why you’re operating on auto-pilot. * How the status quo can become dogma and why this limits you. * The importance of asking the right questions to help you figure out whether you should keep doing something. * Why you need to identify why you’re doing something. * Why “that’s how it’s always been done” isn’t a sufficient answer. * Why you need to understand the basic rationale behind why you do something. * The two filters you need to ask about things you do in your business: * + Is this reason consistent with marketing fundamentals? + Is it consistent with your values? * Why you need to ask yourself “why” you’re doing something.
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/2UwquvA
In this week’s #Friday live edition of The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast, we’re talking about the difference between list building and fan building.
If you think you should be building a list at all costs, I’m here to tell you that’s not right. Forget list building, focus on fan building and your business will take off.
Give the episode a listen to discover the difference.
Like what you hear? Join me for BADA$$ Online Marketing Live -- a 3-Day Virtual Event helping you build the badass business of your dreams! www.bobbyklinck.com/bomlive
If you’re struggling in your business, it’s probably not what you think. I was inspired to do this episode because of a post in a FB group where someone was talking about needing to change her lead magnet because it wasn’t getting attention. When I saw this, I knew the problem wasn’t the lead magnet but her messaging.
The first thing you have to do is get people’s attention. If you can’t get attention, it doesn’t matter how great your freebie or product is. If enough people aren’t seeing it, you can really know what the problem is.
But how do you get attention? Not by being just like everyone else. The problem is that most entrepreneurs are not giving anyone a reason to pay attention to them. If you’re in a crowded space, then you need to set yourself apart from the crowd. Why should they listen to YOU? Until you have a good answer to that question, you’re going to struggle.
“How to” content is cheap and available all over. How do you make them want to get the information from YOU? How do you get more eyeballs on your freebie? You have to do the deep work of figuring out your messaging. You need to stand for something, and your solution needs to have a unique angle.
When your message resonates with your people, that’s when you can figure out your content and create products that will serve their needs. But to get there, you have to do the hard work to figure out your message. You need a viewpoint.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * The structure of figuring out your messaging. * Why you need to identify the conventional teaching in your area that you disagree with. * What is the outcome of people following the conventional wisdom? * Why you need to understand what your people are experiencing and how that enables you to speak into the situation. * The value of showing your people why the conventional wisdom doesn’t work. * Why “how to” content isn’t going to bring the right people to you. * Why developing your message is a process and takes time. * Why it’s time to start being a “heretic” in your niche.
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3670SLd
In this week’s #Friday Live edition of The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast, we’re talking about something kinda weird I noticed… something about CPAs.
Specifically, you hear a lot of online entrepreneurs struggle to find an accountant who “gets” their business. And that got me thinking…
…and me thinking tends to lead to one of those kicks in the behind.
Instead of faulting accountants for not “getting” it, maybe we should ask whether the fact that trained professionals don’t get our business model is a sign that maybe we should be rethinking our model.
Give the episode a listen to discover why.
And if you’re interested in learning how to build a REAL business online — one that your accountant will understand — I’d love for you to join me at BADA$$ Online Marketing Live the first weekend of December. You can learn more at www.bobbyklinck.com/bomlive
It’s time to break out of the marketing echo chamber! Today I’m sharing more about why online marketers are stuck in the 1950s. We’ll also discuss how you should be marketing today and how that is different than what the gurus are teaching.
I’m going to hit hard against the conventional wisdom of the online space. That’s because the way most online entrepreneurs are teaching us to market in the online space is backward and based on ideas from the 1950s.
What do I mean that online marketers are stuck in the 1950s? Well, I’m not referring to technology. Instead, I’m talking about a 1950s marketing concept that is rife in the online marketing world. So, let’s take a walk down memory lane and look at the 5 big marketing concepts in history and discover how we can move into the present.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * The five big marketing concepts * + The production concept of marketing + The product concept of marketing + The selling concept of marketing + The marketing concept + The holistic marketing approach * The problem with the entire launch model and its underlying motivations * Why other companies don’t launch like online marketers * The problem with limited open cart periods, urgency, and scarcity * How online entrepreneurs have become like the gym model * What being a “serve-first” entrepreneur is NOT * How you figure out what your audience needs * The significance of interconnectedness and relationships * The true value of building goodwill in your business
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3kMIspe
In this #Friday Live edition of The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast, we’re talking about a small but important shift we all need to make as online entrepreneurs. Specifically, we’re talking about the fact that you need to remove the blinders and pay attention to your competitors.
Okay, maybe that’s not actually a small shift… Lots of folks suggest that we should put on our blinders and ignore what our “competitors” are doing. In this episode, we’re talking about why that’s actually some really bad advice.
The right approach isn’t to ignore your competitors, but you also can’t get into a compare and despair cycle. Give the episode a listen to discover how to do it right.
If this resonates with you, join me at BADA$$ Online Marketing Live, a no-fluff, 3-Day event helping you build your own badass biz! www.bobbyklinck.com/bomlive
Today I’m talking with Anna Nelson, a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach. She shares why you should build a business based on what you’re good at doing and how the Clifton Strengths Assessment can help you discover and make the most of your strengths.
The problem with personality assessments is that people tend to take them and not do anything with the results. Anna explains that the results from the Clifton Strengths Assessment show you what’s unique about you and what sets you apart from others.
When you understand your unique strengths, you find freedom to pursue what you’re good at doing. Instead of feeling guilty for your weaknesses, you can lean on your strengths instead of trying to do what everyone else is doing.
It’s also important to realize that when you’re working in your strengths, you often don’t recognize what you're good at doing. You just do it and assume that everyone else can easily do it. That means you also tend to discount your strengths because they come easily.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * What the Clifton Strengths Assessment is and how to use it to build your business * The four domains of the assessment and how they fit into your business * Why you don’t need to spend a lot of time trying to grow in your areas of weakness * How you can flip the script to consider building a business based on your strengths * Why you often don’t recognize what you’re good at doing * How knowing your strengths can help you with team building and working with others
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/31KJoTv
In today’s #Friday Live episode of The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast, we’ll be talking about a limiting belief that pervades our industry...a limiting belief that people are teaching us!
Specifically, I’m going to knock down the whole notion that the ONLY way to sell information products is with urgency and scarcity.
If this makes sense to you, join me at BADA$$ Online Marketing LIVE, a 3-Day Virtual Event this December.
Today I’m talking with Lisa Robbin Young about creative strengths. Lisa defines what a creative entrepreneur is and helps us understand that there are many ways to be creative. She explains how she developed the creative freedom entrepreneur spectrum types--chaotic, linear, and fusion.
The chaotic entrepreneur is what we traditionally think of as a creative, and their work style is stream-of-consciousness. On the other end is linear creative, and they love systems, processes, and order. Both ends of the spectrum need a bit of the other. With those who fall on the fusion space, they are a mix of chaotic and linear.
Since this is a spectrum, sometimes people fall on the cusp of the categories. This helps us see where we lean when we’re in high-stress situations. The spectrum isn’t about being right or wrong but what aligns with you and your work. You need to do what works for you (even if it’s not what the gurus are teaching). This is how you will find success in your business.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE:
- What a creative entrepreneur is
- The three types on the creative freedom entrepreneur spectrum and what the cusps are
- Why you need to do business in a way that works for you (and not someone else)
- What success in business looks like
- How knowing and using your creative type can help you grow your business
- Why you need to show up and be YOU in your business (warts, sparkles, and all)
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3kcAiX6
In this #Friday Live episode of The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast, we are going to be talking about a common mistake way too many entrepreneurs are making with their marketing…
…they’re Rube Goldberging It! If you don’t know Rube Goldberg, he was a famous cartoonist who had a very particular style… and you’ll recognize it as soon as you get the reference.
Like those videos that pop up on the socials showing a 5+ minute sequence of events that someone created to cause a chain reaction to do something really simple.
Give this episode a listen to discover why you need to be constantly vigilant that you’re not doing the same things in your marketing!
And if you want to really dive into how to keep it simple, join me at BADA$$ Online Marketing Live in December. You can grab your ticket at www.bobbyklinck.com/bomlive
We’re starting a mini-series on knowing and understanding our strengths and weaknesses as we build our businesses. Today I’m asking whether you know your core competencies. We’ll cover what this means and how it fits into your life and business.
Let’s begin by talking about marketing efforts. Most businesses make decisions by using a SWOT analysis. This looks at their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to figure out whether they should enter a new market or launch a new product or service.
Unfortunately, few people in the online business space are looking to their strengths and weaknesses to figure out what opportunities they should pursue. This is why so many entrepreneurs struggle and don’t enjoy their business.
Intuitively, I built my business around my strengths. This is part of the reason that I live in the flow state. I hope this episode will give you permission to build the right business for your strengths.
Entrepreneurs tend to be obsessed with personal development, but we often don’t pay much attention to it when we build our business. Some personality assessments can limit the way we see ourselves, but other resources like Gallup Strengths Finder are more useful and granular.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: Once you’ve figured out your core competencies, this will allow you to do 3 significant things.
- You can understand what you bring that is unique to you. How am I different, and how does this help me make a particular contribution to this space? For online brands, YOU are the unique selling proposition.
- You can figure out what products to offer or create. Your strengths and personality should shape the kinds of products you offer in your business.
- You can understand your weaknesses, and this is important. When you know your weaknesses, you know where you need to get help.
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/2GXfELI
In this #Friday Live edition of The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast, we’re talking about yet another mistake that way too many entrepreneurs make… doing something to be “a good student” of their mentor or coach.
When I hear someone say that’s why they picked a particular strategy, I throw up in my mouth a little. Okay, not literally. But it makes me REALLY uneasy FOR the person I’m talking to. Because, candidly, the WORST reason to do something is to be “a good student.”
If you follow me and are doing something just because you are trying to be a good student and do what I say… STOP IT. Like right now.
We recently threw up a post on my feed that said something like: Quit listening to me… go build the business of YOUR dreams. And I freaking meant it.
We’re gonna be talking all about how to build the right business for YOU (and not anyone else) at my live event — BADA$$ Online Marketing Live. It’s something I’m passionate about because I know the power that comes from truly loving the business you’ve built.
You can learn more about the event at www.bobbyklinck.com/bomlive
Today I’m pushing back again some conventional wisdom we often hear in the online marketing space. There’s a myth that you should sell people what they want but give them what they need. But the problem is this approach has some serious limitations.
Most marketers realize you can’t sell people something they need if they don’t want it. The common way around this is to create and sell people what they want and sneak in what they need. It’s not horrible advice, but it has some holes.
One of the biggest problems this doesn’t address is what to do if you know that what people want isn't actually good for them. It feels easier to go with the flow and give people what they want. But becoming a thought leader and educating your audience is more beneficial for them in the long term.
The best way around this sell ‘em what they want issue is to become a better listener and focus on building connections with your audience. But the challenge is that this approach isn’t a quick and easy way to figure out what you should create. The benefit is that you will actually have people who want to buy rather than having to create hype around a launch.
Sometimes you’ve gotta tell your audience that they’re wrong and show them why they should change their opinions. This requires you to take time to listen deeply to what people are saying and commit to being a leader and connecting with your audience. If you do this, selling will become effortless.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Examples of situations where we shouldn’t follow the sell ‘em what they want myth. * What to do instead if you believe that what they want isn’t actually good for them. * How to approach sales when people aren’t going to want what you have but they really do need it. * Why it’s important to build connections with your audience before you try to sell to them. * How to figure out what your audience actually wants.
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/2HQqpQm.
In today’s #Friday Live Episode of The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast, we’re talking about an epidemic that’s happening in the online world.
If you hang out with online entrepreneurs very long, you’re going to hearing them talk about their "framework" or "process" and they’ll often give it a fancy name and slap a TM sign on the end.
This ish has to stop. Today’s episode is a #BobbyRant about "frameworks" and "processes."
This week’s episode is brought to you by BADA$$ Online Marketing Live, my 3-day virtual event where you’ll discover how to create a business you LOVE and that with actually make you money consistently without using ridiculous, sleazy marketing gimmick.
You can get all the details at www.bobbyklinck.com/bomlive
If you’re an online entrepreneur, you need to understand the why of marketing. We’re going to break this down so you can see that simply asking “what” and “how” questions won’t work. You need to know why you’re doing what you’re doing in your marketing.
This may come as a surprise, but if you’re building an online information based business, you’re actually building a marketing business. This is a very different model from businesses that sell a tangible product. For online information based businesses, our product can be sold in volume because it doesn’t have a significant cost per unit. That means the real cost is acquiring customers.
Here’s the thing. If you’re building a marketing business, that means you need to develop expertise in marketing. Ironically, there tends to be a lot of resistance to understanding the fundamentals of marketing in the online space. But the reality is if you don’t take the time to understand the why behind your marketing, you won’t know what’s working and what you need to change.
Once you understand the why of marketing, that’s when you can tweak and make adjustments to fit your business. Success comes from understanding and implementing the fundamentals, not chasing every new tactic.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why you need to know the why behind your marketing * Why chasing strategies will fail * If you don’t understand the why, you’ll alway be beholden to someone else
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3cCzqbj
In today’s #Friday Live edition of the Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast, we’re talking about an image that pops up in online marketing circles pretty regularly... the $1,500 paperclip sold by that famous store with the little blue boxes.
People always post it to say something like: "If they can charge $1,500 for a paperclip, you can charge a lot more for your online course!" Although I love the sentiment... they always seem to miss a very important part of the story.
Today’s episode is about why that paperclip is $1,500 and what it really takes to build a business that’s similar.
We’ll be diving deep into HOW to actually do it at my upcoming live event BADA$$ Online Marketing Live. You can get all the details and grab your ticket at www.bobbyklinck.com/bomlive
I’m excited about today’s episode, but I should warn you that I’m gonna get myself in a little trouble. There are some problems in the online marketing space, and I’m going to call them out. Our current model is broken, and we need change now.
You might be wondering why I think the current model of online marketing is broken when so many people are making boatloads of money. Obviously it’s working for them. But underneath the shiny surface, there are 4 major problems happening in the online marketing space right now that are having a negative impact on customers and clients as well as marketers.
But we’re not talking about these issues. Instead, we keep focusing on how we can make more sales. We’ve become obsessed with selling over the needs of our customers and clients. That’s why I am highlighting 4 areas where we need to grow and expand our thinking.
We’ll break down ways that the online space is an echo chamber, why we shouldn’t even need to sell if we’re marketing well, why it’s easier to sell quick fixes, and why the culture of guru worship is stunting our growth.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * The problems with living in an echo chamber * The problems with focusing on sales and not marketing * The problems with the quick fix mindset * The problems with guru worship and only learning from one person * How we can overcome these problems
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3hLNT5z
Today’s episode should be interesting because I’m sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly about my weird August. I wanted to debrief my experiences with you and let you know what I’ve learned from them. I’ll be talking about the negative stuff and the role that stress and loss play in our businesses as well as what we did to reach our largest monthly revenue ever.
August was hard in several ways, but the worst part was that we lost our faithful dog of 13 years. She was a significant part of so many stages of my life, so letting go was very painful. In addition, I was hit by a strange sickness that no one could really explain. I tried to push through it, but when I wasn’t bouncing back, my team insisted that I step back and rest.
At the same time all of this hard stuff was happening, we had the biggest revenue month in my business to date. It was almost double our previous best month. The odd thing was we didn’t have any kind of traditional launch. Instead we had a few small promotions and launched a new VIP offer.
As I took some time to recover from my mystery ailment, I was able reflect and think about the overall direction of my business. This opportunity to step back allowed me to make adjustments to several parts of my business so that they are better aligned with my vision.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * What I learned from the challenges I experienced in August * Why it’s important to take time to rest * The importance of stepping back and reflecting on your business so you have a clear vision of what you want to be doing * The value of realigning areas in your business that aren’t working * Why making more offers will help you make more money * Why you should set goals that seem impossible to achieve * Be willing to try new things and make offers for what you enjoy doing
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/2RjlWHy
Today we’re gonna talk about some “bad news” for online entrepreneurs and break down why it’s not such bad news after all. The bad news is that there’s no instruction manual for online business. When I put together my office furniture, there was an instruction manual. If I follow those directions, I’ll successfully construct a desk. But this type of instruction manual doesn’t exist in entrepreneurship.
The idea for this episode was inspired by a post in a Facebook group from a woman who had an “instruction manual” with guaranteed results for her health habits but was struggling to find the equivalent for entrepreneurship. What this post caused me to articulate is you can’t expect someone to give you the steps to building an online business, and if you follow them, you’re guaranteed success.
This desire for a step-by-step plan comes from gurus we follow. They’re sharing the steps that worked for them. But here’s the problem. We’re only listening to the gurus who survived. We’re not hearing from all the entrepreneurs who tried and failed.
It’s important to remember that these gurus are telling what worked for them. But it might not work for you. The fact that they did something one way and got a specific result doesn’t mean you’ll get the same result. There are many other factors that you must consider.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why you need to stop looking for an instruction manual for entrepreneurship * The reason you don’t hear about the times the instructions didn’t work * Why you must do the work to understand the why behind the instructions that the successful gurus are dishing out * Why principles are more important than tactics or strategies
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3lVWiXo
Today we’re going to be talking about why most webinars suck. I realize this topic is controversial and hits close to home, but it’s important. I’m sharing the 3 mistakes that entrepreneurs make with their webinars and the 3 core things your webinar should do.
So what are business owners doing wrong when it comes to webinars and what can they do to fix the problem? First, they take ideas they hear from different gurus too far. For example, they’re afraid of teaching too much content on a webinar and end up teaching too little. Or they get hung up on the what vs the how distinction.
But the reality is your webinar should teach some of the what and the how. Otherwise, they’re mostly fluff. You won’t be able to cover all of the material on your course topic in the webinar, but it should offer an actionable piece of your larger course. Basically, the webinar presents the first level what and how, and the course will offer the deeper level.
The second problem is that most entrepreneurs don’t really understand what they’re supposed to be doing on a webinar. They don’t have a good sense of what they need to accomplish in their messaging. A webinar is not random. It’s not just 3 points and a pitch. You have to be thoughtful in what you’re including in these pieces.
The third problem is they don’t have step by step guidance. A webinar should follow a specific plan. That means you should follow someone’s method before you make tweaks. If you’re planning to use a webinar to sell your products, you need to learn the strategies and tactics from an expert.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: The three core things that every webinar should do:
- Present the opportunity that your product makes possible
- Get your audience to take ownership
- Make the offer
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3jv8vAf
Today we’re going to debrief the flash sale for BADA$$ Email Marketing we ran earlier this month. I wanted to share this so you can see what a valuable asset an email list is and learn some principles that can help you grow your business.
As an entrepreneur, one thing I have learned is that we need to be watching what others are doing and learning from them. Some of the most valuable insights I get come from watching other people’s hot seats and hearing their questions.
A little over a year ago, when I was struggling with building a team, I had a breakthrough during a mastermind hot seat. But I wasn’t even the one on the hot seat. I was watching another member get coached on growing her team.
The same principles she was discovering applied to me. As I implemented what I learned by watching her hot seat, my team began to come together. And that is a big reason why I’m able to pull off things like this flash sale.
So I wanted to break this down and let you see behind the scenes. This debrief isn’t me bragging. It’s me sharing what worked and hopefully giving you an idea of what’s possible with a small email list and an awesome digital product.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * What is BADA$$ Email Marketing * Why we decided to turn it evergreen instead of doing regular launches * How we came up with the idea to run a 2-day flash sale * What the flash sale plan was and what was included in the offer * The email strategy we followed * How much we booked from this launch and why this is significant * How email launches are different from traditional launches * The 3 key things we learned
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/2YtfHF2
Today we’re going back to the basics and talking about the legal stuff. But don’t worry… I’m not going to bore you with legal jargon.
Here’s the problem. Lots of entrepreneurs focus on issues like copyright and trademarks. But the place where entrepreneurs get in trouble is they don’t have their business agreements in writing.
If you don’t pay attention to anything else I say today, I want you to hear this one thing: every agreement you make in your business should be in writing. This is the best way to prevent legal problems down the road.
No matter how close you think your relationship is… you need written agreements. This was something I learned the hard way, and it led to the end of a close friendship. I want to help you prevent difficult situations like this by making sure you know what written agreements you need in your business.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: The 5 main areas where you need written agreements for your business:
- Your website
- 1:1 Work (service providers, coaches, consultants)
- Courses and memberships
- Building your team (contractors and employees)
- Publicity (podcasts, testimonials, marketing)
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3gachwJ
Welcome to another #Friday Live edition of The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast. In today’s episode, we are going to be talking about how to avoid landing in the spam folder.
If you’re gonna take the time to email your list — and you really should — the last thing you want is to end up in the spam folder.
Unfortunately, most entrepreneurs have NO idea what will land them in the spam folder. Are there words that land you there? Is it about pictures? Gifs?
In this episode of the podcast, I demystify what you need to do to make sure you don’t end up in the spam folder!
If you want to bring your email marketing to a whole new level, we are having a FLASH SALE of my signature program, BADA$$ Email Marketing. The discounted rate is ONLY available through the end of today!
Get access now: www.bobbyklinck.com/enroll
I’m happy to welcome Amy Porterfield for her third appearance on the podcast in today’s episode. This time, we are talking about building your business through digital mentorships and courses. We also dive into where you should start when creating digital courses.
Amy begins by talking about her customers' typical journey. If they are starting from scratch, they usually come via her podcast, move onto the digital course academy, and then through to the Momentum membership program. When your customer comes on a journey with you, they will be repeat purchasers.
When looking to start her online course business, Amy says she was inspired to do so by the possibility of financial and lifestyle freedom. She also knew it was a great way to help others. Her philosophy is to focus on one thing and continuously improve it. Just by creating one course, she has been able to relaunch and refine it multiple times and continue to increase her revenue.
If you are just starting out in course creation and aren’t sure where to begin, Amy offers some solid advice. There are three main types of courses you can create: a starter course offers a broad overview, a spotlight course delves deeper into one subject, and a signature course offers specialized content. The lowest risk is in creating a starter course initially and growing from there.
Amy explains that webinars are a way for you to give before you ever ask for anything. They help build connections and relationships with potential new audiences. To end the show, Amy offers some pointers for those looking to add courses to their existing business.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * How to build a business through digital mentorships and courses * Why the customers' journey is as important as your business * How to launch your online course business * Why a mentor is important when starting out a course creation * What are the ways to help build connections and relationships with potential audiences
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to https://bit.ly/33j1P3h
In today’s #Friday Live episode of The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast, we’re gonna get real. We’re gonna talk about how most of the people teaching email marketing are getting it SO freaking wrong.
Contrary to what a lot of conversion copywriters tell you, the goal of most emails has nothing to do with getting a conversion… whether that’s a sale or just a click. And constantly focusing on “conversion” with your emails is actually HURTING you.
In this episode, you’ll learn what you should be focused on instead. It’s another word that starts with "con"… but has zero to do with conversion.
If you’re listening to this episode as it’s going live, you have a chance to get access to Module 1 of my signature email marketing course BADA$$ Email Marketing for FREE for a whole week. Head over to www.bobbyklinck.com/peek to get your sneak peek!
Today we’re talking about something fun – what to do AFTER you build your online course. I’m not going to be trying to give you some kind of one-size-fits-all guidance. I’ll tell you about what I have been doing myself to give you a sense of different parts of your business and what happens once you have things created.
My course is called BADA$$ Email Marketing, and the idea first came to me about a year ago. Initially, some of my mentors talked me out of it. The idea kept coming back to me because I had the belief that this amazing program was inside of me. My team and I decided somewhat on a whim earlier this year to do a beta launch, so I’ll tell you how and why I did this.
Creating my course has become the anchor that helps me set everything up in my business. It gave clarity to the path I want customers to take. Additionally, you get much more bang for your buck as a marketer with a course.
At this point, we’re preparing to market my course again, starting with collecting testimonials. I also want to step back and think about how I will put all of my offerings together in the most coherent way.
As my team and I continue to tweak the course, we’ll suddenly have a product that will continue to move my whole business forward. It allows me to funnel people in, help them with something they know they need assistance with, and then bring them into my world.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * What to do after building an online course * Why a case study is important for every entrepreneur * Why having a mentor is an essential part of building a thriving business * How the offer and messaging should be positioned to * How to find the key product to building the business of your dream
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3hRKVwK
In this week’s #Friday live episode of The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast, we’re talking about one of the most important lessons to get long term success in your online business.
Short term success is relatively easy... you just give people what they want and put on the personality they want to see. But that requires you to CONSTANTLY show up wearing a mask.
In this week’s Friday episode, we’re talking about what you should do instead!
Sign up for the BADA$$ Online Marketing 3-Day Virtual Event Waitlist: www.bobbyklinck.com/bomlive
Today we’re talking about creating quality connections with your audience. Your email list is not just a bunch of numbers, it’s full of people. Too many businesses forget that there are people on the other end of the emails, only seeing them as transactions. It’s time to stop thinking about numbers and refocus on building relationships.
In the last episode, we talked about being a leader. Leading is the first step, and the next step is creating connections. What differentiates my business from others is that I focus on people over numbers. The standard metric is that one person on your list should equal $1 a month. Last year, I made $75 per person per month. This comes down to the connections I foster with my audience.
By fostering these strong, deep connections with your audience you are creating brand ambassadors - people that will spread the word about what you do without you having to do anything. Focusing on your audience, who they are, and what they want attracts more of the right leads from outside of your existing circle.
It is important to stand for something. Let your audience know who you are as a person. You have to be willing to showcase your personality, share your vulnerabilities, and relate to people. Show that you are a human.
Finally, don’t view people as just transactions. Your audience are human beings, not just numbers. Conversion is an important skill to master, but it shouldn’t be your first point of focus. Focus on who you are and what your message is.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * How to create quality connections with your audience * How should an email list function * Why building relationships is more important than numbers * Why becoming an effective leader is essential for creating connections * What should be the first point of focus as a business entity
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/2X1Bpzn
In today’s #Friday Live Episode of The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast, we are talking about the importance of having your Core Values established... and why you sometimes need someone to remind you of them.
When you have core values to guide your business, it can simplify and clarify lots of business decisions. This week, my integrator reminded me of one of our most important core values to help us make a decision that shouldn’t have been hard but that was causing me all kinds of problems. That swift kick from my team member got my head back on straight and got us moving forward.
We’re going to be talking about core values and some other core commitments you need to make for your business at my upcoming virtual event BADA$$ Online Marketing Live. If you want to hear about BOM Live when tickets are available head over and join the waitlist at www.bobbyklinck.com/bomlive
Today we’re talking about leadership - stepping up, taking charge, and creating a movement, not just a business. If you can take charge and be authentic, you can make sales effortless and cut the struggle. Taking leadership means making key changes to impact how you interact with your business and how you position yourself to add value.
Being a leader is not a new concept, yet so many people aren’t doing it right. Taking the time to reflect on your true role within your business can help you assess where you need to step up. Taking leadership isn’t just about leading your team, but leading in every interaction you have.
When it comes to creating a movement and a message, we’re not necessarily talking about being political. We’re talking about creating a connection between you and your beliefs and your target audience. Having a central motivating idea to your business will help to set you apart from others in your field. Sell your uniqueness and cut the competition.
Utilizing your USPs and positioning yourself as someone that supplies added value in their market can help you rise above the rest. Look at niching (selling what you do to underutilized markets) to increase your audience. Make sure you are communicating a brand that integrates your personality, values and beliefs.
Positioning yourself and your business as a leader is key to growing and improving. Don’t be polarizing for the sake of it. If you can lead with authenticity and are able to change the ways in which people think about what you do, you are sure to find success.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * What are the core foundations of a great business * How to become an effective leader * How to create an appealing movement and message to your target audience * Why is it important to position yourself and your business as a leader * How to make sales effortlessly without going through struggles as a business entity
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/30vN627
Welcome to another Live #Friday edition of The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast. In today’s episode, we are gonna start an important conversation.
A conversation about knowing your strengths and building a business around them. So no more cookie-cutter, it worked for so-and-so kinds of businesses. A business built just for YOU based on your particular set of strengths.
Imagine how much fun business would be if you were actually living in your strengths every single day!
Wanting to take your business to the next level? Join the BADA$$ Online Marketing Virtual Live Event Waitlist: www.bobbyklinck.com/BOMLive
Uplevel your business by discovering your strengths with Anna Nelson: www.annaynelson.com
In this episode, I want to talk about affiliate launches. How do you serve as a good affiliate for someone else’s product? I’m going to give you the details of a recent affiliate launch that I did to examine what worked and what didn’t. Also, I want to give you some general rules to keep in mind when becoming an affiliate to help you get the most out of it.
I don’t promote things that I don’t believe in. That’s partly an ethical thing, but also, if you’ve actually seen results from a product or service, you’re able to be a more effective affiliate. I finished up my affiliate program with James Wedmore not long ago, and he’s been my coach for around a year and a half. I started promoting it before his course even launched.
We made more sales on the first day of that launch than we made on the other three days combined. That brings me to the first idea I want to stress: expose your audience to the person early. It’s important to give your audience time to build a relationship.
When you get into an affiliate program, you’ll find that it can be competitive. What I want you to do is put your blinders on and stay in your lane. Promote and play to your strengths. I’ll give you an example of how I followed this advice in my partnership with James Wedmore.
Think about if there are programs you love that you’d love to promote to your audience. It’s a great way to add value to your audience and bring in additional revenue.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * How do you serve as a good affiliate for someone else’s product * General rules when becoming an affiliate to help you get the most out of it * Why promoting things that you believe in is important as an affiliate * When is the best time to promote an affiliate launch to build a relationship * Why bonuses are essential to have an effective launch
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to:
https://bit.ly/2Dwl4M3
We’re going to be talking about a pretty advanced marketing concept in today’s show. When you really get it, it can do wonders for the success of your overall marketing efforts. The concept is basing your messaging on two different things: the level of awareness of your audience, and the level of market sophistication.
The levels of awareness are the phases that a person will go through before they buy. Where a customer is on their journey will affect how you speak to them, and generally, there are five different levels. I’ll go through each of them with you and give some context with my legal template offerings.
If you’re starting with a customer at the lowest level of awareness, you’ve got a long way to go before you can sell to them. The message you send when you’re trying to re-target someone needs to be very different from the message you send to cold traffic. If you just make these changes, you’ll be in good shape.
However, understanding market sophistication is what will really boost your results. It has to do with the market’s saturation; how many people are addressing the same need as you? If you are the first person to market, you won’t have much work to do, but being first is mostly impossible. You can still make it work with different levels of saturation, but your approach needs to change.
When you nail the fifth stage of market sophistication and get your message to speak to people in a meaningful way, that’s when you’ll have meteoric growth. You can put yourself in a different world because you are speaking to the identity that a person wants to become.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why you need to tailor your messaging based on the customer’s current journey * The different levels of awareness when marketing to your target audience * How it looks when most prospective customers are in the problem-aware phase or solution-aware phase * How to get people to the next phase of awareness when marketing
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3dUqsFm
I’m giving you some tough love in this episode. You almost certainly don’t need an integrator – I know, it sounds crazy. I have an integrator, but everyone saying they need one is a huge misconception. 90% of the people that I talk to in this space don’t need one, and when they say they’re looking for an integrator, they’re using the wrong word.
A lot of big businesses have an integrator, and for them, it’s an important role that needs to be filled. However, it’s a trend that’s gone too far. An integrator is not an executive assistant and not a project manager. I’ll specify on these and give even more examples of what integrators are not. What an integrator does is help you actually execute your vision.
There’s a checklist I think you should go through before ever hiring an integrator, and at the top of that list is reading Rocket Fuel. You also need to know your business’ core values so that you can hire someone who aligns with them.
The most important thing to consider is if you have the right mindset to hire an integrator. An integrator will work in unison with you to move the business forward. Are you ready to let go by giving them power in your business? My integrator, Katie, manages me by telling me “no.”
When you’re ready for it, an integrator is one of the most powerful positions you can have. The synergy between me and Katie is great, and that’s because I was ready for an integrator. Don’t rush into hiring one. Take it slow.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * What really is an integrator and their role in your business * Understanding that an integrator is actually an integral part of your business * Why having the right mindset to hire an integrator as an employee is key to making it work * The right time for you to hire your team, and if an integrator needs to be part of it
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/2BEdH41
Welcome to another #Friday LIVE edition of The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast. In today’s episode, we are talking about a quick email hack that you should all be using...
...specifically, how to NOT feel bad about emailing your list A LOT during a launch.
Check out my website and get on my email list!
Today we’re going to be talking about a really important lesson. It’s a lesson that you’ve probably heard before, but the reality is most entrepreneurs aren’t living up to this lesson. The lesson is what it means to be working ON your business versus working IN your business. This is something that we always need to be thinking about as entrepreneurs.
Chances are that you’re really proficient at what you do, which makes it really hard to transition away from working in your business. I’ll go through why you need to be intentional about this, why you need to always be learning, and the need for a team.
Being intentional is about intentionally scheduling time in your life for working on the business. I’ve set aside some time next week to do this myself, so I’m going to share exactly what my schedule is going to consist of.
As an entrepreneur, you’ll never get to the top of the mountain. Every time you think you’re there, you’ll look up and find a new set of challenges. Still, one of the things I know is that I’ll have a more successful business if I learn more. You better embrace that you need to always be learning.
You need a team – I talk about this over and over again. If you’re the only person working in your business, you don’t have time to work on your business. It’s that simple. As long as you haven’t built a team, you’ll spend the vast majority of your time working in your business on low-value tasks. A team will take those tasks off your plate.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * The difference between working ON your business versus IN your business * Examples of how I consciously work on my business * Why I worry about the what and the why, not the how * The steps I’m taking on being intentional for the future of my business
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/2UWnQQw
In today’s #Friday Live Episode of The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast, we are talking about your role in your business. Specifically, we are talking about how you are 100% accountable for what happens in your business.
This can be scary... but also freeing. So let’s talk about what it means.
If you’re ready to take control of your business, make sure to check out my coach’s amazing video series, the Rise of the Digital CEO. You can get access at www.bobbyklinck.com/rise
In this episode, I’m continuing my process of asking you a question to think about rather than telling you something that’s tactical or strategic. Today’s specific question is “do you want a teacher, or do you want a coach?” Spoiler alert: you should want a coach.
A teacher is someone who shows you how to do a specific thing. They’ll show you the way that they have done it, and essentially say “do it my way.” A coach, on the other hand, will help you find your own way; they help you figure out what you want for your business.
No one in the world who is teaching could possibly teach you to the point that you would know what to do in every particular circumstance. So many issues come up that will be unique to you and your business. If you had enough learning, you might know enough to cover 60% of the time. Even then, there will be a lot of times where you don’t have a specific answer. It’s a scary prospect.
I have held myself back by simply trying to apply someone else’s strategies to my business. I’ll reveal to you how getting coaching has helped me achieve true success.
We may have a lot of things in common, but the reality is that we have all built our businesses a different way. It’s okay if you want a teacher to show you exactly what to do, but in the long-term, you’ll need a coach to teach you broader concepts.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * The distinction between a teacher and a coach * How you need to take bits and pieces from what you’ve learned to build your business * How there is no “one-way” to do business * Why you need to have someone who challenges you to think more deeply in your business and on multiple levels
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3hegWj7
In today’s #Friday Live Episode of The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast, we’re talking about goal setting... and specifically why you need to set big, hairy scary goals.
If you are setting goals that you routinely reach... you’re doing it wrong. And we’re gonna talk about why.
This episode is brought to you by my coach’s video series The Rise of the Digital CEO. I’ve learned more than I can sum up from James Wedmore... and you should definitely not miss his videos. You can register at www.bobbyklinck.com/rise
This is the kind of episode that really gets me going. We’re not talking about a strategy or a tactic in today’s episode; we’re talking about a shift in your mindset. It’s one that you need to make as an entrepreneur if you want to be successful. I’ll give you suggestions on some questions that might need reframing.
The first situation I’m challenging you on is when you find yourself in an “either/or” situation; a situation where it seems like there are only two options. Most times there are more than just two, but we subconsciously come up with an excuse to avoid what we should be doing.
When you find yourself resistant to continuing on with something or taking the first step, you need to ask yourself “why?” If you are stopping yourself from taking action, that’s a sign that there is something deeper going on. I’ve experienced this myself a few times with my own mental BS.
A lot of entrepreneurs have their business consume them with customer support, messing around with page builders, and other menial tasks. You need to figure out how you want to be spending your time in and out of your business. These are what you need to use to guide you. If you’re not asking yourself what you want every single day, you’re doing yourself a disservice.
I’ll end off this episode by discussing the fixations some people end up with that are holding them back. You need to always be starting from the perspective of starting with the end result in mind and then find a strategy based upon that.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * To be challenged to think outside of your comfort zone and beyond the perspective you have always thought * How easily we create our own excuses that become obstacles in our business * How to ask the right questions which will improve the quality of your life * The importance of figuring out for yourself what will work best for you and your business
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/2A2j0tR
In today’s LIVE Friday Episode of The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast, we are talking all about mindset. Yeah... the mushy stuff.
We online entrepreneurs tend to get so caught up in the strategies and the tactics that we don’t recognize that being a successful entrepreneur is a mindset game as much as anything else. Until you take the time to do the inner work, you aren’t going to have the success you truly want.
Let’s dive in!
Check out more from my coach, James Wedmore, about overcoming the mind games we have as entrepreneurs: www.bobbyklinck.com/bbd
I’m going to challenge you in today’s episode. If you’re an entrepreneur and you feel overwhelmed, I want to ask you this: do you have a business, or do you have a job? Unless you set your business up the right way, all you’ve done is created a job.
I don’t regret having a “do everything” mindset when I started my law firm, because if I didn’t have that, I wouldn’t be here today. To have the business of your dreams though, you’ve got to step away from doing it all. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t start my business so that I would be busy all the time.
There are two different routes you can choose from to free yourself from doing everything. I’ll take you through them and how they fit into the notion of separating yourself from your business. Then, I’ll get into the importance of having systems in place to do the work.
Team members are a must-have when building a business that you can step away from. You need to slow down and put time into onboarding, but it’s necessary. That means you’ll have less time for other things during this process. The payoff, however, is unbelievable.
To have a business, not a job, you need to make the shifts I outline in this episode. Doing these things any other way is going to be inefficient; you’ll spend your time doing low-level tasks. Shift your mindset and start thinking about your business as something that is separate from you.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * How to determine if you created a business for yourself or just another job * Why you need to stop doing “all the things” in your business if you want it to grow * Three ways to actually detach yourself from your business * Understanding the value of your time when it comes to the tasks within your business
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3cSe6Oh
In today’s Friday Live Episode of The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast, I’m talking about a very important lesson... you need to have a purpose for everything you do.
Until you start being intentional about your actions, you won’t have the success you want. In this episode, I discuss the power of intentionality and of thinking about the goal for every single thing you do.
Don't forget to grab your FREE access to my coach James Wedmore's Your 100 First Leads: www.bobbyklinck.com/100leads
This week is the conclusion of my interview with James Wedmore. He dropped a ton of valuable knowledge in part one, so you’ll want to listen to episode 157 if you haven’t yet. Today we’re getting into how he applies the simplicity method not just for creating offers, but also for the other parts of his business.
Part two begins with James telling a story about how he began challenging industry standards just because he wanted to mess with people. After talking a bit about earnings per lead, I ask James about how he has defined what an entrepreneur wants to be. At the end of the day, James says it’s all about results.
James recently coined a term, “energon cubes,” that refers to how much time and energy something takes to accomplish. He tells us why this had led to his philosophy of doing less while doing better. A lot of time has been freed up for James in his business thanks to this mindset.
I ask James why he decided to create Your First 100 Leads, so he proceeds to tell us how the idea first came to him. He began with a simple Venn diagram which he explains to us. Then, James talks about how easily you can be forgotten by leads.
We get some parting advice from James before signing off. He says that when you begin to apply the actions we’ve discussed in this episode to your life, that’s when you will see a difference. Knowledge is not a power, it’s a potential power.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * The importance of identifying where your time needs to be spent * Why you need to be smart with your money, but you need to be even smarter with your time and energy * How to simplify your business and yet still to be able to give your audience your best work * How shifting your mindset when it comes to your money will transform your business and your life
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3bNbf80
When you’re an online entrepreneur, you’re going to have things that don’t go quite like you planned. Launches won’t go as planned... and you may even feel the dreaded "launch freefall," where it seems like nothing is working.
What if I told you the MOST powerful skill you could cultivate is the ability to detach from the results?
In this week's live #friday episode, I’m going to explain why you should not let "failure" stop you.
Get FREE access to James Wedmore's Your 100 First Leads: https://bobbyklinck.com/100Leads
Today’s episode is extra special because I have a special guest with me. It’s an interview with my personal business coach, James Wedmore. Actually, it’s more than just an interview. I had originally streamed this on Facebook Live, and it turned into more of just a discussion between two business guys. We were having fun while talking about the challenges we face.
James is going into his fourteenth year of running an online business and begins with a brief overview of what that time has been like. He then speaks to how people tend to overcomplicate their business. I was one of those people and recall how James helped me realize the importance of simplifying.
His flagship program, Business by Design, brings entrepreneurs through step-by-step instructions on how to perform several crucial activities. James talks about the reaction that the program has gotten and provides us with several analogies. I then get into why James has a different approach compared to other courses or programs I see.
You’ll hear about the requirements of some of James’ programs and the exclusivity of them. He explains the peer-based coaching aspect he employs and reveals some of the surprising results he has seen. Some of these unexpected outcomes have made James particularly fulfilled.
James and I discuss why you need to ask yourself the right questions. We team up to give some examples of the questions that will allow you to really grow your business. That’s it for now, but don’t miss the second part of the interview next week!
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * How a simple design with timeless concepts will help your business thrive * The different ways to provide value to your audience * How to receive clarity so your business is not running your life * What different types of support can be offered and created from one product * Why it’s important to attract yourself to other people who have already solved a problem you are facing in your business
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3bET4RQ
I’ve made several shifts in my business since I first started, and the biggest ones are what I’m going to be discussing in this episode. There’s something that they all have in common, too. It’s hard for a lot of people to accept that they should be making these shifts.
You’ve got to let go of what other people think, so I’m going to walk through some examples of why not doing so is actually hurting your business. I’m a “recovering people pleaser” because for most of my life, I was always an outsider. When you’ve never been part of the “in” crowd, I think there’s often a sense of wanting people to like you. That mentality was always holding me back.
If someone is going to be mad that I don’t have a problem using certain types of words, so be it. When I started making this shift in the way I write my emails, people responded because they appreciate that I’m showing who I am. I’ll let you know how I’ve continued with this mindset in my coronavirus messaging.
After discussing other problems, I get into the most common one: many entrepreneurs struggle with being comfortable selling. This is the biggest one that I deal with myself, too. Even this has to do with my desire to be a people pleaser.
Where are you holding yourself back because you’re worried about what other people might think? My challenge to you is to say “screw it.” That will help you start finally building the business that you want.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why the thought leaders you follow, including myself, can’t tell you exactly what will work for you in your business * The four examples in my business that have been holding me back * My biggest weakness when selling and growing my business * The different ways my business has grown after I made the shift of letting go of what other people think
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/2WMDTAK
In today’s LIVE Friday episode of The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast, we are talking about one of THE MOST important rules of business (and life):
Begin with the end in mind.
We’ve all heard it... but most of us don’t live by it. Today, I’ll lay out what that means for your business.
If you're ready to take action, join me for Massive Action May: https://bobbyklinck.com/takeaction
What I’m talking about in today’s episode is my new social media strategy. I wanted to lay this out because I’m going to be doing things differently, but I also need to tell you where I was messing some things up. I’m going to start the episode by apologizing to anyone who has followed me on social media.
One of the things I talk about all the time is that you should do the things that matter to your business, not what some guru tells you to. Yet, even I didn’t follow this advice sometimes. I’ll reveal some examples, but I’m sure they’re obvious if you’ve followed me on social media.
My Friday podcast episodes are going to be changing too, which I’ve given a few details about before. I’m going to be live on my Facebook page every Friday at noon EST, and I’m treating them as bonus episodes. This is probably the biggest change you’ll see on the business side of my Facebook, but I’ll tell you about how my personal profile is going to be changing too.
I’m not telling you to do the same changes that I’m doing. I have no idea if my ideas are going to work or not, I just know that business should be fun. The last thing on my mind is being worried about posting something that isn’t being me or if it will mess up my Instagram grid.
There are some things that I can’t commit to, but I am committing to be the person interacting with you on social media. If I reply to you, like your post, etc., that’s me engaging with you.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why you need to always be unabashedly you in your business and your brand * What I was doing wrong in my social media strategy and how I am going fix it * The different ways I am going to approach Facebook and Instagram * Why the magic is in the engagement with my audience and how I plan to keep that for me
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/2SgQE4P
In this week’s Live Friday Podcast episode, we cover a really important subject... when is it okay to zig when other people are zagging?
There are marketing gurus telling you that you HAVE to do it their way and who make it sound like if you don’t follow their guidance to the letter, you are bound to fail.
In this episode, I call BS on that... and talk about how you should think about creating your own rules for your business. But I also talk about the fundamental rules that we all really do need to follow.
Join Massive Action May and get Fans First Society for FREE for the entire month! www.bobbyklinck.com/takeaction
In today’s show, we’re diving into a topic that really needs to be talked about: marketing in the time of COVID-19. What do you need to be doing? What do you not need to be doing? Do you need to be changing things? How should you think about building your online business right now?
Anybody who’s telling you that right now is a great time to be an online entrepreneur is full of it and you should run away. Yes, it’s better than being a brick-and-mortar entrepreneur, but now is not a great time to be just about anything besides the owner of Instacart or Amazon. I’ll start by talking about some things that we need to come to grips with.
A good thing coming from this pandemic is that more people are experiencing the online space than ever before. It’s still going to be bad in the short-term, but listen in on why I think this puts us online entrepreneurs in a fantastic place for the long-term.
I’ve already done a podcast on why we can’t just not sell, but I’ll reiterate a few points from it. There’s a four-step plan that I recommend to pretty much every online entrepreneur right now that I’ll take you through in this episode.
The things that I’m telling you to do are the things you should always be doing; they’re just more important now. The people who take the time to build their business during COVID-19 are going to come out thriving.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why online entrepreneurs are well placed to deal with the current displacement going on right now * The importance of acknowledging our current realities and why you need to dial in to all parts of your business * My four-step plan to keep your online business thriving * Why you need to “right-size” your expectations with your products and launches
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3aGErNp
In this FIRST ever Live Friday Episode of The Certified BADA$$ Online Marketing Podcast, we are talking all about how to run a Founder’s Launch.
This is how I launched my FANS FIRST Society membership last year... generating a five-figure launch and getting my core members in the process.
We’ll talk about why to do it and how to do it.
Make sure to grab the free Founder’s Launch guide that includes a funnel map and swipe copy. Get it right here!
I’m spending this episode looking back at the history of my FANS First Society. Why? It’s been a year since the idea for the FANS First Society was first planted in my mind, so I want to discuss what it’s been like being a business coach for this long.
A year ago, I was just “the legal guy.” The only things I had for sale were my legal templates. I knew that more offerings would have to be in my long-term plan, but I didn’t know how to execute. I’ll share the story about how I discovered my X factor and how I knew what I wanted to teach people.
I created my first membership without even knowing what it would entail. Despite that, I was able to earn an impressive amount of revenue from the first email I sent out to my list about it. Furthermore, I was seeing immediate results from the people I was serving.
It’s amazing to think about what happened over the past year just because of a few small decisions I made. The key thing is that when opportunities came about, I jumped at them. Trust me, I’ve tried a lot of different things that didn’t work out, but you still need to put whatever is in your heart out into the world.
There’s a big change coming to the podcast and I think you’re going to like it. I’ll reveal the details to you at the end of this episode. Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere!
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * How I discovered my X factor in the online business world * Why you don’t need to know your exact plan in order to get started * When you allow yourself to be in a constant state of flow, you become open to opportunities that come your way * Why you need to lean into your ideas and passions so you can make an impact
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3cyjqpc
In this episode I’m going to be answering a question that someone asked in my free Facebook group. The question was this: “Is it uncool or heartless to sell right now?” I want to explain to you why it’s not and why you should be offering your services to the community.
The person who asked this question explained that she is a health coach and that her services are made for right now. She said that some of her coaches even suggested giving value and products away during the pandemic. The rationale is that people don’t have enough money, but that’s just bonkers.
Is it wrong for Costco to be charging for food and cleaning supplies? Those are things that people can definitely use, and of course it’s not wrong for a company to sell them. We would never think that a brick-and-mortar store should give their items away, but coaches sometimes feel like we should be different. I’ll give you my opinion on why we shouldn’t be.
The reality is, there are people who would have bought from you during normal times but won’t now. That’s going to happen. Still, I’ll tell you about a salon owner I know who pivoted to sell to people who aren’t working right now. There are many businesses who can provide customers with a valuable service in these times.
If you’re someone who has always been selling, you shouldn’t stop. If you’re someone who hasn’t yet launched a product, now may be the perfect time. Don’t use COVID-19 as an excuse to not sell. Keep building your business and serving your people.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * A change in your business perspective in spite of the Coronavirus * How to see your online business function like a brick-and-mortar business * Why you can’t deprive your customers of what you have to offer * Why you can’t use the current circumstances as an excuse to not take action
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/34mAKuv
I’m going to help you figure out what your signature offer should be in today’s episode. You know that I’m a big fan of keeping things simple, so it’s important that you have a pretty standard online journey for your customers to go on. You’ll need to figure out your signature offer and the relevant secondary ones.
What I mean by “signature offer” is that it’s the centerpiece of what you’re going to create and what all your other offers will relate to. I start by giving you some examples to help you clearly understand what a signature offer is. You could have any type of signature offer, but it must be where most of your mental bandwidth is spent on.
Many people are struggling with whether they should create an online course or a membership site. I even see people who have one of those and try to repackage it into the other, but I’ll discuss why this indicates a mistake was made. An online course and a membership serve two different purposes.
Having either an online course or a membership as your signature offer does not mean you can’t have the other too. You can often combine the two in a complementary way, which is what I’ve done with my FANS First Society.
Focus your efforts on whichever type of signature offer you choose, and then once it’s established, you can consider adding a secondary offer. That’s how you’ll build the successful, thriving business of your dreams.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * How to figure out which signature offer works best for your business * The five different types of signature offers * Different examples of offers and how it benefits an audience * How to determine what transformation you want to give to your audience
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/2UK3gTP
In this episode I’m talking about a problem a lot of entrepreneurs face: lumpy revenue. So many of my friends are using the launch method and they end up with very “lumpy” periods of revenue. That is, they’ll generate a lot of revenue at launch and then have no revenue for a long period of time. Let’s dig into this problem and how it can be solved.
I want to start by talking about why it’s a problem. Let’s be clear: part of the problem is that we humans tend not to be as disciplined as we need to be. Most people get a big hit of revenue and want to spend that money, and you’ll see that I’m no different when I tell you about my first month of big revenue.
There are three different ways to address lumpy revenue, and the first is payment plans. It’s a very simple idea that everyone gets, but many people don’t offer them correctly. I’m still getting people to sign up during the current pandemic by having diverse payment plans.
The second is coming up with lower-priced product offers. I’m all for focusing on one or two big offers, but in addition to those, you can have little products for people to buy. The third way is having a membership site, which is something I’m focusing more on lately.
Until we get huge and are making so much money that we don’t know how to spend it, we all need to figure out ways to make our revenue less lumpy. Lumpy revenue, unless you are super disciplined, leads to cash flow problems in your business.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why entrepreneurs go through lumpy periods of revenue * My own examples of learning lessons in obtaining greater cash flow * The three ways I’ve set up within my own business to keep my revenue less lumpy * How to put processes in place so your business comes to expect ongoing revenue
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/3dNMDOu
This is the type of episode that I know my listeners love the most. Today I’m doing a recap of my recent email marketing launch and telling you what happened, what worked, what the plan was, and how we were executing it.
I’ll start off by giving you an overview of what the offer was. The concept was that I’d give anyone who signed up for an annual membership to my FANS First Society access to my new course, which teaches everything about email marketing. Because I like treating my existing members like royalty, I decided to give the course to anyone who was already an annual member too.
We had a plan to direct people to a webinar, and I had the crazy notion that we would get 500 people to sign up for it. I started actively promoting it on the day after the NBA season came to a stop because of the coronavirus, so I ended up not hitting my goal. I’ll go over my exact numbers to inform you just where my sales ended up.
People who would have been a quick “yes” in a normal launch still bought. The difference was the people who would have normally been on the fence for a while, but would eventually join, were clearly saying “no.” I saw way less engagement than normal.
Despite everything going on in the world, I’m proud of what my team and I accomplished. I now have a proven offer, and if this was a normal time of year, I know we would have smashed our goals.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * The behind the scenes breakdown of my most recent email marketing launch * The “football phone” concept I used to increase members in my FANS First Society membership * The obstacles within the launch that caused my team to pivot * Why I continued with my launch plan, in spite of what was happening in the world
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/2UBCo8j
Today we’re going to talk about how to message during the pandemic that we’re dealing with right now. I’ve heard a lot of entrepreneurs ask about this and say they’re not sure about what they’re doing, so I wanted to tackle it head on. My general take is that the best thing we can do, outside of following the advice of health professionals, is to keep on with our business. However, we can’t pretend it’s business as usual – we need to message the right way.
There are a couple of things that you need to be thinking about in order to shift your messaging. I’ve already changed the way I send out my messages because of the virus, so I’ll point out some examples and tell you questions you need to be asking yourself.
I have to bring the subject of the virus in without making it seem like I’ve come up with a “coronavirus special.” If you create a brand-new offer that’s just a money-making ploy, people will smell it. Still, we can’t pretend this pandemic isn’t happening and just ignore it. I’ve got some tips for you on how to talk about it authentically.
Make sure that you understand what your personal voice is by thinking about your brand culture. My audience has come to expect me to make light of things, but some people may find that insensitive in this context. Even so, I’ll let you know why I’m not going to change.
Right about now, people are looking for leadership. Remember that you are a leader for your community, and you have to talk about what’s going on.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why you need to commit to keeping on with your business * Look at your products and messaging to see if they need adjusted * How to “walk the line” and stay authentic in your messaging * The importance of knowing your personal voice as your audience has come to expect from you
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/39tigcL
I’m going to share with you the four biggest lessons I’ve learned in the first quarter of 2020 in this episode. It’s been an interesting quarter, and the things I share are important lessons that you can apply to your business and life.
The first lesson I've learned is the value and importance of taking time off. I’ve struggled with this, partly because I love what I do. Despite this being completely true, I’ll tell you about some things that have come up this quarter which have made me realize I still need time off.
Another big lesson that I’ve learned is the value of an exceptional team. There’s been ups and downs in my team-building life, but we are now a cohesive unit. We pick up the slack for each other, and we recently were able to launch a fantastic quiz after building it over a single weekend. I couldn’t have done that alone.
The third lesson is to be ready for the unexpected. As entrepreneurs, we’re always going to face unexpected turns. If we’re not ready for these surprises, we are not going to be in a position to thrive. There are a few things you need to be thinking about regarding this and I’ll run through them with you.
We need to have perseverance, and that’s the fourth lesson I’ve learned. This goes far beyond just dealing with a pandemic like the coronavirus, so I’ll provide an example of how I had to deal with a poor launch. We can’t let something bad convince us that we shouldn’t keep going.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why valuing and balancing your time off will help you create your best self * How building a cohesive team has freed me to focus on my deep work * Why you will not be in a position to thrive if you don’t plan for the unexpected * How continuing to persevere will have compound effects in your business and life
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/2QRVftv
Today we’re going to be talking about what you should be doing in your online business in light of the coronavirus. I’m not going to be discussing the virus itself, but we have to be honest that things have changed. Everything seems to have been turned on its head, so it would be a disservice to you if I didn’t give my thoughts.
You have two choices. You can either sit in fear, worry, and paralysis by doing nothing, or you can get back to work. The only real option you have is the second one. Spending time worrying about things that you cannot change isn’t productive.
A lot of people are asking if it’s wrong to sell right now and if they should pull back. My answer is: hell no! It’s not that you should try to capitalize on this pandemic. Right now, the world needs you and me a lot more than it did a few months ago. We can harvest the skills we have to serve people in so many different ways.
You need to be out there, and you don’t have a choice. This is a disruption that is going to last months. If you’re thinking of pulling back until things are normal again, you’re not going to be serving for quite a long time. I’ll give you an example about how online businesses are keeping the economy going right now.
If you have a product or service that brings joy to people, you can pick up the slack from the movie theaters and bars that are closed. Lean in, and realize that this is the time to push forward.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why you need to accept the things you cannot change * How overcoming fear will release negative headspace * Why the world needs you to serve them now, more than ever before * Why your perspective in your business needs to shift from pulling back to leaning in
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/2QBuo55
In this episode, I’ve got an interview with my friend Kate Dramis. She is an awesome copywriter for James Wedmore, and I met her through that community. Kate is really good at teaching entrepreneurs how to write great copy and find their message.
Many entrepreneurs enjoy writing but hate writing conversion copy. I ask Kate why this is the case and she argues that conversion copy is really easy to write because it has a clear goal. We then discuss the biggest mistake that people make when writing copy, which Kate says stems from the execution.
When you’re writing copy, you’re not writing for yourself. It’s never about you. It’s about your audience. Kate and I get to talking about how emails can be built to target a specific mindset, but a sales page must try to speak to everyone. Kate stresses that your sales page does not sell your offer; people should be somewhat sold by the time they land on that page. She then speaks about describing features versus benefits.
Shifting beliefs is something that Kate is very skilled at, but a lot of people just think they can tell others that their belief is wrong. That doesn’t work, so Kate talks about ways that you can give people an alternative perspective that might give them better results.
Kate leaves us with her best tips that you can implement today to start writing better copy. She believes that the thing which sets successful entrepreneurs apart from others is having a deep purpose that they are aligned with, which will always come through in their messaging.
Click here to learn more about Kate!
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * What is conversion copy and how it looks for your business * How to actually communicate your message to your audience * The ways to figure out your core premise, or your “secret sauce” * Best practices from a top-rated copywriter
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: https://bit.ly/2Ump3Q9
We’re talking about why you need to find your voice in this episode, and why it’s more important than anything else you could be doing when it comes to your business. It’s an important thing that a lot of people don’t quite get right.
You need to find your voice for everything you do in your business. If you’re doing it right, your voice comes across in your emails, your content, social media copy, and more. Templates don’t allow you to inject your personal voice, and I’m going to further explain why I don’t like using them.
A lot of the time in emails, people sound stiff, boring, and corporate. If it sounds like it could have been written by artificial intelligence, it’s probably not going to connect with people. The email will feel like it isn’t you. Copywriters can be useful, but there’s a few things you need to be aware of with them that I’ll go over in this episode.
The most important differentiator is that you are you. I’ve had people come to me who have gotten a particular lesson from me that they’ve heard other thought leaders teach, but the way that I put it made the lesson hit home because I’ve added my voice and personality. You need to do the same thing.
I tell wacky stories because that is me. Maybe you have a much calmer approach to life, and that’s fine. Discover the voice inside of yourself and share that unique voice with the world.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why adding more of YOU to everything will build connections with your fans * How I made the shift to finding my voice * Why your voice will attract the right people and repel the wrong people
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: http://bit.ly/38WjGNE
Today I’m talking about one of my core beliefs. It’s a belief that a lot of people need convincing on, but once you implement it, I can guarantee you are going to see massive, positive change in your business: the concept is becoming a radical giver. I don’t just mean giving to get or giving as a tactic; you must get to the point where the act of giving actually brings you joy.
My first ever launch in 2017 was a big flop; I made one sale which ended up resulting in a refund. I knew something had to change and decided for 2018, I was going to focus on giving and gratitude.
I wasn’t doing it for the right reasons at first, but once I decided to just become a crazy giver within my circles, everything started to change. My name was really put out there and my business started to grow like never before.
How do you implement radical giving into your business? There are right ways and wrong ways. You have to give without expectations, give your time, give people things of value, and even sometimes send people to your competitors. These may all sound crazy to you, but I’ll explain the positive impact you can make on your business in this episode.
Radical giving is not a short-term solution, it’s about building your business over the long term. You will see monumental shifts from it. I’m not asking you to simply be a giver, I’m asking you to become a radical giver.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * My own examples on how I’ve given in my business and the impact it’s left on myself and others * The intentions we might have behind giving and how to find joy in it * Discover the different elements of giving * How radical giving has impacted my business for the long-term
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: http://bit.ly/37N2Ord
Today’s episode is about the importance of swipe files. I will be explaining why you need your own personal swipe file, what to collect in it, and how to use it. For those of you who don’t know, swipe files are collections of saved examples which you might want to use in the future for reference as an inspiration, just like lawyers use go-bys.
In marketing, you will have to write emails, webinars, sales pages, and so on. That means you will have to create, but it’ll be very difficult to begin on a blank page without knowing where to start. This is still true even if you know the theoretical rules of writing in marketing. I've personally used a copywriter’s page to get the inspiration for my first sales page.
To create a swipe file, you should collect whatever speaks to you since that means it’s effective and worth keeping. Collecting is very simple; it includes things like screenshotting Facebook ads, copying and pasting text from emails, screen grabbing videos, and then saving those in a document for future access.
Using swipe files is quite simple, but it is very important to note that they’re for inspiration and not for stealing, copying, or just swapping out words. So instead of starting on a blank slate, you’d be able to find frameworks, how people are coaching, how they’re converting a feature into a benefit, and much more.
If you don’t have a swipe file already, I urge you to start one now. Start making copies of whatever files seem attractive to you and use them as a guide. Swipe away and you’ll be much closer to building a successful online business.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * What is a swipe file and the different types * How to categorize the swipes you need for your business * Why keeping a swipe file is an easy “go-to” to build your inspiration and develop a practice in the framework that works best for your fans
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: http://bit.ly/2HEiimL
I’m getting up on a soapbox in this episode, but it’s a good soapbox so I think you’re going to like it. I’m going to give you permission to simplify and do less. Today’s episode is all about how you can give yourself a marketing detox to make things better and to make you feel better in your business.
As an online entrepreneur, you are in a world where you are being bombarded by people telling you to do different things. I’ll let you in on an email I recently sent to my list that was related to this, and though I didn’t feel like it was too great, my audience told me differently.
The problem is that so many people are looking at what the seven-figure entrepreneurs are doing and think that they should do the same. These tactics are a mistake, and there’s no secret that will make everything fine in your business once you discover it. Beware of gurus bearing secrets.
There are also online entrepreneurs who feel like they need to be active on every social media channel that exists. That’s not a recipe for success, and I’ll discuss why this approach doesn’t allow you to be very social. You need to understand where your power is and double down.
You’re going to hear contradictory advice and you’re going to have to decide for yourself what the best step forward is. Every business is unique, every market is unique, and you are unique. You’ll have to chart a path based on all of that.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why it’s important to simplify and do less in your business * How to turn your business back to the basics * How to overcome feeling constantly bombarded and pressured to do the “next best thing” * The questions I ask myself before I start to take on something new * There is no ONE way to run a business; you need to take with you the pieces from others that resonate for you
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: http://bit.ly/3228U5T
In this Foundations Friday episode, I’m going to give you a quick piece of advice that you can use to improve so many different things in your business. We’re going to be talking about creating a story journal and why you need one. As you probably know, I believe that storytelling is huge in everything that we do.
Your story journal is all about helping you capture the stories that you can use in your business at various times. Stories are the best way to communicate with people because, as humans, we think in stories. They’re very effective not only at getting your message across, but at allowing people to remember your message.
A lot of marketers wonder how to come up with stories. All you need to do is have a journal so that when something happens which you could potentially use in your business, you can write it down. You don’t need to write down a whole, detailed story; you just need to catalogue some quick notes and then think how you can deploy the story in your business.
After making notes, the next level is to think about the themes that you could use your stories for. I provide a few examples of some of my own common themes, but yours will likely be different.
If you do this for a while, you eventually won’t have to do it at all. You’ll start to recognize stories automatically and it will be very organic. After three to six months, you’ll start to see stories everywhere.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * How people, in general, tend to communicate in stories * The importance of using a story journal * Why it’s not about coming up with stories, it’s about getting in the practice of seeing stories in your everyday life * How your stories will turn into lessons, tips, and underlying ideas to reach your audience
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: http://bit.ly/3bAVQbS
Today’s episode is about something that I heard about last year but wasn’t really comfortable talking about. A year ago, I couldn’t even think about what I’m discussing in this episode. Specifically, I’m talking about stepping into your role as a leader of a team, not as a solopreneur doing everything in your business.
There’s a difference between being self-employed and having a business. A lot of people are self-employed, but they basically just own a job. I was like that forever. I had a scalable business, but the reality was that I had to do the work. I’ll tell you about where you should be trying to go if you’re a solopreneur and the plan you need.
High-level tasks, like relationship building, might bring in hundreds of thousands in revenue, but as a solopreneur like me, I wasn’t doing them because I was caught up in urgent things that had to be done. That’s what keeps us where we are, so you need to transition out of it. There are some challenges, of course, but I explain how you can overcome them.
My time now is largely not spent on things that other people could be doing for me. More and more people are starting to recognize me as the email guy or the guy who teaches connection marketing, and that’s happened because I’ve freed up my time. The revenue is starting to come.
You’ll try things, sometimes they won’t work, and you’ll have to try again. But then, you get that first bit of success. That’s where I am now, and it’s only possible because I have a team.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why stepping into your role as a leader will positively grow your business away from solopreneurship * As the leader, I am the visionary--a role only I can play * What tasks simply cannot be given to anyone else * The challenges to overcome so you can focus on your high-level work * What thinking “like a seven-figure business owner” will do for your business
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: http://bit.ly/2HooyPf
Today, I’m going to be telling you why you need to hire a virtual assistant. Getting one is something that most of us wait too long to do, including myself. Hiring a VA can change your life because it will allow you to do more of the things you need to be doing in your business.
Hiring was an area where I had a huge mental block. Usually when I get an idea I execute it right away, but hiring had always been something that I couldn’t seem to do. I would just find reasons not to. There are some things that happened which trapped me in this mindset, so I’ll tell you what those hang-ups were.
You have to think about a VA as less of an expense and more of a way to free up your time. A lot of entrepreneurs don’t think about the emotional benefits of a VA, but when I hired a VA as an executive assistant last November, it actually stopped me from being brought down sometimes.
If there’s work that’s going to bring you down, you shouldn’t be doing it. You can have a VA do things that will move your business forward which you no longer need to do.
Find a way to get a VA if at all possible. I know you’re going to resist just like I did for a long time, but after you take the advice, come back and say thank you to me. It will make things so much better for you because all of a sudden, you’ll be freed up.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE:
- Why bringing on a VA helped propel my business forward
- Overcoming the mental blocks I had about delegating out tasks
- What type of VA is good for your business
- My own experience of letting go of the work that drained me by allowing a VA to manage those tasks on an ongoing basis
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: http://bit.ly/2S2zfgI
I’m going to talk to you about where you focus and how you’re viewing things in today’s episode. Specifically, I’m talking about the 80/20 rule, otherwise known as the Pareto principle. It’s hard for me to tell you what to stop doing in your business, but I can give you rules and tell you things that are likely the most important for you to be doing.
The cool part about the 80/20 rule is that it is fractal. This means that if 20% of your work accounts for 80% of the results, then 20% of that 20% accounts for 80% of that 80%. In other words, 4% of your work is going to count for 64% of your results.
If you triple the amount of time that you spend on that 4% work, you can expect a big increase in revenue. I’ll let you know some of the 4% work that I’ve done in my own business and how this type of work can change over time.
You should stop worrying about the people who aren’t on your email list, or the ones that don’t respond. When you put all of your focus on serving the 20% of your audience who really care, you’ll be doing your best. It will even attract people outside of the 20%.
I want you to be constantly thinking about the 80/20 rule. Determine what your 4% work is and who your 4% people are. These are the places where little bits of time and effort can have a huge impact and really move things along.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * What the 80/20 rule is and how it pertains to your business focus * How you can identify your powerful levers to more your business forward * How you need to shift your focus on your already raving fans and how to keep serving them * My own business examples of my 4% work and how it continues to evolve * My four key points to help you see where your 4% work is in your business
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: http://bit.ly/385aPc0
Today’s topic is pretty darn important, and I hope the way I’m going to describe it will resonate with you because it took me forever to understand it. It’s about how you need to stop focusing on being so efficient and start focusing on being effective. It’s an important distinction, so join me as I explain what those words mean.
When I finally got this concept, it helped me to demystify something that my coach had been talking about a lot. He says that if you want to make a bigger impact, do less. That never made sense to me, but it did when I finally understood the concept of being effective instead of efficient.
Being efficient is just getting stuff done, but being effective is a measure of how much you’re moving the needle forward in your business. Most of us in the online space are doing a lot of stuff that has zero impact on our business. I’ll tell you the tough question that you need to ask yourself about your business and then give a clear social media example of not being effective.
A lot of entrepreneurs are looking at social media in the wrong way. If you want to be effective on social media, it’s not about blaring your message to the world; it’s about engaging with people.
Sometimes, we don’t want to do the hard, deep work so we just give ourselves a lot of busy work that’s easy to check off. I encourage you to track your time for a while, and then critically ask yourself if what you’re doing is actually moving your business forward.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * The concept I’ve learned for my business about being effective * How you need to shift your focus from checking “to-dos” off a list to effective ways of moving your business forward * Why doing the right things matter more than doing more things * The deep work is going to grow your business, not the busy work
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: http://bit.ly/372eciD
In this show, I’m going to give you permission to stop doing some things. When I talk to some online entrepreneurs, they are often overwhelmed by all the things they feel like they have to be doing. Listen in as I go through the five things that you need to stop doing if you want your business to grow. After, you’ll be able to stop doing the things that don’t matter and start doing the things that do.
Much of the overwhelm that entrepreneurs are facing is from this constant noise from gurus that talk about some new program or new tactic. These “ninja tactics” are not what you need to be focusing on, but I’ll tell you what you really need to turn your attention to.
Another place you can reduce your overwhelm is in your need to make things perfect. I give you my own examples when I knew things were not perfect, but I also knew they just needed to get out there. There are quite a few downfalls to having a perfection mindset, and I’ll let you know what they are.
The final point I mention relates to all the other points: stop comparing yourself to other people. Comparison is the reason why so many people feel so overwhelmed. It’s so pervasive that most people don’t even realize it’s happening.
If you stop doing the five things I mention in this episode, I truly believe that the overwhelm will pass. I’m giving you permission to focus on the basics and to not worry what other people are doing.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE:
- When you keep feeling overwhelmed in your business, you need to return to the basics
- The five things I had to learn to stop doing in order for my business to grow
- Why investing your energy into proven strategies will be the thing that works
- Why the five things I mention to stop doing are what might actually be holding you back in your business
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: http://bit.ly/39bMPnN
I don’t really know how to describe today’s episode. It’s like a Seinfeld episode, where it’s about one thing but it’s really about something else. The specific thing we’re talking about is why you shouldn’t feel like you need to buy a journal just because everybody else is doing it. Even if you do use a journal, you should still listen today because it goes much deeper than that.
My wife had to tell me to stop buying journals and planners at one point because I had so many. There was a predictable routine whenever I bought planners, so I share this with you – it’s the reason why I don’t buy them anymore.
Part of the reason I kept feeling the need to try new planners is because everybody in the online space is talking about how they plan their day. Quite honestly, you can be a successful seven-figure business owner without using a planner at all.
You need to have plans, but there is no one-size-fits-all solution. There are some people that just aren’t wired to use a daily planner, and I think it’s even more prevalent among visionary entrepreneurs. I’ll fill you in on the way I keep myself on track, no planner required.
If you’re one of those people who worries that you’re not doing things the same as some of the big-name people, it’s okay! As long as you’re getting the work done, that’s all that matters. You don’t have to do something just because other people do it. I finish off with the story of how I found my ideal morning routine.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why journals or planners might not actual work for you * You can still be successful without doing what everyone else is doing * Having plans and structure is still crucial for your business, but there are different ways to do it * What “keystone habit” I use on a daily basis that helps everything fall into place * There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to anything
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: http://bit.ly/391QhRN
This episode really hits home because we’re going to talk about how to pitch yourself to podcasts the right way (in other words, the Certified BADA$$ way). Even if you’re not interested in doing podcasts, the same principles will apply any time you’re pitching yourself.
I got inspired to talk about this because the other day I received a few podcast pitches at the same time, and one of them was so laughably bad that I was amused by it. I’m going to share that email with you and talk about the many reasons why it won’t lead to being a guest on my podcast or any other one. This is just the beginning of the bad pitches I’ve gotten.
There are a few key concepts that you need to be thinking about when pitching yourself. The first is something that I always preach, and after laying that framework I go into some more aspects that your approach to this should include.
My team and I have a process we go through when we’re looking for a podcast I can appear on, and it’s longer than you might think. I bring you through all the steps from my point of view and what really matters to me when looking for podcasts to collaborate with.
I believe that being a guest on other peoples’ platforms is one of the best ways to expand your reach, especially if you’re just starting out. If you come at it from a place of building relationships and quality, you can build a plan for pitching that will be very helpful.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why quality is always better than quantity as a guest appearance * How far-reaching your impact can be when you build a real connection with other podcast hosts (and online business owners in general) * If hiring a booking agent is right for you, and how important it is to vet who you hire * My detailed process before I even think about pitching to be a guest * How to figure out and implement a meaningful and successful pitch
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to: http://bit.ly/3aZBFnL
In one of my swift-kick-in-the-ass episodes, I’m addressing something that I see a lot in the online space. There are a lot of online entrepreneurs that get upset or annoyed when they face a problem. Today, I’m asking you to shift your mindset. Instead of being annoyed by problems, you need to embrace them. This can shift everything in your business.
If there weren’t problems in the way of your business, there’s no way that you could even have a business. Somebody else would have already built your business if there were no challenges along the way. I’ll discuss the number one characteristic that successful business owners have – it’s not about having the best idea or being the most charismatic.
Your customers are only customers because they’re facing a problem. For me, I need to embrace that my customers have problems, and it wouldn’t make sense if I embraced that but thought that I shouldn’t have any in my own business. We end up attracting people who are like us to our business, so embracing the concept that there are problems and they can be solved is crucial.
Getting pissed off at problems is going to repel people away from you. People who want to pay money don’t want to be around negative people. To avoid being put in a negative headspace by problems, the easiest thing to do is embrace them.
Embrace the problems. See them as things that you get to do, and then you’ll have the right mindset. That’s my call to action for you.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why you need to embrace the problems in your business * How shifting your mindset can enable you to succeed in your business even when you run into problems along the way * Discover why the most successful business owners aren’t necessarily the best at what they do, and yet they still have success * How to see problems as opportunities in personal growth
For additional episode resources and freebies, click here: http://bit.ly/3aToYL7
This is one of my favorite topics. It’s something I’ve talked about a lot, and it sets me apart from most of the other entrepreneurs in the space. What I’m talking about is my “non-launch launch” method. It really drove my business forward last year, and I want to share it so you can see if it will work for your business too.
One of my launches in January 2019 didn’t go as well as I’d hoped, so I brought up my problem at a mastermind and gained some input from my peers. They suggested I just send out a simple email instead of relaunching, and I did that over the following months to great success. I’ll share with you one of the ways some people inadvertently put a giant impediment in front of them and how you can avoid it.
A non-launch launch is not right for everyone. Just one reason I mention in this episode is that you’ve got to have a warm audience already. If you don’t, who would you be sending your emails to? It’s important to be continually cultivating your audience.
People act like I’m against launching, and in some ways I am. I’m against focusing all of your attention on the launch and then ignoring stuff the rest of the time, which is what a lot of entrepreneurs are doing.
My method gives you a chance to get sales in without costs, and that’s the kind of thing I love. After taking in this episode, I encourage you to think about if a non-launch launch strategy will work for you!
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: * Why moving away from the traditional launch might work better for your business * Which business is the non-launch launch right for * What obstacles you might be putting in your fans' way * How to execute the non-launch launch
For bonus resources and freebies for this episode, go to https://bit.ly/2u3Sxca.
What is hands down the number one tip I can give you for promotional emails and how to think about emails during a launch? Send another email. In this episode, I am going to be explaining the importance of understanding your audience and why you should always send that extra email.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/30Peqb6
Today I'm going to be sharing two of the best things you can use to find a more engaged audience: segmenting and scrubbing your list. While this may not seem like the most exciting task, it is something that will move your business into overdrive. So in this episode, I will be taking you through how to do it.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2sTdo1k
Too often, people look at unsubscribes as a bad thing. But I'm here to tell you that if you’re not getting people unsubscribing from your email, you’re most likely doing something wrong. Whether you’re not emailing them enough or you’re simply not marketing correctly, I will explain why you should be celebrating unsubscribes, not fearing them.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2TFe2dR
When I was trying to choose my first guest for the newly re-branded podcast, I couldn’t help but think of Tarzan Kay. A copywriter turned launch strategist, Tarzan helps people create awesome businesses. I have learned a lot from her over the years, and I know you will learn a ton from her today, as well.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2tZw7Zy
What are the rules around emails when it comes to the legal side of things? In this Foundations Friday, I am going to be answering this question and more as I delve into the legal standards put in place regarding email marketing.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2tTq5cU
Today I'm going to share some key lessons I learned through playing poker and how they have served me well as an entrepreneur. It may sound strange, but poker actually helped me level-up as a business owner and stop setting myself up for failure so I could achieve my goals.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/30g2Qpu
This is the first episode of the newly branded Certified BADASS Online Marketing Podcast, and I’m excited to kick things off with one of my favorite topics: adding more cowbell to your brand. Now, I’ve talked about this before, but today I’ll be going over what this term really means and why it’s so important for differentiating yourself from your competition.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/37NyKMF
One of my favorite things to talk about is my annual plan. This is a chance to be conscious and intentional about the year ahead, so I really encourage everyone to make one. That's why this episode is packed full of tips to get you focused so that your business can grow and thrive in 2020 and beyond.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2MQwyvA
As we usher in 2020, I want to let you know why I don’t set New Year’s resolutions—and why you shouldn’t either. We've all made or seen others make resolutions that quickly get overridden and forgotten, so in this episode, I’ll explain what you should do instead to make real changes this year.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/36fF92B
As we approach 2020, I want to take some time to reflect and share with you the important lessons I have learned this year. So today, I am going to be looking over 2019 and sharing everything from the mistakes I made to what goals I reached—and what goals I didn't quite reach—in the hopes that you can apply some of these important lessons to your own business.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2PRzZnT
A lot of people ask about creating weekly content and whether it’s actually necessary. And today, I’m not going to give the typically hedge-like answer because this is a big issue and something that is more important than you may think. In order to build a successful business, you need to email your list every single week. Period.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/35SWbTU
Today’s episode is a controversial one. I am going to be explaining to you why what most of the experts are telling you about email and nurturing your people is dead wrong. Email has been the most important part of building my business, and today I want to share with you how you can grow your business too.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2PYj4yO
Why do we tend to overcomplicate business? This is definitely something that I struggle with as well, so in this episode I will be discussing why we need to make simplicity a priority in order to avoid distraction, frustration, and overworking.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2S0y55L
Today I am going to be talking about something that I know every entrepreneur needs to hear: You need to be known for something specific. This is especially true when you are starting out. So in this episode, I will be sharing how to “niche down” and find raving fan bases that are excited about the content and the products you put out there.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2rtSoOf
Too many people are hesitant to put their stuff on the internet because they are scared someone is going to steal their ideas. But in this episode, I am going to explain why you need to stop being fearful and just put your content out there.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2P3xTkr
Having a business strategy is incredibly important, and it's something that every entrepreneur needs in order to keep their clients and followers hungry for more. So in this episode, on the 2 year anniversary of the launch of my podcast, I want to share with you how to create consistent and structured content to grow your business at an exponential rate.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2raRHZR
If you tuned in for episode 112, you've already learned why it's so important to create new content each week. But today, I'm diving in a bit deeper to share how to put a plan in place for that content, not only so that you know what you're putting out there in advance, but also to help make your content better.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/37XyYBp
Today I am going to be talking about a type of sales mechanism that I use in my business quite a lot: paid online workshops. Workshops are very small, bite-sized courses that people pay to take part in—that are not a sales pitch—and they are a great tool for a lot of reasons. In this episode, I want to share with you how an online workshop might have an important role to play in your business.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2OKXpcK
On this Foundations Friday episode, I am going to be giving you some tough love. There is something that not enough entrepreneurs (possibly yourself included) are giving to their followers, and it is hurting their businesses. That something is weekly content.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2qAPCGc
I have previously shared how to find, nurture, and serve your ideal customers, but in this episode, I am sharing what to do once you have already built up a following. Specifically, I will be explaining how to use surveys and quizzes to discover exactly what your fans want and need. It is a more advanced way of getting some really fantastic insights into your potential customers' minds, and something I highly recommend doing.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2Oz4GMA
Today I'm going to be giving you a swift kick in the rear as I break down a really important concept that could save you a lot of wasted time. That concept is outsourcing. While I have nothing against outsourcing, I do want to make it clear that you cannot just outsource everything from the outset. You have to understand your business and have a well-rounded sense of things that will come up before you even think about bringing in outside help.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2XpIyIG
Today I have guest expert Amber Dugger on the show to talk about money, finances, and the Profit First concept that can really benefit your business. Amber is the founder of Profit For Keeps, a system developed for online entrepreneurs to end the stress and anxiety around finances, and she’s here to break down how the Profit First system works and how to use it to allocate money for your business from a forward-looking, planning perspective.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/32MRU2k
Many entrepreneurs appear to be afraid of failure, but they are actually afraid of something else: They’re afraid of people seeing them fail. So on today’s Foundations Friday episode, I want to give you a bit of tough love and explain why it’s time to stop thinking, stop planning, stop learning, and start doing.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2NXewYx
Lots of people ask me what I get out of the masterminds I attend or what the difference is between a mastermind and a group coaching program, so today I want to share my thoughts and experiences with both. I truly believe there is a power in joining something that is more than just an online course or membership, and I want to help you understand whether a mastermind or group coaching program is the right fit for you and your business.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/33qoDLY
Today we’re going back to my roots and covering a foundational issue that relates to the legal side of business that everybody needs to understand and implement. I'm talking about the importance of getting things in writing. This is a crucial piece of doing business that too many entrepreneurs overlook, so I'm going to break down what you need to do to ensure your business and relationships are taken care of.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2r9h5ib
In order to gain a following and find people who are excited to buy your product, you've got to have an idea of who your ideal customer is. Yet so many people struggle with knowing where their customers are and what they truly need. So in this episode, I will be sharing how to map out your customer journey, from where they are to where you want their destination to be.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/36lO1Ec
Whether you are just starting out or you’ve been up and running with your business for a while, impostor syndrome can creep in and sabotage you if you let it. This common mindset issue holds many people back from success, so today I’m going to discuss how to spot imposter syndrome and how to beat it before it can keep you from achieving your goals.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2Nuj5t9
Today I've got returning guests Tom and Ariana Sylvester back on the podcast! The co-founders of Lifestyle Builders, Tom and Ariana help people create their ideal businesses and lives, and they join the show for the second time to share the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to entrepreneurship.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2ByDtni
Today is the first of my new “Foundations Friday” episodes, a bonus show I'll be doing every week to tackle one topic and give you one key takeaway. I believe everyone can benefit from taking the time to master the basics, so today I am going to talk about what I believe is the biggest foundational issue most businesses face.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/33GPDq5
Last week, I shared five lessons I have learned over the years, but today I am sharing the most important lesson I have learned during my time as an entrepreneur. What lesson am I talking about? That you don’t need secret strategies to build your business—you need the basics.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2IVkUxq
For my 100th episode, I am going to be sharing five important lessons I have learned while building up my business. When I started, I didn’t have a business—I had a dream, and I want to teach you what I did to get to where I am today. I’ll even share what I would have done differently when I first started out if I had known the things I know now.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2paJsvi
Today's topic gets me pretty fired up, as I have fallen victim to this trap myself, and I hate seeing others fall for it too. I'm talking about fake engagement. This is something you should absolutely not be doing, and in this episode, I'm going to break down why that is and what you should be doing instead.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2o1zZqi
Every entrepreneur out there trying to sell a product needs a great promo sequence. That includes emails, social media, and/or Facebook ads, but today I am going to be talking specifically about the email side of things. In particular, I'll cover how to create a full-fledged sales email sequence that you can use in any promo series.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2n5qCFd
Today I am going to be discussing something that I think every online entrepreneur needs to know at least a little bit about: Facebook advertising. Specifically, I'll cover how to create a strategy to ensure you’re going to achieve your desired outcome—and why it's so important to get this figured out before you jump into advertising on this platform.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2kU2jcs
Today I am going to be covering something that I truly enjoy talking about: email. Email is one of the most important tools your business can use, especially when done correctly. In this episode, I will be sharing my tips on creating the perfect welcome sequence to help your subscribers get to know you.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2m7uFQC
Today I'm discussing something I am extremely passionate about: creating a scalable business model. As someone who has done this within my own business, I know the power of making this change. In this episode, I break down the problems with one-on-one work, as well as the advantages of going to a scalable product.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2lGaOYu
This episode is inspired by an email from one of my followers who reached out regarding the problems with affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing is a part of the big launches that we see today and can be a powerful tool, but when it's done incorrectly, it can rub people the wrong way. So today, I will be sharing the rules to follow when deciding if you should be promoting a product, company, or person.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2LjvuyK
This episode is about something I believe every online entrepreneur needs to be working on: writing addictive weekly emails. Email marketing is my favorite kind of marketing, and what I believe has been the key to my success. So today, I will teach you how to take your readers from cold subscribers to raving fans, simply by showing them who you are through your writing.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2MoLy5p
Today I am very excited to have my friend and mentor, Amy Porterfield, on the show to discuss all things online courses. Amy successfully teaches profitable action steps for creating online courses to business owners, educators, and entrepreneurs—including me! In fact, I have modeled the way I do business after the way Amy does business. She has made millions of dollars just off of her courses, so listen in as she teaches us how she does it.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2yVWOgD
Today I am talking about something I believe many of my followers need to be focusing on: list building. I can't stress enough how important it is to have an engaged email list, and in this episode, I will teach you how to create this valuable asset.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/31rJZHs
Today I am continuing my two-part series on how to use the power of storytelling within your business. I firmly believe that personal vignettes are the best way to help your fans feel like they can trust you, as it gives you the opportunity to allow people a glimpse into your world. Everyone has had interesting things happen in their lives, and in this episode, I will teach you how to tell these stories and more.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2MFApfA
For a long time, many lessons were taught through stories—even history was taught this way. As human beings, we are wired to remember and relate to stories, so today I am going to be talking about the importance of storytelling and how to incorporate it into your business.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2yf2jH4
Today's topic is something that everyone should be doing, but many people get terribly wrong. I am going to be sharing how to get into your clients' minds, understand what they desire, and speak their language.
Listen in as I explain how to sell your audience what they want, while giving them what they need. You will learn the importance of curiosity and being unafraid to sound unintelligent, as well as how to observe your ideal customers and build trust with your audience.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2XMUHup
Today I am going to be talking about what has become my passion, and what sets me apart from other digital marketers out there. I will be talking about something I call my ‘FANS framework’ and teach you how to incorporate this concept into your business to connect and build trust with your audience.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2JoJSGm
In this episode, I am going to discuss core beliefs—specifically, the seven core beliefs that I use to run my business and why you should create and adopt your own. Core beliefs pervade every part of your business, from how you work with your team to how you treat your customers and the way you interact with peers. Figuring this out has been a crucial part of the success I've had with my business, so today I'm going to share how to figure this out for your business.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2YBHJMu
Today’s show is going to be a little bit different, and admittedly, it's something I never would have recorded a year ago. In this episode, I am talking about mindset, alignment, and trusting your gut. Here to discuss these topics with me is intuitive healer and psychic business coach Emily Aarons. Emily supports her clients on their healing journey by clearing and releasing blocks so they can step fully into their power as entrepreneurs.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2xiGIgw
Today I am sharing with you my mid-year review. As we have reached the 6-month mark for 2019, I wanted to report to you everything that I have learned over that time. And I know sometimes we as entrepreneurs like making things complicated, so in this episode, I am going to explain how you can simplify things for yourself and your business.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2IXp2wo
Jennifer Berson is the President and Founder of Jeneration PR, a public relations and social media marketing firm specializing in promoting beauty, baby, and lifestyle brands. Prior to starting her business, Jennifer was a lawyer like myself and practiced civil litigation. Today she joins the show to discuss how to successfully pitch yourself to anyone, such as podcasts or publications.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2IgVeM1
Rachel McMichael is a business strategist and coach who helps female entrepreneurs leverage the power of Facebook Advertising to launch and expand their online businesses. Today she joins the show to share how she uses systems to make her business run like clockwork—all while being a busy mom of young children.
In this episode, Rachel shares how she gained the confidence to start up her business and why it's so important to have a support network. Listen in to learn how she delegates tasks, what helped her overcome the guilt of being unable to do everything, and how you can work four hours a day and still run an incredibly successful business.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2ZdEYBd
Today we are talking about something I believe has been the key to my success: the concept of 1,000 true fans. Originally proposed in 2008 by Kevin Kelly, one of the founding editors of Wired magazine, this concept makes success seem less daunting by suggesting that you only need thousands of fans, not millions. In this episode, I break down why this concept works and how to use it in your business.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2QDuoAm
Most people wait for the perfect time to start their business or career, but for Zarayda Groenhart, that moment came right in the middle of chaos. Starting her career at the age of 23, Zarayda created her own job in television by asking her peers on the street what they would want to see on a new MTV show, and then finding a way to get in contact with the CEO of MTV to relay the information she had collected. In this episode, she shares mindset hacks that will help you keep your business thriving when life hits you with curveballs.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2W3VypG
What is the most important thing for online entrepreneurs to focus on and put time into? Building human connections, hands down. This is one area that can make or break you, as well as set you apart from the rest of the pack because not enough online businesses are doing this. In this episode, I will lay out the foundation and some basic actionable tips for creating and building human connections online.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2Hl8NJE
Today we are talking about an important approach to communication and personal development: neuro-linguistic programming (NLP). Here to help me break down this topic, as well as the importance of finding your niche, is my friend Jen Casey. An NLP coach, the host of The Inner Boss podcast, and the creator of two signature programs, “Pitch to Your Niche” and “Design Your Business Vision,” Jen helps online coaches think like a top learner and turn their social media presences into sales.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/305dS0g
Today I am going to be talking about an important concept that can really move your business forward if you understand it correctly: “The Dream 100.” Utilizing this strategy when collecting data for a new project can help you better capture the attention of your ideal client base and become a cornerstone in your approach to marketing.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2XOiLc6
Many entrepreneurs have trouble with the concept of selling, especially when it comes to transitioning from teaching or providing value to the sale. People talk to me about this all the time, so I think it’s really important to address and resolve this issue. Today, Colin Boyd joins me on the show to help shed light on how to sharpen your selling skills, particularly when selling on stage.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2IH7KFU
Today we are going to be talking about one of the most effective ways to improve your business: email. Tarzan Kay is passionate about this subject, and she joins the show to explain how she has helped many people—including myself—execute launches and extract the maximum profit from even the smallest of email lists.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2PgjIXE
Today I'm going to be discussing all the ins and outs of my non-launch launch. After a successful “traditional” launch in January, I had hopes of making my upcoming release bigger and better than ever, but my hectic schedule got in the way. In this episode, I’ll explain the steps I took to ensure a prosperous launch despite being forced to cut out any kind of events I had previously planned.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2Ur46Gm
It can feel impossible to get your brand recognized when there are so many business owners successfully advertising their products. How do you stand out from the crowd and keep people interested while remaining true to your brand? Today I’ve got online business mentor and expert copywriter Sara Anna Powers on the show to share how she coaches her clients to discover their niche and build their companies.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2TVmORC
One of the biggest new trends in social media marketing is live video. In this episode, I’ll talk with Tiffany Lee Bymaster (also known as Coach Glitter) about why this trend is so important and useful for your business. She shares her vast knowledge and experience in the online marketing space to explain what live video is and how to do it well.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2HL7t4j
Today we’re going to be talking about one of my favorite ways to market your business: Facebook groups. I recently did an episode about using other people’s Facebook groups to build your business, but this one is all about how to leverage your own group. Here to break down this topic is my guest expert, Christina Jandali.
Christina is a business growth strategist who helps online business owners harness the power of free Facebook groups, and she joins me to share what you need to know in order to create an engaged group and build a relationship with your audience. Listen in to learn how to increase group engagement, common mistakes to avoid, and so much more.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2CwBO2a
It’s all too common for entrepreneurs to struggle with things like impostor syndrome and limiting beliefs, so today’s episode is all about how to overcome the mental blocks that get in our way. Here to help me explain what it takes to shift your mindset and set yourself up for success is Dr. Shannon Irvine.
A PhD in neuro-psychology, as well as an entrepreneur, high achievement mentor, and host of the Epic Success Podcast, Shannon helps her clients “neuro-hack” their way to their ideal life and career. Listen in to hear how her process works, the science behind what makes it so effective, and what you can do to overcome your own limiting beliefs in order to achieve your goals.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2FcZlr3
One of the biggest things any business owner needs to understand is how to focus on important tasks instead of wasting time on things that don’t matter. This is absolutely crucial for helping you move forward in your business, and a great way to do it is to follow the Pareto principle—better known as the 80/20 rule. Today, I’ve got online marketing consultant and bestselling author of 80/20 Sales and Marketing Perry Marshall on the show to explain the concept and what you can do to apply it to your business.
Perry’s reinvention of the Pareto principle is published in the Harvard Business Review, and NASA uses his 80/20 curve as a productivity tool in their Jet Propulsion Labs at the California Institute of Technology. Additionally, his book on the concept is mandatory reading in many growing companies. Needless to say, Perry knows this subject inside and out, and he covers everything you need to know to start using the 80/20 rule to improve your sales and marketing efforts.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2Tjb3J8
Being focused on perfection has a way of making people go through too many rounds of edits rather than just getting stuff out there. This week, I'll be diving into what it means to sidestep the perfectionism trap and take massive action that is often scary but usually exactly what your business needs to thrive. If you’re stuck in analysis paralysis, maybe after taking many courses and accumulating tons of information, this episode will get you moving.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2IMUjFj
It can feel impossible to succeed when all you seem to see are people with huge email lists or massive social media followings. But these things aren't necessary for success. In this episode, I’ll be sharing my numbers, from audience to conversions, and you may be surprised at how well you can do with a smaller list.
You will get some valuable insight into the processes that you can put in place in order to create and nurture a truly engaged—and buying—list and community. There are multiple ways to build your business, but I’m going to show you how to do so with your email. Listen in to learn how to build an engaged list, what steps you can take to build momentum and trust with your people, and why you have to be consistent with your posting and emails.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2GCdn7f
Today I’m going to be talking about my favorite way to build your authority and your business: Facebook groups. Pretty much every day, I get someone joining my list or buying something from me after finding me in one of these groups, so for this episode, I’m going to walk you through how I got to this place and how you can do the same thing for your business.
Listen in to hear the exact Facebook strategy I used to establish myself as an expert in my field and the steps you can take to follow it, too. You’ll learn how to find the right groups, what to do once you’re in them, and the truth about how much dedication it takes to make this work.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2GElO1d
People really seem to like hearing real stories from ‘in the trenches’ – the stories about processes, implementation, and lessons learned through new techniques and programs. So in this episode, I’ll be sharing all the details of what worked, what didn’t work, and how things went for my first launch of 2019. If you’re considering launching products in the near future, this could be very helpful for you as you get started.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2tbh3V1
Today is all about building your YouTube channel. This is something I’ve thought about many times, and something you've likely considered too, so I brought Tara Wagner on the show today to share some valuable advice on this subject. I met her when she was first starting out, and we’re going to catch up on how she’s doing to get a first-hand perspective on the struggles and tricks to building your presence on YouTube.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2WzWXRO
If you’re grinding away on content that seems meaningless just because you were told you’re supposed to be putting this or that kind of content out there, stop and take a listen. Today I have Jillian Bowen on the show to break down how to create a winning content strategy for your online business without spending soul-sucking time creating content you hate. Jillian has been helping me develop my content strategy, so I can honestly say that between my trial and error and her expertise, you’ll have a ton of great information to learn and build from in this episode.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2HuuNDZ
Many entrepreneurs consider creating blogs, but often, they don’t know how to work those blogs into their overall content strategy, or how to make them profitable. So today, I’ve got the perfect guest expert to break down what it takes to create a successful blog that gets traffic and generates business.
Angie Gensler, the founder of AngieGensler.com, grew her social media and digital marketing blog into an online business that allowed her to quit her high-paying corporate marketing job just 20 months later. She now spends her time teaching entrepreneurs how to market and grow their business without the hustle or overwhelm, and she joins the show to share how she built her blog and tips for creating a successful blog of your own.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2RYNZxI
I’m just wrapping up a website redesign, so I decided to have the genius behind it all come on the show to share her website-savvy wisdom. When it comes to building a site (or redesigning one), Sami Bedell-Mulhern knows how to tackle the task from the right perspective. She's here today to give us tips on targeting, technology, and making sales, as well as the important questions we need to ask ourselves along the way.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2AzZTEA
It is important for entrepreneurs to outsource and delegate many things, but one thing you can’t completely outsource is the legal stuff. It’s extremely important to have at least a basic understanding of how to protect your business and spot issues before they become problematic. So in this episode, I’ll share three ways that you can gain legal peace of mind when it comes to your business.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2VxUTsP
Happy New Year! As we begin 2019, I want to do something kind of special on the podcast. Today, I’m going to share with you the key lessons I learned in trying to reach my goal of reading 52 marketing, business, and personal development books last year.
Now, I didn’t reach my goal (I ended up getting through about 35 books), but I gained valuable insights from my reading that I'm going to discuss in this episode. Listen in to hear why it's so important for entrepreneurs to maintain a giving mindset, how to find your "one thing" in order to use your time more efficiently, and more.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2CCyByC
Today we’re finishing up the series we’ve been doing about planning for 2019 with part two of the forward-looking segment. After last week’s high-level discussion around setting your goals and thinking about your intentions for the year, this episode dives into more of the nuts and bolts of the plan.
Specifically, I’m going to cover three topics: my social media strategy, my promotion plan, and my budget. Listen in to hear the details of what I’m going to do and my advice for figuring out your own plan for these key areas in the coming year.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2ECIu1D
Creating goals for the coming year can be a fun task, and many people want to skip right to it without taking the necessary steps to ensure these goals will be successful. This week I’ll be talking about how to set goals that will result in massive progress in 2019, as well as why mindset is extremely important in order to grow and transform your business.
You'll learn the process I use for goal setting and how I have learned from my goals from past years. You will also get a glimpse of how I aim to shift my mindset over the next year and why that is so important to me. Finally, I'll touch on delegation and setting themes and intentions to help give you a picture of what to work on in order to develop yourself into what your business needs.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2BmUvnX
As entrepreneurs, one of the most important things we have to do is make time to plan out the things that are to come in our businesses. The problem is that this often doesn’t feel urgent, and therefore, it’s easy to put it off. But just because it isn’t urgent doesn’t mean it’s not crucial for success, and today I'm going to share how taking the time to figure out my business plan really changed the game for me.
Since the end of the year tends to be when everyone reflects, I’m going to go through that process myself and very publicly recap my 2018. I'll be candid about what I did right, my biggest mistakes, and the important lessons I learned along the way.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2KYnSkS
If you’re an online entrepreneur, you’ve probably heard about the importance of developing a content strategy. The question is: what does one actually look like? I know it can be challenging to figure that out without concrete examples, so today I’m going to share the details of the plan I have in place for getting my content out there.
In this episode, I walk you through exactly what I’m doing with my own content, what my overall plan is, and the reasons behind the decisions I’ve made. You'll hear about tactics I’ve had in place for a while, as well as areas I’ve been developing with an expert to help you grasp the basics of what a content strategy should look like and start putting together a plan for your business.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2SlMRke
Today’s show is a legal-themed episode that’s going to dig into a thorny issue that’s become sort of a hot topic lately—and for good reason. The Americans With Disabilities Act (or the ADA) is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability, and while a lot of it doesn’t apply to us as online entrepreneurs, there is a part that we need to understand and comply with when it comes to our websites.
Now, as online entrepreneurs, our websites serve as the hubs for our content, so the ADA is something you definitely don't want to overlook. The problem is, the whole thing can be a little tricky to grasp. So today, I'm going to break down the law into understandable concepts to show you how it applies to our websites and what you need to do to make sure yours is up to ADA standards.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2qXMP6z
Today we’re going to be talking about a powerful opportunity that entrepreneurs and small business owners tend to miss out on: using videos as part of your content strategy. I'm not just talking about posting a Facebook Live video here and there; I'm talking about being strategic and using professional-looking video to market your business. And my guest today is here to explain how to do it easily, and without spending a ton of money.
Jason Hsiao is the co-founder and Chief Video Officer of Animoto, an award-winning online video maker that makes it easy for anyone to create professional-quality marketing videos, even if they have no technical skills and have never created a video before. He joins this episode to share his advice on how to get started creating videos, tips for using them in your marketing, and why every entrepreneur should be taking advantage of this marketing tool.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2DtCRkU
Content strategy is where many online entrepreneurs and marketers get lost easily. This week is all about how to create and organize regular content in a way that serves your business the best. Starting with making a strategy to actually executing the content regularly, I’ll talk you through the process so that you can have a content calendar that will keep you on track for weeks or months to come.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2PllgCP
As entrepreneurs, it can be tempting to try doing everything ourselves, but the truth is that this is not only hard to sustain, but it also just doesn’t make good business sense. We have to think about where we’re spending our time and make sure that we're doing only the most valuable work we can. So today, I'm going to be talking about something we all need to think about as our businesses grow: building our teams.
In this episode, I go through the key people you should think about adding to your team, as well as the tasks they can help with to save you time. Listen in to hear the four main reasons entrepreneurs tend to avoid hiring help, why you need to overcome these hang-ups, and the legal considerations to keep in mind when adding to your team.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2SDsz6T
This week, I’m taking a break from the “getting started” theme so I can share some key lessons I’ve learned since starting my podcast almost a year ago. I’ve come to realize so much in that time, and the concepts I'm going to discuss today relate not just to podcasting, but also to broader concepts of being in business, as well.
As entrepreneurs, there are a lot of things that we have to figure out as we go, and I know I've made my fair share of mistakes along the way. But there are also some pretty crucial pieces I got right. Listen in to hear about both as I give you the five major lessons I've learned since creating this show.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2O8gV0w
Today we're going to be talking about a subject that any successful online entrepreneur will tell you is absolutely critical for your business: building a solid email list. This is something that has been a key factor in the success of every launch I’ve had, and I can guarantee you that it will play an important role in the success of your business, as well. So how do you go about gaining subscribers?
In this episode, I walk you through the four phases of building an email list. I’ll cover some very important concepts you need to know when it comes to getting people to sign up, keeping subscribers engaged, and using your list to generate income.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2AllwJa
If you’ve listened to me at any point, you’ve probably heard me talk about the power of written agreements. I am a true believer that they are the most powerful tool you have when it comes to protecting yourself and your business, so today I’m going to share with you the four key policies and agreements you need to have in place when you’re first starting out.
Now, of course there are going to be more that you'll need as you grow your business, but what I’m talking about in this episode are the core set that I would call your startup agreement toolbox. Listen in to hear the key policies you have to have on your website, how to ensure your confidential information stays confidential, and so much more.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2NzH1co
Anyone starting a business is bound to make at least a few mistakes along the way, but there’s one thing I see so many entrepreneurs get wrong that I just had to address it today. Far too often, I see people go into business without taking the time to set up a plan. This not only leads to all kinds of problems in the long run, but it also has many entrepreneurs spending lots of money learning how to sell products before they’ve even figured out what they're going to sell.
Planning is everything when it comes to starting your own business, so this episode is all about the foundational steps you need to take in order to structure things the right way. Listen in to learn where every entrepreneur should begin when figuring out a business model, common pitfalls to avoid, and how to get everything set up well from both a business and legal perspective.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2BXsll5
Today’s episode is all about a fundamental concept that so many entrepreneurs miss. We’re going to talk about who you have to be as a person in order to succeed. In my experience, it is far too common for entrepreneurs—myself included—to spend way too much time worrying about what we have to do to succeed, and we forget about figuring out what we have to be.
Now, until recently, I was guilty of this, too. But I’ve learned a lot of lessons over the years about what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur, and in this episode, I’m going to share the four key attributes that will significantly improve both your mindset and your business. Listen in to hear the important personality traits that lead to lasting success.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2OUmS2d
Today we’re going to be tackling an issue that I have to admit I still struggle with—even after we’ve covered it on this show. Specifically, we’re going to be talking about how to use LinkedIn as an entrepreneur. This social media platform is a powerful tool that is totally underutilized among entrepreneurs, so today I’ve brought Rebecca Vertucci to speak on the topic and give you a step-by-step guide on how to optimize your profile to speak to your ideal clients.
Rebecca is the founder of The Vertucci Group, and a proven expert on recruiting, hiring, social media marketing, and all things LinkedIn. As a Senior Customer Success Manager at LinkedIn, Rebecca consults with recruitment teams for global companies on how to use the platform and trains them on the development of their hiring, marketing, social media, and employer brand strategy needs.
In this episode, she shares her extensive knowledge and unique perspective on how to make the most of your LinkedIn profile. Listen in to hear how to set up a strong profile page, common mistakes to avoid, and advice for building your network in order to help you build your business.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2xwjFP2
When it comes to online business and marketing, growing and getting the word out can be really frustrating and confusing. David Kelly joins me on the show to help us figure out how to reach the right people and grow effectively through viral giveaways. He explains exactly how to set up and promote a giveaway while sharing tons of tips on tools to use and what to give away.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2p9GHXU
Today we’re going to do something a bit different. Instead of talking about business tactics or strategies, this episode is all about mindsets. For a long time, I was very much the typical Type A personality focused on getting things done, but I’ve come to realize that we as entrepreneurs need to step back sometimes. Too often, we’re so busy doing things that we don’t experience life.
That’s what my guest is here to discuss. Lisa Carpenter helps high achieving entrepreneurs own their personal power and establish value-based boundaries with her Full Frontal Living™ approach. Lisa encourages us to stop trying to "do" our way to success and empowers us to stay present to what we’re feeling and how we’re showing up in all areas of our life. Listen in to hear her important message that every entrepreneur can learn from.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2wZrpIO
After attending an event this weekend, I decided to change my plan for this episode. I learned 5 really important things and I think they will be as helpful to you and your business as they were to mine. There’s so much to take away here, from being less afraid to be your brand to learning how to the importance of finding your ‘people’ that can encourage you in business and in life.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2PjlRAC
Entrepreneurs are known for being very attached and involved in their business but often this is actually harmful to them and their business. Mike Michalowicz joins me on the show to talk about how we should be able to step away from our businesses in a way that makes it more effective and allows us to be of more value to ourselves and the business. He also shares a unique perspective on how to hire and encourage self-sufficiency in your employees.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2NkXv9b
The right to publicity, similar to the right to privacy, something that will most likely affect your online business in multiple areas. Bobby will be breaking down what the right to publicity is, what it covers, what it doesn’t cover and how you can make changes to your business and advertising processes that will protect you from future issues. He emphasizes the importance of getting consent or specific permission that will cover the bases.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2wcOoju
When it comes to protecting your work, trade secret law is incredibly important. In this episode, Bobby will be explaining what trade secret law is, where it is necessary in your business and how to take reasonable steps to protect your trade secrets. He shares some great tips on understanding the laws and gives helpful examples of where it comes up in real life situations.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2vxPu9G
In this episode, Bobby is addressing a subject that is often brought up in entrepreneur circles and is extremely important to anyone who creates content of any kind. He will explain what copyright law is for, what it covers, how to protect yourself from being copied and how to enforce your rights. Bobby also goes over the basic process that you can go through to protect your work and marks.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2LUoMSj
There are many areas where your website, blog or online presence can become a drag on your business. In this episode Bobby will be continuing this mini legal training series by sharing specific information on how to protect your business from possible issues presented by your online presence. There are ways where your business has additional requirements and considerations simply by being online so make sure you’re aware of what you need to be doing to cover your bases.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2vjQ5uW
Today, Bobby is going to talk about a subject that is near and dear to his heart – written contracts. He shares his personal stories where written contracts either ruined or saved relationships and partnerships. He gives us some great insight into what he learned from those situations and why it’s so important to have everything important about your business (and life) in writing.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2uA4fbS
Choosing the right name can be one of the most important and time-consuming parts of setting up your business, but it can also be one of the most costly if you don’t take the right steps to protect yourself. So today’s legal mini-training is all about an area that entrepreneurs overlook far too often: trademark law.
This applies not only to naming your business, but also to naming signature products, podcasts, etc., and it's something that every entrepreneur needs to understand to avoid expensive disputes down the line. In this episode, you'll learn the common areas of concern where trademark law can come up, how to make sure the name you want to use (or are already using) isn't covered by someone else's trademark, and the crucial steps you need to take in order to protect yourself and your business.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2NDM0df
Should you form a corporation? If so, what kind? And how do you run your business after creating a legal entity? Figuring all this out is crucial if you want to protect your business—and yourself—in the eyes of the law. So today we’re continuing our series on legal issues that online entrepreneurs face and discussing how to structure your business at the outset to avoid problems down the line.
Listen in to learn your options for structuring your business, what’s typically the best choice for online entrepreneurs, and more. If you’re serious about your business—if it’s anything more than a hobby for you—then this is one episode you don't want to miss.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2MWFOfo
Today, I’m going to do things a little differently. Instead of having a special guest expert on the podcast, this episode will begin a series of shows where I’ll be addressing the legal issues that online entrepreneurs face. Now, I know I can’t teach you everything about the law, but I also know I can’t give you great lessons if I’m only doing my usual five-minute legal lessons at the end of other shows. So these next few episodes will give you more in-depth looks at the things you need to know to protect yourself legally.
To kick things off, I'm giving you a roadmap of sorts that covers the six major legal issues I see online entrepreneurs struggle with in their businesses. Think of this episode as a checklist of the big picture issues that, in my view, every single online entrepreneur needs to be aware of and take action on to ensure they've got themselves—and their businesses—covered.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2yVPAfy
Copy writing has a huge impact on making a sale so it’s important to go about it in the right way. Tarzan Kay is a launch strategist and copy writer who will join us today on the show to share her best tips and secrets to creating impactful copy, solid sales pages and much more. She shares many of the tactics she uses and teaches us how to use them in the right way that provide the right information in an honest and purposeful way.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2KhkYJL
Some of the most valuable marketing tools are at the tips of your fingers but if you don’t know how to properly optimize them, they won’t work. Emily Hirsh joins us on the show today to share her expertise on Facebook ads and sales funnels. She knows the secret sauce that allows these marketing tools to work well for any business and give you the best bang for your buck.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2yfYPXI
Influencer marketing is probably one of the most popular forms of marketing right now and for good reason. Today I’ll be chatting with Cloris Kylie, an expert in influence and relationship building. She will give us some great insight on how many of us are going about influencer marketing wrong and how to come at it in the right way by nurturing the right relationships and delivering value up front.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2sEFb27
Today I’m excited to talk about something that I know a lot of entrepreneurs struggle with: generating leads. We all know how important it is, yet so many of us are going in blind—or don’t really know where to start. So today I have Tom Poland, entrepreneur and bestselling author of *LEADSOLOGY®: THE SCIENCE OF BEING IN DEMAND*, on the show to share his expertise and valuable advice on the subject.
Tom started his first business at age 24 and has gone on to start and sell four others, taking two of them international. He’s also shared international speaking platforms with the likes of Michael Gerber of E-Myth, Richard Koch of The 80/20 Principle, and many others. Now Tom's focus is on helping coaches, advisors, consultants, and other online entrepreneurs generate a weekly flow of highly qualified inbound new client inquiries, and he joins this episode to discuss his methods for doing just that.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2xDa24q
This episode is going to be completely different from any I’ve done in the past. Instead of having a guest today, I’m going to give you an autopsy of the Online Genius Membership Site launch I went through earlier this month. While I had some good results, I also made a lot of mistakes, and I think you can learn some valuable lessons from my experience.
So I'm going to share it all and give you a complete behind-the-scenes view of what doing a launch is really like. Listen in to hear the whole story, from what led me to launch the way I did and the mistakes I made, to the things I did well and key takeaways that will help anyone who plans to do a launch in the future.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2IF4Uxt
One thing that can be very challenging for entrepreneurs is finding a way to design your business and your lifestyle to work together. Too many of us get caught up in working and forget to enjoy our lives along the way. I think this is something we all struggle with, and my guests today—that’s right, we’ve got two guests on the show today—are here to help.
A husband and wife dynamic duo, Tom and Ariana Sylvester coach and train online entrepreneurs to build their ideal lifestyles along with their businesses. They run three very different businesses of their own—one in real estate, a wine and liquor store, and the aforementioned coaching and training for online entrepreneurs—and manage to do so while raising two energetic youngsters. They’ve definitely figured out the perfect work-life balance, and they’re here today to share steps we can all take to do the same.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2k7RFLj
Today we’re going to be talking about an important subject that so many online entrepreneurs struggle with: charging what you are worth. I know how challenging this can be, and early in my own business, I constantly fell into the trap of underpricing things—even though I always found myself regretting it later. This is something that we all need to get over as entrepreneurs, and my guest today is going to help us with that.
Heather McKay is an internationally award-winning wedding photographer and a business mentor for creatives who struggle with charging what they are worth. She’s been running a successful photography business for the last 15 years, and she teaches other photographers how to run a business that supports their lifestyle. In this episode, Heather shares exactly what holds entrepreneurs back from charging full price for their products or services, and what we can do to overcome this common issue.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2jPmbti
Today we’re going to be talking about a skill that I think we all too often overlook: storytelling. More specifically, I'm talking about using stories as the basis for how we communicate with our tribes and potential customers. With so many competitors out there, a great story is the best way to set yourself apart. So what does it take to build a brand story that resonates with your audience? Today's guest expert is here to tell us.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2rkuWzo
Content marketing is constantly changing and evolving which makes it a difficult but exciting area to be involved in. Brian Basilico has been in the business for a while and joins us today to share his expertise on content marketing and sales. From his Marketing Trifecta to the concept of infotainment, he shows us how to shift your thinking and solve problems in a creative and fun way.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2w0ljec
It’s no secret that marketing these days is quite overwhelming, time consuming and chaotic. This is the exact reason why our guest, Amy Porterfield, is adamant about the need to keep your marketing strategy simple. She also discusses why your business plan should be simple as well and how you can get started in marketing or any kind of business just by keeping things simple and making decisions.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here:https://bit.ly/2K5OWO7
You don’t have to break the bank if your marketing strategy is on point. Marc Mawhinney joins in on the show today to share his techniques to leverage various forms of marketing to gain great clients without paying for ads. He emphasizes the importance of working with the right clients and providing services you enjoy and believe in.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2H0Luqh
Every entrepreneur needs to learn how to outsource, but equally important is recognizing the areas where they need to bring in talent and knowing the best way to do it. This topic is so important because as we grow, we have to be able to bring people in who can complement our skill sets. That's why I’m so excited about today’s episode and our fantastic guest expert, Pam Wasley.
A serial entrepreneur, Pam is the co-founder and CEO of Cerius Executives and Cerius Advisors. With multiple decades of knowledge and experience, she has personally sold companies, led a management buyout, and advised hundreds of companies on strategies for growth. She has also been featured in prestigious publications, such as Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Fortune.
In this episode, Pam discusses why it is so important for business owners to be diligent when bringing people onto their teams, as well as how her businesses can help them to do just that.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2HjcpdC
Today we’re actually going to be talking about two things that are fantastic topics for entrepreneurs: bringing simplicity to your business and using telesummits to accelerate your business growth. I’m joined by my guest expert, Milana Leshinsky, who is the owner of Simplicity Circle, the inventor of telesummits, and the founder of The Telesummit Academy.
Not only is Milana working to create a simplicity revolution for coaches, authors, speakers, and entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses with ease, but she also simplifies the process of organizing a telesummit so that anyone—even a complete newbie—can hold one successfully. In this episode, Milana shares advice for figuring out your natural abilities that make it simple for you to grow your business, as well as everything you need to know about hosting profitable online summits and virtual conferences.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2ukYNvN
We all know that any online business needs a website, but too many entrepreneurs make the same big mistakes when it comes to creating one. These are mistakes that are not only costing them countless hours, but also potential customers. Thankfully, my featured guest today is here to share valuable tips on how to build a website that converts.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2pxjLSn
One thing that tends to hold people back from successfully building a platform and connecting with potential customers is failing to put out consistent content. That's why it is so important to have a content strategy and execute that strategy. Admittedly, this is not an area I’ve been perfect at, and I’m excited for today's guest expert to let us all know where to start when it comes to creating content and how to stay consistent.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2HEHFmx
Many people are leveraging the power of blogs to boost their business and bring in some extra money. Some are even making a living from blogging. Katie Hornor, a successful entrepreneur, blogger and speaker, joins us on the show to share her valuable insight into how exactly you can make money from blogging. She outlines a few different ways to leverage your blog as a marketing tool, source of income and as a base for credibility and community building.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2FNAdrU
I’m the first to admit that I’m not great at setting up systems and processes in my business, but there are just some areas where using automation tools is a no-brainer. One of those areas is scheduling. Today’s guest expert knows tons about automated scheduling and automated systems, and he joins the podcast today to talk about how you can use technology to better serve your clients and customers, as well as how you can use it to make things more efficient for yourself as a businessperson.
Gavin Zuchlinski is the founder of Acuity Scheduling, an online appointment scheduling software that supports over 50,000 businesses of all sizes, from people working for themselves to major corporations with thousands of employees. In this episode, Gavin shares how he uses automation tools to improve efficiency within his business, which tools he recommends to entrepreneurs, and more.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2CpZ8QS
Piggybacking off last week’s show about starting your own podcast, today we’re going to talk about another great way to utilize podcasts: by appearing on them as a guest. This tactic was one of the first steps I ever took that really got me some visibility as an online entrepreneur, so I have seen the benefits of the approach firsthand. But don’t just take it from me—today’s guest expert is here to explain exactly why aspiring thought leaders should look into being a podcast guest.
Recognized internationally as the authority on “Podcast Guesting,” Nicole Holland is also known as a Catalyst who generates creative, out-of-the-box solutions for her clients, colleagues, and friends. She was named in the Huffington Post as one of “50 Must-Follow Women Entrepreneurs in 2017,” rated “New & Noteworthy” by iTunes, and featured in publications such as Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and the Huffington Post.
In this episode, Nicole shares how appearing as a guest on podcasts can help you grow your audience, how to know which shows are right for you, and lots more. Listen in to learn how podcast guesting can take you and your business to the next level.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2EHE8qn
It’s no secret that podcasts are great educational tools, but did you know that they can also be a great way to build your business? Stephen Woessner joins the show today to explain how.
The founder and CEO of digital marketing agency Predictive ROI and the host of Onward Nation—a top-rated daily podcast for learning how today’s top business owners think, act, and achieve—Stephen has collected tens of thousands of data points that have given him the ability to identify what he calls the “8 Money Draining Mistakes” and the “8 Money Making Opportunities.”
In this episode, he discusses the money making opportunities present in podcasting. Listen in to learn the benefits of creating a podcast, strategies for monetization, and more.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2BsmFQ1
There’s a common misconception that entrepreneurs have to be risk takers but, in reality, there are many ways to diversify your income stream to help manage risk. Dorie Clark joins us on the show to explain why and how you should be branching out and monetizing in different ways. She goes over what makes monetization sustainable as well as where you should start that will be low risk and highly effective.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2Bq7G9e
You’ve probably heard plenty of people stress the importance of building a strong online presence, but what exactly does that mean? And more importantly, how are you supposed to go about doing that? Today’s guest expert is here to explain.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2DZxHxF
Are you making the most of your time at work? It's an area that many entrepreneurs could improve on (myself included!), and often all it takes is putting systems and processes in place to get tasks done more efficiently. Where's the best place to start? Just ask today's guest expert.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2E66Mhc
Do you have what it takes to launch a successful online course? It turns out, doing so isn't as hard as you may think. Today’s guest expert helps entrepreneurs overcome issues related to launching their online courses, and he's here to share steps you can take to create your own course and start making money online.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2DMLuoP
What does it take to create a powerful brand? It’s something every entrepreneur should understand, and yet actually doing it can seem like one of the most challenging parts of starting a business. Our guest expert today is here to share key steps to figuring out your brand, and more importantly, your brand story.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2D0MsRh
When it comes to building a business, it can be hard to know where to start. Too often, entrepreneurs end up with paralysis by analysis from trying to figure out what to do. Today’s guest expert is here to explain how to overcome this common pitfall and go from zero to six figures in revenue in just six months.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2CBlvm1
It can be really difficult to get your name out there and find the right clients in an organic way. On this episode we have Ashley Mason in the house who is a social media expert strategist and consultant. She has some great strategies and advice to share with us about how to build a truly impactful social media strategy that engages and draws in the type of clients you need.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2CqYLCG
Public speaking is by far one of the biggest fears entrepreneurs have. In this episode, Corey Poirier joins us to share some hacks and valuable tips to jump start your public speaking in a less intimidating and more effective way. He really emphasizes the importance that speaking has on creating opportunities for your business, building credibility and making money.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2BNPFD3
Heather Havenwood, a top authority on digital marketing strategy and online business sales joins us on the show to share some really important advice. She emphasizes how email marketing is on its way out and why chatbots can give you a serious advantage when it comes to sharing information and creating a better relationship with customers. She also sheds light on book publishing and why what you do to market and leverage that book can change your business.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2CHolDs
Making the big shift and pivoting from a 9-5 job model to pursue a more flexible and fulfilling career is becoming more and more common. Bailey Richert joins us on the show today to talk about how she helps people become successful online infopreneurs. She defines the role of an infopreneur and provides some great advice to those who are just starting out as well as information on how to host a virtual summit.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2nIFngZ
Some people mistakenly claim that Twitter is a ghost town but Madalyn Sklar proves that they are just doing it wrong. In this episode, Madalyn gives us her seasoned and expert information on this social media giant and talks about everything from Twitter lists to Twitter chats and how they can improve your business’ outreach.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2jCSwTv
Most people think of branding as simply a business title and image but it is much more than that. Loren Weisman is a branding specialist who is joining us on the show to give some valuable tips on how to make the most of your brand. Seeing the big picture when it comes to how much your brand effects and what legalities and complexities go into branding will change how you prioritize branding in your business.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2ivx5aq
Welcome to the first episode of the Online Genius Podcast with Bobby Klinck as your host. This show will focus on providing you information and actionable steps to build and protect your business online. Picking the brains of experts in the industry as well as providing short legal lessons to help you gain insight on how your business’ online presence can improve and have more of an impact.
You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2A9OI5R