What would you do if you HAD to launch your membership site in just 24 hours?
Seriously…
Cut out all the crap. Eliminate all the complicated tech stuff.
Your ONLY goal is to have a member’s area and a payment button ready to rock in 24 hours.
But let’s add some fun to the challenge.
You’ve got an unlimited supply of coffee. It’s an all-night hackathon.
And you’ve got to have this product ready by morning.
What do you do?
1. Setup a ‘Closed’ Facebook Group.
This is where you’ll be delivering ALL of your content.
2. Setup a payment button. You can just create a simple subscription button in PayPal.
Remember – we’re not going for perfection here. We’re just getting it done!
If you use something like SamCart. That works as well. Whatever floats your fancy.
3. Setup a thank-you page.
This is where people will land AFTER they become a member. So immediately after they make their payment.
This should be a super simple page welcoming them to the group and giving them 3 action steps. One of which will include a link to the private Facebook Group where they can join.
You can create this page using something like LeadPages.
Or you can just create it as a simple WordPress page.
Easy Peasy.
4. Now, you’ll create just one week’s worth of content. This can be just one video or one PDF.
The content will go INSIDE the private Facebook Group.
Facebook makes it easy for you to upload videos and files to the group.
So the Facebook group will actually host all of the content.
No need for extra WordPress plugins. Managing login details. Designing a member’s area. Etc…
It’s all done within Facebook.
No complicated tech stuff to fiddle around with or make excuses about.
You just get it done!
Plus…
The cool part about hosting your membership on Facebook is that it instantly becomes a community as well.
People are ALREADY addicted to their Facebook page. We’re already logging into Facebook on a daily basis.
Usually many times per day.
So your members are naturally going to see your content each time they login to Facebook.
They’ll be instantly notified each time someone makes a new post. Or responds to their post.
Much easier than running your own forum. Fiddling with WordPress plugins. Or trying to design your own member’s area.
Just 4 simple steps to setting up your very own membership site on Facebook.
So…
There are no more excuses for not creating your own product!
But there’s still one more step in the process.
And that’s attracting paid members!
Having a product is great.
But you have to get people eager and excited to push that buy button.
Unfortunately, the only people who came to the party were your mom and your grandma.
You refresh your statistics every five minutes.
But that thing must be broke.
Or…
Maybe you just need a better plan.
Lots of people spend days (or even weeks) creating great content. But you must spend just as much time PROMOTING your content as you do creating it.
So if you spend 4 hours writing your blog post. Spend at least 4 hours promoting it.
But…
HOW do you get people to your website?
If you do a quick search in Google, you’ll find hundreds of different traffic strategies.
Posts with 100+ different ways to drive traffic to your blog.
Ain’t nobody got time for that!
So let’s just stick with the BIGGIES.
Because those will send you 99% of your traffic.
Look at ANY website.
The Huffington Post. QuickSprout.com. Mr. Money Mustache. Pinch of Yum. ZenHabits.net. Etc…
They ALL get the majority of their traffic from less than 10 different sources. (Just plug them into SimilarWeb.com to see what I mean.)
So instead of writing you an EPICALLY long blog post, I’m just going to stick with what works.
A 25-step checklist to generate your first 1,000 visitors to EVERY blog post.
So print this out. Save it to your desktop. And use it as a checklist for promoting your next blog post.
Quick Note: You don’t need all 25 steps. Even just a handful can help you generate your first 1,000 visitors.
1. Email Your Subscriber List.
This should always be the first step in promoting your content. Let your existing fans know about your latest blog post, video, etc… This allows you to build instant momentum for EVERY blog post.
Get the most opens and clicks with a benefit-driven headline. Create curiosity. Grab their attention. Once they open, the email itself should be short, personality-driven, and link directly to your new blog post.
Here’s an example…
2. Send to unopens.
Here’s the step that most people don’t take. And they lose a lot of traffic because of it.
After you’ve sent the first email promoting your blog post, come up with a new subject line. A new hook to pull people in.
Then… 24 to 48 hours after the initial email has been sent, resend the same email to the unopens. But with a new subject line!
You can change up the intro as well if you want. But this one simple step will generate thousands of extra visitors and clicks over time.
On average, people receive 147 emails per day.
So only a portion of your subscribers will even open your email.
The same is happening on social media. The key is recycling your content. Getting it in front of people multiple times. And resending to unopens is a “quick-win”.
3. Optimize Your Open Graph Data.
If you want your article to be shared across the web, you’ve got to make sure your posts look great when shared on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.
Oftentimes, your social sharing plugin will allow you to customize your open graph data for each blog post.
For example, I use a plugin called MashShare that adds social share buttons to the top of each post. You’ll also see it on the left-hand side floating down the page 🙂
This plugin also allows me to customize the social media title and description. Upload a Pinterest image. Create a custom tweet. Twitter Cards. And more.
You can also do some of this using the Yoast SEO plugin.
This ensures that when someone clicks on the retweet, like, or pin it button on your post. It will share the proper title, image, and description that YOU want to be shared.
Leading to more likes, clicks, and shares.
4. Send To Your Facebook Messenger List.
Facebook Messenger is the hot, new distribution platform right now.
It’s kind of like email marketing. But these messages are received DIRECTLY on Facebook.
We’ll call it the Facebook Inbox 🙂
And Facebook messages get 70, 80, and even 90% open rate!
A HUGE difference compared to the typical emails, which gets around 10-20% open rate.
You need to be building your Facebook Messenger audience. And you can do so using tools like ManyChat.com or ChatFuel.com.
You send broadcast messages to all of your Facebook Messenger subscribers. Just like email.
Generating hundreds (or thousands) of new visitors every time you press “Send”.
5. Advertise To Your Pixeled Audience.
With the Facebook Pixel, it’s easy to create “custom audiences” of people who have visited your site in the past 30 to 60 days. Or people who have engaged with your Facebook posts.
You can then retarget those people with Facebook Ads. Sending them back to your latest blog post!
Because the fact is that only a fraction of people are going to see your Facebook posts or open your emails.
Targeting this “warm” audience on Facebook is one of the most affordable ways to bring people back to your site.
With just $10 to $20 a day, you can show up EVERY time your subscribers or fans login to Facebook. It’s called Omnipresence.
And it’s the fastest ways to become THE trusted authority in your market.
6. Push Notifications.
These have become a staple on our cell phones. They’re those little messages you get on your phone telling you that someone has posted on your Facebook wall, or someone has sent you a friend request, or that it’s your turn on “Words with Friends”.
Push notifications were originally introduced by Apple in 2009 to provide a way for mobile app developers to re-engage their users.
They quickly became one of the main marketing channels for mobile apps.
But…
This technology has now come to the desktop.
Which means that your website visitors are now able to “subscribe” to your website without providing any contact information. No need to enter their name and email. They can subscribe to “desktop updates” with just one click.
Here’s what it looks like in action:
And here’s mine…
Once your visitor has signed up for your push notifications, you’ll be able to send them short, quick messages anytime you want. Kind of like a “tweet” but sent directly to their desktop.
You can use these instant notifications to let them know about new blog posts, YouTube videos, webinars, or even product promotions.
And because they’re new and novel, we’re seeing anywhere from 20% – 25% click-through rates.
WAY higher than email.
And a quick, easy way to send a quick burst of traffic to your latest blog post.
This gets REALLY powerful when you start stacking…
Email
Facebook Messenger
Push Notifications
When you have multiple distribution platforms and can direct thousands of visitors to the page of your choice simply by clicking “SEND”.
7. Blogger Outreach.
The next step is to email everyone that you have mentioned in your blog post.
You should be linking out to related blog posts and resources in EVERY article. I recommend at least 10 – 20 links per article.
This also allows you to reach out to those bloggers and let them know they’ve been featured.
And as long as you’ve created some great content, they’ll be even more likely to share it. We all like to share things where we’ve been mentioned 🙂
8. Traffic Tagging.
This is similar to the step above.
Whenever you share your blog post on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus – you can also “tag” people you’ve linked to in your blog post.
I add something like:
Here are a few amazing bloggers who have been mentioned in this post…
@NeilPatel
@AmyPorterfield
@MariSmith
@NoahKagan
On Facebook, you can easily tag up to 10 people in your post. They will then receive a notification that they’ve been tagged. Naturally, they will come and take a look and see that they’ve been featured.
And many of them will share it as well!
You can also do this on Google Plus, Twitter, and Pinterest.
It’s a super simple way to get more likes and shares on your content.
9. Post to Social Media.
One of the first steps to promoting your content is to syndicate your content on all of your social media platforms. As a blogger and content marketer, social media will be one of your top traffic sources.
So be sure to share your latest post on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Google Plus.
Plus, you’ll get a LOT more likes and shares if you have a great headline and image to accompany your blog post.
Take time to make some great graphics for every post. It will be time WELL spent. Or outsource it. There are some great graphic designers on Fiverr who can do this very affordably.
Schedule 5-7 additional posts to go throughout the week. Each one promoting your new blog post. But be sure to use different headlines, images, etc…
This is one of the easiest ways to get in front of more people. Simply recycle and redistribute. You’ll hit different “pockets” of your audience at different times.
11. Quuu.co.
Quuu is by far one of my favorite content marketing tools. It’s a curated content suggestion platform. Their network of influencers generate over 60,000 shares per day!
Plus… the cool part is that you can submit YOUR content to be promoted by their network.
It only takes a few seconds to submit your blog post and by doing so, you will receive at least 100 – 200 additional social media shares on your content.
It does cost $40 per submission. But I’ve found it to be well worth it.
Our top post got over 864 visitors directly from our Quuu promotion. And hundreds of social shares!
It basically puts your social media promotion on autopilot. Sharing your content across Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google Plus.
12. Facebook Advertising.
Facebook Ads are my favorite traffic source.
By far.
They are the fastest way to grow your list, promote your blog post, or get more people on your next webinar.
Facebook Ads also give you some of the most targeted traffic available online. You can target based on interests, fan pages liked, demographics, and even buying behavior!
There’s a LOT we could talk about here. But let me just give you a few quick tips for getting more traffic to every blog post you publish.
First – I recommend promoting your blog post to your existing fans and subscribers.
You might be wondering…
Why target my existing audience?
I can just send them an email right?
Or post on Facebook.
Well yes.
But what kind of open rate are you getting on your emails? And what percentage of those people are clicking on your links?
If you’re lucky, 5% to 10% of your entire list will actually click to go read your blog post. And an even smaller portion of your Facebook Fans.
So what about the other 90%?
This is where your Facebook Ads come in.
You can target your existing fans and subscribers very affordably.
For just $5 to $10 a day, you can get hundreds (if not thousands) of additional people reading your latest blog post.
Plus…
Because these are people who ALREADY know, like, and trust you – they’re more likely to like, comment, and share your post.
Which means even more free organic traffic.
I call these engagement ads.
You can spend $10 a day to get in front of your existing audience on a DAILY basis. Because the more people see you, the more likely they are to buy from you.
You can also extend this to cold traffic as well. Promoting blog posts to “cold traffic” is a great way to warm them up.
So that means setting up an ad that targets related Facebook Fan Pages and interests.
A certain portion of those people will sign up for your content upgrade, exit pop, etc…
But you can also retarget those who do NOT sign up your email list.
So it’s a win-win.
Because you’re building up a warm, pixeled audience that you can advertise to in the future.
13. Google Plus Communities.
Share your blog post on popular Google Plus Communities.
This step alone can drive hundreds of highly targeted visitors.
But like any community, you need to provide value FIRST.
Get acquainted with the rules. Answer questions. And give first. Then… when you have something to share – people will be eager and excited to like, share and comment.
Don’t just drop links. Give value first!
14. Pinterest Group Boards.
Pinterest group boards are very similar to regular Pinterest boards. With ONE very important difference. In addition to the board creator, OTHER people are also allowed to pin.
So it’s a collaborative board. With a built-in audience!
This allows you to get in front of a pre-built audience without doing months of hard work building your own following. Using Pinterest Group boards, you can quickly build your following, increase your repins, and grow your blog traffic.
But first you must be accepted as a contributor.
The instructions for becoming a board contributor are usually in the description.
Once you’ve been accepted, start contributing value to the group board.
Pin some good content. OTHER people’s content. Comment on other people’s pins. Engage with the community. Become a resource.
Then whenever you have a really good blog post to share, you will have earned the opportunity to pin it in the group board. And they will happily pass it along 🙂
If you’re looking for popular group boards within your topic, my favorite resource is PinGroupie.com.
15. Tailwind Tribes.
Tailwind is one of the best services online for managing and scheduling your pins on Pinterest.
But what makes it really powerful is a feature they’ve added called Tribes.
A tribe is a group of like-minded bloggers who pin each other’s content and grow their reach together!
Best of all… it only takes about 30 minutes per week to manage your Tribes.
They’re similar to group boards – but only available inside of Tailwind (rather than directly on Pinterest).
Now – you do need to get an invite to be able to join a tribe. But it’s pretty easy. In fact, here are over 75 different tribes you can join for free.
Everything from parenting, social media, health & fitness, recipes, blogging, travel, book lovers, personal finance, DIY & crafts, photography, and more!
There are tribes for just about every market you can imagine.
But there are some best practices you should follow. This guide will show you how to make the most of your Tailwind Tribes…
Pin your latest blog post to the top of your Facebook News Feed and your Twitter Profile. This pin will now be featured at the top of your profile / news feed for the next 7 days.
Helping you get more visibility, likes, shares, and comments.
You can do this on your WordPress blog as well. Pinning your most profitable posts to the top of the front page.
17. Turn Your Blog Post Into a Video.
Did you know?
YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine.
You can get a LOT of extra traffic simply by turning your blog posts into videos.
I recently discovered a cool tool that makes this fun and easy. It’s called Lumen5.
Here’s an example of a quick video I created in about 30 minutes. Probably wouldn’t have taken so long but I was having fun testing out all the cool features 🙂
18. Turn your article into a podcast.
Now that you’ve written your article… why not grab a microphone and turn it into a podcast!
Podcasting is a great way to get in front of a completely new audience.
But for your blog post to get the traffic and exposure it deserves, you must put at least 3X as much effort into promoting and syndicating your posts.
That means sharing your post multiple times on social media. Boosting it through Facebook Ads. And doing blogger outreach.
But there’s one more very important step that people often leave out.
Distributing your content on OTHER platforms.
Once you’ve published content on your site, you can republish it on other sites as well to get in front of new audiences.
You can republish your article on sites like Medium.com, Elite Daily, Entrepreneur.com, Forbes, LinkedIn, The Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, and many, many others!
Here’s a complete guide for getting published on some of the most popular sites on the web…
And the best part is – a lot of these sites do NOT require unique content. So you can simply republish your existing blog posts.
Just be sure to wait about 2 weeks BEFORE your submit your post. So that Google indexes your article first. This way Google knows you are the original author and will rank your site first.
One of the best ways to get traffic is to find out where your target audience hangs out, and then position your content in front of them.
Getting your content published in these large publications is one of the best ways to do that. Plus… it establishes your credibility and authority in the market as well.
Win-Win.
20. Share your blog post in related LinkedIn Groups.
LinkedIn Groups are kind of like Google Plus Communities. They’re mini-forums centered around a specific topic. Plus, there are a LOT of interesting conversations going on in these groups.
Find related groups within your industry and start engaging! Comment on other people’s posts. Add value. And whenever you have a great new blog post, you can start a conversation and share it in a few of your favorite LinkedIn Groups.
You can also use groups to promote the content you publish directly on LinkedIn using the LinkedIn Publishing Platform.
21. Post in Niche Forums.
Forums can be a huge source of traffic for your website.
This is actually where my dad got started with his website all about “walking horses”.
He would share his videos on the most popular forum in his niche and it sent him thousands of visitors.
Plus, it built up his list of subscribers as well. So that he could now create an asset he owns.
You can do the same thing in your market.
Just be sure to pay careful attention to the forum rules. And become an active contributor first.
Don’t just run in and start dropping links. Become a respected member. Comment on other people’s posts.
Contribute value. And then add a link to your post or your signature file.
22. Content Swaps.
You can partner with related bloggers to help share and spread each other’s content. Simply find a handful of bloggers that you really like and reach out to them about doing some content swaps.
This works especially well if you’re already sharing their content naturally.
But by partnering together, you can both start syndicating each other’s content via Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.
It’s a win-win. And a lot of fun!
23. Include a Retweet Link In Your Email.
Here’s one that a lot of people don’t think about.
But you can actually create a retweet link directly in your
email so that your subscribers can share your blog post
with just one click.
You can do this using a cool tool called ClickToTweet.com.
You can put your best blog posts into your autoresponder sequence. This is a great way to warm up your audience. Provide great value. And build a deeper relationship.
When someone first joins your list, they’re still a fairly cold prospect. So you need to deepen the engagement level (and the value) with a great autoresponder sequence.
Tell your story. Share some videos. And point them to some of your best blog posts 🙂
25. Thank everyone who shares your content!
Because they’ll do it again.
It’s a simple thing. But saying thank-you goes a LONG way.
You can find out the top influencers who have shared your post using tools like BuzzSumo.com.
Remember… creating content is just the first step.
If you want to grow a loyal fan base, you must spend at least half your time promoting that content.
Content is KING. Marketing is Queen. And they’re both just as important 🙂
Facebook LIVE has created a whole new opportunity for you to engage and interact with your fans in real-time.
It’s also getting the most organic reach. Simply by doing Facebook LIVE videos, you’re going to get in front of more of your fans vs. a photo, link post, or text. It’s the fastest and easiest way to “hack” the Facebook algorithm.
You can even do entire webinars using Facebook LIVE. Grabbing more attention, likes, shares, and comments.
You can use Facebook LIVE to…
Share some of your favorite tips.
Give a tour of your office.
Do a live Q & A.
Interviews.
Broadcast live events.
Share your favorite place to work.
Announce your latest blog post and pull out some of your favorite tips.
Show off your pet!
Share a book review.
Share the view when you’re on vacation.
Unbox something.
Share your goals.
Share your morning routine.
Announce a product launch.
Give a tour of your member’s area.
But what tools do you need to go live?
Your iphone? A camera? A tripod?
I share 3 of my favorite setups below…
Level 1: The fastest, easiest way to get started with Facebook Live is just using your phone. And this is where I recommend you start. Because it’s all about speed of implementation. Plus, these simple videos from your phone create an intimacy and a connection that you just can’t get with pure text.<
Almost any modern phone these days takes great video. But the Iphone and Samsung Galaxy are both really good options that create amazing photos and video. Start with whatever you have.
I also recommend getting an external microphone for your phone. This will make your audio a lot better.
The best available option I’ve found is theRode VideoMic Me. It plugs directly into your phone and creates great sound quality.
You can also use a small tripod like the RetiCAM which allows you to set your phone on a tabletop. It’s also light enough that you can use it like a selfie stick and walk around while you’re doing your videos.
In order to attach your phone to a tripod, you’ll need an adapter. I’ve tried multiple adapters and theVastar brand works best.
Total Cost: $40 – $100 + your phone
Level 2: In this level, you’ll be going live from your desktop or laptop. The first thing you’ll need is a good webcam. TheLogitech C920 is the BEST webcam available right now. Creates amazing video quality for just $60.
You’ll also need a good external microphone. I recommend theBlue Yeti or aLav Mic.
Now… one of the biggest keys to great video is good lighting. You can use traditional lamps or even clamp lights to light up your face.
But I personally use the Diva Ring Light. This light is a bit pricier but can make all the difference in your videos. And it’s super easy to setup, even if you’re working in a small space.
In level 2, you can go live directly from Facebook. Or you can use one of my favorite live streaming software…Lightstream. Which is completely free and allows you to share your desktop, webcam, add overlays, and much more.
Total Cost: $200 – $479 (Depending on which lighting setup you choose.)
Level 3:
In level 3, we’re going to use a green screen. Which allows you to change up the background. One week you can be in a studio office, the next week you can be on the ocean. It’s totally up to you. Here are some examples…
Fun stuff 🙂
There are lots of different green screens to choose from. But I’m a big fan of theImpact Collapsible Background. It’s green on one side and blue on the other.
I also recommend getting a stand for your green screen. It will make your life a whole lot easier. TheStudioPro Stand does the trick for us. And it’s only $25.
The key to creating realistic videos with your green screen is to properly LIGHT the green screen. For that you’ll need 2 lights. I use and recommend theYONGNUO YN300. They are $60 each. But they’re well worth it and put out a lot of light. They run on a battery so you’ll need to grab some batteries as well. I usethese.
Although I recommend theDSTE 970’s because they’ll keep their charge longer. Both come with a charger.
Now for the teleprompter. This part is optional. But for me it’s been a HUGE help. I can crank out videos much faster without having to memorize big, long scripts.
Traditionally – teleprompters can get very expensive. But the price has come down over the years. Especially now that you can use an iPad (or pretty much any tablet) with your teleprompter. I use thePrompt-It Teleprompter.
I’ve even seen a few options that are around $160. Like the one fromCaddie Buddy. Which honestly looks like a really good option.
There are lots of great free teleprompter apps you can install on your tablet. I use “Simple Teleprompter” for my Android (Nexus 7).
I also really like using a Bluetooth Remote with my teleprompter. That way I can start and stop the prompter as needed. Which allows me to go off script and ad lib for a bit. Which I do quite a bit 🙂
Makes your videos a lot more personal.
Total Cost: $600 – $800 (Depending on whether or not you add a teleprompter.)
Whew! I know this can seem like a LOT.
But remember… start with level 1.
Facebook has made it super simple to go live directly from your smartphone.
And it’s one of the best ways to engage with your audience. It’s all about community and connection.
People can relate when you’re real, raw, and vulnerable.
You be you. And you will naturally start to build a following of raving fans.
You spend hours writing a single blog post. In fact, I’ve spent up to 12 hours writing a single post. Then… you go out and promote it. Share it on social media. Send an email to your subscribers.
You get a spike in traffic.
And then it’s over.
I call it the roller coaster blogging effect. Each time you write a new post, you get a new spike in traffic.
But…
How do you get more eyeballs on your content?
The answer…
Is repurposing.
Or recycling as I like to call it 🙂
Turning your blog post into multiple formats to increase the reach of every new piece of content you create.
That means converting your blog post into an audio, video, slide deck, infographic, lead magnet, and more.
This can 10X the number of visitors, subscribers, and sales you generate from any given blog post.
So let’s jump into the nitty gritty…
1. Convert Your Blog Post Into a Podcast.
This is one of the simplest ways to extend the reach of your content. You can use a free tool called Anchor.fm to convert your article into a podcast. All you have to do is click the record button and talk into your phone.
It doesn’t get much easier than that 🙂
This way people can listen to your content while they’re on the go. At the gym. In the car. Or making dinner!
You could hire a voiceover artist on Fiverr to do this. But I think it’s way more personal (and engaging) when it’s coming from you.
Next… you can submit your audio to the top podcast directories like iTunes, SoundCloud, Google Play and Stitcher Radio.
Expanding the reach of EVERY piece of content you create.
2. Convert Your Content Into Slides to Increase Your Website Traffic.
You can get a lot of additional eyeballs by converting your content into a slideshow. Using tools like PowerPoint, Keynote, or Haiku Deck.
Include one key point on each slide. Then upload your slide deck to sites like SlideShare.net. The number one presentation site online. With over 60 million visitors every month.
You can use SlideShare to double the number of people who see your content.
Because not only can you upload a slide deck. But you can also upload a PDF version of your blog post. An infographic of your blog post. And embedded YouTube Videos.
But don’t worry – you don’t have to do all this yourself. There are lots of highly talented designers you can hire on Fiverr to create great-looking slides, videos, and infographics.
Videos are a great way to increase your traffic, engage with your audience, and open up an entirely new distribution channel.
You can use a free tool called Lumen5 to convert your article into a video.
Simply upload your blog post and their artificial intelligence system will help you match up your content with relevant videos, photos, and music. In 10 minutes or less, you’ve got a professional video on your hands!
I posted one of my Lumen5 videos to my Facebook page and it already has over 1,000 views!
Plus, you can also syndicate that video on YouTube, LinkedIn, Medium.com, Facebook, and embed it on SlideShare.
Multiplying your traffic with a single video.
4. Facebook LIVE.
Do a live video talking about your latest blog post.
Of course, you won’t be reading it word for word. But instead… talk about why you wrote it. Go into a few of the topics. Share any stories, case studies, or examples that might apply.
This new LIVE video format allows you to add a bit of context and engage with your readers at the same time.
Plus, it sends additional traffic to your blog.
Because after hearing you talk about it, they’re definitely going to want to go read the full post 🙂
5. Turn Your Blog Post Into an Infographic.
Infographics are a visual representation of your blog post. They generate a lot more shares on Pinterest and pack a lot of value into one gorgeous image.
Plus, there are lots of directories online that allow you to submit your infographic for increased reach and additional backlinks.
There are some great infographic designers on Fiverr. Just be sure to send them examples of other infographics that you like. The better you’re able to communicate what you’re wanting to create, the closer your designer will be able to get to your original “vision”. Additional Resources:
Older posts on your blog can often get buried in the archives. So why not package them up and promote them via a landing page. In your sidebar. Or pop-up.
This gives you an instant lead magnet (free gift) that you can now giveaway to your subscribers in exchange for name and email.
So you no longer have an excuse not to be growing your email list 🙂
Easy peasy.
7. Take a Screenshot of your Lead Magnet.
Now that you’ve converted your blog post into a PDF, let’s do something else that I’ve been seeing a lot of on Facebook.
Take a video scrolling through the lead magnet itself. You can do this for free using a tool like Loom.
You can then upload the video to Facebook.
In the description, say something like…
“Comment below if you’d like access to our latest report.”
You would then send the report to everyone who comments.
Or…
You can use ManyChat’s commenting feature to automatically send them a Facebook message with the free report. Which grows your Facebook messenger list.
My favorite new communication platform… right after email 🙂
8. Plug the Content Into Your Autoresponder Series.
And finally… you can add your best blog posts to your autoresponder series.
This will introduce your new subscribers to your best content right off the bat. Building rapport and turning new subscribers into raving fans.
It also generates a consistent, perpetual flow of traffic back to your blog.
It’s a simple, easy way to repurpose (and recycle) your blog posts for increased traffic.
So many people spend their time creating new content, when they could be getting a LOT more out of the content they already have.
You’ve probably heard the saying…
Spend 20% of your time creating content. 80% of your time promoting it. You’re going to get a lot more bang for your buck by taking the extra time to promote your blog post.
Through content repurposing. Blogger Outreach. Traffic tagging. Facebook Messenger Broadcasts. Push Notifications. And more.
Blogging is a great way to build an audience, grow your list, and start generating revenue online.
Unfortunately, 99% of bloggers fail.
Sad… but true.
And it’s because while many bloggers are creating great content, they rarely know how to convert that content into traffic, subscribers, and sales.
All too often, most blogs are just one BIG leaky bucket. With hundreds of visitors coming to the site but leaving in a mass exodus never to be seen again.
In this article, you’ll learn how to “capture” that traffic and turn them into subscribers, customers, and long-term raving fans.
A.K.A… Let’s build your cult following!
Double Your Email List with WordPress Plugins
It starts with using the right tools.
There are some great WordPress plugins that will help you convert that hard-earned traffic into subscribers.
This allows you to show different content to different visitors.
So for new visitors you might show an opt-in box while existing subscribers might see an option to join your Facebook Messenger list or your latest product promotion.
Why keep showing the same ‘ol pop-up to your existing subscribers?
It doesn’t make sense.
Instead… let’s use that opportunity to show your other offers!
Thrive Leads is one of the most sophisticated WordPress plugins for growing your email list.
And I’ve tried a lot of them.
Ok – now that we’ve got the most powerful plugin in our toolbox, let’s start converting your traffic into subscribers.
This is the fastest way to increase conversions on your blog.
For us, it converts around 4% to 5% of our visitors into subscribers.
This tool essentially turns every page on your blog INTO a squeeze page.
So that when they land on your site, a full screen lightbox fills the page to offer them some sort of free gift in exchange for name and email.
If they’re not interested, they can easily close the lightbox and go back to reading the article.
It’s a great way to turn first time visitors into lifelong subscribers and customers.
But you can also use the screen filler lightbox to promote your latest product, grow your Facebook messenger list, invite people to an upcoming webinar or grow your social media following.
The possibilities are endless!
And with Thrive Leads, you can show different offers to different visitors based on whether or not they have subscribed yet.
How cool is that?
Dramatically Boost Conversions with Content Upgrades
The next strategy for growing your email list is to add content upgrades to each of your blog posts.
This right here is GOLD.
Now – if you’re thinking “oh I’ve heard of that”.
I want you to stop and tell me if you’re actually DOING IT.
Because that’s the only thing that matters.
[tweet_dis excerpt=”There’s ONE big difference in those who succeed and those who don’t. Successful people TAKE ACTION on what they learn. Knowledge without action holds no value.”]There’s a BIG difference in knowing something and DOING something.[/tweet_dis]
So let me show you some of the easiest ways to implement this strategy.
Because I think for a lot of people – what holds them back is that this can actually be quite complicated and time-consuming.
Setting up a special content upgrade for each and every blog post.
So let’s make it easier.
The easiest way to implement content upgrades on your blog is to use a premium WordPress plugin called Post Gopher.
This plugin automates the entire process.
Simply install the plugin and everything is done for you:
1. Post Gopher automatically converts your posts blog posts into gorgeous PDF lead magnets.
2. Adds a 2-step optin form to EVERY post.
3. Automatically emails your new subscriber the free PDF.
4. And adds your new subscriber to your autoresponder of choice.
It’s simple, easy and elegant.
I’ve spent hours setting up a content upgrade for a SINGLE blog post.
Now, with this plugin you can add high-converting content upgrades to EVERY post with just a few clicks.
Seriously… I wish I’d created this plugin myself.
But I’m just glad someone did.
Now – If you’re going the manual route, you’ll need to setup a 2-step optin that allows people to download a PDF version of the blog post they’re currently reading.
Yeah, I know, you’re probably wondering why on earth someone would want to download a PDF version of the exact article they’re already reading.
But the fact of the matter is that people are busier than ever. If we find some good info on your blog, we want to save it for later. And the easiest way to do that is to offer a PDF version of the blog post.
We have blog posts that have generated 1,000’s of subscribers from just this ONE strategy.
In fact, as soon as we started using content upgrades, it tripled the conversion rate on our blog.
On average, you can expect to see around 10% conversion rates from your content upgrade.
[tweet_box design=”box_10″ float=”none” excerpt=”Convert 10% of your visitors into subscribers using Content Upgrades!”]Convert 10% of your visitors into subscribers using Content Upgrades![/tweet_box]
And the reason it performs so well is because it’s directly related to what your visitor ALREADY interested in. It’s a congruent offer.
You can also create custom content upgrades. Here are a few examples…
A “Part 2” of your blog post.
An additional video tutorial.
A worksheet they can download.
A cheatsheet version of the blog post.
An audio version.
Etc…
Or you can keep it simple and just offer a PDF version of the post itself.
They both convert really well and it’s a lot less work on your part.
You can also setup your content upgrades using Thrive Leads.
In fact, Thrive Leads will even deliver the free PDF to your new subscriber using a feature called “Asset Delivery“.
So you don’t have to worry about setting up multiple lists or forms in your autoresponder for every single content upgrade.
Been there. Done that. Wasn’t fun 🙂
But Thrive Leads makes it easy.
Next up we’re going to turn your homepage into a list building machine.
Now – this one is optional.
So don’t get your panties in a wad if this is just too many things for your to-do list.
I get it.
This is just a little cherry on top.
We’ve already covered the BIGGIES.
Now we’re just having some fun.
So if you like to geek out on this kind of stuff, let’s continue…
Turn Your Homepage Into a Lead Machine
Your homepage is one of the most visited sites on your entire website.
And most people who go there have already read one of your blog posts.
So why not give use the home page to give them an opportunity to go deeper and join your list!
On BuzzBlogger.com, we give away our blog promotion checklist on our homepage. Which adds hundreds of additional subscribers to our list.
Ok my fellow bloggers – you are now equipped with everything you need to start building a large email list of raving fans who gobble up all your cool stuff.
Remember – you don’t have to do a 100 different things to grow your email list. Just stick to the BIGGIES.
Stick to the 80/20. Work smarter (while your competition works harder.)
We have more opportunity online these days than ever before.
Never in our history has it been easier to get your content published and READ by people all over the world. Whether you’re publishing on Medium.com, your own WordPress blog, YouTube, or Facebook.
There are hundreds of content distribution platforms and everyone now has an audience.
Heck… even your grandmother has an audience. I know plenty of grandma’s with 1,000’s of friends on Facebook. Don’t doubt the social influence of grandma.
Social media has given everyone a voice. And for the startup entrepreneur, this is an unprecedented opportunity to grow your audience, your brand, and your business.
But…
To become an influencer in your market, you’ll need LOTS of content. Feeding (and growing) your audience requires a consistent flow of blog posts, emails, and social media content.
Fortunately, there are some pretty cool tools online for coming up with endless content ideas.
Here’s how to serve up tasty content, even when you’re running low on inspiration…
1. Buzzsumo.
I’ll admit… I’ve got a bit of a crush on BuzzSumo.
As a blogger, it’s one of my all-time favorite tools.
Simply enter a topic and BuzzSumo will spit out the most popular articles on that topic. You can then sort the results by total engagement, Pinterest shares, Twitter shares, or number of Facebook likes.
You can also find out the most popular content on your competitors blog. Simply plug in the url of a related blog and BuzzSumo will show you which of their articles are getting the most social media shares.
With just a few quick searches, you’ll have an endless number of potential blog post ideas.
Plus, they also have what’s called the “Facebook Analyzer”, which allows you to plug in a Facebook fan page and find their most popular posts.
Pure GOLD right there.
Makes it super easy to come up with engaging posts for your followers.
The number of things that you can do with this tool are endless. Lots of hidden gems to be found 🙂
2. YouTube.
This is one I don’t see people talking about very often.
But YouTube is a treasure trove of content ideas and inspiration.
Click on any channel, then go to the “Videos” section of that channel. From there you’ll be able to sort ALL of their videos by number of views. Showing all the most popular videos on top.
I’ve found sooooo many great content ideas with this little trick.
3. Quora.
Quora is a question and answer site with over 200 million monthly unique visitors.
Simply plugin a keyword and you’ll unlock hundreds of popular questions on that topic.
You can also explore Quora via their topic portals. They have sections for just about any topic you can imagine. Everything from parenting and homeschooling to paleo and the keto diet.
Here’s a quick screenshot of the topic page for Search Engine Optimization.
You can also find the most viewed writers for each topic as well.
So for example, I can view Neil Patel’s profile and then view his most popular answers in the past 30-days. Which unlocks 100’s of new content ideas.
Quora allows you to quickly and easily find new blog post ideas, find key influencers in your market and create unique, well-researched content for your next article.
4. Twitter.
Before I write ANY article, I always do a quick search on Twitter to find out some of the most popular content being created on that topic.
Simply go to Twitter.com and put your keyword in the search box.
Click enter and you’ll find 100’s of the most popular articles on that topic. You could literally do all of your research right there on Twitter.
Plus, you’ll get lots of great hooks and headline ideas.
On the search results page, you can also click on “Photos” to see what kind of images people are using to illustrate articles on this topic.
Within 10 to 15 minutes, you’ll have everything you need to write your next great blog post!
5. Pinterest.
Pinterest has been a source of inspiration for how to decorate your house, what to make for dinner, and all the latest fashion trends.
But it’s also an endless source of content ideas!
Anytime you need some inspiration, just head on over to Pinterest and plug your keyword into the search box.
You can browse through 100’s of articles on that topic and take note of anything that strikes your fancy.
Plus, at the top of the search results, Pinterest will show you what else people are searching for around that topic.
So for example, when I search for keto, Pinterest gives you the most popular keywords in that niche.
Keto recipes
Keto meal plan
Keto diet
Keto meatballs
Keto fat bombs
Keto dessert
Keto before and after
Keto for beginners
Keto shopping list
So not only is Pinterest a source of content ideas, but it’s also a great little keyword research tool as well.
One other little cool trick for you…
If you want to see what your competitors are pinning, you can use the following url.
Simply replace websiteurl.com with any related website in your market. This will show you ALL of the pins from that website.
Endless content inspiration.
6. Reddit.com
Reddit is one of the lesser-known social media sites online. But it shouldn’t be ignored. In fact, this little powerhouse gets 14 billion pageviews per month.
And it’s a hotspot for endless content ideas and inspiration.
From the Reddit.com homepage, you can do a quick search on the right-hand side. Under “posts”, you’ll find some of the most popular articles and conversations around that topic.
You can also sort the results by relevance or popularity.
This one feature alone often helps me to generate a month’s worth of content.
But there are a few more tricks of the trade.
Whenever you’re doing a search on reddit, you can also use a number of filters to narrow down your results.
For example, I can search for:
title:”email marketing”
To find posts that have that exact phrase in the title.
Or I can use something like this if I’m searching for specific types of content…
title:content marketing infographic
And it doesn’t stop there.
One of my favorite ways to browse Reddit is through what they call subreddits.
Subreddits are like mini communities within Reddit, covering just about every topic you can imagine.
Here’s an example of a Subreddit on SEO…
But the real magic comes in being able to sort the threads by popularity.
At the top of every Subreddit you’ll see a link that says “Top”. When you click that link you’ll be able to sort the top threads in the last 24 hours, week, month, year or all time.
So much like BuzzSumo, you’re able to find some of the most popular articles, headlines and hot topics.
It’s a great source for blog post ideas, titles, email subject lines and more.
Just don’t copy! Tweak, modify and give it your own unique voice 🙂
7. AnswerThePublic.com
Here’s a cool tool that presents content visually. You simply plugin a keyword and their automated system uses Google Autocomplete to come up with 100’s of different keywords, content ideas, and frequently asked questions.
Plus, it gives you lots of long tail keywords that you can weave into your blog post. Great little keyword research tool. You can then scrape the results and plug them into a site called SearchVolume.com to find out how many searches per month each keyword generates.
If you do any sort of content marketing, this is definitely a tool you’ll want to keep handy.
8. Feedly.com
This is probably one of the best (and most affordable) alternatives to BuzzSumo. Using Feedly, you can stay on top of all your favorite blogs in one place.
And the cool part is that you can then sort the results by number of social shares. Allowing you to find the most popular blog posts within your feed.
It also allows you to quickly find the most popular content from any specific blog. So you can plug in your competitors and find what’s working best for them.
Plus, for just $7 per month you can upgrade to their Pro Plan.
Which allows you to find the most popular articles for ANY keyword. Much like Buzzsumo.com – but for a fraction of the price.
To get the best results though, you’ll need to effectively use the filters to find relevant results.
Here are the settings I find work best…
9. iTunes.
Here’s one that many people don’t take advantage of.
iTunes has a super cool feature that unlocks hundreds of new blog post ideas. Simply navigate to some of your favorite podcasts and then click on “popularity”.
This will sort ALL of the podcast episodes by popularity.
Every podcast is now an instant source of fresh content ideas.
10. Good ‘ol pen & paper.
After you’ve experimented with the strategies above, you’ll find that you often have LOTS of ideas swirling around in your head.
So now it’s time to get those ideas on paper.
Or what I call a virtual brain dump.
You can use ‘ol fashioned paper or simply open up a notepad on your computer.
Now that you’ve done your research, you should have lots of ideas flowing. Set the timer for 10 minutes and write down every content idea that comes to your mind.
There’s NO filtering here. This is a virtual brain dump.
No one is ever going to see this so there’s no need to filter your thoughts. In fact, that’s what often causes paralysis. We overthink what we’re writing instead of letting it flow.
The best content often comes from writing via a “stream of consciousness”.
So set the timer for 10 minutes and write down every content idea that comes to mind. Don’t stop writing until the timer is up!
By the end of this session, you should have a month’s worth of content ideas.
Another cool tool you can use is called “The Most Dangerous Writing App“. This app forces you to write without stopping.
If you stop typing for too long, all of your progress will be lost.
I find that I do some of my best work using this tool. Because it shuts off that nagging part of your brain that is always prejudging and overanalyzing everything you put to paper.
That’s why many great writers say… “Write drunk. Edit sober.”
After you’ve completed this exercise, you’ll have at least a month’s worth of content ideas ready to go. So the next time you sit down to write a blog post, you won’t be racking your brain for ideas. You’ll simply pull from your list of proven, popular topics.
Now… over to you!
Are there any other tips or tools you use to come up with fresh, new content ideas?
Have you told a story on your sales page and it’s flopped? Or, perhaps you’ve read all the books and articles on sales pages and all the books and articles on storytelling and are wondering if they merge… If so, then you’re in the right place to talk sales page and story.
If you want sales pages that are high converting (and who doesn’t) then it’s important to realize what you need certain components on your sales page and you can’t remove them because you don’t like them.
Sure we know the basic sales page elements
You also need to weave a compelling true story in your sales copy.
The purpose of the story is to inspire trust, elevate you in the eyes of the reader as well as make you memorable to them. In other words make you real to your reader and establish an emotional connection with them. Your story resonates with the reader and they feel you understand them.
The easiest way to do this is to craft your story by remembering what you want to say on that sales page and why you want to say it.
What’s the message that you want your reader to come away with? The story on your sales page is more than just a biography, it’s still sales copy. As sales copy the story should be weaved around the main purpose of the sales page. Notice I use the word weave rather than sew or mesh or weld… the story has to be an integral part of the copy and not an addition to it.
So get a pen and paper and work through this with me…
Think about the purpose of your sales page.
Enticing the reader to buy is a good purpose. Yeah, I know the first thing that springs to mind is that it must make the reader buy… but no one has yet designed a page that a hand with a gun leaps from forcing the reader to cough over their cash. You cannot make anyone do anything against their will on a sales page. Your sales page needs to persuade the reader and make them desire your product or service so they buy happily and willingly.
By the time they finish reading your sales page you want them to view you as someone they trust, like and know. You want them to realize that they need the item you’re providing, and they need it right now. Great sales copy does this through words and the story you tell. But, there is more to the purpose of the sales page than just that.
The Sales Page Sift
Not every person who lands on your sales page is your ideal prospect. A well-written sales page will qualify the person early on so that you don’t waste their time (and yours) trying to convince the wrong person to purchase your product.
That means every word, every image, and every part of your story should speak to that target audience and only that person.
I recently let a JV partner do a sales page. I’d left them with the instructions on how to personalize the page, and they handed the job to their VA… The resulting sales page was okay but it didn’t speak to the ideal prospect. This lead to the refund rate of the product being higher than it should have been! Be cleat in your instructions if you’re not doing your own sales page.
The biggest myth about high converting sales pages
High converting sales pages aren’t always just “business” focused. There is a school of thought that sharing your story is somehow unprofessional and damaging. In fact, sales pages work better if they’re down to earth and real. Your own life story and even your feelings about events are important to your reader and should be expressed in your sales page copy. If it’s real then your reader feels a connection.
You have to pick and choose from your story which parts to you need to share.
These must meet the objective to speak directly to your target audience about your offer. For example, if your target audience consists of women who work from home, your story should resonate with them. You don’t have to be that woman who works from home to be able to speak to them in a way that they love and connect with. But you do need to know how to recreate your story to let them know that you know and understand their needs. Maybe you’ve juggled family as they have and that becomes the story. Maybe you’ve been exhausted at the end of the day, like them, and want more energy. When you share similar stories that echo their own experiences and values then your sales page story is a winner.
You don’t have to use your own story in the sales pages – you can use the stories of others in your testimonials section. If your testimonials are from people like your ideal customer then the reader will still make the connection here.
By building your sales page around your story, and the stories of others via their testimonials you’ll create a connection with the reader that will convert into more sales.
When you’ve targeted the customers you want to work with and provide services and products to your sales page writing will become one of pleasure and ease. Your sales pages will practically write themselves because you’re aligned with yourself, your market, and truly understand the benefits of your products.
Over to you – share your sales page experiences with us.
“We are incredible at remembering pictures. Hear a piece of information, and three days later you’ll remember 10% of it. Add a picture and you’ll remember 65%.” Brain Rules.
****Free, no-optin visual content strategy at the end of the post****
If you want to create memorable visual marketing content – start here!
Visuals are a powerful way to stop the social media scroll and gain the attention of your ideal readers and dream clients. These 15 visual marketing tips will help you increase your social shares and traffic with images. Leave a comment and let me know your visual marketing tips.
Use the Principle of Repetition to Give Your Graphics Even More Impact
A love of repetition is hardwired into human DNA (that’s how we first learned how to learn). Just think of your three-year-old, wanting the same story, night after night. It isn’t the surprise ending that delights her so: It’s the same words, said in the same way. It’s the same scenario repeated multiple times (think “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”) we learn by repetition.
We carry that early imprinting over into adult life. That’s why audiences respond to repetition in movie memes; why we read what is basically the same cozy mystery plot told in seven different ways. Why we trust people we know more than people we don’t know.
Use that bit of basic psychology in your content marketing. Always include repeating graphic elements in the same spot—for example, a logo in your resource box; a cartoon ‘mascot’ for a particular newsletter column; the same template for your newsletter every month; the same graphics placement and size in your posts. It reassures your readers and keeps you memorable.
Use Fonts to Reinforce Your Message
Take a tip from movie makers and book cover designers—use fonts to reinforce your message. For example, you will often see fantasy novel book covers with titles in ‘medieval’ or ‘Celtic’ fonts. Or you will see a movie title whose font and font effects reinforce both the actual meaning of the title and its mood.
In the example below, you can see how author Ava Manello uses a strong, edgy font like the wounded hero her book is named after.
Remember ‘Less is More’
The ‘less is more’ principle is ESPECIALLY important for graphics most of your audience will view on mobiles. Too many elements in a picture detract from the message.
Use graphic elements wisely. Once your visual has made its point—you’re done!
Keep Your Slides Simple
If you are going to use slides during webinars, videos or seminar presentations, keep them simple. Only put a limited number of points on each slide—and give your audience time to assimilate the information. Use lots of white space to emphasise the important information in your text. And do give your slide a heading that states, simply, what that particular slide is about.
Remember, the more complex the information, the less text there should be on each slide. You can find out more about presentations, slides and visuals from Dr. Simon Raybould.
Make Sure Your Images are Relevant
For a graphic to be effective in your blog, it has to not only catch attention, it has to be relevant. It should repel people who won’t benefit from your message and speak emotionally to people who are your ideal reader.
You will increase your chances of achieving this if you ask yourself three questions before using any particular graphic:
“Is this graphic the best one I could use to illustrate this point/post?”
“Why is it the best graphic?”
“Is there anything in this graphic that contradicts my message?”
Graphic designers and magazines such as Resource magazine know this trick: Putting a post headline UNDER the graphic that illustrates it.
Try it—and see if you notice an increase in conversions.
Do Your Own Photography—Learn How!
Do you have a smartphone? Then there’s nothing to stop you creating your own images. If you take your own photographs, get into the habit of reading photography books, blogs and print magazine—or take a digital photography course, so you can take your photographs from good to “WOW!”
This is a pic of two of my daughters. As you can see, I’m working on the wow stage :), and yes if it wasn’t PhotoShop, it would be my Middle Chick pushing the wrecking ball at her sisters.
Use Images that Tell a Story
The most mesmerizing images are ones that tell a story. They make your reader wonder things like, “Why is he doing that? What’s going to happen next? What is she crying about?” (And make sure it’s the same story your text is telling!). When you do this you’ll have a tonne more engagement on your post and a lot of social shares!
Use Images that Show What to Do
The only exception to the “tell a story” rule is an image that shows someone what you are talking about—literally. So if you are writing, “Click on the blue button under the ‘Finances’ tab” then a screenshot of a mouse clicking on that spot would be effective reinforcement for your reader’s learning process.
You can use a tool like Snagit to capture and save each step of the process.
Add a ‘Pin it!’ Button to Your Own Original Images
If you provide original images on your blog, consider allowing people to pin these images to their Pinterest accounts without having to ask you for permission. Every time they use the ‘Pin it!’ button, you will end up getting the credit you deserve automatically on Pinterest.
Keep Background Images Understated
Make sure they enhance your blog’s mood and message—but never, ever get in the way of your headlines and posts. They’re background images for a reason.
Invest in Images that Trigger Emotions
Nothing will make your blog post more irresistible to your ideal reader than an image that triggers the correct emotion. So don’t be afraid to use highly-charged photographs … and do remember that positive emotions trigger more shares than negative ones.
Don’t Use the First Image You See
When choosing images from a stock site, don’t go for the first image you find—especially if you have actually seen the image before on someone else’s site. Keep searching until you find the perfect image and then edit it on Canva to make it truly your own.
Overused stock images can actually detract from your blog’s value, making you seem slick, insincere and ‘the same as all those others’.
Consider Using a Video Header Theme
Instead of having a static photo for your blog cover photo, consider a repeating-loop video in your header area instead. Choose one that creates a positive feeling and tells a story—one that’s emotionally relevant to your blog focus, your brand and your ideal reader/viewer.
I love the unique spin Simona Frumen has on the video header – it’s in the footer. Take look at how her visuals pop on her home page – https://www.simonafrumen.com/
Use a Hashtag with Your Social Media Graphic
According to Buffer Social, photos and image quotes posted to social media with a hashtag show an increase of 16% in shares. Find relevant hashtags, ALWAYS check them in Twitter Search to make sure you’re not using one that doesn’t mean what you think it means (or belongs strictly to someone’s brand)—and ask people to share.
So there we have it – 15 things that will help you make the most of visual marketing. What tips would you like to share about visual marketing that have given you big wins?
Sarah
P.S Share from this box and gain your scroll-stopping visual content strategy – 28 Days to Scroll Stopping Visuals
Visual Appealing content <—- Right click the link and “save-as” to your desktop. Print and implement!
I’ve never been a planner. I’ve always found that I can work through chaos (or even a hurricane) because I learned discipline and focus from an early age. A naturally organized person? Nope, I did not get that gene, and it’s only through discipline and focus that I’ve learned to love planning and strategizing.
Keeping all the aspects of a business organized and running smoothly is difficult at best, especially if you don’t have a system or a plan of what to do when. Even if you have a big picture plan of where you want to be in five years, you need a daily plan to get those admin tasks completed along with your marketing tasks and your content creation as well as selling your products and working with your clients. It’s enough to make your head spin, isn’t it?
Daily Task List
Creating a plan of action or a daily task list will keep you organized and focused from the moment you sit down to do work. Over at the Online Visibility Academy we call these “can-do” lists. You know exactly what has to get done, without question. You’ll know when you need to write blog posts, when to send emails, when to do your invoicing, and when to schedule your client calls.
Make Yourself Your Client
As much as you want to be fully booked, leave some space for yourself to complete your administrative tasks. Running your business is equally as important as caring for your clients, so make your business tasks a priority, including your content creation.
Blocking time is a popular way to schedule longer tasks, such as blog post writing or email marketing. Set aside an hour or two, write up those posts or emails, get them scheduled, then move on to the next list item. If you block enough time, eventually you’ll start having two or three (or more!) pieces of content ready to publish at any given time, which will relieve your pressure. In fact you’ll find it becomes easier because you have the space to create.
Eliminate Writer’s Block with a Content Creation Plan
No more sitting at the computer to write a blog post only to stare at a blank screen with no thoughts!
Schedule some time on your calendar to plan out your writing, video recording, or other content creation; not only when you’ll get this done but what topics you’ll discuss.
Create an editorial calendar and make note of important topics or themes. Is there a big event coming up in your city or in your niche? Write about it. Interview panelists and speakers.
Become an affiliate for those companies sponsoring the event and interview them
Are you planning the launch of your signature product? Schedule special content around the launch date.
Outsource Your Content Creation
If creating content isn’t your strength, I’d be happy to have a chat with you. But keep in mind, you still need to have a plan or an editorial calendar. This way your content creator has deadlines to meet and you will have a stress-free outsourcing experience.
As you can read, all of this is actually fun and doesn’t feel like planning at all!
Use a Planner
I also use planners extensively to track my time. I’m an advocate of Zero-White Space in my diary. You can get a planner for everything these days and you’ll find two or three planners that you love and will use them the most. Planners are a great investment.
I have a superb content planner that will cover a year’s worth of content, and enable you to track your results with ease. Get it here – https://www.sarkemedia.com/contentplanner
You can also create your own planners using these templates and then get it printed using Lulu.com if you don’t want to use all your printer ink! The great thing about planning templates is that you can use them to create lead magnets and content upgrades for your business very quickly and easily!
So to recap…
Use a daily task list and track everything
Make yourself your client
Create a content plan so your content and your offers align
Outsource your content creation if it gets overwhelming
Use a planner
Over to you – What did you do to love planning?
Sarah
P.S Here’s a free, no-optin 5-day planner so you can try your hand at using a planner to gain results in your business.
If you want your article to be shared across the web, you’ve got to make sure your posts look great when shared on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.
xt step is to email everyone that you have mentioned in your blog post.
Facebook Ads are my favorite traffic source.
hat you’ve written your article… why not grab a microphone and turn it into a podcast!
You can get a lot of additional eyeballs by converting your content into a slideshow. Using tools like PowerPoint, Keynote, or 
Infographics are a visual representation of your blog post. They generate a lot more shares on Pinterest and pack a lot of value into one gorgeous image.
Blogging is a great way to build an audience, grow your list, and start generating revenue online.
We have more opportunity online these days than ever before.
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