Jason’s Tips
Branding Your Business
Chances are, you’ve already heard about the importance of building a trusted and unique brand.
Words like “brand awareness” and “brand recognition” are often tossed around, and are synonymous with achieving success and gaining a strong foothold in your market, especially when there are thousands of other businesses competing for your customer’s attention.
That’s what this little post is all about.
Defining Your Brand Message
When it comes to maximizing your income, and establishing a strong foothold within your market, you absolutely need to build a unique and recognized brand that aligns with a clear and direct brand message.
Your brand message explains to potential customers what you have to offer, and how committed you are to providing quality and value.
It’s your job to lay the groundwork as to what you want people to know about your business and then work towards supporting that identity through demonstrating knowledge, skills and capabilities to deliver what was promised.
However, your customers will be the ones who decide what your overall brand image is based on their interactions with your business.
A well-defined, strategic brand message can build instant credibility in your niche, while helping you gain authority in your market and shape how customers perceive your business. It’s quite often the key difference between a well-structured online presence, and a faltering business that is struggling to connect with its audience.
So, how can you build a recognized brand that provides a clear message that resonates with your market?
Start by thinking about your target audience and what is most important to them. Once you’ve evaluated your niche, you will be able to position yourself so that you are directly addressing their most burning questions, concerns and needs.
To do this, you need to gather as much intelligence on your market as possible, which you can do easily just by looking at the competition.
Take things to social media and begin by evaluating social signals – which are clear indicators as to what is currently in demand, popular and selling well. The higher level of interaction, the more advertising dollars spent, and the more engagement; the better.
Knowing how to develop a strategic brand message begins by recognizing what is already successful and improving on it within your own business.
You want to become the go-to person in your niche market, the obvious choice when customers are considering who to turn to when making their purchasing decisions.
When you work towards building an unwavering presence in your market, starting with a strong foundation of trust, you’ll immediately eliminate the barriers standing in the way of you connecting with your target audience.
To do that, you need to learn as much about them as possible so that you can build a brand around what is most likely to capture their attention.
And how do you do begin? It starts with what is called a U.S.P.
What U.S.P Really Means
Let me get right down to it. USP stands for unique selling proposition (or unique selling point), and it is critical that you establish what yours will be right from the start.
Sure, those are components of your overall brand that help people identify your products and recognize you, however, a USP is far more important than that when it comes to building your customer base, and breaking through the barriers of resistance that most businesses experience when they first appear in their market.
A USP is what truly tells potential customers how you are different from the competition. It helps to align your goals with your customer’s. Your USP tells them that you can be trusted, that you have their best interests at heart, and that you fulfill all promises. And most importantly, a USP ensures you aren’t a faceless brand.
This would include key factors that differentiate a product or service from its competition, such as the lowest price, an extended, no-risk guarantee, a unique or exclusive product or offer not found anywhere else, or the first-ever product of its kind.
To start, think about what your product or service has that the competition doesn’t.
Consider ways you can highlight those differences and emphasize the benefits. Paint a clear picture as to why a prospect is making a wiser, sound decision to purchase your product instead of someone else’s.
Your USP is the driving force behind clearly illustrating value and giving potential customers a reason to purchase from you rather than the competition. That’s its one and only job.
OK, that’s it for now but if you want an expanded version of this post covering other points such as creating a powerful brand, the 4 essential elements of a killer brand, plus a handy check list, then click here and you can download a handy pdf to read whenever is convenient.
And if you want to learn more about how businesses use branding then check out this great course called B.R.A.N.D. here.
Lead Magnets: 5 Steps To Creating A Desirable Lead Magnet
If you are new to online marketing, you may not know what a lead magnet is so let’s start there.
The idea is that once they have opted into your email list, you can then send them regular emails with tips and tricks and the occasional offer. You can read more about using autoresponders to send automated emails here and you can read this post about finding great lead magnet ideas.
So, how do you create a desirable lead magnet that your visitors will be unable to resist?
Well, follow these 5 quick steps and you’ll have a great lead magnet put together in no time at all.
1 – Know Your Audience
This is by far the most critical part of creating anything for your prospective visitors and buyers. You must know the audience you are trying to attract, and you must know them on a deep level.
A lead magnet is a highly targeted gift that solves one problem for your readers. Remember, less is more.
Your niche may have a number of sub-niches and you can create different lead magnets for each different sub-niche.
For example, you may be in the Internet Marketing / Online Business niche and you could develop a separate lead magnet for those interested in using blogging, Amazon Kindle, Ecommerce etc.
These are all types of online business but vary dramatically in what the audience needs.
You can create a generic lead magnet for “Online Business” but it won’t be nearly as successful as more specific, targeted lead magnets.
If you already have a website, listen to your readers. If you allow comments on your posts, what are they saying? Any questions you see are potential lead magnets.
Browse forum boards in your niche to see the kinds of questions people are asking for more insights into the problems your readers are encountering.
OK, so you know your audience and what their problem is. Onto step 2.
2 – Brainstorm Lead Magnet Ideas
Now you have an idea as to what problem your lead magnet is going to solve, it’s time to get creative.
DO a brain dump and get everything out of your head. Nothing is off limits at this point as you will go through everything later and discard what you don’t need.
The important thing here is to always have in mind the research you carried out in step 1.
It can be very easy to go down the wrong route and to start creating a lead magnet that you think your readers want.
If you find yourself doing this; STOP.
You already know what your readers want so just give it to them.
Go through your brain dump, get rid of what you don’t want, and then start to think about what type of lead magnet you want to create which moves onto the next step.
3 – What Type Of Lead Magnet Will You Create?
OK, you’re really moving now!
You’ve done your research and got a seed of an idea for your gift which will be irresistible to your visitors.
Are you creating a “how-to” type gift? If so, this may work well as a quick tutorial type video, unless your niche tends to dislike video (although this is rare nowadays)
Are you creating a checklist, tool list or resource guide? If so, then a simple pdf report may be best.
Are you creating a motivational type of gift? Then perhaps an audio would work best.
Once you have decided on the format, now you can move onto the next step and actually start creating it.
4 – Create Your Lead Magnet
OK, now it’s time to put everything together and create your amazing free gift.
Research the topic fully and make your explanation as to how your readers can overcome the problem as simple as possible.
If you are writing a report, make sure it is easy to read with good use of headings, paragraphs, bullet points, graphics etc.
You can create great reports in MS Word or Pages and convert them to pdf’s, but if you want to take your reports up a notch, then consider looking into either Designrr or Sqribble to create eye-catching pdf reports.
If you are recording a video, you can use free or cheap screen recorders such as Screencast-o-matic and if you want to edit it, you can use something more powerful such as Camtasia.
If you want to record and edit audio, you can use a free tool called Audacity.
Once you have created your lead magnet, the final step is to get it live on the internet, so onto the final step.
5 – Upload And Automate
So, you now have your sexy new lead magnet. That’s great, but now you need to get it online so people can find it, opt-in and then download it.
Firstly, you’ll need to sign up to an autoresponder service such as Active Campaign or Aweber. You will use these to generate some code for an opt-in form, and, more importantly, to send automated emails to people who sign up for your free gift.
Once you have signed up to an autoresponder, go and create a form that people can fill in. This will then generate some code that you will need in a minute.
You may also want to create an email sequence to welcome your new subscribers.
Now you have your opt-in form code, you need to create a web page for people to visit to read about your free gift and to opt-in. This is normally called a squeeze page or landing page
There are many page builders out there, but I prefer Convertri or OptimizePress.
Choose a template and create your squeeze page. Keep it simple, perhaps an image of your gift and a few bullet points explaining what they’ll get.
Once you have designed it, you need to add the form code from your autoresponder to the page so there will actually be a form that they fill in with their details to get their gift.
The final part is to upload your free gift so they can download it after signing up.
You can upload it to your own website or use something like Amazon S3 which is incredibly cheap; in fact, you get the first year free.
Once you have uploaded your gift, you can add the link to it in your welcome email.
OK, there are the 5 steps you need to create a desirable lead magnet.
I know there are a number of technical moving parts involved in doing this, and if you have any questions feel free to contact me.
And here is a handy infographic that you can use as a reminder of the steps to follow.
Manifestation For Money: Does It Work?
Everyone has an insight, a voice that comes from within ones soul. This is the voice responsible in influencing and directing us throughout our life.
It involves transforming yourself and taking charge of your life. If you stay stagnant then life will not happen for you. You might never experience the true potential of yourself.
Life is not only about the style of living, sleeping, eating, working and travelling but to explore, experiment, observe, thoughtful processes and taking risks towards change.
Change leads to improvement. So an important question is how to improve? How to bring about change within one’s self?
For that purpose, what you need to do is to take actionable steps to improve yourself. Push yourself out of the traditional and comfort zone, family values, controlling powers of other human beings and meet the real you! This will definitely transform your life.
Why does success only come to those who work harder for it?
It is because millions of people have no idea what are they capable of doing. Following conservative ways to live life blindly is no different than being dead, doing nothing and simply copying.
Ask yourself, “Are you a copycat?”
Before even considering using manifestation for money (and anything else for that matter), get ready and be open for change that you have never experienced before. You will be challenged to get out of your comfort zone and live the life that you’ve always dreamt of.
You are free to live in your own unique way with a strong identity rather than being a copy of others. If you strive for change, you can build a world of success of your own.
Shake off the insecurities, confusions and doubts to enhance confidence, power and ability to attain your heart’s desire.
Let’s begin with what we mean by manifestation.
It refers to the process, an action or an event that clearly enables us to see or show us something abstract or conceptual.
Basically it is indicating the movement of transformation of a mind concept into a reality-based act. That is why we stress upon taking action to bring your thoughts, feelings and ideas into a tangible experience.
You Are Important
Your life has a goal, which is to win. Winners are leaders, those who lead life in their own way and leave their legacy behind.
The one thing that holds us back from creating our legacy is in our subconscious mind; our past, our mistakes, our regrets and unpleasant memories. Left unchecked, all of this no doubt holds you back from progressing and achieving what you desire.
The human mind has an inborn tendency to seek and grasp on negativity. Biologically, there is a part of our brain called the “lizard brain” that is the oldest part of our brain stem, responsible for the most basic of instincts; survival. This part of the brain governs our flight or fight attitude towards challenges and breaking comfort zones and is designed to keep us safe from harm.
I know no one really wants to live a life of drudgery, producing nothing, being stuck in a 9 to 5 job doing the same thing over and over again just to pay bills. That is a very distorted and warped version of life. Some people die at 25 years old and don’t get buried until they are 79 years old.
Financial success is a major goal for the majority of people on the planet because having a lack of finances is a real pain point. If you have very little disposable income, it is very difficult to live life to the fullest.
This doesn’t mean you need to strive to be filthy rich, but rather to have a degree of financial independence where you have enough to not worry about it. This is not the same as greed although some folks will call you greedy for wanting more!
Think less, speak less, and observe more with your eyes and your heart. It takes faith, action and the belief that you will succeed.
You will get to where you want to be. Trust in yourself, your capacity and your ability to achieve it.
The key to unlocking your true spirit and road to find the peak of manifestation is to “Be Consistent And Never Give Up” because true change takes consistency and this is how the law of attraction works.
The Law Of Attraction
As you may be aware, the law of attraction has been around for centuries. In the past, people used to meditate and calm their mind and visualize and force themselves to believe that whatever they wanted was already in existence for them to manifest it in reality.
This was an uphill task because as human beings we’ve been conditioned with negative beliefs since young. These beliefs may have been passed down by our parents, teachers, other adults, friends, etc.
As a result, when we try to believe in the impossible, our subconscious minds do not align with our positive thoughts because deep down we feel like we’re lying to ourselves.
Thanks to technological advances, we’re now understanding that beta and theta waves can be used to reprogram our mind with positive beliefs and clear out the negative beliefs. It’s akin to starting with a clean slate.
Whether you believe in manifestation or the Law of Attraction or not, it is definitely big business and if you aren’t achieving the levels of success in your own life, it may be worth putting your cynicism to one side and giving it a try. What do you have to lose?
One of the top selling products that uses a set of audios to transform your mind was created by Eddie Sergey and it’s called 15 Minute Manifestation.
15 Minute Manifestation Review
This product has sold thousands of copies and has been an online bestseller for years. Let’s see why it’s so popular…
The Good Points:
The beauty of 15 Minute Manifestation is its simplicity. Listening to audios is a breeze. No need to write down anything or concentrate and visualize in a meditative pose. If you’re new to reprogramming your mind, this product is perfect for you.
There are many positive reviews and testimonials from customers. This is great social proof that the product works.
15 Minute Manifestation has been an online bestseller for years. That inspires more confidence.
Removing these obstacles on your own is a Herculean task because they’re embedded deep in your subconscious mind.
With the audios in 15 Minute Manifestation, the negative beliefs that are holding you back will be removed when you listen to the first audio in the series – The Natural State. This is a great way to start your journey.
The second audio, ‘Your New Story’ will help you create positive, life changing beliefs so that you elevate yourself to the next level where success is achieved with a lot less effort, since you’re no longer getting in your own way.
In the third audio, ‘Moving Towards Abundance’, your mind will be gently trained to manifest results at an accelerated rate. You’ll start feeling better and notice that positive results are coming every which way you turn. This is a good place to be in.
This step-by-step easy to follow method will encourage consistency. So many people start off motivated with other law of attraction methods, but after a while they stop because they lose interest.
With this method, you can just play the audios and do other stuff while the sounds work on your subconscious mind.
You get 3 audios (15 minutes each) and you need to listen to each audio once every single day for a week. This will last for 21 days which is enough time to make this practice a habit… and you’ll be much more likely to manifest your desires.
A special technology is used to create these ‘theta wave’ audios which are received more easily by your subconscious mind.
The Bad Points:
The sales copy is a little unbelievable and may raise red flags for people who are more cynical.
The whole story about Eddie having brain cancer and curing himself by listening to binaural beats seems a bit far-fetched. It may have been true or maybe it’s just marketing hype. Whatever the case, the product works and the wall of testimonials on the official website is proof of this.
This product is only available online. So, you will need a debit/credit card to purchase it.
Those who prefer reading books to listening to audios may not like this product because it’s completely audio-based.
Should You Get It?
After watching the video on the official website, there’s no denying that the product does seem awesome. The good news is that you can try it risk-free because of the 60-day money back guarantee.
This is more than enough time to effect change in your life by listening to the audios daily. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose.
The system itself is easy to follow. Unlike other visualization methods that require concentration, the 15 Minute Manifestation audios program your mind with theta waved with no effort on your part.
So, this product is definitely worth getting and testing. Once you start manifesting what you want in your life, you’ll probably end up becoming one of the positive reviews on that site.
Give it a try and watch your life transform before your eyes.
Is Happiness A Choice?
Let me ask you something? Is happiness a choice? Can people really choose to feel happy or not?
There are conflicting studies and opinions about general happiness and choosing to be happy. Both arguments have merit, but the truth seems to be somewhere in the middle.
There are certain conditions that do affect one’s ability to choose happiness such as depression and other mood disorders. Some people have difficulty controlling emotions, but it’s a skill that can be learned with practice.
Before jumping right in and learning ways to increase happiness, you need to learn about conditions that may make it difficult to will yourself to be happy. Depression and other mood disorders, ADHD, PTSD, a disability, grief, or poverty make choosing to be happy more challenging.
If you are dealing with any of these issues, there are still practical ways you can increase your happiness, but it may be more difficult. Keep in mind that change takes time, but it is achievable.
Choosing To Be Happy
Choosing to be happy is more than just willing yourself to feel happy. Part of it is thinking positively and thinking happy thoughts, but there are also more practical ways to make yourself happier.
Temperament is partly genetic, but it can still be improved with practice. Below you will learn about some things that you can do in each area to make yourself happy.
Improve Social Relationships
Improve current relationships by reaching out more often, opening lines of communication about past negative experiences, forgiving or seeking forgiveness, or making more time for your friends and family.
Make an effort to make new friends. Take on a new hobby, take a class, join a club, or go to different places in order to meet new people. You can also reach out to others online through social media or dating apps. Don’t be afraid to talk to new people and exchange phone numbers with people you get along with.
Invite friends and family members out for lunch, shopping, or have them over for coffee. Reach out. It can be tempting to wait for others to make the first move so be bold and take the initiative yourself; I’m sure your friends and family will truly appreciate you making the effort to reach out to them.
Improve Temperament And Adaptation
Practice pausing before you react to something. Give yourself a moment to get your emotions in check so that you respond in the way that you really want to rather than having an outburst.
This is a skill that can have a profound effect on both you and those around you; no-one likes to be around someone who gets moody or angry at the drop of a hat.
So, when something triggers you, pause, take a breath and think about how you would want someone to treat you in this situation.
Try to be more open to other people’s ideas and practice letting go of your need to control.
Improve Your Finances
Increase your income by finding a new job, asking for a raise, or taking on a second job. This is not always easy and can be risky, but could definitely be worth it in the long run.
Be open to other career paths. It’s very easy to become comfortable in your career, but is it really what you want to do? Being stuck in a job/career that doesn’t inspire you can be a real drain on your happiness; it’s not just about money, but the sense of fulfillment you get out of what you do.
Look for things you can do to earn a passive income. This is where the internet can come in to play.
There has never been a better time to start an online business and this could just be a side hustle to help you make a mortgage or car payment and if you can set up a business with a recurring monthly payment for customers, all the better.
Pay off debt or avoid taking on debt. if you have any debt, but especially large amounts of debt, this should be an absolute priority for you before anything else. This can be quite painful to begin with but you must take responsibility and deal with it and by doing so, you can feel much happier about yourself.
Set a budget and stick with it so you can have money to do the things that are important to you. Linked to the point above about debt, stop spending money that you don’t have on things you don’t need!
Embrace Or Change Society And Culture
Embrace local culture and society if they’re a positive influence in your life. Learn, explore, and enjoy your environment and the people you share it with.
Don’t be afraid to change your environment or seek change in your current one. Do what you can to be a positive influence. Stand up for what you believe in and speak out against social injustice.
Positive Thinking
Choose a positive mantra and repeat it several times a day. Positive thinking may feel and sound a little cliched but it does work to put you in a better frame of mind.
Keep a gratitude journal or make a list of things you’re grateful for. Gratitude is really powerful and you do have a lot to be grateful for.
Here is an article about the science of gratitude and if you really want to take your gratitude practice to the next level, then take a look at the Grateful Mind training here as it is a fantastic course all about using gratitude in your life.
Make sure you’re not practicing negative self talk, and if you are, change your inner monologue.
Watch comedies and do other things that will make you laugh more. Laughter really is the best medicine 😁
Practice smiling even when you don’t feel like it. People smile because they’re happy, but people also become happier when smiling.
You can choose to be happy, but it’s more than just saying “I’m happy”.
Choosing to be happy is choosing to focus on the good in your life, and having the courage to make changes in your life that will lead you to more happiness. You have options and you can choose to be happy.
Do You Struggle With List Building?
If you’ve been around internet marketing for any length of time, I’m sure that you’ve heard the phrase “The money is in the list.” You might get weary of hearing it, but it’s smacking you in the face for a reason – it’s the truth! Actually the phrase should really be “The money is in the buyers list.”
First of all, let’s answer the question, “What is a list?”
So why is building a list so important? Let’s say you start off as an affiliate marketer. You find a niche you truly enjoy and you start working what you’ve learned into some traffic for your affiliate links.
Over a period of 30 days, you funnel 5,000 prospects from the World Wide Web who are interested in your niche straight through your affiliate link to the product owner’s site.
They even buy – yea! You’ve made a 50% commission with a 2% conversion rate. That means 2 out of every 100 people you sent bought the product, and your share was $26.00 (as an example). You earned a cool $2,600 this month – good for you!
But you’re leaving money on the table. Those 100 people who bought from your 5,000 clicks? They’re now on the product owner’s list, not yours. So what they’re going to do is send them more offers over the coming weeks.
After all, they are proven buyers. Over the next 30 days, those buyers fork over some more money for products that complement the original one they bought. That money goes to the product owner, not you – because you passed on building a list the first time around.
Why should the product owner get to cash in on that person again and again when you’re the one who brought them the customer in the first place? Stake claim to each prospect and leverage your relationship with them for future sales and commissions.
You can have unlimited lists for different niches and send automated emails using a simple tool called an autoresponder, examples of which are Active Campaign or Aweber. Every day you can log in and see how many people have signed up, and you can create automated messages to send out to help convert your list into more sales.
If you want to learn more about autoresponders, you can read this article.
If you are serious about growing a successful online business, then you must make list building your main priority.
Even if you are an affiliate marketer like in the example mentioned above, there are ways to capture the prospects email address before sending them to the sales page.
You can do this by creating a free gift that the prospect opts-in (i.e. give up their email address) to receive. The trick here is to make the gift highly relevant to the affiliate offer.
Checklists, workbooks, case studies are such examples of good gifts, or “lead magnets” as they tend to be called.
Once you have your gift, you can create something called a squeeze page (sometimes called a bridge page in affiliate marketing) using your page builder of choice. If you use WordPress, I highly suggest OptimizePress and if you don’t use WordPress I would suggest Convertri.
When you are ready, you send your traffic to the squeeze page, the prospect opts in and is then sent to the affiliate offer.
This is a real win-win because you are building your list and you may also get some affiliate commissions if they decide to buy 👌
When you are a little more confident, you can try your hand at creating your own products and having affiliates send traffic to your offers. How amazing is that?
But whatever you do, you must ensure that you are actively list building all the time.
You also need to manage your lists proactively, and learn how to write compelling emails to get readers to open them and to take action on the contents.
Don’t just bombard your new subscribers with offer after offer. It is important to nurture your list and give huge amounts of value and helpful advice before asking them to buy even more stuff from you.
This is a major mistake that a lot of marketers make, especially in the internet marketing/make money online niches.
So, as you can see, list building is critical for the success and longevity of an online business. But it is also incredibly important that you nurture and manage your list once they have subscribed as it is much easier to convince a customer to buy from you again.
Write emails that help your subscribers and don’t be afraid to get a little personal and reveal things about yourself as this will only make them connect with you more, as you are not just another marketer, but a real person.
And remember that your email list is a source of free traffic, so look after it and it will be a source of income for you for years to come.
Your subscribers will expect you to sell to them so that isn’t a big issue, but don’t go for a hard sell every email. Always have their best interests in mind, rather than making a quick buck and they will reward you with their loyalty and custom.
And don’t email them too often! Some marketers email daily, others a few times per week or once a week. There is no right or wrong but you do need to email them regularly; once a week minimum or they may forget about you.
Some marketers can be very pushy and email multiple times per day, especially if they are promoting a product launch, but I personally think that is too much and too aggressive.
As I said earlier, you need to be managing your list and this includes removing people from your list who aren’t opening your emails as this can affect your delivery rates. And as long as you are continually trying to build your list, this shouldn’t be a big issue for you.
Just remember that your subscribers are real people with real problems that hopefully you can help them solve and you will do well.
So, go out and start building and nurturing your list today. 👍
How To Take Action Even When You’re Afraid!
Have you ever felt afraid? So afraid that you couldn’t even move?
Don’t worry if you have; you are not alone!
Fear is a normal emotion. Sometimes, it can be beneficial because it makes you aware of risks, keeps you alert, and improves mental focus. However, too much fear will have the opposite effect and can paralyse you.
However, don’t fret as even the most successful people experience this feeling. The key is to prevent it from dictating your actions. To be successful at anything in life you really must “feel the fear and do it anyway!”
The Many Shades Of Fear
Unfortunately, this human emotion isn’t all black and white but rather many shades of grey. Fear can take many forms, from mild anxiety to downright debilitating overthinking.
Fear is a natural reaction to many circumstances; indeed, it developed to save us from dangerous encounters.So, yes, under certain circumstances, it can protect you from danger and stop impulsive behaviors. But, because it’s closely tied into your gut instinct, it can also help you improve your decision making.
The problem is that fear can be triggered by tiny circumstances that get blown up out of all proportion in your mind. This triggers your “fight or flight” reflex but there isn’t really anything to fight or run from, but psychologically fear has begun to sink in and it a profound effect on the quality and direction of your life.
Let’s say you want to quit your 9-to-5 job and start a creative agency or work as a freelance web designer. You might be afraid that you’ll lose time and money if things don’t work out as you planned. What if you won’t have enough clients? Or what if you get sick and can’t work anymore?
The risks are real, so it’s normal to experience fear. However, you’ll never know what you’re missing if you don’t try.
Who knows? You might have a huge success and build a loyal customer base. Five years from now on, you could have enough money to buy the home of your dreams.
Do you want to live your life wondering What if?
How To Conquer Your Fear
No matter how hard you try, you’ll never be able to get rid of fear completely. Instead, you should make it your ally and use it to fuel your dreams and goals.
Picture yourself reaching your goal, whatever it is. Imagine the worst-case scenario and then come up with a backup plan. Ask yourself: what are the facts? Am I making assumptions? What’s the best thing that can happen? Who can I call for help?
Use your fear as a source of guidance. Assess your inner fears and seek possible solutions.
Using our example above, you could start a web design side hustle in addition to your regular job. This way, if your business fails, you’ll still have an income. If it keeps growing, turn it into a full-time job. With this approach, you’ll get to do what you want and mitigate risks.
Instead of thinking you’ve “failed” and that’s it, it’s over, try to look on it as a learning experience. You now know what doesn’t work, so you are wiser than before.
Use fear to fuel your goals. Move from one “failure” to another; be glad that you know what doesn’t work so you can keep moving forward.
Used this way, fear can be a real force for good in your life and can really drive you on.
Being or feeling scared is natural. True courage comes from stepping up and carrying on regardless of being afraid and this grit is what separates the winners from the losers.
So, the next time you feel afraid, be glad about it and push forward and you will break through and grow as a person and you’ll be one step closer to where you want to be.
How Can Productivity Be Increased?
Do More in Less Time – And Have More Time for Yourself
Getting things done brings such a great feeling of accomplishment, but it can also be overwhelming if the task seems insurmountable. Sometimes, the days just don’t seem long enough to do everything we want to do. When that happens, worry can set in, but it doesn’t have to!
It all begins with a solid foundation of time management and scheduling. It’s okay if you’re not a good time manager right now, you can learn to be. It just takes a little bit of practice and you’ll soon be getting more and more done.
When you see how much you’re accomplishing, you’ll work even harder during your busy times, and enjoy those down times more thoroughly.
These scheduling strategies will help you become an expert manager of your time:
Schedule Your Life For Maximum Benefit
You can avoid procrastination and the big stressed-out rush to meet a deadline by scheduling each day and using just a bit of self-discipline to stick to your schedule.
- It helps to break things down into smaller tasks. For example, do you have a big presentation coming up at work in two weeks? Don’t try to do it the night before it’s due. Start now. Working for just a half hour each day can help you get that presentation done with plenty of time to spare.
- It removes wasteful practices from your day. By scheduling your day according to your priorities, you can better utilize the time that you might otherwise have wasted doing unproductive things, like watching television or waiting for the next item on your to-do list to come to you.
Disallow Doubts From Getting In Your Way
That little voice in the back of your mind that tells you, “It’s too much work,” or “It’s not going to happen,” doesn’t know what it’s talking about!
- You can do anything you set your mind to. Keep that thought in mind as you go through your day. The more you think it – or even say it out loud – the more you’ll internalize and believe it.
- Remember your capabilites. When you remind yourself how much you’re capable of doing, you’ll work harder so you can reap the rewards of being done with work.
- No matter how you reward yourself, make it a point to do so regularly. Finished that presentation? Take the evening off and watch your favorite movie! Whatever reward works for you is a good one – as long as the work’s done first.
Recognize When You’re Getting Stressed
Sometimes, in an effort to get more done, you’ll find that you aren’t getting the time for yourself that you’d hoped for. When this happens, stop and reassess your schedule.
- Are you following your agenda? Are you productive during your scheduled working times? Are you meeting your goals? Where can you make changes for better success?
- Do you concentrate and get your work done during your working hours? If not, you may find that you still have to work when you should be relaxing. This is a vicious circle that leaves you feeling stressed, while getting nowhere.
Eliminate Stressors And Build In Stress Relief
Think about the following as you go about your workday:
- By focusing during working hours, you’ll complete each task much sooner. Get your drudgery tasks out of the way as quickly as possible to make more time for more enjoyable tasks.
- Work time is for work only – so avoid distractions. Ringing phones and other issues can stop you from accomplishing your work. Forward calls to your voice mail and establish “do not disturb” times. You’ll be amazed at how much work you can get done without distractions!
- If you complete your tasks early, keep working until your schedule says it’s time to stop. Perhaps you can tackle some work for the next day to get ahead. Being a little ahead gives you the flexibility to take care of inevitable emergencies without falling behind in productivity.
- Recognize when you need a break. People are not machines so your schedule should reflect that. Realistic break times should be part of even the busiest schedule.
By planning your time wisely, you’ll accomplish more and be able to reap the many benefits of true relaxation when you’re done. It’s well worth the effort!
Dealing With Rejection
We learn at an early age that we don’t get everything we want. In other words, we have had to deal with rejection since then.
This may make you think that people accept rejection easily. However in reality the exact opposite is usually true.
But, in many cases, it can show who is resilient and who is likely to continue until they get what they want.
No one likes to hear negative comments about themselves. People take it personally.
However, knowing the reason for rejection can help change your direction. You can correct the aspects that made people reject you in the first place.
This won’t work with everything. For instance, if a person you are attracted to does not return the favor, it may be difficult or impossible to turn this around.
Then again, there are numerous stories of people who persevered even when they were rejected time and again, and won the love of their lives.
Another instance where you may face rejection is during a job interview. Many candidates will pass this off as incompetence on the part of the interviewer, and there are certainly cases where this is true.
Interviewers won’t typically volunteer this information. Many will feel you don’t care if you don’t ask.
In many cases, rejection is not personal. You may not have the necessary skills when seeking a job, or you may not have enough experience, etc.
In other cases, it may be somewhat personal, but it may be in your best interest to get rejected. For instance, if you don’t have an aggressive personality, do you want to pursue a career that requires one? If you are in sales, you need to have this driving personality to succeed.
Sometimes, the very fact that you are persevering is what turns the tables from rejection to acceptance.
Whose to say that next opportunity is not the one that will accept you? You won’t know unless you continue on your quest.
Also realise that the person is not usually rejecting you personally, but rather your idea/opinion etc. Reframe it like that in your mind and you can free yourself from the paralysis that fear of rejection can cause.
And the person rejecting you now, may well soon be your most fervent supporter.
Dealing with rejection really is that simple. Changing your state of mind works wonders for many areas in your life and rejection is another one.
You have to remember that you are your own worst critic, so when someone disagrees or rejects you, the mind can blow it up out of all proportion and really go to town on your confidence.
Having gratitude for what you do have in your life can really help and it definitely gives you a sense of perspective.
Take time to think about family, friends, your passions or hobbies, and the things you probably always take for granted e.g. having a roof over your head or food in your belly.
Another way to deal with rejection is to use it as a learning opportunity. If you have had a business idea rejected or been turned down for a job, take some time to analyse what may have caused you to fail at this particular endeavour.
By doing this, you can actually rebuild your self-esteem and come out even stronger than before.
Dealing with rejection can be tough but it builds perseverance and character and it doesn’t last forever and you will be a much stronger person when you overcome it.
Life is full of challenges; relish them and grow into the person you want to become and overcome any obstacles that bar your way, including rejection.
And remember…
The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone Psalm 118:22
You’ve got this… 💪
Autoresponders: The Key To Successful Email Marketing?
The best outcome of your first online marketing campaign is a big response. The worst outcome is being overwhelmed by thousands of responses awaiting your response. Online buyers expect instant response to their information requests. Time is money, patience is thin!
So if you aren’t able to respond quickly, not only will you frustrate your potential clients, but you’ll wear yourself out trying to handle this alone.
The Amazing Autoresponder
That’s where you hire the inexhaustible personal email assistant, the autoresponder. Just set up your autoresponder to perform all of the tasks you need, and then you’re free to move on to the next campaign.
The autoresponder also captures the email information of prospects or buyers. That’s absolute gold for building your email list. Smart Internet marketers use this list to stay in touch on a regular basis.
The saying is that the money is in the list and this is true, although it is really in the buyer list.
Now you don’t have to irritate with daily emails. Many marketers email daily (and sometimes multiple times per day but this is inadvisable) and can be very aggressive so you need to strike a balance between offering good advice and going for the sale. A 3:1 ratio is a good balance, so for every email that is just going for the sale, provide 3 valuable emails offering good advice and tips to help the reader.
Of course, email marketing is a great way to give them a “sneak preview” and as a pre-sale buying opportunity for your new product along with many free tips.
Another great use of the autoresponder is to send regular newsletters.
Offering a free niche market newsletter helps you get those valuable email opt-ins. Some prospects want to learn more about your product before buying. The newsletter is a tool for developing trust with potential buyers.
The fact is that buyers would rather choose products from trusted sources than take a chance on the unknown, so keep the relationship solid with regular, meaningful communication. Your autoresponder can handle multiple lists and different messages. That gives you a way to tailor the email to prospects for each product.
One of the biggest mistakes that marketers make is failing to target the message for each product prospect. They get lazy, write one message and one thank you note and then move on.
And this is such a common mistake that 90% of marketers make, including those who know better and even teach segmentation techniques to their buyers and readers!!! This undoubtedly brings their integrity into question in the minds of their subscribers, so always practice what you preach!
The autoresponder is capable of so much more work for you. Give each list a distinct name that relates to the product so that you can easily identify the list.If the autoresponder tool seems daunting, take time to view the tutorials.
Even if you have an active list under management, scan the tutorials to see if there are new tricks you can learn for maximizing the effectiveness of your autoresponder emails. Keep your electronic personal assistant busy and you’ll make more money online with less effort.
There are free autoresponders out there but they are limited with what they can do so it is always best to sign up to a paid service. Prices range from around $9-$19 per month for a list of up to 500 subscribers and the most popular all have free trials so you can try them out to see which one works best for you.
As a marketer I would personally recommend either Active Campaign or Aweber.
I use Active Campaign as it is more powerful and versatile than Aweber, although it has got better over the last couple of years.
Although the primary purpose of an autoresponder is to automate the email sending process, it is also important to send regular broadcast emails to your subscribers, especially if there are any trending topics in the news relating to your niche, and also to tell them more about you and what you are up to.
This creates a more personal connection with you and builds more trust and likeability.
And this leads me nicely onto my next point…
Autoresponder Email Marketing – Make It Personal
As already discussed, the technical options that you have make it possible to send personalized emails from your autoresponder that can seem like the real thing.
Not every buyer knows about autoresponders, so it gives them the sense that you created an email individually for each reader i.e. just for them.
When you write an email, start with the name of a trusted friend in mind and write as if the message was just for that friend. Then edit out the friend’s name and set up the message so that your autoresponder takes over and inserts the prospect’s name.
Add the name naturally as it would occur in conversation. Internet marketers can make the mistake of over-using the name just because it’s easy to insert electronically. Read the message aloud.
Would you use the name that many times or does it sound phony? Yes, people love the sound of their own names, but when it’s over used, the reaction is that you’re being a fake and that send the buyer fleeing.
Don’t let spell check defeat you. First, be extremely careful when you type a name into the autoresponder list. If the name was automatically added to a list, don’t change it. Some names are spelled differently on purpose.
There is an ongoing dispute between Teresa and Theresa as to which is the accurate spelling of the name. Answer: the way she wants it! Also, be careful that the name isn’t changed in the final spell check.
Avoid the marital status question. Don’t add Ms, Miss or Mrs to any correspondence. For one thing, email isn’t that formal. You don’t need to guess on this one or you’ll surely be wrong more often than right.
While the generic “Dear Friend” or “Dear Internet Marketing Colleague” seems impersonal, at least it doesn’t make obvious mistakes that are humorous to some people and blatantly offensive to others.
Use the name when you ask for the order. Remember to be personal when you make the final pitch.
What’s more appealing to you: “Everyone needs this marketing package to increase sales” or “ I want to see you enjoy the kind of success I’ve had with this product – so, Stan, are you ready to make serious money online? If you are then click here. . . .but wait, Stan, I’ve got one more bonus that’s just what you need!”
That’s a personal close using the name and showing interest in the prospect’s success. So keep it real, keep it personal and keep making contact with your list so that the first sale isn’t the last one.
OK, so there are a few things to bear in mind when using an autoresponder and writing emails for your email marketing campaigns.
Email is a very powerful tool if used correctly and can be very profitable, but always put your prospects needs before your own and you will surely be successful.
How To Find Inner Peace And Calm In Times Of Chaos
During these turbulent times it is very easy to live in a state of constant worriment! At the time of writing, everyone is pretty much in a global lock-down which also causes a lot of feelings of isolation too.
But there is always hope, and it is even more important to find things to be glad about on a daily basis.
Here is a post about the science of gratitude.
And if you want to go deeper, take a look at the Grateful Mind training here.
Even the Bible recognised this basic human need thousands of years ago:
Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. (2 Corinthians 13:11)
However, when the news is filled with negative emotion and our surroundings are chaotic, it can seem overwhelming and stressful to be trapped in the house, full of uncertainty.
So, how do you find inner peace in these time?
Well, here are 5 things that you can start using today to combat stress and achieve inner peace. There are many more, but these are as good a place to start as any.
1: Meditation & Yoga
Meditation is great way to calm the mind and focus on your breathing in order to stay present in the moment. Yoga and meditation practices allow you to feel balanced from within and allows you to reflect on outside surroundings rather than consuming them.
Starting with a guided meditation or a yoga class on YouTube is a great way to start practicing without spending money. They will teach you breathing techniques that can help you calm down when you find yourself stressing out and you will notice that you are not as anxious and overwhelmed.
Alternatively, use an app like Headspace to practice meditation and mindfulness.
Yoga is a little like meditation in motion and so is also great for physical as well as mental wellbeing.
They may not be for everyone but could be worth a try if you are feeling stressed and isolated.
Develop A Routine
It may sound a little boring, but developing a routine, even when stuck at home, is a crucial way to find structure in your life when there are challenges put in front of you.
Waking up at the same time, making time to workout each morning, and reading before bed are a few examples of tasks you can incorporate into your daily routine to keep you feeling calm.
If you have children and are homeschooling, then having a routine is incredibly important for them too, and will allow you to get them into study mode when required.
Of course, you can also add a little spontaneity too, but the general day should be well-structured so you know what to expect.
Get Outside
Even though we may not have the ability to go shopping or be in public to get out of the house, we can always take our dogs for a walk or go on a hike in nature to relax and get rid of the feeling of being trapped in the house.
Nature is a great stress reliever that will help you feel gratitude and inner peace throughout these tough times.
Taking a 30-60 minute walk each day is a great way to stay active and get a breath of fresh air to reduce your stress and anxiety levels.
When you are constantly surrounding by technology filled with news that may seem concerning, your stress levels are likely to rise, and you will feel worried. When you step away and let go of this attachment, you will instantly feel calmer.
Beware The News
When chaos is going on around the world and there is stress in the air, the news is the main source that people base their opinions on and process information from.
However, the news is very quick to only announce negative news and alarming stories, which can make the brain feel overwhelmed, anxious, and stressed. The UK tabloid press is particularly good at this.
It is important to stay up to date with current events, but it is also important to not let it consume you.
Many of these things are out of your control and after you take all of the precautionary measures that you can, it is important to step away from the news in order to relax the mind.
Read A Book
Reading a book is great way to clear your mind and distract yourself from your surroundings when they seem overwhelming or negative.
It is a great way to restore your emotions and reduce stress without staring at a screen or scrolling through social media.
Whether it be an educational book, self-help book, or fiction, you will find that you are able to learn a lot and grow both professionally and personally in an enjoyable way.
And why not pick up a Bible if you are feeling really low. The pages of the Bible are filled with hope which we all need in these uncertain times, so perhaps now is the time to delve into the Word. You never know, it could be the beginning of an incredible journey of self-discovery for you.
OK, there are 5 things that you can do to combat stress and achieve some inner peace.
Why not try one (or all of them) and see which works for you, and if you have any that you want to add, let me know.
Stay safe and be strong…
