Your Dream Business

KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST

• Although the membership model is currently a popular topic, it’s only going to get bigger and bigger.
• A membership site is technically any kind of site that requires you to login in order to access a particular product or service. Whilst it’s broad, it does mean that online courses and subscriptions services are technically memberships. The memberships that are more commonly talked about, are those that offer some form of e-learning, content and community.
• Memberships are more commonly set up by industry thought leaders¸ or people who act as curators for bringing in other experts and thought leaders in their field.
• If you’re not an expert or thought leader, you can set up a membership where you have a ‘learn along with me’ concept. Carrie Green is a great example of this.
• Memberships mean you have no place to hide, which means there is a forced transparency. You need to be clear about what role you’re going to play for your audience and that you know what you’re talking about.
• Idea validation and audience building are two of the most difficult parts of starting a membership. If you don’t have a good idea or an audience in place, who will buy from you?
• Knowing who your audience are is important, especially if you’re not currently reaching them.
• One-to-many recurring income gives you great stability, but you have to work hard for it and ensure you’re always delivering value.
• You need to design your membership experience in a way that encourages people to stay month after month.
• Free Facebook Groups are a great stepping stone into starting a membership.

THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE…If you don’t want to show up and serve your audience, a membership probably isn’t for you. It’s an ongoing model where you need to provide value every month.HIGHLIGHTS YOU SIMPLY CAN'T MISS

• Introducing Mike and Callie - 10:02
• Introducing Memberships – 20:00
• Who Can Start A Membership? – 24:00
• Knowing Your Audience – 38:34
• Is A Membership for You? - 42:05
• How to Keep People in Your Membership – 49:00
• The First Steps For Starting Your Membership – 52:30

LINKS TO RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODE

• Phil (Podcast Editing)
• 5 Places to Use As Opportunities To Build Your List
• How to Produce A Webinar (Blueprint)
• Creating A Good Sales Page
• Carie Green
• The Membership Guys Website
• The Membership Guys Instagram
• The Membership Guys Membership
• Retain Live 2019

Transcription below

 

Hello, and welcome to another episode of Marketing That Converts, and a very odd intro, yet again. Honestly, without that intro and outro, I just find it really awkward to start the podcast, which is so silly, because obviously, when I record, I don't hear the intro and outro, because that gets put in afterwards, so you think I should just carry on like normal, but it is making a big difference knowing that when you're listening to this, there's no intro and outro yet.

Now, I know technically it's been two weeks. By the time you're listening to this, it's been a minimum of two weeks, since I said, that's it, name's moved over. However, in my reality, it sounds like I've just been watching Dr. Who actually, it sounds like I'm talking from a reference from that but, and the reality is that I've recorded these episodes in the space of like two or three days. So although it seems like a really long time since I initially said I need to this intro and outro, I haven't done it yet, because it's literally been a couple of days since I last said that. Does that make any sense at all? Because I'm not sure it's making sense to me, so well done if you kept up with my rambling.

Anyway, I am going to do an intro and outro, and I think I am swaying more to the idea of me doing it than having a voiceover, but I really need to think about what I'm going to say, what music I want, and then I'll have to get my lovely editor to put it all together into a nice intro and outro. Just on a side note, by the way, because I was talking about a team member last week, I think it was, in last week's episode. Phil, who does my editing and obviously will hear this because he edits the podcast, is actually a voiceover actor, which is amazing, and he sent me some samples. They were brilliant. They were so, so good, but we've chatted together, and we both agree that we think maybe I need to do it. But he's wonderful, so I'm going to make sure that we hook up to him in the show notes, because I'd really like to check him out.

And you know, the other reason I'd like you to check him out, is because he has the best branding ever. Honestly, I love it, it's so good. So in the show notes for today's episode I am going to hook up to Phil and his website, and you can go take a look, because he's really good. And if you do need a voiceover actor, then he's very good at what he does.

So before we get on with today's episode, which is a really good one, and I'll tell you all about that in a second, I want to remind you that I've got those brand new downloads for you. The first one is all about list building, and how people miss certain places to use as opportunities to build their list, so I give you five places that you could be building your list faster today, and they're really simple. It's not some crazy, amazing thing that you need to set up technical stuff or design stuff. It's really, really simple stuff. If you want that one, go to www.teresaheathwareing.com/list building.

The next one is my webinar blueprint. So if you are thinking about doing a webinar, you do webinars, and you want to know how you can better produce that presentation, and the key steps that you have to go through in order to really make that an effective webinar and get those key sales at the end, then you definitely want to check out the blueprint. So again, go to www.teresaheathwaring.com/blueprint.

The last one I produce for you is all about creating a really good sales page, and the 10 things that I put on sales pages, which I think are a must. So they're some of the key things that we use in order to help convert when people are on their sales pages. So if you want that, go to, you've got it, www.teresaheathwaring.com/sales page.

Anyway, today's episode is awesome. Today I am interviewing Mike and Callie from The Membership Guys, and I need to tell you that I think I have a bit of an entrepreneurial crush on these guys. They are just amazing. Not only was I very lucky that when I was in San Diego for Social Media Marketing World that we got to hang out a tonne, which was ace. And you know when you meet people and think, oh man, you're just awesome, like we could be friends, because I just got everything they said and they were on the same level and we agreed about the same stuff. So it was so good to spend time with them in San Diego, and obviously mock up husband was there as well because Mike and Callie were a partnership, they're together as well as business partners, so it was really nice the four of us got to hang out.

And then, doing the interview with them, again I was really lucky. They said that they don't often interview together, I think they said this was the first time they've ever interviewed together. Normally, one of them will do an interview. So I had both of them on the interview and it was like ... It was just awesome because, let me explain.

Sometimes in the entrepreneurial world there are lots of people out there who, one, think it's a get rich quick thing, especially in the online space. So there is some people out there, and not people that obviously I try and interact with or certainly I don't bring them onto the podcast, so we don't need to worry about that, but there are people out there who sell this dream of set up a course, sell millions and you can lay on a beach in Bali. Do not get me wrong, if that is the case then amazing, I would like that. However, there's probably one or two percent of the people that actually really happens for, that they literally almost become an overnight success and they sell millions and millions and they become really successful business people.

Now I'm not saying that opportunity isn't there for everybody, it is. However, it's not this quick win that perhaps people are making it out to be. So you've seen them, those YouTube videos that come up, because I'm always watching music on YouTube or listening to it, and those videos come up. And there's one guy who's like, you know, I've just picked up my new Aston Martin and I'm in my garage with all these other cars, and it's just absolute cringe worthy.

So anyway, I've digressed slightly, but what I loved about Callie and Mike is first off, they have a very successful business. Like they are crushing it, they really, really are. However, they're the most down to earth, normal, and I hope this doesn't sound bad but fairly unassuming, as in they're not out there like shouting from the rooftops going, listen to us, we're amazing, look at how big our business is. Look at us flying here, there and everywhere, doing all this, they're not. They're like really normal people but they have an amazingly successful online business, and they're so good at what they do because they know what they're talking about.

And again, this is something that's got slightly grating for me, for someone who's worked in marketing a really long time and not only have I worked in marketing for sort of 16 years, but I have also spent a long time in the last five years learning new stuff, new techniques, new strategies and tools and all this sort of thing. So you know, I put my heart and soul into what I do and I've worked really hard to be where I am, I guess. And sometimes again, you see people wanting to do the get rich quick thing and they don't have the expertise, and they don't have the knowledge, and what was so amazing about Mike and Callie is they totally, totally do. There isn't anything those guys don't know about memberships.

So today we talk all about what a membership is, why you might want one, who's it suitable for, who's it not suitable for, the reality of running a membership, and what that might take. And in all honesty, they give us a very realistic view of what it's like to be creating a membership, running a membership, and what you need to make that work. They also give some awesome practical advice about if you are starting a membership, what are the key things that you need to be thinking about in order to get it off the ground.

So honestly, even if you haven't thought about it, this is a really fascinating one, because actually the online business space is really interesting. And when people in our industry, your industry, are working one to one with people, you realise at some point you're going to hit a ceiling and A, there's only so many people you can help, and B, there's only so much income you can earn because you only have a limited amount of time.

So for me, the reason I want to do my membership, which is coming ... Literally according to my diary it's literally coming in a few weeks, so do look out for that. But the reason I want to do it is because I want to help more people. And I want more people to have access the knowledge that I've built up and the stuff I've learned, and a membership is a very, very affordable way in which people can do that. So for me, I love the membership model. I'm also in lots of memberships as well, so I see the value of them for myself, and I'm actually in Mike and Callie's membership, which I pay for. I'm very lucky that I get some access to some memberships for free, however I do pay to be in theirs because I really see the value of it.

So who are Mike and Callie? Well otherwise known as the Membership Guys, they have spent years guiding the growth of thousands of memberships and elearning businesses and online community. w a combined 20 plus years of online marketing and web development industry, they have been the driving force behind a multitude of six and seven figure businesses in huge varieties of industries. So from weight loss to coaching to executive training to bass guitar, they've established a proven track record of helping clients to achieve fantastic results.

In 2015, they decided to take all of that knowledge and experience and use it to help entrepreneurs and small business owners to achieve success with membership sites on a global scale, and this is what they now do on an ongoing basis. They also have an award winning podcast, free resources, and of course their own membership called The Membership Site Academy. I think you're going to love them, they are the nicest people, so I won't wait another minute.

 

Introducing Mike and Callie

 

So I'm really excited today to welcome the Membership Guys, Mike and Callie, to the podcast. Welcome guys.

Thanks for having us. This is a first.

It is, yeah. Both of us, two for one.

Yeah. You and I are giving a world exclusive.

So honoured that I've got both of you guys, it's ace. So I'm really looking forward to today for a couple of reasons. One, because you guys are so cool and you are a font of all knowledge. And two, that we get to talk about memberships, which we haven't done before. But before we jump into that, it would be great if you could just give us a very brief overview, and because I love your story. It's kind of the one that people dream of, that they're going to have. If you could give us an overview to how you got to do what you're doing today, that would be awesome.

Well, we kind of started working together, wasn't it about 2012, 2013?

Yeah.

We were both self employed, running our own businesses. Callie kind of had a subscription box business in the health industry, I'd been running an online marketing business for number of years, and we met. We are an actual couple, that always is something that confuses people. You know, are you together, or are you-

They don't want to put their foot in it.

Yeah, and kind of the big thing for you, you were the one that was really hooked into subscriptions and memberships.

Yeah, I was fascinated with memberships, subscriptions, all kind of repairing revenue using your online education kind of element and things like that. So I loved that element and I started, as Mike said, I had a subscription box and a membership, but I started helping other people and it helped me with creating my own memberships, as a result.

And because of that, so you know, you kind of expanded into like [crosstalk 00:11:51]. Yeah, it was like the digit of the year for memberships and subscriptions, and then there was a few projects started coming along where you needed a little bit more.

I needed a code monkey.

Yeah, you had the need for someone on the code side, or-

Is that a special name you have for him?

Yeah.

Or, you know, for the more advanced strategies, or we just needed more manpower. So we found ourselves starting to work together just a little bit more on our project, and then that become more and more and more frequent. Tot point where literally every job that we were each working on, we were working on together. So we formalised that, started officially working together, started running our digital agency, which over time just became more and more specialised in just working with membership businesses.

Because you know, we were doing memberships, but also online courses, also ecommerce businesses we were working with, but memberships were always the type of online businesses that we gravitated towards, because there are so many different elements to them, and they are a lot of fun. The people who start memberships tend to be very savvy, very passionate people and that just made our jobs a lot more enjoyable. And, they were the types of jobs we were getting the best results from for our clients.

So over time we just became more niched, more niched, more niched, to the point where all we were doing was membership projects. And through doing that, we became just more and more successful, to the point where we had a small, select group of clients and we just did not have capacity to work with anyone else. You know, we were heavily entrenched in a number of membership businesses, and that's great, but it also comes with a downside that you have to say no a lot more. So we were having to turn people away.

We were getting emails literally daily, weren't we? From people with questions or you know, I don't have a budget to hire you but can you just review my 20 page strategy?

Yeah sure, yeah, of course.

Yeah, and so we hated having to turn people away. So originally we set aside some time to just try and find somewhere else to send these people.

Yeah, we were looking for somebody a bit lower cost or a coach or a membership site or anything [crosstalk 00:14:24].

Yeah, surely there would be a membership about membership [crosstalk 00:14:28].

You would think so, you would think so.

Yeah, so we were looking for somewhere where we could send people that we couldn't help and we just couldn't find anything. There was a few kind of more internet marketing ebase ...

Sleazy.

Yeah, courses at the time, which wasn't the style that we worked with. It wasn't the style of membership that we worked with where it was the kind of, you know, get rich quick kind of membership. That's not our style. And so there just wasn't anything good that we could send people to, and so ...

There were no good podcasts, there weren't even good blogs, you know. You would have, you'd be able to find a whole lot of blogs, but they were all really basic. So it would be maybe people who did marketing who wrote one blog about-

About, yeah.

... memberships, right? So we kind of had to make a call. Either we get more comfortable in just not helping everyone, because you can't, you can't always help everyone, or we step up, and we decided to do the latter. So we started creating free content and we set up our Facebook group, and then we put plans in motion to create the membership about memberships, and it just kind of snowballed from there.

That's amazing. And you got to, well, fairly quickly amazingly as well, got to a point where ... Which actually I said amazing, it's not amazing because you've been doing it for long time and you are experts, so that makes perfect sense. But you got to the point where you could then say, thank you clients, but we are now busy doing this side. Which is lovely, because not only do you get to help more people because it's on a much larger scale, but also there are some downsides to having to work one to one with someone in terms of managing your time and your expectations and their expectations. So that must have been a really nice point to do that and go, thank you, but done.

Yeah, it was, but it came around a lot quicker than we thought it would.

Yeah, we had originally thought it would take about 12 months to start transitioning away from client work and-

We thought 12 months before we would even have the conversation about okay, are we in a position now to move away from client work? But it went a little faster than that.

Yeah, we launched the membership at the end of August and by Christmas we were like actually, you know what? We need to go all in on this, we need to just focus on this. I think part of that was, I think we both just realised that was, for want of a better way of putting it, our zone of...

KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST

• If Amazon say ‘’the single most important thing is to focus obsessively on the customer. Our goal is to be the Earths most customer-centric company’’ - you should be focusing on your customer too.
• The first mistake people make when they’re trying to find out who their customer is, is that they try to make assumptions. What they often do, is create an avatar for who they want their customer to be. To avoid this, you need to go back and look at who is buying your products and who your site is attracting. This will give you an idea as to whether you’re on the right track.
• To try and understand who your audience are, you need to ask yourself some questions about your existing customers. You need to think whether or not you like working with your current customers, and do you want to work with them going forward. Not only that, but is your product or service still appropriate to this customer?
• If you want to get a deeper understanding of your audience, you can offer an incentive to interview them and find out what their pain points are and what will help them. You can ask general questions about who they are and what they, to help create your avatar.
• When creating your avatar, you need to think about whether they’re male or female, how old they are, what job they do, how much they earn, whether they’re single or married and every other piece of background information you can think of.
• The next section you need to think about is your avatars behaviours, motivations, and aspirations. This will help you connect with them on a better level.
• After that, you can focus on their pain points. What problem do they have that your product or service solves?
• Finally, once you have discovered their pain points, you can look at how you meet their needs.
• If you offer a variety of different products or services, you can multiple avatars within your business.
• Give your avatar a name. This will give you a better idea of who your customer is and it will improve your communications when you’re talking to them.

THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE…The more detail you go into when creating your avatar the better. Give them a name, create an image for them and picture them whenever you make a decision that relates your product or service.HIGHLIGHTS YOU SIMPLY CAN'T MISS

• Mistake #1 Making Assumptions – 09:00
• Understanding Your Existing Audience 10:30
• How To Create Your Avatar - 14:40
• Debugging Common Misconception - 17:50
• Top Tips For Creating Your Avatar and My Avatar Examples – 19:00

LINKS TO RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODE

Hello, I’m Kirsty and I write the show notes for Teresa! You can find me (and follow my travels) here - Instagram, Twitter and my Blog.

• Five Ideas to Build Your Email List That You May Be Missing
• My Webinar Blueprint
• 10 Things You Must Include On A Sales Page

Transcript below

 

Hello and welcome to episode 68 of the Marketing That Converts podcast. And as you all hear, I’ve still not yet decided on my into and outro. I promise you, it’s coming. It’s just that because I’m patching so far ahead at the moment on the podcast mainly because one of my team members, I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this actually but one of my team members, she writes my show notes. So once I record the podcast I then send it someone to get edited, once it’s edited it comes back and then it goes off to one of my team and she writes the show notes and she’s actually going off on a trip for about three and a half weeks I think because she’s also a travel blogger and she does stuff on Instagram and she’s got her business that she’s running but she also do some work for me which is cool. In fact, as she does my show notes she’ll be listening to this. So I’m going to ask her in the show notes to put links to her stuff as well just so that you can go and take a look at her stuff if you want as well because it is quite interesting she does go to some amazing places so well worth taking a look. Oh, anyway her name’s Kirsty. I didn’t mention that.

So because Kirsty’s going away I’m trying to batch content which means I’m having to record quite far out, which means I’m yet to actually organize getting the intro and outro done. But it is coming and I’m still trying to decide what to do. And I think I’m swaying to the idea of me doing my own intro and outro but we will see. Before I get on with today’s content, I want to let you know about a couple of new things I’ve produced for you to go and download if you would like.

 

So as I think we’ve talked about before, the fact that the change has happened in the name of the podcast and some of the direction I’m going. My direction is expanding out in sort of the digital marketing space and looking at the kind of things where we take it a bit further than social media. So funnels and sales pages and webinars and all that cool stuff. It’s not to say I’m not going to do the social media, I totally am. It’s just I want to be able to take you on a bit further. I want to help you in that journey past the social media. So because most of my content that’s out there when I ask you for an email address is to do with social media, I wanted to create some new stuff that actually take you a bit further.

 

So I’ve put together three different things. The first thing is all around list building and it’s five ideas to build your email list that you may be missing. So these are the ones that I see hardly anybody doing but are really really easy to do it. So if you are trying to build your email list, if you’ve dreamed of having an email list or hang on your every word then this is definitely the download for you. Like I said, I go into these five different places where people are reading missing an opportunity to get people to sign up onto their email list and for you to help grow your email list quicker.

 

The next one is all about my Webinar Blueprint. Now back in March I spoke at Atomicon and I walked people through my webinar process that I use while I’m on a webinar and it covers a very specific number of steps and goes into very specific things. So I’ve put together my webinar blueprint so that you can follow it in terms of if you’re doing a webinar the things that you need to make sure you include. And actually even if you’re not doing a webinar the cool thing about the blueprint is if you’re selling, it’s still going to be helpful because there are certain steps there that even if I was selling a product or service not on a webinar that I would still probably include.

 

And then the next thing that I’ve created which all of these kind of follow on from each other which is intentional is focused around your sales pages and it’s covering the 10 things that you must include on a sales page that are going to ensure that you can maximize your results and obviously increase your conversions. So again I go into example and give you pro tips as you go along in terms of all the different things that you should include on that page which you can then take to your own page and see what are you missing, what have you got.

 

So if you want any of these things, I am going to link to them in the show notes. But basically if you go to teresaheathwareing.com forward slash and then by any one of these three words after you’re going to find them. So if you put forward slash blueprint you’ll get the webinar blueprint. If you put forward slash sales page, you’ll get the 10 things that you must do on a sales page. And if you put forward slash list building, you’re going to get those ideas that most people miss when building their email list. So if these are of interest then please head along to there and check them out.

 

Anyway today I wanted to talk about something that I mention all the time and as I was scanning back through my podcast episodes trying to decide what I was going to talk about in this episode, I noticed that I haven’t actually ever done an episode on it. So today’s episode is gonna be all around understanding your audience and creating your perfect avatar. Now I can promise you if I’ve got a pound for every time I’ve ever talked about how you must know your audience and understand who they are and I don’t just mean are they male or female? What age? What location? I mean really understand them. Honestly I would be a millionaire by now because I say all the time and the reason I say it all the time is because it’s so important and it’s something that so many people miss. And you might even be sat there in your car or getting ready in the morning, doing the dinner, whatever it is you do however you listen to the podcast. You might be sat there thinking, ‘Oh, Teresa we know all this and I know who my customer is’. But honestly I promise you bear with me, go through this episode with me, listen to what I have to say and then do the exercise because it really is so important. I honestly have seen campaigns be made or broken by how well they got to know their audience.

 

I want to give you a couple of little examples I’ve got. So when I talk about really going deep and understanding your audience, I’m talking about well we’ll get to see that in more detail later on but basically I’m saying that you need to understand; you know what they do at the weekend, how they spend their time, what type of people they are. And I did an advertising campaign once for a government authority who were trying to target women over 50 who were looking for a promotion at work. Now that is a really difficult thing to try and target. How on earth could I possibly know as a marketer when someone is ready to try and get a promotion at work? It was impossible so we tried various different things on Facebook ads trying to target them and then we started to really profile the audience and there was some real commonalities between them and ones that you wouldn’t necessarily associate with what we were trying to achieve.

 

But one of the things that was quite common with most of the women we were trying to target was that they had actually downloaded and played on Candy Crush which seems like such a ridiculous thing to target people on. But we’ve done our research and we knew who the customer was and we’d find that stuff like this. So we changed the ad, we looked to our targeting, we include things like they have Candy Crush and the advert was like doubly effective as it was previously. Just because we added in this one seemingly crazy element. It seems to suddenly make a really big difference. So that’s why I want you to understand that actually not only does it enable you to target them better but also when we write to those audience and I don’t mean right as in we’ll send them a letter. I mean when we do emails and sales pages and websites when you present on stage or you speak to them in person, when you know who you’re speaking to your targeting and your connection with them is gonna be so much better. So you’re going to be able to speak to them in the language they use and understand and you’re going to be able to relate with them really really well.

 

So it really is crucial for you to understand who your customer is. Now when I was preparing the information on this because actually this is part of my course online that’s about content creation. So I have a Content Creation Made Simple course and in it as various modules in the first module is around knowing your customer Avatar and your audience. And when I was putting that together I was researching and looking and doing various things and I came across a quote by Jeff Bezos. Is it Bezos? I think it’s Bezos.

 

Anyway, he is the founder of Amazon. And his quote says, “The most important single thing is to focus obsessively on the customer. Our goal is to be the Earth’s most customer centric company” which in my mind if a company as big as Amazon are realizing that they need to understand and get under the skin of their customer then really the rest of us have no choice but to follow because if they realize that they’ve got to know who they’re speaking to and they’ve got to know who they’re serving then we have to do that too. And you know what? There’s no excuse, there’s no... It’s not like you need to pay a big research company or look at big expensive research about customer groups. This is so easy. The stuff I’m going to help you with is literally stuff that you can do tomorrow that doesn’t cost anything but some time and I promise you will make a world of difference.

 

So the first mistake that most people make when they are trying to find out who their customer is they basically make assumptions and they assuming they know exactly who that customer is or who the customer they want in their head is. Now what they’re not doing is they’re not looking at who necessarily they’re serving at that point, who has already bought their product or service so they are not going back and looking at those people and also they’re not looking at who they’re marketing or their current language or their website is currently attracting because if you’re getting the wrong type of customer come to you then you’re not putting the right stuff out there to attract the right people.

 

So like I said this is a time where we don’t presume we know things. We go right back to basics and I do this too and we start asking the most obvious questions. Now one of the first places you can look in terms of trying to understand who that customer is, is like is that your existing customer base but you want to ask yourself a couple of questions while you’re doing that. The first question you want to ask yourself is, Do I like working with these people? Are these people the people I want to get more of? Or are they ideally not the people I want to work with going forward? Also the product or service that you’re offering in the future or going forward, is that still appropriate to that audience?

 

So I have a perfect example in my own business when I first started the business I started an agency where we would physically do things for businesses so we would take on their social media, we’d send e-mails for them and that agency obviously got a load of customers. And when I looked at my new part of the business going forward i.e. more of the speaking more of the online marketing as in, I want people to buy products and services from me online so that I can reach bigger audiences and I can help more people. They weren’t the right people. My current customer base were not the customers that I was trying to attract going forward.

 

So like I said it’s really helpful to look at who you’ve got as a customer. But I want you to bear these things in mind. Now ideally you’re going to pick someone that you’re already working with that is going to be perfect. You must have them customers that you think I’m sure if I had 10 of these my life would be a dream. So if that is the case then great.

 

Also the other thing I do at this point I know I’ve talked about this on the podcast folks, is it ringing a bell? Is that when I decided that I wanted to work with a different type of audience I thought I’d got in my head the type of audience I wanted to work with but because it was a fairly newer one I wanted to be sure that they were right.

 

So I actually went and approached a number of people who won either previous customers or but I felt they still fit with the new style stuff that I wanted to do or they were people that I’d never worked with. But I felt that they were probably my avatar that I was looking for. So I contacted these people in person and I said to them, “Would you please come on a Zoom call with me? And can I interview you and record that Zoom call and ask you some questions about your business? And about how you feel about your business and that sort of thing.” Now I offered them an incentive I think that’s really important if you’re going to take someone’s time. Some people were just lovely and would have wanted to do it anyway. But if you really want to make this work then you might want to offer an incentive. And I get them on a call with me and I ask them questions and I have questions ready. And there were questions around things like, ‘How did they feel about their business? If I could wave a magic wand for them, how would their business look? What’s the one thing they hate doing? What’s the thing they love doing? What do they struggle with the most? All those kind of questions. Because mine was obviously around how they’re marketing their business and I wanted to understand more. And the reason I recorded the call was because when you take notes. Now this might just be me and might not be you so you know if it’s not don’t worry. But when I take notes or one, I can’t read my notes half the time I’m a nightmare. But two, I either do half sentences or I write the words that I’m thinking not necessarily the words they’re saying.

 

So for instance they might have said I’m so overwhelmed by the amount of time social media takes up and I might have abbreviated it too and too much time on social media. However the word that they used that was so important was overwhelm and if I once connected them going forward that’s probably the word I need to use.

 

So that’s why recording the calls is great. The other thing that’s great is if you’re working with a copywriter on any of your sales pages, landing pages, websites whatever is that again it can be really useful for them to hear actually what your audience is saying rather than what you’re surmising. So anyway those are the types of things I did. And also I asked them other questions just kind of general questions about who they were and what they did in that sort of thing.

 

So once I had done this interview I was able to then start to create my avatar. Now when you think about your avatar there are a couple of things I want you to think about. The first thing is the kind of basic stuff. So I do want you to think about.. Are they male or female? How old are they? Are they married? Do they have children? If it’s important, is there an education level that they might have got to? Where do they live? What job do they do? Maybe what salary they’re on? And I want you to think about kind of those things so obviously that’s going to be your main kind of background slash demographic stuff. Okay. So that’s the first section. Oh and by the way probably should’ve since the beginning. I have got a download that you can get which obviously I’m going to put in the show notes so teresaheathwareing.com/68. If you go there you’ll be able to get a download of this worksheet that you can then fill out for yourself and it has all the headings on the right to go through so you don’t need to worry about writing them down if you’re busy.

 

So like that first section background and demographic those where you put your basic stuff that I’ve just talked through. The next section I want you to think about is behaviors, motivations and aspirations. Okay now this might sound a little bit deep and a little bit kind of like why do I need to know these things but I promise you it’s really important because if you can start to understand those things you can start to really kind...

KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST

• When it comes to the reasons behind using messenger marketing, one of the main reasons to use it is because the open and clickthrough rates are incredibly high. Not only that, but you get to have a one-on-one interaction with your customers, which doesn’t happen often when it comes to marketing. Because of this, you can target your other marketing efforts exactly how you need to.
• As messenger apps are so popular, more people are likely to interact with you in this way. Because it is so new, it’s still fun!
• When it comes to the basics of messenger marketing, it is marketing to audience inside of a messenger app - whether it’s Facebook, Skype, Kik or WhatsApp. With almost 2billion people using Facebook Messenger every day, this is the most common use for messenger for marketing.
• A messenger chat bot is an automated chat you set up based on the answers that you set up. Although it a bot, you can set up your own personal touch and make it as fun as you like.
• When it comes to getting started, you can’t add your Facebook fans or email subscribers to your messenger bot service. You are effectively starting from new. To get people to subscribe to your messenger list, you need people to interact with your chatbot before you can start to message them.
• If you’re looking to grow your messenger subscriber list, you can use a programme called Many Chat. You can send polls and questions to your email subscribers and Facebook followers to direct them to your chatbot. You can also use your messenger bot to reverse this process and grow your email list.
• Although you won’t have access to everything, there is a free version of Many Chat that you can use to help you get started.
• When it comes to what you can use messenger bots for you can run giveaways, give out vouchers and coupons, you can run quizzes, you can run challenges, you can send receipts, you can reengage with customers and you can offer FAQ information.
• If you are thinking of venturing into Messenger Ads, the best thing you can do is test it. It may not work for you, but at least you will have tried.
• In the best case, you may find a method that really works well for you.
• If you’re going to set up a messenger chat bot, you need to ensure you are filling out all of the details. If you’re not going to monitor the chats, let people know.

THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE…One of the best things about starting messenger marketing, especially in the UK, is that nobody is doing it yet. You have a chance to shape and mould the industry.HIGHLIGHTS YOU SIMPLY CAN'T MISS

• Introducing Chrys Tan – 05:30
• Why Messenger Marketing? - 07:45
• The Basics of Messenger Marketing – 12:05
• The Rules Around Getting Started and How to Build A Subscriber List - 14:31
• What Can You Use Messenger Bots For? - 23:15
• Are Messenger Ads Worth It? - 30:00
• How To Use Many Chat - 35:15

LINKS TO RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODE

• Hack Your Online Business Podcast
• Chrys Tan LinkedIn
• Chrys's Masterclass
• ManyChat

Transcript below

 

Okay, so this is really weird. First off, trying to do that intro with a different name. And second off, I still don't have the other intro that we would normally put in between, so you know that American guy that used to go, I'm not even going to do the accent, I nearly did the accent, but you know what I mean.

So I currently don't have an intro and outro. So this is a bit weird jumping straight into an episode, so please bare with me while I'm working out what it is that I'm doing on the podcast, whether I'm going to have someone else do my intro for me, whether I'm going to have someone American or British, and whether I might just do it myself. Because actually I think there is a bit of a trend for people doing their own podcast intros with a bit of music behind. So I might do that. I'm not sure.

But anyway, as of this week, it's now Marketing That Converts. Everything is changing over. Like I said, please don't panic. It's the same podcast. It's me. It's the same sort of stuff. I just wanted to have a title that was more understanding and more a reflection of what I was doing on the podcast.

Anyway, that's why we have a weird start to this podcast. If you're new, by the way, this isn't how they all start. There's normally a much more professional feel to it. It's just that this one's a little bit different while I'm working things out. And the other thing is, I always work in advance obviously, so this episode, episode 67, is coming out ... I'm just looking at my calendar, hang on. It's coming out on the 3rd of June. And today it is the 13th of May. So trying to work out in advance when I'll have stuff done by is really tricky.

Anyway, enough of all that. On to this week's episode. This week we've got an interview for you. And this episode makes me laugh a bit because when I'm in this industry, or being in this industry, there is so much to it. There are so many platforms that do so many things. Being in marketing in general, I have over the last probably 16 years now, I have done every kind of marketing you can imagine. Like literally every kind. So there is so much to know and learn, and obviously there's some stuff I'm better at than others. And there is some stuff that, you know what, I try not to get involved with because I know that that's not where my strength is, or I haven't got the capacity at this point to become brilliant at it. Because I'm one of those people that wants to go all in. If I'm going to do something, I've got to be good at it, I've got to know what I'm talking about, or otherwise I just won't talk about it.

And today's episode is one of them. You might remember if you think back to the Pinterest episodes, that was one that was also very similar. So today we're not talking Pinterest. We're talking messenger bots, and using messenger marketing. And even though I've included it in lots of different talks I've done, and I can talk about the importance of it and I can talk about how good it is from a marketing standpoint, it's not something that I've done a lot myself and it's not something that we're using at the moment as a marketing tool. However, like with the Pinterest one, it might be after this episode that I change my mind and we need to focus on it. Because actually the episode is really cool. We go into some really nice detail.

So today I talked to the lovely Chrys Tan, who is the founder of Chrys Media where she helps coaches and online course creators fill up their diaries, webinars and online courses with Facebook Messenger marketing. She's been featured on Buffer, Our Social Times, Business Hour Podcast, and has spoken at conferences such as Social Day Houston. She's originally from Singapore and now runs her own Messenger marketing agency online while travelling the world. Nice, eh? And isn't it cool that with all these online businesses you can do them from everywhere. So Chrys is currently based in Mexico and she was saying that she possibly might come over to the UK next year, so how funky is that that you can actually do that when you've got an online business? Which I think for most people kind of must be the dream.

Anyway, we have a great episode where we go into what Messenger marketing is and what Messenger bots are. Now if you're say there thinking I only have a small business, I'm not doing these crazy amazing automation things, I don't need it, I still want you to listen because actually I make her go very basic. Because I wanted to get everything over in terms of where you can start, what you can do. And Messenger bots are very cool. They can do some amazing stuff. But we don't go into that level. We keep it fairly simple and straightforward in terms of getting started, the platforms you use to get started, and why you want to do that. So I really urge you to listen to this episode because it is something I think that is growing and I think it's going to become more and more important as we move forward. Even though we're using a platform that doesn't belong to us to get to our audience, it's still one of those many ways in which we can communicate and engage with our audience. And there's some very simple, easy things that you can do to get started that doesn't cost you much time or money.

So definitely worth a listen, this one. And I hope you enjoy it.

 

Introducing Chrys Tan

 

I'm really excited to welcome Chrys to the podcast. Welcome to the podcast.

I am super excited to be here, Theresa. Super excited.

Awesome. I've said in the intro that we had a chat this other day because I was being interviewed for your podcast, which is exciting, and so we've already had a really nice chat about things. We talked about Messenger and bots and things, and I said that actually I don't think we've really talked about it or covered it. So it's perfect that you've come on to talk about this. So thank you.

But for my audience, if they don't know who you are, can you just give me a very brief outline to how you got to do what you do now, and what is it you do?

Sure. Like you introduced me, my name is Chrys Tan. I am the founder of Chrys Media. We are a Messenger marketing agency and we work mainly with coaches and online course creators to kind of help them fill up their diaries, their webinars, and of course their online courses, by using Facebook Messenger marketing chat bots.

A lot of people get really afraid of the word "chat bots" because of the word "bots" I guess. Like I told you, with the Russian thing and everything-

They're going to take over the world.

They're going to take over the world. Come in and take [inaudible 00:06:28] world.

But there's no need to worry and we're going to go right into it today. But I found about Messenger marketing, I think this was maybe a year ago, like every entrepreneur I was trying every marketing strategy out there. My background is in social media marketing so that is what I was doing. And I was so amazed with the results and the things you can do with Messenger marketing. More than just selling. Don't get me wrong, I love cash, but there's so many things you can do with a Messenger chat bot.

And I dived into and I loved it. I dreamt about it. I wanted to marry it. And I started an agency. So there you go, a very quick story about who I am and my passion about Messenger marketing and why you too have to be passionate about Messenger marketing.

I love it. We've already discussed the fact that this is on one of my list of things to do. And there are a few people in the UK, or a few people that I know that are doing this ... Well, I was going to say "well", and they are doing it well because basically no one else is doing it. For them it's working really, really well.

 

Why Messenger Marketing?

 

But I think for me, and I think we talked about this before, there's always so many things to do that you think, okay why is this important? So why did you focus solely down on Messenger marketing and bots? Because there are a million other things that we can do, isn't there? So why was it specifically that?

Yeah. The first thing that really grabbed my attention, to be honest, was the open rates. The open rates was super high, the click through rates was super high. We like to compare Messenger marketing with email marketing. Everyone knows email marketing, right? So we compared it and we're like, okay, with email marketing I'm getting around 20% open rate, 30% open rate. I'm getting around 3% click through rate. Now that is a disappointing number because you're putting all your time and effort into it, right?

We see with Messenger marketing we're getting like 70, 80, 90% open rates and 50% click through rates, sometimes 30 depending on what you're promoting and all that. But beyond the open rates and the click through rates, because we all know that that number is going to drop, just like how email marketing when it first started everyone was opening emails. The number is going to drop. But does that make it a less effective channel later on? No, because we can think about the one on one interaction you can do with your target audience. What other channels out there allow you to ask a question, and then your audience replies, and then you follow up with another question instantly, and then your audience replies again? This one on one interaction versus this one to may interaction. And with Messenger marketing, as your target audience is answering your questions, as they're replying to your polls and your quizzes, you are able to tag those answers and basically know exactly who this person is so that the next time you serve content to them, you serve a promotion to them, you serve whatever your serve is, you know exactly what this person is like. Is this person a Democrat? Is this person a conservative? Is this person in love with online stuff? Is this person more the physical stuff? Is the person in their 60s, 50s, 40s, whatever? You know exactly who this person is.

So even if Messenger marketing one day were to go down the path of email marketing in the sense of the open rate and click through rates, I am still so passionate about this one on one interaction that you cannot get with any other marketing channels out there right now.

Yeah. I love that. And you're right. I think to think that it will always stay at those open rates is probably not a wise move, because it isn't. And I have my own theories as to why I think the open rates are as good as they are. And I think for me, as I just said, there's hardly anyone doing it here. And we're not used to it.

So a couple of things, and let me know whether you agree or not, but one, there's not that many people doing it so we're less tuning it out and just getting rid of it. And two, the way we use out platforms or our phones or whatever it is, Messenger is something that we are using, we're using Messenger platforms like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. We're using them all the time, and therefore that's how we're communicating and we're more comfortable to have that communication back to us. And also, I hate having numbers on my phone, which in my job is really not ideal. If there's a one on my Messenger app, I will go click it and open it, and it feels different. So I do think that those are some of the reasons why the numbers are quite bit and successful at the moment. Do you agree?

I absolutely agree. And the reason why, like you said, not a lot of people are doing it and I feel like some people have dived into it but they haven't really quite understand how it works. But also they might have set it up using whatever one of the tools out there, they might've set it up and then they might've went, oh what is this Messenger chat bot thing? I'm going to try it for my business. And then whether or not they continue using it and growing it is another thing, right?

You're right, a lot of businesses out there are still unaware of it. That's why it's so important to have conversations like this on podcasts because I want to get the word out. The number of marketers doing Messenger chat bot is so few. Way lesser in the UK. And I didn't say this, but I think I might be moving to the UK next year, but that's a whole different story.

There we go. Perfect.

I know, right? I'll be coming in like, hey guys.

It's so crazy because it's so new that's where the fun is. The marketers haven't come in and destroyed it. Because we all know how marketers are with every marketing channel. We come in, we see it, we conquer it and then we destroy it.

And then people get sick of it. And therefore it starts to lose its effectiveness like email marketing has. That's so interesting. I love that.

 

The Basics of Messenger Marketing

 

So Messenger marketing. I want you to go basic, basic. What do you mean by that? Is it just a case of if you're a business owner sat with your business, you encourage people to send you messages? Is it as basic as that, or are we talking something different?

At the core of it or the most basic of it, Messenger marketing is basically marketing to your audience inside of a Messenger app. This Messenger app, there are a couple out there. There's Facebook Messenger where everyone knows about it, there's Skype, there's Line, there's Kick, in Korea they use Kick as well. So there are a lot of messaging apps out there, but Facebook Messenger is the number one platform for Messenger apps right now. And there's a good reason. There's almost two billion people using Facebook Messenger at the moment, every single day. So the fact that your target audience is going to be on it is very, very high. I can talk about Skype and all that, but the fact that they're probably on Facebook using Messenger to communicate with their friends and family and sometimes businesses is very high.

And what it really is is a chat bot, a Messenger chat bot, is basically an automated system or process that you set up so that you have answers, automated answers already pre-entered into the chat bot itself so that when someone interacts with your chat bot, the chat bot already knows what to say based on the answers that have already been pre-entered into your chat bot. It's a back and forth automated system, but at the same time you're able to bring in a human touch to it. Because one of the things I hear all the time is, oh a chat bot is so cold. It's so cold for a business, I'm not sure if I want automation and that kind of automation in my business. But what people don't realise is that there are many ways to make a chat bot fun and interactive without coming across as this cold, robot thing that everyone is so afraid of or losing that human touch. Because you can always offer that opportunity to talk to a human inside of a chat bot itself. [inaudible 00:14:07] about it.

Just in the general sense of it it's just marketing to your audience inside of a Messenger app and my favourite Messenger app at the moment is the Facebook Messenger app.

 

The Rules Around Getting Started and How to Build A Subscriber List

 

Okay. So if I wanted to get started, because there are some rules around you can't just on a page go and message a load of people. You can't do that. So what are the rules around getting started in terms of how would I, if I came to you today and said I want to start using Messenger as a marketing tool, what would I do?

So the number one thing you need to know right now is you cannot import emails. You cannot add your Facebook fans and followers into your Messenger subscriber list. You can't do any of that. So basically you are starting from scratch. So no matter how famous you are, you're popular, or how big your business is or how small it is, all of us are starting from scratch when it comes to Messenger marketing. So even if you've got this huge email list, I'm so sorry, you can't do anything with it.

I have a four step process that I use with every single of my clients. And the first step is the list building because all of us start from babies. So we need to build that list. So you must remember that the only way that you can build your list and get people subscribed to your Messenger list is if they were to interact with your chat bot. So whether that's messaging you on Facebook Messenger and you already have that chat bot set up, or taking one of your quizzes inside of a Facebook Messenger or downloading your...

KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST

• Influencer is brands working with people of influence. They use their trusted following in order to team up with them and provide them with their product or service, in order for them to tell their followers about you. It’s a modern-day Word of Mouth marketing.
• Influencer marketing isn’t just about massive celebrities as anyone can be an influencer, as long as they have influence. Those that have a niche, often have large influence over a small audience.
• The most common places people have influence over are Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Podcasts.
• There are three types of influencers – Micro, Micro and Celebrity influencers.
• Macro influencers have 100,000 followers, and whilst they’re not as expensive as Celebrity influencers, they will still cost. Micro Influencers have over 1,000 followers and a hold a really strong relationship with their audience. They tend to be niche specific and are dedicated to their content. They often have a higher engagement and conversion rate.
• When it comes to costs, they will be affordable, or may not charge at all as long as they are receiving the benefit of a product.
• If you get leads or followers from an influencer, they tend to be really relevant.
• There are a number of laws that surround influencer marketing.
• Although they mainly lie in the hands of the influencer, you need to ensure you are doing your due diligence to ensure they are following the rules that have been set for them.
• In order to find an influencer to work with, you need to know who your customer is as otherwise, they won’t be able to talk to the people you want them to talk to. You need consider what size influencer you want, what platform you want them to be on, what they will be posting, what hashtags they might use, what is their main demographic and are they seen as an authority.
• To find influencers you can look at hashtags, things that are trending at the moment and those that are authors or speakers. It does take time, but it is worth it. If you’re looking to put budget into it, there are platforms you can use to find influencers for you. These are BuzzSumo, Social Bakers and Tracker.
• When you are looking for fakes you need to consider whether they have consistency when it comes to their engagement and likes. You may also want to look at whether or not their posts are consistent. Another thing you need to look for are odd number, meaning the number of people that page or profile in comparison to the engagement. If someone has 40,000 followers and they’re receiving 100 to 200 likes, the chances are they have bought followers. You may also need to look out for the frequency of spammy comments.
• When reaching out to a blogger you need to follow them and engage with them in the run up to your pitch. Once you have built up that relationship, you might want to consider DM’ing them to put your face or your brand even more directly in front of them. Once you have done that, you should introduce yourself to them. Whether you do this via email or send a video DM, you need to ensure your pitch is perfect.
• When writing your pitch, you need ensure it is personal. Take a look at their profile and mention something that you love in the introduction of your email. Explain the benefits of working with you straight away, as this will give them a clear idea as to whether or not they want to continue reading. Once you have done this, you need to share your ideas with them. Finally, give them a call to action.

THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE…When working with influencers you shouldn’t be looking at how has the most followers, but instead who has the best engagement, whether or not they are a great fit for you and if they reach your target audience. Although numbers are great, everything else is much more valuable.HIGHLIGHTS YOU SIMPLY CAN'T MISS

• A Little Introduction to The Podcasts Name Change 00:30
• The Basics of Influencer Marketing - 10:00
• Why Should You Use Influencer Marketing - 14:10
• Laws Surrounding Influencer Marketing - 16:00
• How to Find an Influencer in Your Niche - 17:11
• How to Spot A Fake - 19:34
• Reaching Out To A Blogger - 26:00

Links to Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode

BuzzSumo

Social Bakers

Trackers

Guidelines for Social Media Influences

Transcript below

 

Hello there and welcome to this week’s episode of the podcast. Do you know what? I start every episode saying that and I sit here right before I’m due to start thinking, what sall I say today and I literally say the same thing every single week. But it’s really interesting. And now going off on a complete tangent by the way, it’s about just being natural I guess. And I guess naturally, that’s what I would say and if I tried to start it saying anything else like hey there or how you do it or whatever, it wouldn’t be me or that isn’t how I’d speak. And I try and imagine how I’d speak if someone was in front of me and I guess that’s different, isn’t it? So it’s hard to relate that one but anyway I apologize that I literally stopped the podcast exactly the same way and pretty much finish it exactly the same way, every single week. But honestly it is a bit hard to think of something and the other thing I do sometimes is I go and listen to other people’s intros because as you know, I am a big podcast fan and I listen to lots of podcast myself.

 

But again same thing, if I tried saying what they say and I end up sounding like James Wedmore or one of the other amazing people that I listen to instead of myself. So I will continue to do the same if not slightly boring now intro and then we’ll just get straight into it. So that’s the only bit that’s the same.

 

Okay, I hope you’ve had a good week. And if you listened to last week’s episode I talked all about the fact in the intro anyways it was an interview but it talks all about the fact that I’m changing the name of the podcast. And I’ve got a couple of questions to ask you before I change it. Now the name has been decided and I apologize if you’re not keen or if you’ve got a point of view. And normally, I’d be so happy to hear it. However, I literally have tried to decide a new name for what feels like months and have messed around and have come up with every kind of name I could think of and now I’m settled on this. So it’s going to be this because if I start thinking again then I’ll change your mind again and it will just be a nightmare. So the podcast is going to be changed and is going to be called Marketing That Converts. And the reason I’m changing it as I said before is very much down to the fact that the podcast covers so much more than just social media.

 

However the key bit in this for me was the words ‘that converts’ because that’s the thing that I really want us to focus on. That’s the thing that I love so much about what I do and about the world that we’re in right now is that we can actually see what is working and what’s not working. So my aim is to always give you stuff that will work and that will actually result in customers or followers or email addresses, whatever it might be. So hopefully Marketing That Converts kind of covers it off.

 

And also I’m going to let you in on a bit of a secret that this is now the new name for several other projects that I’ve got going. So we’re going to have Marketing That Converts The Podcast, Marketing That Converts The Academy and Marketing That Converts - 90 Day Focus.

 

So basically the way that my business is gonna be structured is that my free content is my podcast and other free content that I put out there but that’s going to be the thing that everybody can have no matter what their budget, what access they need or anything. They get to listen to the podcast every single week. And I hope my aim is that obviously I add value to you every single week. Then the next step up is going to be The Academy and I’m yet to actually fully decide on the details of it. But basically what the Academy’s going to be is a membership. And that membership, God I feel really nervous talking about this isn’t it really funny like I feel like now I’m saying it out loud on the podcast.. It’s absolutely real and I need to get my backside in gear and finish it because we are putting it together as I speak. But I’ll carry on sorry I got almost a little bit emotional there which is ridiculous. So yeah the Academy is going to be the membership and the idea with the membership is, I’ve got so much good stuff to teach you. I teach you sort of a teacher kind of not the minimum but the the most I can get away with in a podcast. So I try and give you really good value but the membership is about taking it a step further. It’s about deep diving into actual things, going through physically step by step but not just going through in more detail but giving you videos where I talk you through things, giving you workbooks, giving you checklist and all those things that you can physically go and do it yourself. The other reason I’ve chosen membership is because the world that we’re in changes all the time. Social media, digital marketing, the platforms, the rules, the amazing technologies that we’ve got they change all the time. So for me creating courses or a big massive course of all of this just wouldn’t work because literally day one it could be out of date.

 

The other thing I love about the membership model is the fact that I get to help you ongoing. So you get to come into a community with me where I’m there in the group and I am going live a couple of times a month and I’m helping you and teaching you and you get to ask questions. And that for me is the best bit. Because the training is great. Giving you advice is great. But I love it when I’m able to sit and talk to people and say, ‘What do you do? I would do this for you. Or what I talked about there, I’d probably tweak it this way for your industry or your business.’ So I’m really excited about the thought of spending time in a more community led environment with a load of you guys where we can sit and I can help you take all the cool stuff we talk about on the podcast. Take it that next step further. So that’s going to be the academy and then for those of you that want to really kind of ramp up and do it quicker and want more of my time and a smaller group then the 90 Day Focus is going to be exactly that.

 

It’s gonna be a 90 day program where we work in a very small group, no more than say 15 people in a group and we will have some really cool stuff. So you’ll get a one to one call with me at the beginning of the 90 days where we talk through what your objectives are for the next 90 days not just from a marketing perspective but also from a business perspective. And then what we’re going to do is we’ll have a weekly calls with just that small group. You and I will then have a monthly catch up call where again we jump on a zoom call and we review what you’ve done. We set your goals for the following month. And then at the end of 90 days, we then have another call see how there’s 90 days went. And obviously if you want to sign up for another 90 days then great. We’ll do that as well.

 

But the 90 day focus is really aimed at much more focused smaller groups and more in-depth work. So I am excited about these. I don’t want to keep going saying I’m super excited about this program because I’m so tired of hearing people say that. And I think maybe because the industry I’m in, I hear that a lot because I hear a lot of people selling a lot programs but I am genuinely excited to help people. That’s what I’m excited about. So I can’t wait for those programs to be up and hopefully have some of you guys in there and I can help you more closely and we can really push your business forward.

 

Anyway, I realize that possibly sounded a bit like sales pitch which I apologize for because I’m really keen not to do the kind of uncomfortable sleazy selling nuts which I hate. Anyway but I want to explain where Marketing That Converts comes from and the how it’s going to look across the brands and what it’s all about. So hopefully you quite like that name. But the question I have for you, God I digress so much there, the question I had for you initially was when I get my new intro and actually recorded because obviously I have one for the podcast. Do I get a British accent? Or an American accent which I have currently? Or do I just do it myself and get someone to put some cool music behind it? Or do I have not one altogether? I have noticed quite a few people don’t one altogether so I’d be interested to see what you think on that one. Also in terms of the actual day it changes over. I’m not entirely sure it’s coming. The branding is done and obviously now I need the sort the intro and outro out I’d like to know your opinion but I will make sure that I do lots of marketing across all my platforms. If you are happy to share then I would appreciate that and appreciate you so very much. If you could do that just because I’m really nervous to change the name because I don’t want people to think that A. It’s a different podcast or B. I’ve gone away or whatever they might think. So I’m going to be putting together some marketing materials that basically promotes the fact that we’ve changed names and nothing’s changed. So if you are happy to help that would be awesome. And like I said if you keep an eye on my social media you will no doubt see some stuff on there and be able to share that in the coming weeks.

 

Okay, let’s get on with today’s episode. So what we’re talking about today is a solo episode. No interview just me rambling on in your ears and today I’m talking about influencer marketing. Now I know some of you out there on potentially lots of you are going to go, “No, that’s not my bag or Teresa, I’m not some big massive brand. I can’t afford to bring on the Kardashians and promote my products.” That’s cool because I don’t want to talk about that kind of influencer marketing. I want to talk about influencer marketing in a way that you can use it for your business and that it might help you in your business and it might be not what you think influencer marketing is. But I just want to throw a couple of concepts out that just in case either A. You are working in marketing and you want to think about it or B. You have your own business and you think, is there a way that I can do this?

 

So let me start by looking at some of the basics for you and giving you a bit of an overview about influencer marketing itself. So basically ensure influencer marketing is brands working with people of influence. They use their trusted following in order to team up with them and provide them with their products or service. And that person obviously talks about it on their social media following. And basically it’s like a modern version of word of mouth marketing. So whereas in many many many years ago, you would ask your friends who do you use for this or what you do for this. We’re now looking to influencers to recommend products and services to us.

 

Influence marketing isn’t just about those big massive celebrities as most people might think is the case. Anyone really can look at doing influencer marketing if they are of influence and you can work with people of influence, it doesn’t mean they have to be a celebrity. And actually when you work within a niche, it works really really well. And the main platforms that you’re going to be looking at on this are things like Instagram and Twitter are probably the most well-known ones. But it can still happen obviously across Facebook and YouTube and it’s rising in podcasts.

 

So when you talk about influencers I think about three types. We have a micro influencer, a macro influencer and a celebrity influencer. So let me start with the celebrity influence because I’m fairly confident that most of you aren’t looking at celebrity influences. Awesome, if you are obviously. But I would say for the average business out there, celebrity is probably a little bit out of their reach. So celebrity influencers tend to be people like the Kardashians they have over millions of followers and they have a vast audience, huge reach. They’re very professional when it comes to being an influencer and they tend to work with massive brands because they’re very expensive to work with and I guess when you think of influencers maybe that’s what you think of.

 

Now a macro influencer tends to have over 100,000 followers. They have a large audience but it tends to be in an established niche and they have had experience working with brands and the likelihood is it will cost as well. So they’re kind of in the middle and I for instance have you know Jenna Kutcher or someone like that on Instagram then I would say Jenna Kutcher is a great example of a macro influencer.

 

And then the last one is the micro influencer which is where I want to focus because this is where I think that actually you could properly look at using this for your business. Now a micro influencer has over a thousand followers but obviously they tend to stay under that hundred thousand follower mark. So that literally can be two three four thousand followers or 15-20,000 followers. They have a really strong relationship with their audience. They tend to be niche specific so they tend to be working within a particular area which is why it’s so great for working with micro influencers because they’re following might be a lower number but actually they’re really dedicated. They’re really interested in their content because they are more niche. They do tend to have a higher engagement and conversion rates and often they are cheaper or in some cases they might be free. They might not charge to actually put something on their post. It might be that they are happy enough just to receive the product of good at no cost in order to then post about it.

 

So for me, looking at micro influencers is a great way in order to think about how you could use this potential if your business but I want you to think about how it can benefit the business. So influencer marketing is on the rise. Now I just want a quick note to this that obviously there are a lot of influencers out there or people out there I should say that would call themselves an influencer that aren’t. In the agency side of the business we manage a Gin client and we get a huge amount of requests for free gin from people who claim that they are gin influencers and you start digging a bit deeper and I promise you they’re not and it’s probably not worth collaborating with...

KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST

• It is so much easier for your audience to connect with you through video. They begin to trust, know and like you.
• When it comes to recording your videos, you can use your phone to get started. They work well when there are lots of natural lighting and as they’re designed for audio, the sound is great. It’s important to remember, though, that the quality of the content is more important that the quality of the pixels.
• Launching video within your business takes time as it is a new skill that you need to learn. The best thing to do is be critical of yourself and know where it is you need to improve.
• If you are thinking of starting video within your business, the best approach to take is to look at the common questions that people are asking in your industry. If there are things you are asked over and over again, creating a video that explains it gives you something to send to people instead. It also helps when it comes to SEO and Google search.
• Remember, if you are recording a video and you don’t like it, you can delete it.
• You don’t have to be young to start a YouTube channel.
• If you don’t want to start a YouTube channel, Instagram stories is a great way to post videos that people will connect with. If it doesn’t go right, you can keep recording. IGTV is also an option.
• There are lots of mobile apps where you can edit your videos. Adobe Rush lets you repurpose a video for multiple different platforms, depending on the optimal sizing.
• Don’t feel like you have to fill time constraints when it comes to video, the important thing is the you’re getting started.
• If you are worried you don’t have time to do YouTube, you don’t have to fully commit. Whether you’re creating a teaser for your main ‘focus’ or creating one video a week, if you want to incorporate it into your strategy you can. If you know what content people want, the whole process is so much easier. Another approach is to batch content over the course of a few hours.

THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE…One of the best ways for people to see whether they’re going to connect with you is for them to physically see you. Even if you don’t feel as though you’re confident enough, it’s important people see you for you.HIGHLIGHTS YOU SIMPLY CAN'T MISS

• Introducing Meredith - 08:35
• Why Video? - 13:12
• Why You Should Be Using Video And 19:20
• Who Can Do Video?- 25:00
• Top Tips For Getting Started – 27:00
• Using Video That Is NOT YouTube – 34:30
• The Basics Of Video On Social - 46:30

LINKS TO RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODE

• Morning Routine Podcast
• Jen Lenher Podcast
• Meredith Marsh YouTube
• Social Video Blueprint
• Social Video Workshop
• Meredith Website
• Vid Pro Mom Website
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Podcast (iTunes)
• Podcast (Stitcher)

Transcript below

 

Hello and welcome to this week’s episode of the podcast. How are you? So, do I sound any different? Because this is the first time ever I am recording my podcast stood up. I know that sounds really odd but as you might have seen say from my Instagram, my setup at home is my microphone is on my desk and normally I’m sat down at my desk when I record these interviews. However, I’ve just bought myself and treated myself because it wasn’t cheap to a very fancy stand up desk from Ikea. There are about.. I think in the UK they’re about just short of 500 pounds for the one that I bought. But it’s electronic and it goes up and down because as you will know in the episode I did a few weeks ago which I can’t remember what number is now but I’ll link up to in the show notes when I talked about my morning routine, I told you that I am.. hate to say it but kind of really lazy when it comes to exercise. I’m not very good at it. And I spend pretty much most of my day sat down on my backside because I’m sat in front of the computer so I don’t move a whole lot and I’m one of those people that when I start working I’m like a machine and I can go for hours and hours and even forget to get up for a drink or go to the bathroom.

 

So I knew how bad this was when I was interviewing Jen Lenher from.. Oh in fact this was a couple of weeks ago as well so again I’ll hook up to it in the show notes. We were talking about hiring a V.A. when I got on screen we were chatting about the fact that she was stood up and she told me she had the stand-up desk from IKEA even though she’s over in the States obviously you guys have IKEA too. Sorry just don’t know why I needed to add that and she was saying that she actually has a treadmill underneath hers and even though it wasn’t on at the time of recording because obviously I’d hear it she said normally what she does is.. She just has the bottom bit the treadmill she has a really slow walk and she has like a little button thing that sits on her desk as she can control it and she walks while she works which is like.. It kind of blew my mind but it did make me think, ‘You know what? It’s really not healthy sitting down for all those hours.’ And she also said that apparently what did she say.. Something like sitting is the new smoking like it’s that bad for you. So I’m making an effort to stand more to move a little bit more maybe but just to not try and be sat on my backside for the entire day. So I have this new fancy stand desk and this is the first time I’m recording a podcast episode stood up so I’m interested. Do I sound different? Am I more energetic? Is it you know, is it any different? Or am I just being a bit crazy and it’s no different whatsoever.

 

So anyway this week quite a bit has been going on in a couple of things on update you on. And this won’t be new news to you. A few weeks ago quite a few weeks ago now I talk to you about the fact that I might be changing the name of the podcast and that kind of has come to fruition even more in terms of we’ve really looked at it and I have decided to change it and I’ve come up with a new name and I think next week’s episode I’m going to change it. I need to think of the planning of when that will be and sort of what time of year it will be as in I know it’s gonna be in the next few weeks but when I have some recording this a little bit earlier than it’ll go out. So yeah I just need to work out a few more things. I’ve had the brand done. Branding is very important to me. I don’t do that myself. I have a designer that works in the team and to be honest just really quickly if you ever get anything done like a brand, I would highly recommend that that’s where you invest a little bit of your money because you know what my brand and all my marketing and the stuff I put out means a whole lot to me. And therefore, it has to be right and I have to be happy with it. So we’ve worked out a new brand yesterday I’m just finalizing it and tweaking it and just making sure how it all looks. But yeah I think we’re going to have a new name. Now if you’re subscribed to the podcast, no problem. You are going to continue getting it. All you’ll notice is that whatever platform you use to listen to on an iTunes or I’m now on Spotify or Stitcher. It will just change as in the cover photo, the little image that is of me with the title on that will now change to the new title and the name of the podcast will change. But you will still be subscribed. You won’t lose me. I’m terrified that I’m going to lose listeners and I don’t want to lose listeners so I am trying to get everybody. If you’re not subscribed please please please go and subscribe now because obviously I don’t want you to miss out on seeing the podcast again or hearing it again. In fact next week, I might just tell you what the name is and then I might introduce it the week after because I’ll give you another opportunity to make sure you subscribe or at least know what the name is before I change it so you can then find it. But if you go and subscribe wherever you are then obviously you will continue to get my podcast and as I’ve said before in previous episodes, it’s not changing my podcast is staying exactly the same. I will talk about the same things. I will do the same things. It’s just because Social Media Marketing Made Simple is.. It’s really what’s the word? It’s like really specific and I talk more not general but I talk about lots of things that are all to do with social media and running your business and digital marketing. So I just didn’t want people to look at it and think, ‘Oh I don’t want to know about just Facebook or just Instagram or whatever it is’.

 

So anyway that’s what’s happening this week. And like I said, I will give you some more details on the next episode but I just wanted to let you know. Now see, make sure you’re subscribed.

 

This week I have an interview for you and you know what it’s going to be a really good one I think for most of you listening if I understand my audience well which I hope I do. So this week I’m interviewing the lovely Meredith Marsh who is a blogger but total introvert. She has over four million views on YouTube and she publishes video editing tutorials and camera know how’s and all that sort of good stuff on YouTube. As well as on Insta Stories and on her other social media platforms.

 

But what we talk about in today’s episode is obviously it’s so important to have video. We talk about it all the time but I know it’s one of the most difficult things for people to start to do because putting yourself on camera is tricky. And for me I feel like well you know I think you probably know that obviously I have my office slash studio. So I have the lights set up I have my mic. I have a background that I know is suitable and all that sort of good stuff and I felt I needed that if I was going to do any video of any sort. Not that I am on YouTube although, it is a long term, not dream that sounds a bit extreme, a long-term area that I want to focus on but just not right now.

 

So anyway yet video can be really really difficult to do. And I wanted to get someone on the A was doing it kind of all herself and she doesn’t cast herself as a YouTuber. Because we were talking on the interview the fact that when I think of YouTube as I think of like Zoella and Alphie whoever that is and people that my stepchildren talk about. Who were young and basically vlog their entire life. She doesn’t do that. She is a bit older she is. I think she’s probably a little bit younger than I am. She’s got kids. She’s running her business but she’s really kind of helping people use video more in their businesses and get themselves out there. And the fact that she’s an introvert is huge. You know she’s trying to lead the way and say listen if I can do it, anyone can do it.

 

So it’s a really really good interview it’s really nice to talk about some great things some real practical tips about how to get started and some of the things that you should think about doing. Also in preparation for the interview and funnily enough just before I recorded at this intro I was looking at her YouTube and it really is really good.

 

There’s some great videos on there about getting started and what to use and how to edit. So definitely go check that out. Obviously as always I put the links to all of her stuff in the show notes so go to teresaheathwareing.com/65. Okay, I will take up no more of your time.. Here’s Meredith.

 

Teresa: Hey Meredith welcome to the podcast.

 

Meredith: Hey Teresa. Thanks for having me.

 

Teresa: No problem. So good to have you on. And I’m really excited about today’s topic because I’ve got to be talking all about video and as my audience know because I talked about it just a few weeks ago.. Video is still very very very much in the forefront of things that you should be doing on social media and in your marketing. So I’m really excited to talk to you about that. But if my audience have never seen you before, if they don’t know who you are.. can you just give me a very brief overview as to how you got to do what you’re doing?

 

Meredith: Well a brief overview. OK. So my name is Meredith Marsh. I have a podcast called The Video Pursuit Podcast where I help bloggers and content creators reach a wider audience using YouTube and social video. So they can impact more people and be more profitable in their content creation businesses. And I got started about I think five years ago. Well initially I got started, I was a freelance web designer out of college and I was doing that for about five years and I kind of got burned out going from business to business learning enough about their business to create a Website and then walking away and then going to learn about another business to create a Website. So I had an opportunity to take an in-house web designer job for a local company that made storage sheds. And it was great..

 

It was a great place to work. I loved the people that I worked with and believe it or not, like sheds are actually kind of interesting thing to market. And so but it really I think about six months into that I was like, ‘Oh so how about that whole entrepreneurial thing? Can we get back to that?’.

 

I started a side hustle. I started a blog and a YouTube channel because I thought this will be a great story. I’m going to take this full-time job and I’m going to start a side hustle then I’m going to quit my job and just take my side hustle full time. It’s like the classic story that everybody hears and dreams about for themselves. But about three years after I took the full-time job, they moved my position to another city. So I didn’t move. I wasn’t gonna move. So we parted ways and I just took the blog full time basically. So but really from the moment I made the decision to start a side hustle, to like you know I looked at all the skills I had and the ability to learn new skills and I have every every skill I need to be one of these online entrepreneurial type people. So what the heck? Why not me? And so once I made that decision to take action on that I thought. I needed to help other people do this too because I think there’s so many people sitting at a desk somewhere using their creative energy to grow their employer’s businesses when they could absolutely be growing their own businesses. And so that’s why I do what I do now. I want to help content creators. I think that’s maybe the perhaps one of the easiest ways to start an online business to start a blog or a YouTube channel something where you’re creating content and I want to help those people reach more people so they can get out of their jobs faster or get out of few jobs before their job kicks them out.

 

Teresa: That’s really funny because it’s almost like it was I guess a way kind of a good that you have that in your head already. Because then at least it wasn’t too much of a shock when you then had to find an alternative. But also I think you’re right in the world of online and some of and we’re in a group together where it’s a lot of online businesses. You just kind of look at it and think why not? Why can’t I have part of that? Why can’t I have a space in that world? Because it’s a growing world because we use it. I use it. You know we we’re in an online group so we’re making the most of it in our businesses so why not in other people’s places and why not us? That’s really cool. So tell me what it was particularly about video though. Because you did Website so I could understand if you did more down that side of route but what was it about video?

 

Meredith: Well so I really kind of took my time thinking as we all do we take a lot of time to think before we take action. I was a big fan of Pat Flynn and Smart Passive Income Podcast and he had an episode fairly early on about how to figure out what you should start a blog about like how do you pick a topic. And so I spent like a I would say over a year even before I took that full-time job, I was already thinking if I was going to start a blog to turn it into a business. What would the topic be? And for a very long time I had no idea. I mean I had lots of ideas but I was like you know, ‘I’m not going to blog about that.’ And I could have done something along the lines of you know helping people become a freelance web designer or something like that. But I was like, I don’t really want to be fully immersed in it for the rest of my life. And. So one day. I was driving home from work. I had like a 15-minute commute so I. Had. It was like a. Perfect. Length commute to just decompress and think about life for a few minutes. And I was thinking my kids were little there. I think like I don’t know 6 and 2 or something and I have two little girls and they all just seemed like they were growing so fast and I was like, ‘What am I doing to make sure that their childhood is fun and interesting? And we’re doing fun things together as a family? And I thought I should start like just documenting what we’re doing. Like you know. Basically make family videos so that 10 years from now or 50 years from now, we have something to look back on. Right? And I think in the world of social media these days. People just they take their photos and their videos of their kids and their family and their event, adventures and stuff and they just dump them on Facebook and that’s it. And I thought I should be more intentional about capturing this stuff. Having nothing to do with starting a blog or anything, it was just like my own personal I don’t know, thought. And so a few months later I bought a GoPro camera, which is an adventure camera and action camera and I thought this would a good family camera because it’s waterproof and it’s small. And I think I bought it probably on like a Cyber Monday. So I got sort of suckered into it and I’m like this is perfect. So I’ve got this camera. And. The first. Little snow storm that we had, I live in upstate New York. So we get snow quite a bit.

 

We had snow just this week. No it wasn’t a big snow storm but the flurries were flying. So anyways I went outside with this GoPro. Take the kids outside. They went sledding and then I captured that and I captured them decorating Christmas cookies with my mom and I put this video together and they watched it on the iPad and they were like, ‘Wow this is really cool!’. And I’m like, ‘Yeah it is really cool. This is a really cool thing to do.’ And they wanted to watch it again and again like over and over again it was like a five-minute video. And I thought, ‘I think I need to help other people figure out how to do this.’ And in my mind I was thinking other moms. I need to help moms figure out the tech of creating these family videos so that when your kids are off to college, you’re not like wondering what have we done with our lives.

 

Teresa: All those years gone.

 

Meredith: And so I immediately thought I need to help other people do this which led to ‘Oh this maybe this could be the thing that I blog about’ which led to ‘If I’m going to be creating content around to use a camera or how to edit videos then I probably going to need to create a video tutorial here and there’. So it just made sense and I was had started kind of going to YouTube for you know, how to use an iMovie or like little things like that and I realized YouTube is full of all different kinds of content but there’s a lot of people who basically just stand there and talk to the camera and teach you something. And that’s their video. And I thought,...

KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST

• Every single thing that you achieve in your business and your personal life is a huge achievement. You are amazing.
• Just because someone else has achieved something, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t an opportunity for you to achieve it to. In fact, it means that there is more of a chance of you succeeding as you know someone at your level can do exactly what it is you want to achieve.
• One of the best things you can do when it comes to comparing yourself to others is stop looking. If you find you’re looking at people and comparing your wins, it’s much better to stop looking and get your head in your own lane.
• It’s important you’re being careful whose advice you take and who you are listening to.
• Look for the small wins within your business and learn to appreciate them. They are all good and will collectively build to much bigger things.
• Spend at least one hour a day working ON your business, not IN it.
• Whilst it you may find it hard to find the time to work on your business, doing so will mean that you are making progress within your business.
• You need to work out what your priorities are and work out what you want to do now and what you want to do most. In some cases, you may find that you have to sacrifice the small things.
• Visualisation is a little bit like daydreaming. Whether you’re thinking ‘if that was me’ or ‘I would do’ – visualising the things you want to achieve can really help you look towards the future. The clearer your visualisations are, the better.
• Just because there is someone out there doing what you do, it doesn’t mean there is not space for you.

THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE…It’s important to remember that a lot of the time, you are comparing yourself to people that have been working at their business much longer than you have. You may be comparing your day 5 to their day 50. They will have gone through everything that you’re going through in order to get to where they are now.HIGHLIGHTS YOU SIMPLY CAN'T MISS

• Introduction - 01:30
• Stop Looking Comparing Yourself to Others - 06:26
• Be Careful Whose Advice You Take - 10:48
• Spend At Least One Hour A Day on Your Business - 14:00
• Using Visualisation – 19:00

Transcript below

 

Hello and welcome to this week’s episode of the podcast. How are you? I’m good. I’ve had a really good productive day so far so I am feeling pretty positive and I’m getting ahead and more caught up from all the trips. So that is cool. So this week I’m just jumping straight in. There’s no like chap, I’m just going straight for it into the episode because this week it’s a little bit different.

 

Now obviously I’ve done lots conferences have been lots of places and a subject keeps coming up and up and up and everybody I talk to and I’ve had loads of calls since I got back. Loads of catch up with my team and colleagues and friends and it just keeps coming up this subject and I felt like I really wanted to come onto the podcast and talk about it today. But in all honesty I’ve hardly planned what I’m going to say I’m not entirely sure how this is going to go so I’m just going to wing it which is what I do a lot.

 

I have to say but I really am this week because it’s just a subject that I really do want to talk about. So I’m just going to start rambling and hope to goodness this comes out okay. But I know like I said, this is something that’s coming up for me and I’m really hoping that while I’m hoping it doesn’t come up for you because that be cool but if it is coming up for you that I’m hoping this comes at the right time and that some of the things I’m going to say you’ll be able to take as good advice and you’ll be able to think about and relate that to your own situation in your own life. So I’ll stop what’s going on and get to the point okay.

 

So if you follow me on Instagram you might have seen quite a few weeks back when I was in California at one of the conferences I did quite a long Insta Story, several Insta Stories about the fact of how I feel when I go to a conference and first off, I don’t think it’s specifically conferences that do this. I think it’s because I spend a lot of time in my own office, in my own space, working alone as most of us do. Even though I have a team, they’re all round the world and virtual so we don’t sit in the same office. But I think what happens when I go to conferences that’s when I start to really see other business people and other businesses and entrepreneurs and stuff like that I don’t think it’s necessarily the conference that does it it’s just the fact that I’m mixing with other entrepreneurs.

 

But what happens is and what I talk about on my Insta Story is I get completely overwhelmed and I sit in the room and I literally sit there and go, ‘What am I doing? Who am I? Why do I think I’m good enough to do this? How am I going to compete against all these people? Look at all these amazing people doing these amazing things. Their business is ahead of mine. They’re doing this. I want to do this. There isn’t enough space in the world to include us all.’ Literally everything you can think of is running through my mind. Now I would say, I don’t know whether you agree or not but I would say that I think I’d probably come across as a fairly confident person. In some aspects of my life, I’m super confident but in aspects like that I start to really hate myself and I start to sit there and look at some of the amazing speakers on stage or even the other people in the audience and think, ‘Oh man what am I doing? Or I’m not where I should be. And they’re ahead of me and they’re taking all the customers and taking all the money and getting all the success and there’s gonna be no success left for me. ‘

 

And I’m sorry if this sounds like I’m being read like oh woe is me and woo hoo but I’m not saying it from a kind of this is something that I go through really occasionally and I wonder whether you go through it too? And basically it’s looking at other people, it’s comparing yourself against your colleagues and your competitors and the people you look up to and thinking to yourself, ‘My business isn’t good enough. What I’ve achieved isn’t good enough.’ And also celebrating those wins when you see that I don’t know let’s say Rachael Hollis again. She’s just launched another book and she’s in a New York bestseller in all this sort of thing.

 

And the funny thing is I’m sat here, I’m not even necessarily want to launch a book like that. However, when your when you’re looking at that then suddenly you look back at your you know few thousand extra podcast downloads and you might sit there and think, ‘Oh gosh you know this is awful or this isn’t good enough.’ And it’s absolutely not like honestly I can’t stress enough how important it is that we’re not comparing ourselves these people we are looking at our own journey and our own successes and our own celebrations and that we are not demeaning or undermining any of our own successes because you know what? They are flipping amazing every single teeny tiny thing that you do in your business that you achieve that you manage to control and keep it going every day and in your family and in your home life with your friends. I swear to goodness; it is a huge achievement.

 

And that’s what I want to talk a bit about today. In terms of how we’re comparing ourselves to others and some of the things that I do to try and manage this and get over this and not worry about it too much. So obviously that means that in rooms with amazing people in terms of speakers they say these amazing things and obviously I’m going to say some of these things today and I don’t want it to sound like I’m literally just reading Instagram quotes. So I really hope it doesn’t come across like that. But like I said the main thing is it’s that comparison thing. It’s looking at someone else and going they’re doing it better than me. They are achieving what I want to achieve. And therefore there’s no space for me to do that. So I just want to talk about that for a sec.

 

So first off someone my coach very very smart lady I should really get on the podcast. I will do at some point talked about this. There was an event I wanted to speak out and someone else got to speak at it and I didn’t.

 

And I got on a call with her and I was a little bit cross and a little bit hard done by and a little bit frustrated by and suddenly went into this big woe of that said you know I’ve been overlooked I’m never going to get that. They were picked I wasn’t picked. What does this mean? It means they’re better than me and I started associating all of these meanings to this thing that happened. Now the funny thing of the story is my application was never processed. I wasn’t even in the running because they lost it. They lost my application and therefore all these meanings, I was associating to the fact that I had not been picked and someone else had been picked and obviously because they were there that meant there was no room for me was one totally incorrect but two it was coming from a place of lack. It was coming from a place of you know what because they’ve got it. There isn’t room for me. And that’s absolute rubbish. Just because someone else is achieving something doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for you and there isn’t a chance you’re going to get it. In fact, it’s the opposite. If someone else that you know is achieving something, then you should look at that as a positive and think that means someone at my level or me or my situation can also achieve it. You’re looking round to see that if that thing is happening and you haven’t got to be someone else has been great. That’s brilliant. One be really pleased of them which once I got over my little grump I was very pleased for them. But not only be really pleased them but then think to yourself that’s an example that actually someone very similar to make and go and do that. And therefore I can do that too. So the comparison thing is a really really tricky thing. So my general advice and I suppose I’m going to go through a few different points that likes it helped me with things like this. My first thing is to stop looking necessarily at others even though I said it can give you a good example of someone that has done it and therefore proof that it can be done which is awesome. But you know what if you find yourself looking at these other people thinking you’re doing it better than me and I can’t you know I’m not where it should be I’m not doing the things I should have done my wins aren’t as big as yours. Then just stop looking.

 

Get your head down in your own lane and focus on your own thing. And I know this can be hard. Believe me I do it all the time and I find it really difficult because you can’t help but especially where you’ve got people who are who started on a similar level to you and either they’ve overtaken you or they’re achieving something that you want to achieve. It can be really really hard not to sit there and then pays off to them. But as we’ve heard many of times you know we’re comparing our day five with their day 50 or we’re comparing year one of us with year seven of them.

 

So granted you know we might be at different levels but you have to take into account how long someone been doing it. And again to keep them out Rachel Hollis any because I watch documentary right the other night on Amazon. But when she was at the KGB Impact Summit she actually mentioned that her book. Go wash your face which was one of it. Well it was the only book I read. I have another one that I’m going to read soon as well. But she said that that was something like her eighth book or maybe tenth book. Maybe I’m exaggerating that but anyway it certainly wasn’t her first. But the thing is you didn’t see her first. I didn’t see her firsts so therefore you just think wow she’s achieved the success. But no she wrote all those books beforehand. And like I said I really don’t want to like let this fall into just Instagram quotes but there are millions examples of amazing people who literally didn’t do it until much later on. So stop looking at these people thinking I should have done this already or I can’t achieve that until I’ve done this or why haven’t I had this.

 

And just keep your head down in your own lane and just keep moving forward. So the next bit of advice I guess I’ve got is actually this is kind of ironic. Be careful whose advice you take or who you listen to. So again I was in the room with lots and lots of people with things that they were doing for their business ways. They wanted to go things they wanted to achieve goals they expected to not expected to achieve the goals that they were putting on themselves. And again you sit there and think should I be doing that or why isn’t my goal as big or why if they got more than me. And and again it doesn’t matter. That’s their race. That’s their journey. That’s their thing. And actually just because I haven’t launched something yet or just because I haven’t done a certain thing yet it really really doesn’t matter. If that’s what I want to do, then at the end of the day the only person that matters is you and what you want to do in your business as long as you’re moving forward as long as you are working at it then it doesn’t matter how slowly you’re going it doesn’t matter. How long it takes as long as you are working towards getting your goals and achieving them. And you know what like I said even if you didn’t then what does it matter to anybody else. It doesn’t at all. So just really be careful about the people you surround yourself with. It’s great to have ambitious people but it’s not great to have people who aren’t helping celebrate your journey and where you are. And like I said back to those small wins I appreciate every single teeny tiny thing that happens in my business. I had an e-mail the other day replying to my weekly Wednesday emails that I now send which if you’re not on by the way please go and get on the list which you can do over at my site. But anyway side note I had a really amazing e-mail the other day from a lady who basically said she now starts her week looking forward to Wednesday to hear it from me and you know what. Of course I want to win lots of money of course I want to sit in the adult if I do want to say in the Bahamas actually I want to take my daughter first class. That’s what I want to do on a taker on a plane first class on holiday. She said she wants to go to Vegas because we love Vegas. That’s what my dream is. So don’t get me wrong I want to earn money to do that. However, someone went to the effort to e-mail me back and tell me that they look forward to getting my emails and how special they were and kind of how pleased they were that I was in their life is just honestly the most amazing thing ever. So look for those things look for those things in your business the comments the testimonials. And it doesn’t have to be a big structured testimony you just need someone say thank you. That was awesome. Or that was brilliant that you did that. Or look for those extra followers and love them. Look for those people that D.M. or share your podcast episodes. Again I appreciate every single teeny tiny thing that happens because they are all good and they are all collectively building to much bigger things.

 

So don’t be hard on yourself and definitely don’t dismiss those wins no matter how small you think they are and how big someone else’s might be there still winds and you should still be really really positive about them okay. The next thing that I would urge you to do that’s helped me is spend at least one hour a day on your business not in the business again. That is a cliché. Instagram quote there. But actually spending time on your business driving it forward doing something every single day is so very important because then you feel like you’re achieving something. And you know what if you haven’t got that hour in the day if your day is jam packed and I know what it’s like I’ve been up since five thirty this morning I get up I do my morning routine I get showered. My daughter I get my daughter up I get out of school. I do the breakfast. We do the school run. We then come back at idea. I might then start my day at sort of half past eight or whatever and I pretty much can work straight through until literally the time I got to pick her up again. And then of course your evening starts again and you’re doing all those things and homework and dinner and I get it and I know we all have our own different challenges our own routines that cause us to have no time in our days. I know that. But actually there’s a couple of things that really called me out. Like on one of the conferences and a current member he said it I want to say it was Brendan Bishop. I can’t think he actually said if you had take him back all the time you’d ever spend messing around on social media which is a good point because I do like to watch against a story and obviously my job is a lot to do with social media but I still look at it as a personal thing. He said if you took all that time back how much time would you have. And it’s like oh my word for real. I would have so much time. The other thing you said and don’t get me wrong we only in time. Oh no it wasn’t him is Gary Vaynerchuk. I remember hearing him talk once and he said someone says I haven’t got any time. And then I say what series you’re watching on Netflix at the moment or how is Game of Thrones or whatever. He says you have got time is just priorities. It’s just basically what do you want to do now compared to what do you want to do most. So if you want to if I want to take my daughter first class on a plane then actually I might have to sacrifice some of those smaller things. And you know what I’m not saying you have to do that. Please don’t think I’m sitting here saying you know you got to work every hour God sends. That’s not what I’m saying at all. You’ve got to do what’s right for you. Absolutely. If if that’s what you want, then do it.

 

If it’s not then that’s not for you but for me actually I could probably forgo a couple of Netflix series or I could probably forgo spending an hour on Instagram looking at stories when I could actually sending an hour planning my upcoming membership or creating some content or coming up with ideas for some content or whatever it might be.

 

But spending just one hour a day making sure whatever that big goal is you’re doing is that even again if it’s the tiniest that at least you’re going forward but making that promise to yourself that you’re going to keep doing that that you’re going to be pushing forward.

 

So for me like I said I do get up quite early or now I’m back in a routine. I do get up quite early but I try and do my hour or I try and work on my business first thing. Now I’m not great at this I’m not sitting here saying I’ve got it absolutely nailed because I happen I try right. Let me tell you what you should do actually that then what I do. So really what I should do is I should start working on it straight away. First task I do but I don’t even have my emails. I don’t open social media. I don’t look at anything other than working on the thing that I want to work on. In reality that’s not the case because I am one of those people that does check their phone immediately I do go through my emails. I have a horrible obsession and DMs and let me know if you have one of these two. I don’t like numbers on my phone or...

KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST

• When you’re live on stage, the conversion rates are incredible.
• There are many different types of stage, whether it’s a live stage, a webinar or a Facebook live. Whilst the second two stages are important, the best stage to speak on is a live one and every single market leader in the world knows that it is a fundamental step to becoming an expert in their industry.
• Although you may worry that you’re going to mess up your script, try to remember that your audience don’t know what you were supposed to say. For them, they’ll have no idea that you have gone wrong or gone off topic.
• When it comes to charging for your speaking gigs, you need to be confident enough to say the figure you want. There is no clear strategy and often it comes down to making it up. It’s important to remember that you don’t have to charge every single time. Instead, you need to work out what the value of speaking means to you.
• When it comes to speaking at events, you need to find out whether you’re able to do a hard sell, a soft sell or an upsell.
• There are four quadrants to a speaking session. Engagement runs along the bottom and conversions run up the left-hand side. Finding the balance between these two is important, as you need to be able to find out how to add value AND convert within the time slot you have.
• The goal is creating irresistible content that is high value and has high conversions.
• One of the most common mistakes people make is that they sell at the end of their talk. Whilst this may seem the most effective, you need to be ‘selling’ from the start. Infusion selling means thinking about your content and shifting your audiences thinking in a way that allows them to have new revelations surrounding your content.
• Remembering that selling is serving is important. As long you’re offering a genuine product or service, you are serving your audience.
• The best way to get an organiser to let you sell from stage is to ask.
• Whilst it may seem simple, it’s the most effective method. For best results, you can offer a partnership with the event organiser.

THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE…When it comes to selling by speaking, it all comes down to mindset. You need to understand that speaking isn’t entertainment or education, it’s selling. Every time you open your mouth, even if you’re not directly selling a product in your session, you are selling yourself and building influence. At the end of the day, influence creates sales.HIGHLIGHTS YOU SIMPLY CAN'T MISS

• How You Can Work with Me – 04:00
• Introducing Colin – 10:00
• Why You Should Be Speaking at Events - 18:00
• Biggest Worries in Public Speaking – 21:00
• What Should You Charge When It Comes to Public Speaking? – 25:33
• High Value and High Conversions - 31:33
• Selling by Speaking (Without Being Salesy) – 37:40
• Finding Out If You’re Allowed to Sell from Stage and How Do You ACTUALLY Sell – 52:00

LINKS TO RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODE

• The Sell with Story Guide
• Colin Boyd Instagram
• Colin's website

Transcript below

 

Hello and a really warm welcome to this week’s episode of the podcast! How are you this week? I am pretty good. I have to say I’ve had a good few days in the office, catching up on everything since I got back from the states and I’m feeling much happier about my work level and what’s left on my to do list. However, as always and I’d love to hear if you’re like this because this is totally me. All the stuff that I do first is the quick easy non-pain giving things and then I leave the big but really important stuff to the end. So for instance, I’m speaking next week and I should have my presentation in by Monday and I’m recording this on a Friday and I haven’t yet started. Now before you think I’m a dreadful speaker because I do that so last minute, I’m actually one of those speakers that doesn’t ever do it verbatim. So I can’t. If I tried to do it verbatim. If I stood up with the script and tried to rehearse and then remember it I just I would just be a nightmare. I would find it really awkward if I forgot my place. I would mess the whole thing up and it just wouldn’t work. So actually I always have a rough idea of what I’m going to say and the slides just literally remind me what the next thing is I’m then moving on to.

 

So although it sounds dreadful but I literally have three days to do this presentation for a fairly big talk. It actually doesn’t kind of surprise me because that’s a bit of how I work but really. I should have done it sooner but like I said you know what it’s like oh I’ll just so my finance things. I’ll just do a couple of invoices. I’ll just send a few emails because those are the things that make you feel really happy because you can take them off your list really quickly whereas you leave the big massive stuff on because you know that it’s going to take ages to do so. I’m terrible at that. So even though I’ve had a good few days in the office and they need to knuckle down and do some good proper work also during my trip to the states which now was quite a few weeks ago, I did a insta story and announcing to the world that I was coming up with ways in which you can work with me because I’ve really let you do it and let myself down in the sense that I put out all this content and I love putting a podcast out there and I love giving you all this free content but what’s great about something like a podcast is it really gives you a thought and an idea and a kind of a kickstart of oh that could be good but what can you get into an hour’s podcast or a 45 minutes podcast to actually then help you achieve something? And you need that kind of ongoing support or a different method such as courses or memberships and I need that too.

 

So for instance James Wedmore has a podcast he has so much content out there but I pay a considerable amount of money to be in his next level business by design program which is a more intensive coaching program because I need to basically I need to put some money in the game to make me do it is the total truth of it. And interestingly enough we end up talking about this on the podcast interview today that’s going to be playing. But anyway, before I get to that what I was saying was I did a Instagram story where I said to my audience on Instagram and now I’m saying to you that I’m going to be bringing a two or three ways in which you can work with me which I’m really excited about because the thing that I love more than anything is helping people. And I can’t help myself, I do it all the time anyway so it’d be great to put some structure around that. So I want you to keep an eye out. I want you to drop me a DM or an email or contact me somehow whether it be through social media or like I said you drop me an email through the Teresa Heath Wareing websites and I want you to just let me know whether this is something that you might be interested in so I can get you on the list.

 

So there’s going to be a couple of things that I’m gonna be offering. The first thing is going to be a more membership type program where it’s going to be potentially bigger numbers. Obviously they’re not going to start off massive but then I’m going to be adding content every single month. I’m going to be doing live calls. question and answers, hot seats, that sort of thing. And then if you wanted something a bit more intensive, I’m actually going to be doing a 90 day program where you can work with me much closer as more of a kind of mentoring slash coaching. I hate saying coaching I’m not I’m not a coach or a trained coach but obviously I consult with clients all the time where basically we’re going to drive your business forward in 90 days. So you’ll work in a much smaller group. You’ll have a lot more intensive me time and call time and it will be much more bespoke to you in your business. So I think those two are going to be really good. And as always I will still offer one to one consultancy. But obviously as you can imagine the cost differs from each of those three levels so hopefully there’s something there for everyone. And I’m just really excited. I just I love doing the podcast. I love hearing from you. So it’s gonna be great that I can do some kind of more and more closer work where we get to have a two way conversation. So it’s gonna be cool and I hope you think so too.

 

But anyway let’s get on with today’s episode of the podcast and our gonna going to say again. It’s a really good one. I know I say that every time. I mean going to write than alternatives to it’s a really good one but I promise you as always it is good. So this week, I am speaking to the very lovely Colin Boyd, who was initially from Australia. So you’ll hear that lovely Australian accent and now he lives in Newport Beach in California. And I met Colin because he is in James Wedmore’s mastermind group which is the group I think either one or two levels above the group high men. So that group had the likes of Amy Porterfield, Rick Mulready and Jasmine Star. So it’s a bit of a rock star group if I’m honest. But actually Colin came and spoke at the first Business by Design event that I actually attended and he got on stage and talked about selling from stage.

 

Now these two words probably fell 90 percent of you with fear because not only is it getting on stage and speaking which I know is a big thing for lots of people and even if they want to do it it terrifies them and it still scares me every time which I don’t see as a bad thing. But I know that speaking from stage is is a thing that scares people anyway. Then at the selling element which again on its own. Some people find really difficult and I personally again find that difficult because you don’t want to come across salesman or pushy. So the funny thing is at those two things together and they sound terrifying but he got up on stage he delivered a really good presentation and as you know I go to a lot of conferences I speak at lots of conferences and and I see a lot of speakers and not all of them are brilliant. I don’t mind sharing with you some are not that great but he was brilliant. He was really entertaining very charismatic and although at that event he didn’t actually sell something because of the type of event it was. I could see how easily he could have done it and he gave great advice. Gave one of those speakers where you jotting down loads of notes. So I knew I had to have him on the podcast. So today he’s going to be talking all about how you can sell from stage and we’re going to be talking about why you even want to think about actually becoming a speaker or using speaking as a way to develop your brand or your position in your industry who show you as an expert.

 

And then we’re going to go through some things around selling which again even if you don’t speak I think you’re going to find really useful just generally in your business. Now obviously I did a podcast fairly recently all about selling so I will link up to that in the show notes so you can go and check though on dates as well if you want to.

 

So let me just tell you a little bit about Colin before we get started. So Colin helps experts course creators and coaches to speak confidently onstage to sail without coming across pushy or sales. Like I said he’s obsessed with creating step by step strategies that anyone can follow to become confident and powerful speaker whether they’re sailing on stage or webinars or live videos. He’s had over 10 years experience so he really does know how to entertain and move an audience to action. He’s best known for his selling from stage Academy which is a leading programme for growth for business through speaking. And like I said he lives in Newport Beach California. Lucky man with his amazing wife and two young children. Colin is super smart and gives some great advice. He also gives you an opportunity to download his PDA off which is all about selling with a story which again I’ve talked about. Storytelling is a great way to connect anyway and especially if you’re trying to sell something. So I’ve put a link to that in the show notes which you can find at Theresa Heath wearing dot.com forward slash 63 but that’s enough for me.

 

Here is the lovely Colin. So I am so excited this week to welcome the very lovely Colin to the podcast. Welcome to the podcast Colin.

 

Colin: Thanks Teresa. I’m really excited to have this conversation.

 

Teresa: Oh no. You know what I’ve mentioned in the bio how we met and I originally saw you at James’ events and ever since then you’ve kind of stuck with me and the things you said and how you came across and what I do in my business and the fact that I speak of this it’s resonated with me but it’s just there was just such good common sense advice and entertaining advice that actually it didn’t matter whether you were speaker or whether you know you you’re not into hard selling or whatever it was it was just like generally. That’s just really really good advice. And it was great fun. And I don’t know about you but I go to a lot of conferences and you watch a lot of speakers and it’s great to see a speaker he really knows what they’re doing because sometimes you sit there like Oh I’m exhausted today and you know you could pick up the dots that you were perfect. I loved it. So call it in case my audience have come across you before. Do you mind just quick to going over how you got to do what you’re doing now and sort of where you’ve come from that would be awesome.

 

Colin: Yeah so I’m Australian which you can possibly hear my accent but I live in Newport Beach in California and I started out I was in corporate and I remember one day a trainer like a corporate trainer came in and I was working in a job that I hated and I don’t know if you have experience. And yet this trainer came in and she ran like a brainstorming session and I remember asking my manager how much she got paid. And then they told me the amount. And it was basically what I got paid for the whole month for like a two hour session. And I remember thinking, “My gosh I think that’s what I want to do.” And I didn’t even know what on earth that was at the time. I mean this was over 10 years ago. And so I ended up resigning from there. I became a teacher and at the time I was studying life coaching and so I started life coaching and I got my accreditation with the ICF and started doing life coaching that was going great. And then and then basically this moment came where I realize,d I actually really want to be an entrepreneur like I want to do this the time. And so I you know I actually got made redundant which was a blessing in disguise and I had a free speaking engagement. That a friend had referred to me. It was about one hundred and thirty seven people in the audience which the organizer had said to me, Colin this is the biggest audience we’ve ever had. I was a it was a alumni University graduate audience. And so I was thinking you know I don’t know who’s gonna be there, I’m just gonna give it my best shot. It was literally a dark and stormy night. I was walking up the stairs. This was in Sydney at the time with my amazing wife, Sarah. She sat in the audience and I remember doing my first ever free speaking gig. And up until that point I’d think I’d had one paying client. I just was really struggling to get things working right. And I did this free speaking gig and at the end I made an offer which I didn’t even know what that was at the time. My I just kind of at the time I was thinking you know I would really love to get these people connected with me, I made an offer out of one hundred and thirty seven people one hundred and twenty four of them put their business cards or their details into a little vase that I’d bought from two dollar store room and all of a sudden I had an instant database. Four days later, I’d signed 12 coaching clients and then I was standing on the stairs after a coaching session at a hotel and I got a phone call and there was this guy called Tony and he said hey Colin I was at your presentation the other day I thought it was fantastic. I said, thanks so much. And then he said I’m calling from Hewlett Packard. And I’m curious like would you have any availability on this date because we want to run a training session. So I’m like, would I have any availability let me check. Let me check my diary I’ve got nothing on. I’ve got nothing in my calendar at all. OK let me check my. Tony I’m available. And then they said we would love you to do a presentation similar to what you spoke about as about two hours and I said, that’s great. He asked me my fee and I’d never set a fee before in my life. And I said four thousand dollars for my first ever gig right. So I’m crapping myself right. Because that’s what I got told. Like one of my mentors said charge about four thousand dollars for your speech and I was like okay. He’s like, No no you’re serious. And I’m like four thousand dollars and I’m so nervous. And Tony literally goes, Oh that’s easy no problem. Yep, we can do that. I remember just thinking my Okay first of all that’s what I usually get paid for a month of work, right? Back in the day. And. And then I was thinking OK now what do I do. And then because I was such a rookie I said I said Tony I forgot to ask how many people are going to be at the training day. And he said Oh. He said you know we’ll probably have between five, five and a half thousand in the audience. I feel like.. This is my second speaking gig and my first paid speaking gig. Holy moly.

 

Like what on earth is happening. Now one of my core beliefs is that whatever shows up in your life doesn’t matter how big or how small it is you’re ready for it. Yeah. And so I’m heading into making it we did it. It went fantastic. HP had been a client for over 10 years I’ve done speaking gigs from all around the world. I don’t really do much corporate work now. Like now I mainly help people become effective speakers on a stage and selling on stage but I’ll tell you what, that was an incredible experience and that really just was a catalyst for me of being obsessed with getting on stage but I wasn’t always good on stage or we can talk about that as well. But that’s kind of my my baptism with fire into this journey.

 

Teresa: That is madness. Like say first off to go. To do a speaking of that size. First off as in your first speaking gig that’s still a really impressive size. When I first started speaking it was in a network room to five or six women or you know at a small local network thing of 20 people. And then I felt like I slowly moved up the kind of you know render the ladder.. Oh now I get to do this any people. That’s just crazy. And then you must have spoke so well to get that conversion, like a 90 percent conversion.

 

Colin: So I made an irresistible offer. I had no other sense other than I was just trying to contribute. I was trying to give as much as I could. I had an absolutely irresistible offer and it just went gangbusters about it. And this is what I learned is that when you live in a stage the conversion rates are Off the Chain. Like the other day one of my good buddies, Brennan Lazaro. I was chatting with and he was running a two day training session as a bonus to a Philly promotion that he’d done. He’d never ever sold in in stage in a room any and he said. He said he gave me permission to share a case study with anyone and he said Collin you wouldn’t but I couldn’t believe...

KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST

• When it comes to hiring your first virtual assistant the most common objection is that you don’t think you can afford it. If you don’t stop doing those tasks that allow you to hire a virtual assistant, you’ll never be able to afford it. You must hire a VA first to get there. Even if you’re not incredibly profitable, it’s still a great investment.
• When working out whether or not you need a virtual assistant, write down the tasks you do every single day and think whether or not you are the only person that can do them. If not, you may want to consider hiring a VA. Think about whether or not these tasks are worth your hours.
• If you want to teach your VA how to do the tasks that you’re doing daily, screen record yourself doing those tasks and talk yourself through it. It takes no extra time to what you’re already doing, but it means you have a training video for any assistants you bring on board.
• When you place your VA job advertisement you must detail everything from the start. Make sure you make it clear they’re going to grow with your business, and that you want them to prove they’re the right person for the job. The best way to do this is to include a list of tasks you want applicants to complete in your job advertisement. Not only does it test their ability to follow instructions, but it shows you what skills they have.
• Once they have completed their tasks, you can narrow it down to those that you want to use and interview them. After your interviews, you can bring one of two VA’s on board for a PAID trial. Make it very clear what you want them to do in your trial and link them to the training videos you have already created.
• You must be making your virtual assistant feel as though they’re a valued member of your team. Do whatever you can to make them feel valued.

THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE…One of the best ways you can succeed with a virtual assistant is to consider them as someone you want to grow with you as a business. You need to show them that they are of value.HIGHLIGHTS YOU SIMPLY CAN'T MISS

• Introducing Jen Lenher – 13:51
• Alexa Flash Briefings – 19:00
• Hiring Your First Virtual Assistant – 21:57
• When A Virtual Assistant Becomes Much More – 29:00
• Finding Those Tasks You’re Repeating Daily and Training Your VA – 30:42
• Writing Your Job Advertisement and Using A Trial Period To Find The Perfect VA - 35:06
• Valuing Your VA - 46:00

LINKS TO RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODE

• Jen’s One Hour Workshop On Hiring A VA
• Jen’s Podcast Episode
• Jen’s Blog Post
• Jen’s Instagram
• Jen’s Twitter
• Jen's community

Transcript below

 

Hello and a super warm welcome to this week’s episode of the podcast. How are you? I have just come back from two weeks away in the states having attended two different conferences. The first one was the Kajabi Summit, Kajabi Impact Summit, sorry. And that was a three day event in Irvine in California and it was run by Kajabi and they used their customers as speakers but boy did they have the best customers. Like when if I was to write a dream list of people I would want to watch on a stage, they probably had the same list. It was amazing so much so I decided to write a blog post about the summit and how good it was. I reviewed briefly the speakers and also wrote kind of what was their key takeaway or their key point and their learnings.

So if you do want to go and have a look at that, I’m going to hook that up in the show notes for today because I never write blog posts or I rarely write them because I don’t like writing as you well know.. Hence why I have a podcast. But I was so compelled because it was so good and I knew I wouldn’t be home for a few weeks and I knew I wouldn’t have an available episode for quite a few weeks so therefore decided to write this blog post. Got that out. There within about a week which I was really pleased about although it did take me ages to write I will admit but it was a great conference. Really really good and Kajabi basically won me over. They are a great program. They have some amazing facilities in their platform and I am slowly learning more about it so that I can potentially put my stuff on Kajabi. So that’s exciting. Just a bit more work to do.

 

And then the second conference I attended was actually a private event which was because I am part of James Wedmore’s Business by Design Next Level Coaching Program and he puts on a couple of events a year for those people. So there’s literally about 80-90 people in the room, all his coaches, he’s on the stage in front. There was a speaker actually but there isn’t normally because the event is really to be honest the coaching program rather than a conference where you sit and listen speakers. So the idea is, he tailors the individual events to the people that are in the room. He gets to do or he asked people for hot seats. He goes through particular problems. It really is an opportunity for you to have almost a month of one work with James and his team. So that was a really good event. They’re all really full on and very long days.

So the Kajabi conference, they started when we actually got there at about 7 am to get a good seat. I know such a geek but as I like to talk about and funnily enough I talk about in today’s podcast front and center is always where you’ll spot me in a conference because you want to be right there in front of those speakers and I like people that are front and center and so when I’m speaking and I see those faces so I’ve always used as a tool myself. But anyway said they were they started like 7am and they went on till some of the nights till about 8 or 9 pm. So those were really long days, short breaks and then the conference for James Wedmore. His event again that started us sort of eight thirty and went through to seven thirty. So long long days they know how to do it. It just is so packed full of amazing stuff. So I’ve come away from that head headful of cool stuff, now need to kind of climitize back into the UK. I’ve done a lot of travelling these first three months or these last three months I should say cause in the fourth month and I’m really now looking forward to settling down a bit and getting some actual work done. What was great is during my time in the States, I was able to really clarify on my offer in terms of what I want to offer people to work with me because I do the podcast every week, which I love. I say that every week but I do love it and I love getting your messages so thank you for that and I’ve had some ones recently which have been just super lovely but I love getting your messages and I love doing the podcast.

 

However people want to work with me, which is amazing and I’d love to work more closely with people so I’m putting together a structure of how you can work with me and there’s gonna be different levels and different price points. So look out for this it’s gonna be coming and I don’t want to be sales-y about it now. I’ve decided that I’m rebelling a little bit against some of the marketing strategies that I teach which sounds completely ridiculous. It’s not, bear with me. So you know how I’ve just started doing my email and I emailings you all if you’re on my list every single week and it’s a very personal email from me to you guys and I’m writing it. I’m trying to add value but I was thinking about this when I was coming up with subject lines for these e-mails and previously, I would do subject lines that have your name in there. So it might say, “Hey Teresa, hello from California” or something like that in the actual subject line. And then I thought to myself, if I was writing an e-mail to a friend or to a client or to a colleague would I write their name in the email subject line? No, I don’t think I would. Would you? I didn’t. I don’t think I’ve ever done that. So why is it marketing, we think putting that name there is going to attract us to open the e-mail. Now I can argue why that would work.

 

But in my quest to be as authentic as possible and because I get tired of trying to be sold to in a really sleazy sales and marketing way that I want to kind of do this in a much more positive and less sleazy manner that I was looking at some of these marketing tools thinking, actually that’s interesting that I would do that previously but I would never do that to a friend or a client. So that’s the way I’m trying to treat everybody. That’s the way I’m trying to put my message and my marketing across now so that I can do it as if I was talking to my friends because that’s what I see you as. All you lovely people that listen to the podcast, that interact with me, that get my emails and respond to me which is amazing. I see you as friends and people I want to work with and therefore I don’t want to treat you like I’m sending you some sleazy sales message. So I just wanted to get that out there and just let you know where we were and what I was thinking. So anyway like I saidm great few weeks done loads conferences, head’s about to burst but I am so glad I’ve got the next few months.. I think just about at home. I am speaking at a couple of UK events; one tomorrow, one next week in London. But most of them I mean they’re going to go up and down in the day or maybe just one overnight. But hopefully my case is going to be well stored at least for a few months which is kind of nice because I can get on with some work. So anyway on the today’s podcast episode and it’s gonna be a really good one. I am interviewing my very lovely friend Jen Lenher.

 

Now I have a great story to tell you about how I met Jen which we do talk about on the interview as well but I need to give you kind of the overview of this story. About four years ago, I decided that I wanted to look at getting a V.A. or an assistant or someone’s come work in the business and how in the business didn’t have the faintest idea where to start.

 

So I decided to Google as you do. What did you do beforw Google, I don’t know. But I decided to Google. How do I bring on a V.A.? What’s the process? And I find this lady who at the time I didn’t really pay huge amount attention to who she was, I was really just looking at the content she’s providing and she did a free download of a process or advice or tips. I can’t even remember it was NOW but I know there was a video and I know there was some content and I’m sure it’s for free at the time and I downloaded it and I watched it and I read it and it was really useful and it helped me understand why I would need a V.A. for and also had to recruit a V.A. now.

 

I then went on to find a V.A. and Katie, who’s worked with me for four years I think about four years came onto the business and that was it. I forgot then about this woman because obviously I’d done the purpose and thing I was meant to do which was to bring on someone in the business.

 

Now I guess probably six months later I went Social Media Marketing World. First time I’d attended and I was sat front and center for Amy Porterfield and this lady came and sat by me. I’m sure it was Amy Porterfield. Anyway this lady came and sat by me and we just hit it off. You know you start talking. She was lovely really liked her. We had a bit of a laugh and chatted. We talked about the fact that we always sit front and center for events and that’s you know that’s the place to be because obviously you want them to see you and you to see them and that sort of thing.

 

So anyway I have met her at this one event at Social Media Marketing Would. The other thing I need to mention if you haven’t been there it’s a huge event. There’s like 4,000 people at this event. And when one speakers on. There’s probably about.. well now you’re talking anything up to like 10 to 15 speakers on at once. So the chances of them coming across someone again during that event is slim to none.

 

Anyway I go into another session later on in the day, I go front and center. And who should I meet again. But this lovely Jen and this lovely lady and we sat chatting again. Anyway later on that evening I went to my room and I thought oh I’ll just have a look who I met today and I will go and find them on social media and connect with them, which is something I try and do when I see people at a conference. So I go on to Jen’s profile on social media and instantly recognize her photo and realize that she’s the person who’s free download I downloaded six months before so how odd that literally, I had done this download and then suddenly were sat next to each other at this event not once but twice. So the next day I go back to the event and I go into another session and lo and behold again, Jen and I are in the same session and I said to her, “Oh my God you won’t believe it. I’ve actually downloaded something of yours” which I just thought was so cool because if you’re putting content out online to meet someone and for someone then to say I’ve had your stuff or listened to your podcast or whatever it might be is really cool I have to say. So Jen and I were just like, “That’s hilarious.” Now Jen at that event coined the well the fact that I am now called by some people in some places the “British Amy Porterfield” because Jen and I sat in a session that was How to Become a Speaker at Social Media Marketing World. And she has said to me, “Oh my god, Teresa. You’re like the British Amy Porterfield.” Like we have the same color hair and some similar characteristics. And she was like, “That’s amazing.”

 

So anyway, a whole year later I’m going back to Social Media Marketing World again huge event for 5,000 people. I’m walking into the event. I don’t think I’d really had much to do with Jen in that year. I’d walk into the event and someone’s shouts, “Hey, British Amy Porterfield and I turned around and there was Jen, absolutely howling like I don’t know what’s best.. but first off she shouted it or second that I actually turned around as if I knew it was me. So anyway bit of a long story but it was so cool and it was almost like the universe was saying to us, you two need to be friends. I’m going to keep chucking you into the same place. And then since then I’ve met Jen a few different times at different conferences and we now are good friends and I love seeing her so to get her on the podcast is a real treat.

 

The other thing that I’ve bought on the podcast for which is kind of brilliant is I’ve got it to talk about bringing on a V.A. now I don’t know whether you’ve ever thought about bringing on a V.A. I don’t know whether you ever thought about expanding the business whether it terrifies you, whether you think you can afford it whether you think you can’t be bothered with the hassle of training someone but we’re going to address all these things today and she’s going to talk you through how she successfully is brought on V.A.’s to her business how obviously she’s helped me bring on a V.A. my business. So now the team has grown way more than that one V.A. I initially got and how basically I would put down a lot of my growth to the fact of the size of the team that I’d been bringing on. So it’s a really really good one today. And there’s lots of good tips and information in there for you. So I hope this is going to be fab. Now before I jump into the interview, let me tell you a little bit more about Jen.

 

So Jen is a digital marketing strategist. She’s a professor of digital marketing at Cleveland State University. She’s a podcaster, an author of a brand new book called “How to Create Alexa Flash Briefing”. She’s a contributor for Social Media Examiner and her online community the front row was recently featured in the Fast Company magazine as one of the top 12 Facebook groups to join before quitting your day job. Jenn lives in Shaker Heights in Ohio with her husband and three beautiful children and her 15 year old golden retriever.

 

I know you’re going to love her because she’s such a nice lady. She also has so much cool stuff for you to go and look at lots of free content out there. So I’ve hooked up to all that and the show notes. So please go and check that out. But I know you’re going to love today’s interview so here it is.

 

Teresa: So I am so excited today to welcome my very dear friend Jen to the podcast. Welcome Jen.

 

Jen: Hi Teresa. So good to be here.

 

Teresa: You know what I am so pleased to have you on now I have told the story in the intro but let me just recap slightly. So Jen and I met three years ago at Social Media Marketing World and what’s really hilarious. So there’s a few hilarious things about how Jen and I met. The universe definitely wanted destiny. So the first thing is that I had downloaded something of Jen’s before I even met her. And when I sat in Social Media Marketing World, on the front row which is another funny story on the front row, with this lady I met her. Thought you’re ace. Got her details. Went back to my room that evening and to find Jen online, found her and so I know you. And it was because I download a lead magnet of hers already which when you think about it is crazyness. Like the amount of content there is in the world the amount of people are in the world and I happen to find your one thing and then sit next to you at Social Media Marketing World, but not just once. It was like three occasions, was it? It was. It was Amy’s pants. I think Pat you were in front of me and then it was the How to Become a Speaker in Social Media Marketing World. So the other cool thing about the fact that we were on front row is that Jen has her whole branding and her whole business around being the front row enterpreneur and being someone who sits on the front row. Because Jen and I come from the same school. If you go to a conference she sit front and center like you get eye contact with those people on stage and it kind of just proves that your you’re all in on you’re kind of like that at the front ready to learn, ready to go. So it was such a cool meeting. And we’ve met lots of times since and we got to spend a whole few days together at the Kajabi Impact Summit which is great. And anyway, we’ve talked about getting Jen in the podcast for ages. I’m so glad you are on. So thank you for coming on.

 

Jen: So are you kidding me. Thank you. This is so exciting.

 

Teresa: It’s gonna be cool. So before we get into the topic, let’s just for my audience can you give us a brief overview of who you are and how you got to do what you do?

 

Jen: Sure. So I’m a digital marketing strategies and I just I just love all things marketing. I always have ever since I was a little kid. I do think some people are just born as entrepreneurs or marketers and and so I got into what I’m doing now. I think I was... I was in marketing in the corporate world for years and years and then my first child was born, I took a break, stayed home with the kids and when it was time to think about going back to work, doing marketing just seemed like the logical thing to do. But I just didn’t know exactly what that was going to look like. So I sort of did and offered everything and I did local consulting and I was really surprised that you know it’s it’s like anything that you’re good at. I think that we take it for granted because it comes easy to us that we assume that it that it’s also comes easy to other people. And I was really surprised at the things people would pay for. So so it was it was an exciting time. And and...

KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST

• Listen to your body and take it easy when it’s telling you need a break.
• Set your alarm as early as you can. Use Mel Robins five-second rule and as soon as you get down to zero on your five-second countdown, get out of bed. If you struggle, put your phone in a different part of your room so you have to get up to turn your alarm off.
• Once you’re awake, leave your bedroom as soon as you possibly can. Whether this is heading to the bathroom to splash water on your face or going downstairs for your morning coffee, make sure you’re staying away from your bedroom.
• The next thing you need to do is journal. Write down ANYTHING that comes to your head, whether it’s your goals, what ideas you’re thinking or your to-do list for the day. You could also use it to write down an issue you’re having, writing down as many possible solutions as you can around it.
• If you enjoy journaling, you may find it helps to journal at the end of the day too. It’s a great way to pour out all of your thoughts from the day, as well as set goals for the day ahead.
• There are so many benefits to meditating in the morning. Whether it’s closing your eyes and focussing on your breathing or using a guided meditation, meditation can lower your blood pressure, promote sleep and improve your mindset. Depending on how you’re feeling, you may want to do different routines.
• As you start your morning, think about these three things:

What can you be excited about today?

What might trip me up and cause stress? How can I respond to that?

Who can I surprise today with a thank-you, a gift or a moment of appreciation?

Although it doesn’t have to be much, spending some time reading each morning can be incredibly beneficial.

Try and stay away from social media and emails until you have completed all of your morning routine.

THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE…When it comes to mindset, you need to think about what you’re grateful for and what you have achieved. If you’re thinking about negative things, this is what you will bring to yourself. If you think you’re going to fail, the chances are you will. Being positive and trying to bring more joy into your life can only be a positive thing.HIGHLIGHTS YOU SIMPLY CAN'T MISS

• Set Your Alarm Early – 06:09
• Leave Your Bedroom – 09:20
• Spend Time Journaling – 09:53
• Meditation – 14:00
• Finding Your Joy - 17:00
• Using Your Mornings to Exercise 22:20
• Reading - 24:15
• Planning Your Day and Setting Your Intentions – 26:28

LINKS TO RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODE

• Episode 47 James Wedmore
• Mel Robins Five Second Rule
• Shawn Stevenson Sleep Smarter
• Brooke Castillo Life School Podcast
• Tony Robbins Mediation
• Deepak Meditation
• Headspace App
• Brendon Burchard Meditation
• Hal Elrod Miracle Morning

Transcript below

 

Hello and welcome to this week’s episode of the podcast. And as always I am your host, Teresa Heath-Wareing. How are you doing this week? Okay so straight off the bat, I’m going to tell you that this week’s episode is gonna be a little bit different. First off, I’m not doing an interview and I know that previously I’ve been doing one week me one week interview which I still intend doing but I’ve just come to a point where I had a few episodes that I wanted to do so I thought I’d mix it up a little bit. So hopefully you don’t mind that but today’s gonna be a little bit different. But I don’t want you to tune out or switch off and think, ‘I don’t want to hear about this’ because I really think it’s going to help and I think you’re going to like this episode.

 

So today we’re going to be focusing on how you make sure you have a great day every day which sounds a little bit cliche and a little bit woo woo. But I promise you it’s not. It’s all about how do you set up your mornings to make sure that you’re productive. And we’re going to touch on mindset and I’m going to talk you through some of the books that I’ve read that have really had an impact on me and how I manage myself and the business and the reason this is so important and the reason I wanted to do this episode today was because and I have mentioned this before when I interviewed James Wedmore which I will put a link to in the show notes. But the fact is, when I started my business I honestly stupidly thought ‘How hard could it be?’ Like what an idiot.

 

But honestly I sat there thinking ‘I know what to do. I know marketing I’ve worked in marketing 15 years. I am good at what I do. This is gonna be a breeze’, and I didn’t stop and think about actually running the business and I don’t just mean doing the finance bit. Sorting the tax bit out, making sure you get your insurance and all that kind of fairly dull stuff. I mean my mindset what happens on the days where I get up and go ‘I don’t know work today, I want to sit on the sofa and binge watch Netflix and eat popcorn’ or ‘I’ve got something emotional going on at home or with the children or family and my head ivs not in the right space’ so I’m not gonna get too deep on that don’t worry, not too emotional but I just want to address the fact of as an entrepreneur when you work for yourself and especially if you work from home or you don’t work in an office full of people sometimes getting motivated in the morning or getting going or being productive can be a super difficult thing to do. So in today’s episode I’m going to be covering off my morning routine. Now, there’s going to be a huge caveat: I do not do this every single day. I try really hard to do this every day. Some days I succeed beautifully and other days I fail dismally. But the point is, I try and I do have to try at it. This is not natural to me and therefore I am hoping you will be able to listen to this and think, ‘you know what Teresa? I’m going to give it a go because you obviously struggle with this too’.

 

Also there’s some things that I’m going to suggest go in your morning routine but I outright don’t do and I’ll talk about that and explain why I don’t do it. But I want to go through some of the things that I’ve learned that I’ve actually made a big difference to me in my business so hopefully like I said you’re going to enjoy this episode as much as I enjoy talking about this stuff and I’m going to give you some really nice tips and tricks that you can use in terms of getting yourself ready for your day and making sure it’s as positive and productive. And you finished the end of the day thinking, ‘Awesome’ rather than finishing the end of day which I do sometimes thinking, ‘What on earth have I done today?’ And I feel like I’ve wasted so much time because I’ve just tried to force myself into doing some work when maybe my head wasn’t in it. Now before I dive into the routine there’s a couple of things that I want to just tell you first.

 

The first thing is I never used to do this. This is not something that I’ve done forever. This is not something I ever thought about. And this is definitely something that I have done since having my own business. Now I’ve joked before that the woo stuff like you know some of the stuff I have things I like now. I never even thought about it didn’t cross my mind. I worked in a corporate world for 10 years and quite honestly if you even mentioned anything about what your morning routine I think they would have laughed you at the office. So for me this is not something that I’ve been doing a long time which is why I find it really interesting and I want to talk about it. The second thing I also want to let you know is I’ve got a lot of these new ideas and tips and tools from books that I’ve read. Again I’ve talked before about the fact that I love books. I love learning. I love podcasts. I listen to a lot of books and therefore I’m going to mention a couple of books during this podcast that I’ve kind of steered my way in terms of the morning routine that I try and have now. But also I’ve decided to put together a free download for you alongside this podcast with the recommendations of some of the books that I absolutely love and my very honest opinion about them because some of them, I adore. But I find really difficult to read or I struggled with or whatever so actually you know if you are into reading if you like reading and you want some good recommendations, then head over to teresaheathwareing.com/61 the number and you’ll be able to download that list of all the good books I read including the ones I’m going to mention on that that you can then take a look at and maybe put onto your reading list, if you like reading or if you like listening to audible. Okay so let’s go. Let’s start with my morning routine.

 

So the first thing is I try and set the alarm fairly early. Oh I also need to tell you quickly that obviously I have a daughter now my daughter spends one week with me and then one week with her dad. So my morning routine obviously differs depending on whether I have her or not but I do try and follow the same path, just so you know. So I’m not sitting here doing this amazing morning routine without having to run around make breakfast do school run and all that as well. It just makes a difference to the time I wake up normally. So yes the first thing is I do try and set my alarm fairly early. Now I used to be amazing at this. I used to be like a 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. riser. Craziness because honestly if I’m up before 6:00 nowadays that is a miracle in itself to be quite honest. So I do try and get up quite early because the problem is if I don’t, I literally waste away my day and I’m going to get much stricter with this. With all the travel I’ve been doing, I find myself sleeping in and honestly because I’m a very honest person and I just say these things that the other day I was in bed until eleven o’clock on a workday. And that’s not great. That is not productive. It’s not effective. It’s rare. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not doing it every day but I’d been travelling, my jetlag was kicking in and I was exhausted and sometimes I truly believe you have to listen to your body and take it easy when it’s telling you to. But, if I’m not careful I could be super lazy because I love my sleep and I love my bed and I could just stay there.

 

So the first thing is I set an alarm and I set it for quite early. Now one of the first books that I read was Mel Robins’ Five Second Rule. It’s such a simple concept and yet transforming and it basically says when you have a decision to make like getting out of bed in the morning you give yourself a five second countdown and on zero you do the thing that you are counting down to because her science and thought around this and do read books it’s fun. It’s really really good. But her science of thought around this is that if at any point we pause and allow our brain to make the decision, our brain is going to go ‘Oh I don’t want to go out of bed. Now I’d much rather stay here it’s much nicer and warmer and cozier’ and or I will snooze. And again there is loads of science around if you snooze your alarm then you fall into a different sleep and if you then try and wake up again it’s then a horrible sleep to wake up from. There’s another book I link up to called Shawn Stevenson’s Sleep Smarter. He talks a lot about a lot of science around that which is fascinating.

 

So anyway the first thing I do is set your alarm if you can get up immediately then great. Another trick you can do is obviously put your phone somewhere else in the room or your alarm clock somewhere else in the room so that you have to physically get up to turn it off. That’s also helpful. But if you do struggle with wanting to hit the snooze button you literally in your head as your lying there go five four three two one and on one you get up out of bed. So that’s the first thing.

 

Then normally what I do is I will get out of the room because if I stay there, I want to go back to sleep and I’m normally pretty tired by thee. Now one of the things that Mal recommends is going in and splashing some water on your face. I’m not a big fan of that if I’m honest. That doesn’t seem to make a huge amount of difference to me so I tend to just go straight into my routine and I could go downstairs and I probably make myself a coffee straight off because I’d like a coffee that time in the morning. I do try and drink water as well so do try and drink a full glass of cold water to kind of wake yourself up a bit.

 

But like I said I’m not going to lie to you I sit there with a coffee as well as my water and then the first thing I do is journal. Now if you don’t journal, you might be sat there thinking ‘What on earth are you talking about Teresa? Why would I waste my time getting up at 6:00 in the morning to write in a journal?’ But honestly, I can tell you it’s one of these ways in which I keep my head really clear because I have a real problem of overthinking. Generally in life and about things but also about the business and when my head is full of stuff and full of ideas and full of worries and full of concerns and full of amazing goals, I can’t think straight and I can’t work straight and I’m not very productive. So getting up in the morning and writing down in your journal whatever comes into your head and it doesn’t have to be neat and it doesn’t have to be exact. And I have the worst spelling ever and I promise you I’m sure if you saw my journal, not that anybody doe,s you wouldn’t be able to read it even if you saw it because my handwriting is so appalling. But it’s more the action of writing for one physically writing which is nice I like that. I know it sounds silly but in a world of digital stuff I actually really like to write and secondly just pouring out a load of stuff.

 

So some of the things I journal about are like I said getting the stuff out of my head that’s in my head of what I’m thinking about ideas and goals and objectives and concerns. The other thing I do which could be slightly woo woo I guess but I actually find it really helps is if I’m struggling with something. If I’m struggling to come to an answer or write something or coming up with an idea of about something is I will literally write the question or the problem on my journal. I will literally write. How do I do this? What name can I choose for this? And then I just try and start writing down whatever comes into my head. And again there is something different about the physical writing that enables you to come up with ideas differently and you know what it might not even come straight away. It might be the following day when your journaling something jumps into your head. But for me I really enjoy the journaling bit.

 

Also the other thing that I find it useful for and I’m being very honest here is you know when there are times in your life that you have an argument with someone or you fall out with someone and you know you should be being a little bit more sympathetic or thinking it from their point of view. Well actually those are times where journaling for me really comes in handy. I’m glad it doesn’t happen very often but sitting down and writing about how they might feel and what they might think and why that might have happened or how you reacted and was that okay, it actually just gives you another perspective, it just gives you another way to think about it and it’s a calmer way. And therefore often at the end of that journal when I’ve been writing about it I’ve then literally turned around and gone you know what I’m sorry, thinking about it this is what I should have done or should’ve said or how I should’ve reacted. So for me, having that space to write back can really help.

 

Now there’s another podcast I listen to by Brooke Castillo. Hers is the life school podcast, I put it in the show notes again and she also talks about journaling at the end of the day. So downloading your brain is the way she puts it. So after the end of the day and you’ve had loads of things to think about and you’ve done lots of things, literally do a download on some paper of all the stuff in your head and she says it really helps us sleeping better. Now if I’m totally honest my evenings always go a little bit awry with either, I just want to zone and watch telly or on a drink wine and gin and tonic and then I go to bed and I forget about it but I am going to try and stop doing that journaling in the evening because I do understand what she’s saying and I think I would sleep better if I’m having the opportunity to kind of just pour out anything that’s been in my head that day and think I didn’t achieve that I maybe wanna achieve tomorrow. So journaling for me is definitely a morning routine and that’s normally one thing I’m very good at doing.

 

Now the next thing I do in the morning which I am very good at doing because I love it is meditation. Ah right. I’m going to be totally honest that it’s basically the fact that I can sit there with my eyes closed and not move for about 15 minutes. That is the best thing about meditation. I have gotten much better at it over time. Again it’s something that has taken time off from been doing it a couple of years now. And not consistently. I’ve probably more consistent in the past 12 months but actually there are loads and loads and loads of health benefits to meditating and it doesn’t have to be what you imagined it to be. You don’t have to be sat cross legged umming and arring. That’s not it at all. In some cases I’ve done stuff like that but a lot of the cases it’s just closing your eyes concentrating on your breathing. And normally I like a guided meditation so I like to hear someone saying something to me. It helps me to keep focused because otherwise my brain goes off in every direction and starts thinking about everything. But like, I said the health benefits are massive. It’s things like lower your blood pressure, your brain activity increases, it promotes sleep and concentration. It really does have so many positive benefits. And like I said it’s something that I have to work harder. I do really enjoy meditating and I tend to do different ones depending on how I’m feeling so there’s a Tony Robbins one that I listen to on YouTube. That’s a really good one. If I want to feel more grateful and positive and get ready for a great day. If I want to relax and do some sleeping ones that I have different ones that I do there. Other people like Deepak if you search Deepak and meditation he has got some great stuff right there. Also there’s an app called Headspace which I’ve done a few off there. They’re quite nice and again quite simple and a good starting point actually. And Brendon Burchard who I’m going to talk about a bit later, he also has his own meditations as well. If you just google Brendon Bouchard meditations into Youtube then you will find some stuff there so there is definitely lots of different meditations that you can do depending on how you feel. But it’s so worth trying. And like I said in all honesty in the craziness of life, I just like the fact that I get to sit and relax for a little bit. And I get to try and quiet my brain because it does work overtime a lot of the time.

 

Now one of the books that inspired me to meditate and also to look at my morning routine was Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. Great book, great back story actually and has a lot of personal triumphs and challenges which as been you know hard work for him that he’s overcome and he has talked...

KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST

• Video is one of the best ways to reach as many as people as possible when it comes to social media, and the best way to increase your overall engagement.
• If you are using pre-recorded videos, you want to keep it between 15 seconds to 3 minutes. People don’t like to spend hours and hours watching videos, so keeping it as short and sweet as possible is the best way to keep your viewers watching. Live videos should be between 7 minutes and 17 minutes. For longer videos, you may want to consider using YouTube.
• Think about how you’re going to make your videos emotional and relatable, as this will ensure you have a much bigger reach. Be inspirational.
• Text overlay is important when it comes to video, as a lot of people will watch without their sound on.
• Stories are an incredible way to show your authenticity. You can show your personality and the making of your business, giving people an idea of who you are and what you’re about.
• Instagram Stories advertising is currently the cheapest it is ever going to be, so if you’re going to invest, do it now.
• Facebook owns Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger and when you look at closer, you can see that two of those apps are focussed on one-to-one communication. Moving forward, getting people to message you on a one-to-one basis is going to be the way forward. Whether it’s through Instagram DM’s, Facebook Messenger or on WhatsApp.
• Chat bots are another hot topic at Social Media Marketing World. Although they’re not designed to take over those one-to-one conversations, they can speed up the processes that you find you’re answering over and over again. Whether it’s booking appointments, answering customer service questions or detailing opening times.
• When people join a Facebook group they are there because they have a common interest with you. It’s a meaningful way to have a two-way conversation, at the same time as focussing on your community.
• If you niche down on something, it’s definitely worth considering opening a group and finding likeminded people to join you.

THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE…One of my key takeaways was that there is no algorithm in your email list. You have complete creative control so building your email list should be one of your biggest priorities moving forward.Highlights You Simply Can’t Miss

• What Is Social Media Marketing World? - 02.20
• Focussing on Video - 06:02
• The Importance of Stories – 13:17
• Messenger Messaging and Messenger Bots – 17:00
• A Few Social Media Marketing World Favourites – 20:20
• Using Facebook Groups – 25:40

Links to Resources Mentioned in Today’s Episode

• Mari Smith
• Wave.Video
• Biteable.com
• Episode 8
• Episode 29
• Episode 51
• Episode 39
• Episode 31
• Episode 30
• Episode 44

Transcript below

 

Hello and a super warm welcome to this week’s episode of the podcast. How are you? I hope you’ve had a great week. Whatever you’re doing and that your quarter too has started off really positively and you’re really focused for this next quarter ahead. I know I am trying desperately to be and I do find these things really difficult to keep up. I have really good intentions in the early days and I start filling in my 90 day planner and then normally by I don’t know a week or two into where I stop. So I’m going to try super hard this time because I really have got some cool things that I want to achieve in this next quarter. So I really hope yours has got off to a good start as well.

Now I’m really excited about today’s episode because I decided that following my trip out San Diego to Social Media Marketing World that I wanted to come back and share all the stuff that I had learned while I was out there. And I want this episode to be a bit about Social Media Marketing World and explaining what it is and why you might want to consider going but also talking about what is hot right now. What should you be focusing your time and attention on in social media right now. This is always really key because there is so much that we can do and the overwhelm is real my friends. I feel it, everyone feels it and when there are so many different platforms and systems and tricks and tools and tips sometimes you just think today what I can’t do it all. And we go from you know complete overwhelm and then not doing anything which obviously is not great. So in this episode, I’m going to talk you through what the world’s experts are telling us that we need to be focusing on right nowin our own businesses and with the platforms, what kind of things we need to be doing. So I’m hoping that this episode is going to be a really good one and you’re going to have lots of value from it.

 

So before I kick into the good stuff let me just tell you about Social Media Marketing World. So this is a conference that happens in San Diego every year normally around March time and this year was my third year of attending.

 

And basically if you’re in social media or you work in social media then this is the place to be. Now it was on my vision board for some time in terms of I wanted to attend and I took a very risky strategy one year and just bought a ticket and thought to myself, I’m gonna make this work. I will find a way in which I can get out there and attend this conference. And you know what I did. And like I said this is my third time this year. Now one thing I need to tell you if you’ve not been to a conference in the States before, it is full on. So not only do they have the most amazing speakers from all around the world which is wonderful.

 

However they also have a really upbeat, fun and slightly crazy atmosphere going on where there’s cheering and bells and whistles and a high five guy and you know it’s really quite.. I can’t think of the word, What am I trying to say? It’s just really full on and I guess as a British person, we don’t have conferences like that so it can be a little bit kind of shocking when you first go in but it means that the atmosphere is kept up, it means that the enthusiasm is kept up and it is a great conference. And like I said, they pulling in people from all over the world as attendees but also as speakers.

 

So who’s who of social media is at this conference. So you got keynote sessions from Marie Smith, Mike Stelzner and Mark Schaefer and of course our very own lovely Andrew and Pete and I have to say as friends of Andrew and Pete and having worked with them for some time it was like a proper.. I was going to say like proud mum moment which is hilarious but I am a bit older than them. But it really was like those boys, they were phenomenal. They were great. And to think of what they’ve achieved so that they’re keynoting Social Media Marketing World is amazing. So well done them but yeah like I said, loads of amazing speakers and then what happens at the conferences you end up having speakers against each other. So it’s a bit like a music festival where you attend anything who’s on what stage, when and who do I want to see. So you physically could not see every talk and like I said I find it very exhausting so actually and I think I’ve mentioned that I wasn’t feeling very well when I was over there so I missed more sessions than I would have liked to.

 

However one of the great things about the conference is with the full pass, they send you all the video. So since I’ve come back I’ve watched a lot of the videos as well so even the sessions I didn’t get to see that I really wanted to see I was able to then witness and see what they had to say which was brilliant and also sometimes when you’re at the conference it’s all overwhelming and you try and take in and you can’t. So again to come back and rewatch some of the ones I’ve already watched is really really great. So yeah conference was fantastic. Really enjoyed it. And I would highly recommend it to anybody that’s working in social media. It’s a fun place to go to. San Diego is just beautiful. I’ve been there. Very lucky now to have been quite a number of times and it’s stunning so it’s a great atmosphere. This year there was lots of UK people which is the first year I’ve known so many people from the UK go but like I said there are people from all over the world and I’ve connected with so many lovely people through just attending that conference. So definitely want to think about. But anyway, enough of the pitch for Social Media Marketing World. I’ll promise you. They haven’t asked me to do that.

 

Let’s talk about what’s hot right now in the social media space, what you should be doing in your businesses to get the biggest effect and a couple of things that maybe you shouldn’t be doing because they’re not working anymore. Now I have to say a lot of my content is coming from the keynote talk that Mari Smith did. If you don’t know Mari Smith I’m going to link up to her here a link below. She is a well she’s actually named the queen of Facebook because she’s been employed by Facebook in order to help promote what they do. She is sponsored and works with so many of the big sort of tech companies in terms of like wave video and some of the scheduling systems out there. Sp she has a lot of connections and she’s spoken at Social Media Marketing World every year and she was one of the very first people that I actually start training with. So it was really nice to see Mari up on that stage and hear what she’s got to say because she is a very smart lady and has got some really cool stuff to say which is cool.

 

So today I want to talk about the four key areas that she mentioned that are areas of growth and places in which we really want to put our focus in when we’re doing our social media marketing. So the first area which is not going to be a surprise and you’re going to think, how many times do is talk about this.. is going to be video and I know that. Honestly when I mentioned to people they’ve got to do videos, they literally groan. It’s the last thing they want to do. But I promise you. It honestly is the best post that you can put on social media. It’s the ones that get the most interaction. It’s the ones that get the most reach. And it really is by far better than any other post you can do. Facebook loves them. Instagram loves them. They really are a fantastic post to do so. One thing that Mari said which I thought was really interesting and actually I want to touch on Mike Stelzner’s keynotes as well t about this is first off Mari said that for really engaging videos if they’re pre-recorded videos or videos you’ve created, you really want to be keeping them between 15 seconds of three minutes long so 15 seconds is great for something like Instagram because obviously your story is 15 seconds but really short sweet, succinct. As quick as possible getting that message across as quick because we don’t like spending hours and hours watching stuff especially on Facebook, which is what Mike Steltzner was saying.

 

So what was really interesting about his keynote was he was talking about a long form video that he’s been producing called The Journey and he was putting that video out on Facebook and also on YouTube and he gave some amazing stats of the fact that even though Facebook said it had I don’t know 20000 views hardly any of those views went past 10 seconds. Whereas YouTube seemed to give them less views but more quality and people stayed around for longer.

 

And if you think about the two platforms, it kind of makes perfect sense. If I’m watching something on YouTube then I I don’t mind sitting around and watching it I do feel like I would expect to be watching something longer on YouTube than I would necessarily on Instagram and Facebook. And actually personally I think Facebook would probably be more tolerant of a slightly longer video than I would have Instagram because Instagram is so fast moving so it’s really something to think about.

 

So if your videos are long you might want to think of using your YouTube strategy rather than just perhaps a Facebook video strategy. So I thought that was fascinating what Mike said and the stats that he gave us in terms of actually on the surface of it it looked like Facebook was better but when you dug into the stats and had to look at how long people were watching it for which is the key thing especially with a long video. Then actually Facebook didn’t do as well as YouTube did.

 

So anyway so Mari said that obviously your short videos that you have pre-recorded to in 15 seconds and 3 minutes and live videos between 7 minutes and 20 minutes. So live videos can be a bit longer but what was interesting is for a long time 30 minutes has been a good length for a live video. So it’s interesting that that appears to be coming down a bit and people don’t want to sit there for that length of time watching a live video. So she really encouraged everybody’s have a go and I’m going to put some links in the show notes so if you had to teresaheathwareing.com/60 oh the number and go and have a look there and I’m going to put some links to two sites that we use to create videos from stock images, stock photos, stop music and you can change colors, add your logos and you know what. If you’ve got some creativity in you then you can make some amazing videos if you’d rather do that than necessarily go live or put your face on camera.

 

So these two sites are called Wave.Video and biteable.com. They’re really really good like I said great ones to use for stock images checking your own images and some really nice creative things in there and then not a lot of money so if you do want to start creating video they can be a great way to start without having to pay a professional to do it. Now if you are going to start creating video there’s a couple of points that Mari pointed out that I want you to think about that you can try and bring into your videos that might help you get a bigger reach and more engagement on them. So the first thing is that if you can make it emotional or relatable then you’re going to get a much bigger reach.

 

So putting in some emotion somewhere whether it be makes you laugh, makes you angry, makes you sad, makes you happy. Think about the last thing that engaged you or you shared. And inevitably it would have produced an emotion in one way or another. So if you can bring some emotion into a video then great. Things like storytelling, pay attention to the story you’re telling and make it have a story. And again that will help that video get out there and it’ll help engage people watching the video. Also if you can keep it under 30 seconds and have that message come out really succinctly and I know 30 seconds doesn’t sound like long but I can assure you it really is on a video when someone’s watching it. So think about trying to keep that as succinct as possible. Then if you’re going to use on Instagram using square video is great. Obviously if you’re going to use it in stories then vertical video is also great. Try and be inspirational. Try and kind of engage someone like that and also have text overlay. So be ready for people to watch that video with no sound because I don’t know about you but I do exactly the same. I will watch a lot of stuff was sound off specially on Facebook and perhaps more than Instagram and of course make sure you’ve got some captions on there as well so that they can see what the videos about even if they haven’t got the signed on. So that’s the first one video, I want you to really think about hey can bring that into your business. Again you don’t have to put your face on camera. It could be a stock video that you’ve created through biteable or wave or you could be recording your screen and just have your voice. So try and think about the different ways you can do that.

 

OK. The next big hot thing that you should be focusing on right now which comes on very nicely from video is stories. Mari mentioned that stories are growing 15 times faster than the feed. I personally get more people watching my stories than I do necessarily engaging with my image on my feed on Instagram. Now I have to say at the moment I’m not putting stories to Facebook. I don’t really have a good reason as to why I’m not doing that. I think because my focus is on Instagram and I prefer Instagram but I am wondering whether I just need to start sharing my stories across the two platforms because stories are where it’s at. People love the story side, they love the authenticity, they love the fact that it’s real and they can see you and hear you and get a real feel for who you are. It’s very authentic. I was talking last night funnily enough I was doing a small talk locally and I was doing this talk and there was a consultant there and I said to her how do people know whether they want to work with you or not. Because as a consultant or a coach or a trainer or whatever it might be, you’re going to want to make sure that you get on with them, that you like them, that you have the same opinions of them or you respect them. And how do people know that? Unless you’re going to networking meetings and I can assure you that’s not something I do anymore. I did do in the early days but not anymore. Then how are people going to know whether I am someone that they want to work with or someone that they can trust that knows what they’re talking about and something like stories is a great way of showing that it’s a great way of someone getting to know my personality as well as well as the podcast. I love the podcast but it’s a great way of getting someone to understand who I am, what I’m about without actually having to physically meet them. So stories are totally hot right now and something that you really want to consider doing. Also one thing that Mari said which is fascinating is advertising within stories is the cheapest that it’s ever going to be. So she said that one of her clients got a conversion cost half the price in the story than it was in the feed. So hopefully you understand what I mean by that. So they would have advertised something in the feed itself and then also as a story and basically they were getting double the result for the same cost in the story. So that was really interesting that people were engaging in that story and maybe for me it’s something that I need to think about a little bit more in terms of actually focusing...