Category: Free Training

Hello and welcome to this week’s Monday Minutes. Each week in this series I am going to share simple tips and advice that you can implement quickly to help your business become more successful.

This week’s tip is all about using Instagram to gain attention for your business. Instagram began in 2010 and is now one of the most downloaded apps to date.  The main idea behind this popular social site is to help users post photos that they can tweak with filters and  give people a quick peek into their world.

There is little doubt that  it has changed the way people share images online.  They  are posting photos of things they like, things they want, and places they visit.  You will find people and even brand with huge lists of followers eager to see what post next. As a business owner, are you ready to engage with your audience in a big way?  Instagram can help!

Statistics suggest that five million images or more are shared every single day on Instagram!  Every day, more people are joining in the fun.  Smart business owners see Instagram as a huge opportunity. They use it to draw attention to their products and services. Even better, they use it to build a relationship with their target audience.

If you aren’t familiar with Instagram yet, (where have you been?) it's a mobile app that allows people to post images and videos from their mobile devices. The app has camera effects that may be applied by users in order to make their images more exciting or different.

Once users are happy with their images or videos, they can add a description along with hashtags.  Hashtags (represented with the # symbol before a word or phrase) give users an easy way to categorize an image or video, allowing them to show up in a search of that hashtag, which is a very powerful thing!

For example, if you post an image and use the hashtag #hottopic, then your image and description will not only be seen by all of your followers, but anyone who searches that particular hashtag will also see your image in their search results.

The hashtag #hottopic is just an example.  Your hashtag can be anything that you think your target audience is interested in or is actively searching for, say for instance, #golfswing or #makemoney,

Once you create your Instagram account and begin posting, you will want to start attracting followers and as well as following others.  To get the ball rolling you can follow the accounts of people who match your audience.

Search for a particular hashtag in your niche and either begin following people or simply liking their photos (you can “like” a photo by double tapping it). Leaving positive and supportive comments on photos is another way to engage your target audience.

So, when you're ready to jump on the bandwagon, just download the app and start sharing!  Once you begin using it you will see how easy and fun it really is.  But best of all, you will unlock a powerful tool that connects you in a unique way with your ideal customers.

Are you ready to stop ignoring Instagram for your business? Download your Free Guide: 21 Powerful Ways to Use Instagram to Get More Clients and start using it strategically and authentically to build a vibrant, active community that will attract your ideal client. *note this is created for coaches, but the principles will apply to any business.

You can also download a free Instagram companion worksheet and checklist here: http://lisamcope.com/instagram-worksheet

If you like this post please comment, share and fill out the short form on this page to subscribe to my list so I can send you even more tips, information and blog updates that will help you grow your business online!

Thank you for reading,

 

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Hello and welcome to this week’s Monday Minutes. Each week in this series I am going to share simple tips and advice that you can implement quickly to help your business become more successful.

This week’s tip is all about accountability, because when you run your own business, who holds you accountable? 

Think about that question for a minute, when you have a job, your boss and your coworkers rely on you to get things done in a timely manner. And when you don’t follow through, it affects them, the business and maybe even your long-term employment.

But when you work for yourself, there is no one to hold you accountable!

No one calls you or emails you and asks if your new book is ready, or wants to know when you’re finally going to record that video, or questions why you haven’t posted to the blog in three months.

On the surface, that sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? After all, not having a boss is one of the biggest reasons  people are drawn to the idea of self-employment, but here’s the problem: When no one is depending on you getting your work done, procrastination lack of focus and time sucking distracting (hmmm Facebook) can quickly take over and bring your business to a screeching halt.

The answer is simple - Find someone you'll have to answer to for your actions.

You have several options, from your spouse to automated systems such as stickk.com, but smart business owners have a secret weapon and that's a coach.

When you think of a business coach, you probably immediately think of someone helping you solidify your branding or create a plan for launching your new product line. But a good coach is much more than an idea factory. They will also cheer your successes and hold you accountable if you aren’t making progress.

With a business coach, that accountability works better than with your spouse or accountability partner simply because you’re paying for their advice. Imagine how bad you’d feel paying a coach a few hundred dollars (or more) a month and not taking action on their advice. If you’re like most other business owners, that investment is a huge motivator!

One-on-one coaching isn’t the only way to go, either. You can also join a mastermind group and get some of the same benefits, including help with business development and accountability.

Mastermind groups come in many different styles, including groups of friends and colleagues who bounce ideas off one another and costly paid plans that match you up with business owners who have similar goals and product offerings.

Both coaching and masterminding are proven techniques used by successful large and small business owners for years, and virtually every entrepreneur can benefit from one or the other or both. But just like any tool, it only works if you use it well.

So before you enter into any coaching or mastermind agreement, be sure you:

• Have clear goals for what you want to accomplish your coach can help you set goals in your first meeting.
• Work with those who have similar businesses or products it would make little sense for a veterinarian to work with a mastermind partner who is an Amazon FBA seller.
• Avoid the trap of being too understanding accountability means not giving people “a pass” just because they’ve had a bad week or got distracted.

Final tip: It’s OK to change coaches and mastermind groups from time to time. You’ll only grow as a business owner if you stretch, and you can’t do that if you work with the same coach for too long.

In case you missed this little gift last time. It's a printable worksheet that you can use to help gain more confidence, get more done and attract more customers for your business.

Download it here: Worksheet-Find-Confidence-Get-More-Done.pdf

If you like this post please comment, share and fill out the short form on this page to subscribe to my list so I can send you even more tips, information and blog updates that will help you grow your business online!

Thank you for reading,

 

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Hello and welcome.

I love sharing simple tips and advice that you can implement quickly to help your business grow and this week’s tip is all about your important do's and don'ts when it comes to emailing your list.

We're going to talk about some important things you should and shouldn't do before you start building and emailing your list.

The very definition of email marketing is using email to send information, advertisements and solicit sales for your business. It can and should be used ethically to build loyalty, trust and brand awareness.

One of the most powerful tools in your online marketing arsenal is an email list!

An opt-in email list is simply a database of people's names and email addresses. Usually this information collected from them via a web form, which gives the list owner permission to send subscribers periodic emails on specific topics that interest them.

The best part of this powerful tool is that it gives the list owner the ability to communicate and build a relationship with people who are interested in their business, products, or services. When it comes to effective list building there are a few do’s and don'ts that you should know before you start your own optin mailing list.

First lets go over some of the things you should do:

Always, inform people that they can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time. Be sure the let them know that their information is safe and that you will never rent, sell or share their email address with anyone.

Make sure that let your subscribers know what you will be sending them. It is important that you ask people permission to send them promotional email when they subscribe to your mailing list so that you can reduce your risk of being accused of sending SPAM.

Be clear about how people can benefit from subscribing and how often will you contact them. Let them know exactly what they will be receiving.

If you can, contact new subscriber as soon as you can. Welcome them with notes and tell them what to expect. A good autoresponder service will help you do this automatically.

Make it easy to subscribe by having a highly visible subscription form or link on the main pages of your website. Signing up should take as little time as possible and don’t ask for too much information right away. A name and email address is all you need to get started.

Next, are the things you shouldn’t do:

Add everyone who has ever emailed you to your list. Always ask permission first.

Purchase bulk email lists that you are not 100% sure that are optin. Always have an evidence to prove the legitimacy of the email addresses.

Abuse the trust of your subscribers. This is a sure way to ruin your reputation, business and your chance of success. When you abuse your subscribers and bombard them with unwanted email, they will ignore your messages, unsubscribe or even worse report you as a spammer.

Don't offer fantastic incentives for subscribing. Although this may seem like a great idea, you will end up getting subscribers that only want the reward, not to learn valuable information about what your business, products and services can do for them. Instead, use incentives that are useful such as a free report, seminar, or more information about your products & services.

Bombard your subscribers with too many emails. How many are too many? This will depend on your message. During the subscription process, let people know what they are getting before they join.

Don't be reluctant to address the needs of your subscribers. Keep your information focused. It is important to give them what they want. This will keep them on your list and wanting more. If you're information drifts off topic or is too generic you will lose subscribers as fast as you get them.

Spend too much money acquiring email addresses. An optin list is a valuable asset and that means there is an investment on your part to build and maintain it. But, budget reasonably and in advance, find the most cost effective ways for reaching your target audience and know exactly how much it will cost to acquire each new subscriber. Keep in mind potential revenue, and lifetime value of each customer, and chose accordingly.

Thank you for reading,

 

 

If you like this post please comment, share and fill out the short form on this page to subscribe to my list so I can send you even more tips, information and blog updates that will help you grow your business online!

In case you missed this little gift last time. It's a printable worksheet that you can use to help gain more confidence, get more done and attract more customers for your business.
Download it here: Worksheet-Find-Confidence-Get-More-Done.pdf

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save