Bruce Hoag
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I haven’t looked in Ezines in awhile, but I seem to remember that you could find out which articles got the most reads, when they were read last, and even see a graph that would show you how all of your articles were performing.
That info would probably tell you what you wanted to know.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
How many different types of freebie have you tried, Scott?
Are you waiting to see what seems to be the most effective before you create one?
If you’re getting a lot of traffic, then you could create two or three different squeeze pages and then have your autoresponder alternate among them.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Scott, I heard a story told by Napoleon Hill – I think it was him – about a jewelry store.
The merchandise wasn’t moving.
So the owner wrote a note to the employee to say that the prices should be halved.
Something was lost in the translation, and instead of selling them for half-price, they were all doubled.
Every single item sold out that day.
Entrepreneurs who are just starting are often afraid that no one will buy their products if their prices are too high; and while that’s true, it’s also true of anyone.
What tends to happen is that they undervalue themselves and don’t charge enough.
Something to think about.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Sean may be able to recommend a source, too.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
I couldn’t find Carol’s post, but I did find her Udemy link. She’s had 10K students.
Way to go, Carol.
https://www.udemy.com/user/carolbremner/
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Wow, Norma. A Psych professor. I’d better watch my step. LOL
I’ve taught undergraduate and MBA students in leadership and management on two US military bases in Italy.
That was fun.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
I know what you mean, Susan.
I went to Arizona for a week and a half last month. They never go on daylight savings time.
I think that the US and the UK are out by about 1-2 weeks in March and October. Then they line up again.
One way to get around this problem is by having asynchronous meetings; that is by contributing when you can, rather than having everyone show up at the same time.
Face-to-face is always better. Video calls are the next best thing. Then comes audio calls, and then forums, like this one.
But we entrepreneurs know that you have to make do with what you have quite often.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
It depends on a lot of things.
For example, do you have a budget? Or, do you have the technical know-how that might be necessary to get a particular platform to work.
A good question to start with is, what do you want the platform to do?
Find the best one available that does what you want. If you have the budget and / or technical expertise needed to make it work, then get it.
Otherwise, choose the next best thing.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
I, too, have affiliate links, but have never made anything from them.
It seems to me that their success depends on that famous list.
You can offer your products, the products of others, or both; but you have to have a list to do it.
I do agree, however, with the comments of others who have said that they’ll only offer products they’ve used and believe in.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Don’t know how to answer this, Joe.
Do you have particular ones in mind?
Can you give a few examples?
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Mastermind groups tend to be live, which can create its own problems.
The one I’m thinking of is time zones.
If the groups are run asynchronously, then it won’t matter. We all would contribute when it was good for us.
Some groups will probably want to do them live when they can, while others will be unable because of where the members are.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
It depends on your audience.
Like anything else, you won’t know unless you test it.
I recommend that you stick with the same lead magnet for at least 500 unique visitors.
That should give you a decent sized sample.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
I wrote a newsletter for about four years.
It was free and somehow I managed to get a few hundred subscribers.
I never monetized the list though.
Don’t think I knew how at the time. (It was before I met Sean.)
When I finally decided to stop writing it, I offered all of the issues for sale to the list.
People had kept them!
That should have told me that I was onto something.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Here’s the routine I try to follow.
Most of the time, something interferes with this, but at least you know what I’m aiming for.
It all starts with going to bed by 9.15 pm. (Fat chance! LOL)
5:15 Wake up.
5:15-8:30 Bkfst/QT
8:30-10:40 Writing
10:40-17:30 Make lunch, go to the day job, and go home
17:30-20:30 Email, Facebook, PreneurPal, Exercise
20:30-21:15 RelaxI have a Prayer Meeting or House Group on alternating Wednesday evenings and usually go shopping on Friday after work or Saturdays.
And the goal is to exercise three times per week. For me, that means either cycling outside or with the Power Turbo inside.
I’m hoping to move soon which will mean more travel time to work, but also some added appliances for conveniences at home.
The hardest thing about following a routine for me is getting to bed on time.
You might benefit from a book called The One Thing by Gary Keller with Jay Papasan.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy1 user thanked author for this post.
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Sounds quite interesting, Remcy. Count me in.
I’d like to create my own user name and password.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
To me, a platform is a place where content lives.
So that could be your website, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, someone else’s site, etc.
A membership is a place where a select group of people have access to each other, specific content, the host, or all three.
So a membership could sit on a platform, but a platform isn’t a membership.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
My own impression is that webinars work well for those that have huge lists.
I guess that makes them an “advanced” strategy.
Considering the complexity of running a live webinar, I’d stick with something that was simpler and less time-consuming.
One exception is to do FaceTime Live on Facebook.
I don’t know the ins and outs of this, but you do need to have a group.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Sean’s suggestion is a good one.
I’d like to make another one. Actually, Sean taught me this one. 😉
Do what’s easiest for you.
Think about it.
Which do you think will have the most impact? Five videos or 10 audios?
In the early days, quality in quantity may make more of a difference to your perceived expertise.
If you have 50 audios, and you want to make videos, then even if it takes you awhile to do each one, you’ll still have a lot of content on your site or the platform that you’re using.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Just wanted to mention that I haven’t been logged out yet, which I think is great.
It means that I easily can pick up where I left off. LOL
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Looking forward to that article, Don.
I don’t understand either platform very well, and I can’t see how they’re relevant for what we’re doing.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
I’m interested to know how all of you write emails in a vacuum.
By that I mean, if there’s hardly anyone on your list, it means that you probably won’t get any feedback.
So that means that you have to come up with a topic on your own.
For me, that’s not usually a problem.
The challenge comes from the continuity of the ideas that are presented in the email sequence.
By the time you have 30-40 messages in your sequence, it’s a little tough to remember what you’ve written about.
How do y’all cope with that?
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Congratulations, Scott.
I thought about going for it, but the time zone difference, the day job, and other things meant that I couldn’t spend the time on it during the contest.
There’ll be another opportunity. 😉
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
I don’t use FB advertising.
Even so, I thought I add something which I think will be valuable to you.
If you decide to use them, then make sure that they are one of a number of marketing methods that you use.
That’s because that real estate doesn’t belong to you.
And so FB could change something one day that could completely throw off your strategies.
For example, I read recently that FB is only going to show posts of those who advertise with them. Something like that.
Now even if you do advertise with them, you’re still not protected. They could insist on a minimum monthly spend, and if it was bigger than your budget, then your content wouldn’t be visible.
Your own website, on the other hand, is territory that you own.
Make sure that it has a lot of content on it so that people can recognize your authority when they get there.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
What you need to do, Dana, is to work solely on the things that only you can do and then outsource the rest.
Perry Marshall talks about $10/hr work, $100/hr work, $1K/hr and $10K/hr work.
To the extent possible, you need to put your time in on doing the $1K and $10K/hr work. If you do that, then you’ll have the time you need.
Thing is that most people spend much of their time doing $10/hr work.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
I have used Camtasia, but now that I’m back to Mac, I use QuickTime. It’s easy to use and came with the computer.
Some people use ScreenFlow and maybe there’ll come a time when I do, too.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy1 user thanked author for this post.
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That depends on two things.
The first is whether or not the certification is accredited by an institution that matters.
Anyone can create a course and certify that you’re trained to teach their materials.
If you’re big like Dale Carnegie, or Toastmasters, or some prestigious university, then certification from them means something.
The other is what will give you credibility in front of your prospects.
It could be that you’ll need to put some explanation of what the certification means somewhere on your website.
I think that the second thing probably matters more than the first.
Your credentials have to be relevant to your audience.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
I got 10 bucks each for my first articles.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Great idea, Jan.
You should also check your Resource Boxes to make sure that the links in them are still accurate.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
We’re all afraid of one or more things.
And we should be.
Although our fears can get in the way, they can also protect us from harm.
You do ask an interesting, though common, question.
I’m going to answer it in a way that perhaps you’re not expecting.
I’ve learned that if there’s something that makes me feel anxious, and it’s legal, moral and ethical, and it’s consistent with something I’m trying to do in the business, then it’s probably something that I should do anyway.
And so, I turn into the wind so to speak, and force myself to do it.
The thing is that when we shy away from something that’s perfectly legitimate – that we know in our heart of hearts is the right thing to do – we teach our brain that this is something that should be avoided.
And in our minds, that thing gets bigger and bigger and bigger.
A good example is apologizing to someone.
The longer we put it off, the harder it gets.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
That’s very kind of you Jan. Maybe we can talk about some kind of a Finder’s Fee for you.
It’s also a really tough question to answer, LOL.
My strengths lie in deep thinking and reasoning. I ask questions that no one else seems to.
In museums, for example, the most common answer I get when I ask something is, “No one has ever asked me that before.”
Now I’m telling you this is because I like to write about topics that have a lot of scope for talking about why people do what they do and what they should do differently.
So, for example, I’ve written a lot about leadership, management, organizational change, employee motivation, etc.
In the IM world, that takes the form of what’s holding you back? Why do you think A is true of you? Why are you distracted? Why do you procrastinate? What should you do differently in order to get past these obstacles?
You can see that all of this is appropriate for entrepreneurs, which is my target audience.
I could refine that further to online entrepreneurs, IM-ers in particular, though not necessarily exclusively. And of course people such as management consultants and those who have small businesses and are struggling to know how to manage their people.
Is that specific enough for you?
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
For a start, none of us deserves to succeed.
Having said that, I need to work on self-discipline.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Depends on your niche and your level of expertise.
In some niches, you can search for the industry standard. Then decide if it sounds about right, too little or too much for you.
If you’re just starting, don’t have much experience, or no recognizable training in it, then you’ll probably have to start on the low side.
If you have a track record and an advanced degree, then you can go for higher rates.
Ultimately, you’ll find out when a serious prospect starts to negotiate with you.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
I haven’t used them personally, but I can’t help but think that it’s one more possibility.
It’s only that, however.
You can’t do everything.
You can’t dominate every platform.
Thing to do is to pick one and then master it.
And then when you’ either got that one under control or know that it’s not the place for you, then move onto a second one.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy1 user thanked author for this post.
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This is a great start.
If there was a Like button, then I’d click it. 🙂
I hope that I can give people a depth of understanding about the things they’re thinking about that exceeds what they can get elsewhere and, I make no apologies for saying that I also hope that I can get some new business as well.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
We’re in at the beginning of a new group.
Friending seems like the obvious way to get to know the people who are in it.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
I’d start with the places where forums are known to exist.
Facebook, for example, has something like 100K.
LinkedIn is a kind of forum. You can answer questions there.
So is Quora and Reddit.
You can also do a search on Google for “your niche” +forum.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
What part of that “niche” do you feel compelled to work in?
When you write a blog post, what is the topic that you gravitate to naturally?
Focus on that.
Write down a dozen or so principles or concepts that define that one part. Then write down another dozen or so parts under each of them.
Now write about all 100-150 topics that you have listed.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Start by coaching one-on-one.
When you have too many people to do that, then introduce a group program at a lower per person rate.
There’s no need to rush the format when you’re trying to change lives.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Think about your own experience.
When you go to a website that you’ve never been to before and are offered a product, does the presence of a guarantee or a badge of some kind make you feel more confident about buying something from them?
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Don’t know about you, but I do it because I enjoy it.
Yes. I want to be paid well for what I do, but I have a day job that pays the bills.
Sometimes, I think you have to be a bit philosophical about it.
It takes a lot more time than most people realize to build a business.
You can take a lot of pressure off yourself by doing your best, and not worrying about when it will pay.
As Sean has said, you have to have everything in place; but you also have to be doing many of the right things in the right way.
I’m not a gambler, but I’ve seen fruit machines in movies and stores.
What does it take to win big?
Everything has to be lined up just right first.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy1 user thanked author for this post.
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The most important part of the business for me is self-discipline.
Without it, nothing else happens.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
It’s something that I’ve done to a limited extent.
I prefer to work one-on-one or with a small group.
It’s not something that I’m looking to do right now, but if someone wanted my help, then I’d give it to them.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
I think it was Kevin Kline, founder of Wired, who said recently that all you need is 1000 raving fans.
A raving fan is someone who will buy everything that you create.
With 1000 of them, they will take care of helping you to influence the number of people that you want to.
So concentrate on getting that number first.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
I mentioned this in another post, but one thing that we need to think about is whether groups should consist of those in the same niche or in different niches.
There’s no reason why it can’t be both, but each of us will have to decide which type of group we want to be in.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Hardly anyone makes money straight out of the gate, and there are many who don’t earn anything.
Find a problem that people are desperate to fix, and create a solution.
Then start writing, slidesharing, youtubing, or whatever to make people aware of your expertise.
You’ll need to create a critical mass of content online.
50,000 words on your blog is not unreasonable.
And then you have to promote those posts everywhere that you can.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
At your suggestion, Norma, I took your advice.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy1 user thanked author for this post.
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Hi Elaine,
If it was me, I’d start by dropping the printed newsletter.
You simply tell people that 90%, or whatever is accurate, or your subscribers receive the newsletter electronically and that the time-suck of producing a printed version isn’t worth it.
Then, as Sean has suggested, put it into a membership site online.
Alternatively, you could charge those people who want a printed version for the cost of printing, packing and mailing.
Most people will understand that this is necessary.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
One of the things that makes LinkedIn special is that when you send an email, it’s likely to be opened.
And so you could use that one benefit as a way to build a relationship with people.
It is a one-on-one way to do it, but depending on your business, I know that it can be effective.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
It really depends on what you’re willing to live without.
For example, you can get a website on wordpress.com for free. The domain name won’t be as “pretty” as if you owned it yourself, but you could save money by using them.
MailerLite is an autoresponder that lets you have 1000 subscribers before they charge you for anything, and that’s with an unlimited number of emails each month.
PayPal will let you take payments, but they’ll only charge you when you make a sale. In other words, you have to be earning before you pay, and you’ll earn a lot more than they take.
You don’t even have to have a computer or an internet connection. Both are available in public libraries.
So if you’re willing to give up all the “niceties” and stick with the essentials, you can start earning a living online for nothing.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
I adopted something like this a few years ago, except it was three things; not 10.
Ten things for 10 days is actually more difficult than it sounds; but three things every day for a month or more is harder. It was for me anyway.
Even so, it’s essential to be grateful for what you have and to name some of those things every day.
You can rest assured that there are a lot of people in the world who don’t have them.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy
