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Browse published articles attributed to Dawn Shuler, with full-archive search.
"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both... " One of my clients was writing a novel, and she was extremely frustrated. She had two different tracks she could follow, and she just couldn't decide which one to take. So she was stuck... and wasn't writing a thing.
A few years ago, I ran across a blog post where the author claimed that those who think that writing well is important sap the life out of creativity. She recounted how she was discouraged from sending a letter to Mad Magazine because her English teacher critiqued it too harshly.
A few months ago, I met with a former coaching client for a lovely dinner, and we spent some time catching up since it had been a couple of months since we had connected. We told each other our stories, including how some relationships, business and personal, had ended. She said it's like walking with someone along a path. You both can see the same thing because you're looking at the landscape from the same vantage point. You have a commonality. Then, the two of you come to a river and stop. The paths diverge. You can either cross the river or continue along the river on this side.
Whether you're a business owner or an employee, like it or not, there are thousands of people in your industry... Notice I didn't say, "There are thousands of business owners/employees just like you" because that's not true. However, if you present yourself like everyone else or play it safe in your marketing, then you might as well be just like everyone else. (And even if you don't think you're in the business of marketing, you are. If you're an employee, you're constantly marketing yourself, proving that you're the ideal person in your position.)
Well, it's only evil if you look at it a certain way. If the word "marketing" scares you off, it might help you to know that my definition of marketing is any kind of communication and connection you make with your people... anything. See, it doesn't have to be evil. Or what some people call a "necessary evil." You're just letting people know who you are and what you do. Simple. And if you can look at marketing like that, then perhaps it doesn't feel evil or like such a big, hairy monster.
I have a checklist of over 70 types of content that business owners could be writing. That sounds overwhelming, but as a business owner, you probably don't need to write all 70+. And... to keep in front of your market and your community and to establish your credibility, you do need to be writing something. So, what do you write? Obviously, you want to put your energy, time, and effort where it's going to make the most good. Here are the 5 pieces of content you SHOULD be writing or tweaking.
Running an online business requires a ton of marketing... even some things you might not consider marketing. Article writing, blogging, social media updates, sales page copy, campaign emails, video scripts, networking elevator speeches, bios... It can be overwhelming when you think about it. Sometimes it even seems easier to just not do anything at all. Here are five strategies to help you simplify your marketing plans - and to make sure you continue to market!
You've spent weeks, maybe even months, writing your new eBook or home study system. You brought on a graphics designer to make sure your product rocks the casbah. You're even ready with a fulfillment company to print the CDs, DVDs, and workbook. You give a sigh of relief... you're done. Uh, no, you're not. Now, you have to market the thing that you've just spent weeks and months developing. You're not anywhere near being done.
A common marketing statistic bandied about is that it takes 7-10 touches to get people's attention. Hence, why on radio stations, you'll hear the same commercials over and over - because advertisers know they can't just play the commercial once and expect people to buy their widget. I've also seen reports where people have tracked their selling statistics, and they find they have much more follow-through after 14 touches. What that means is that you have to put yourself in front of people - consistently and persistently. You need to get your message out there - often.
If you work virtually or market your business online at all, your website is a crucial part of your business. It's one of the first things online people will see about you. Even offline people might go "check you out" after they've met you in person. Think about your own website experience... you meet someone, and you go check out her website. You lurk a bit on your competition's websites to see what they're doing and what they offer. You shop. You read. You browse. You look for entertainment. And you flit from one website to the other.