Author: Derek Fredrickson

Categories
Business Growth Email Marketing List Building Traffic

Are Your Emails Worth Reading?

There is a kid’s television show called Blues Clues. It’s about a guy and his pet dog “Blue” that have adventures where they use “clues” to figure out what the dog wants. It’s quite cute.

Ever seen it?

In each episode there is a point at which the main character receives mail from the mailbox. I love it. When it’s “mailtime” – there is an upbeat song and the guy excitedly exclaims “Mailtime!” Then he sings:

“Here’s the mail, it never fails it makes me wanna wag my tail, when it comes I wanna wail MAIL!!!!”

You can check out the actual video here. But, read on for the real juice…

Now, I don’t know about you – but I’ve not been that excited about mail in a LONG time. Not since the day of pen pal letters as a kid.

What about you?

And what about being excited in something so commonplace in today’s world – like email?!

Do your emails generate that type of behavior? Are they exciting? Engaging? Interesting? Do they make people sing and jump up and down?

Probably not.

But, you should be writing emails with that goal in mind.

If not, you’re emails will be like everything else that is out there. BORING!

How do you it?

Here are 6 secrets to writing exciting and interesting emails:

Keep it casual. Write emails like you’re writing to your friends. Not a list of random subscribers who you have no relationship with. Pretend you’re writing an email to your best friend.

Keep it real. No fluff and don’t lie. Tell it like it is and in your own voice. Don’t try to be like anyone else.

Keep it conversational. I don’t know about you, but I respond well on email when the person writing keeps it simple and to the point without a lot of formalities. Try writing the email like you were texting someone – it keeps it open and encourages a response or reply.

Keep it interesting. Write about them – not you. Whether you inject your personality or humor or a certain edge – when you make it interesting for the reader – they’ll obviously read more and be more engaged in what you’re telling them.

Give them a call-to-action. Have a point with your emails – not just ramble on. Have an end goal in mind and write so that the user takes that action. 95% of the people who do email marketing miss and forget the fact that it’s almost ALWAYS about getting the readers to click through to something (a website, video, sales page, etc.)

Give them value. Make it worth their time and effort when reading your emails. You would only expect the same when reading their emails. Make sure they actually want to read your emails and they’ll feel they’re getting value.

Keep these 6 simple tips in mind when writing your emails and your readers will soon react to your emails just like they do on Blues Clues: Mailtime!

Until next time… Learn It, Love It, Live It!

Categories
Facebook List Building Marketing Social Media Video

How To Get More Facebook Fans

I’ve seen so many people make this mistake I decided to do a video about it. I hope you find it useful. If so, please post a comment below or let me know of any questions you have about it.

Enjoy!

How To Get More Facebook Fans

This video shows how to get more Facebook fans on your fan page by properly linking your Facebook personal profile to your company or business fan page.

Until next time… Learn It, Love It, Live It!

Categories
Business Growth Facebook List Building Marketing Pay-Per-Click Traffic

How to Crush It with Facebook Ads

It seems there are a lot of people out there that have a negative view of using pay-per-click advertising to build their list. As I shared in one of my earliest posts – paid advertising is in fact one of the BEST ways to authentically and rapidly build your list with highly qualified and motivated leads. But, you have to be willing to pay.

So, as an Internet marketer, I strongly feel that online ads are an integral part of any marketing campaign.

It’s our duty (and sometimes a challenge) to design ads that catch the user’s attention and get them to click on it. It’s as simple as that.

One of the more popular places where online ads have been growing in popularity is on Facebook. The social networking site has over 750 million users – which demonstrates a massive reach when it comes to offering your services into new markets. Thus, it makes sense that Internet marketers have been using Facebook as another platform (along with Google AdWords) to extend their marketing campaign.

But, there is a catch. What is the success formula for creating an effective Facebook ad? While there is no “magic bullet” that addresses how to design the best converting ad, I provide here a list of guidelines that you can follow when designing your own Facebook ad.

Targeting
This can actually be broken down into two sub-categories: demographics and keyword targeting. It’s always important to consider your market in terms of age and location, so you can focus on delivering your campaign to the right people. Facebook offers so many more targeting options beyond those such as language, education, relationship status, likes and interests.

You can also choose to filter your ads through keywords or interests that can be linked to your ad. With any ad campaign, you can do a little research to find out what keywords best fit you. But, being able to target to specific interests and likes (i.e. other fanpages on Facebook) to target users is very powerful.

Facebook even gives you suggestions on the different type of topics or interest and how large an audience it has based on an interest keyword that you type in. This could be a new way to choose your audience if you want to target them based on their specific interests.

Design
The problem with Google AdWords (although I love them) is they are just plain text. You can’t get really creative with your ads and use compelling and interesting images along with your copy to make your ads really pop. This is where Facebook Ads are killer. You can choose an image for your ad that are going to grab the attention of your target users and use interesting images that are going to make people want to click it! It’s been proven that people will be more inclined to click on ads with a cool picture rather than a plain block of text.

Simplicity
Keep your ads simple. Since you only have so much space to play around with it’s important to come up with a short, yet compelling copy that will catch people’s attention. If you can combine your copy along with your call to action in the ad – then go for it.

Numbers
The statistics for your ads are critical to see how effective the ad you’re running is doing. Information such as impressions (how often your ad is viewed) or conversion (how many times your ad has been clicked) are super important. Not too mention how much money you’ve spent on the ad so you can tweak different elements to make it more effective.

Now that you know – it’s time to start cranking out some Facebook ads! Just make sure you use this list of guidelines.

Until next time… Learn It, Love It, Live It!

Categories
Business Growth Email Marketing List Building Marketing Mindset

Why Unsubscribers Are Good For You

You are probably thinking… “What?!”

Wondering why I would say people who opt out of your list is a good thing? Read on…

People lose interest. When someone joined your list they were excited and motivated to find out more about you and what you had to offer. It’s very difficult to sustain that level of engagement over time. Even if you’re cranking out excellent content and value consistently – some people just lose interest and move on. Nothing you can do about it. The longer the time, the more likely they will lose interest and eventually decide to opt out.

Be OK with that…

People opt out after a period of time with consistent non-activity. We all do it. We scan our email inbox or folders and decide to ourselves if we want to stay on that list… or not. It’s like spring cleaning or going through your closet and tossing what you don’t need and keeping what you do. The longer the stuff lingers in the closet or attic – the more likely it will get tossed. People view your list in the same way. We all have to try and rise above the clutter and remain front and center. Over time if we don’t meet our end of the bargain – they’re likely to opt out like last years jeans.

Be OK with that…

It’s time to wake up and smell the coffee. People opt out for a reason. It’s our job reason to have the awareness as to why they do opt out and figure out what can be done differently to avoid more people leaving in the future. Been through an extensive launch with a lot of “sales” and “pitch” emails? – you’re opt out rate will for sure increase to an extent. Starting to slack and not churn out the solid content that your subscribers are traditionally used to? Get back on it and whip it into shape. People who opt out should be seen like a red flag that something is not right – and you need to address it the best you can.

Be OK with that…

Focus on gaining the new people. The rate of people who unsubscribe is all relative to the number of new people who join your list. Focus on that and it will make the reality of people unsubscribing easy to deal with. Don’t look at your unsubscribe numbers -focus on the overall list size. People will leave your list at some point.

Be OK with that…

I’m happy when people opt out because then it cleans up my list and I can rely on more realistic and truthful statistics and analytics like open rates and click-through-rates. Dormant subscribers who never opt out (and never read your emails) are just skewing your numbers. I say “you know where the door is, leave whenever you want to…”

Be OK with that…

As a result of this – try not to focus on the numbers of your list. Focus on the conversation with your list. Write to one person (not the full list) and you’re more likely to not only keep them around longer – but open and read your emails (which is the idea here, right?)

Listen – the moral of the lesson is this: If people on your list are not opening your emails – why would you want them on your list? Chances are if these people are not opening or reading your emails – they’re not going to buy anyway.

And, with the new social media platforms out there like Facebook and Twitter (and many more) people can easily get your content and value in other places – not just email. My thought is if they move away from email – perhaps they’re moving onto an alternative platform to get my content like my Twitter updates or Facebook status.

Perhaps they’re no longer your ideal client – so be happy they moved on. Say to yourself… “I’m not their teacher. That’s totally cool.”

Until next time… Learn It, Love It, Live It!

Categories
Business Growth List Building Marketing Sales Traffic

Marketing Is Not Marketing

I see it too often and it breaks my heart. Aspiring and passionate entrepreneurs and business owners who try to “get” marketing. Unfortunately, they have it all wrong. Well, most of them (99% in my opinion) out there think marketing is just marketing.

Marketing is not marketing.

Marketing is not branding.

Neither is advertising.

Marketing is about response.

I’ll say it again… Marketing is all about response.

Without expecting (and feeling confident you’ll get) a response from your marketing efforts… you’re wasting your time and effort.

Don’t get me wrong – there is a place for branding and in some cases advertising (if the goal of advertising like PPC ads is to get a response) – but it comes nowhere near the importance of direct response marketing. Direct response marketing is the only type of marketing that will actually yield sales and results in your business.

In other words… Direct response marketing is what drives the success (or failure) of your business.

Let me explain why this is so important.

Your marketing efforts MUST (I repeat, MUST) focus on getting a response – an action from the prospect – because it’s the pre-cursor to getting a sale or getting an optin or anything else that drives the results of your business upward.

That’s when everything else (sales, customer service, etc.) is easy because your marketing has done most of the hard work – finding, educating, and nurturing your people so they take the desired action you want them to take.

It’s about action… And every marketing effort you deliver (an email, video, sales letter, direct mail piece, social media update, etc.) should be 100% focused on having the prospect take action. And I don’t mean an action like they get this warm fuzzy feeling of “oh, that was pretty cool” and do nothing about it. I’m talking action here in the form of an optin to your list; they call you; they click the Add to Cart button and buy from you; they share your message or product with friends, etc.

Too many get it wrong. They focus on their product or their service and pay so little attention to the marketing effort needed to get that product or service to the people who need it most. Don’t get me wrong – you have to have a kick-ass product or service. It’s a given in my book because if that’s not the case and your stuff can’t 100% genuinely help someone and add a ton of value – you shouldn’t be out there in the first place.

Target a specific niche or market when your marketing message can get a response. To the point where you feel confident enough where you can almost feel like you’re guaranteed to get a response.

Think of it like this: Don’t fish in the entire ocean using generic bait. Fish for mackerel in the area of the ocean where mackerel hang out and use mackerel bait they want. You should think about your marketing in the same way. Identify and define the peeps in your niche, find where they are and where they hang out, and then develop the marketing that will get you the response from them that you want.

One last word of advice: Never delegate marketing. It’s like the rule of never delegate the checkbook in your business. You can delegate certain aspects of your marketing (like the technology, implementation, etc.) but never, ever delegate your marketing efforts. It’s the lifeline of your business.

Until next time… Learn It, Love It, Live It!

Categories
Business Growth List Building Marketing Sales

12 Best Online Marketing Strategies For 2012

At this time of each year we think about what we accomplished over the last year – and what we want to improve on for the upcoming new year.

From a marketing perspective, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all new ideas and bright shiny objects out there to pull our attention away from the marketing strategies that matter most – those that will actually improve your business and expand your marketing reach.

So, in honor of the new year – I present to you the 12 best online marketing strategies to focus on for 2012. There could be more – but these are in my opinion the best strategies to bring you quicker to your business goals using online marketing strategies that work.

Don’t choose them all! Focus on the 2 or 3 that you feel could impact your marketing effort the most – and carve out the time and plan for implementing them next year!

  1. Improve your irresistible free offer. Perhaps it’s time to replace that outdated “free report” or “eBook” with an even higher value freebie to offer site visitors. As I referred to in my post about the best freebie out there (read it here) – my favorite is still the Audio CD – which has huge intrinsic value because it’s a physical “thing” and you can capture mailing addresses in addition to just email address.
  2. Launch a new product or program. There is always something you can “launch” whether it’s a new product or program. You can also “re-launch” something you did this year that performed really well. My post shares some great methods for launching a new product or program (read it here.) Think about what you can do differently this time around to make it even more engaging and worthwhile for your audience. Add more bonuses and juicier incentives to help increase sales.
  3. Do a new webinar or teleseminar. Each new year is a great time to host a new topic using either a webinar or teleseminar. It can also be a perfect time to switch up the format and see what works best. Been doing a bunch of teleseminars lately? Try a webinar? Doing just webinars? Try a teleseminar. And, choose a topic that is new to your audience and see what kind of response you receive.
  4. Connect with a new joint venture partner. Have this year be the year you establish a great partnership with a new strategic alliance or joint venture partner. I explained how to do this in my post about joint venture as a great list building strategy (read it here.) Someone that you feel can really pull you and help you in a big way – while you can do the same for them. I always like to think outside the box about who to connect with – and expect something great as a result.
  5. Create an affiliate program. Perhaps this is the year you launch an affiliate program. Affiliates are a great way to spread your message and build your list – while also supporting your sales of products or programs. Pretty much most shopping cart programs (1ShoppingCart, Infusion, etc.) support affiliate programs and are easy to establish.
  6. Update your website / blog. Website looking a bit outdated? Perhaps it’s time to hire a graphic designer for that new logo you’ve been craving or hire a website developer to update your entire site. I shared how important design is when it comes to marketing online in an earlier post (read it here) so don’t skimp on the important details when updating your website. First impressions matter most when designing your website.
  7. Be more active on social media. Are you one of the folks who has a Twitter account but hardly ever uses it? Perhaps you’re wondering exactly what to post on that new Facebook fanpage you created? Have this year be the year you be more “social” on social media. Remember, you can’t be active on these social media sites unless you show up and do the work. My post about being active on social media can help you (read it here.)
  8. Start a pay-per-click advertising campaign. I’m a huge fan of pay-per-click advertising. One of my earlier posts about PPC explains that it’s one of the best and most effective ways to quickly and authentically build your list with highly qualified leads. Whether it’s Google AdWords or Facebook ads – they convert brand new prospects onto your list and you can target very specific groups of people searching what you have to offer. Yes, you gotta pay for the traffic – but – it’s definitely worth it on the long run (I show you how here.)
  9. Add video to your marketing. It’s 2012 and you’re still not using video in your online marketing? It’s time to jump onboard with the most powerful and effective way to connect and build trust online with visitors to your site. With the advances of technology and video equipment costs plummeting – you really have no excuse to do more video and start reaping the benefits immediately. Stuck with where to start and how to do it? My blog post about using YouTube can help you get started (read it here.)
  10. Generate more content. Only posting to your blog once every other week or once a month? This is the year you need to generate a ton more content – way more than you’re even doing now (unless you blog every single day.) Putting out high-content and high-value articles and blog posts is how you get new traffic as well as nurture the existing audience you have on your list. As I referred to in my post about how to get to page one of Google – content is king (read it here.)
  11. Be smart about SEO. Still don’t have a clue about search engine optimization or how it relates to your blog or website? SEO is critical for having massive success online – and can’t be ignored or overlooked anymore. Develop a comprehensive SEO strategy about how to improve your search engine rankings for your best keywords and let’s get to work. Need help on where to start? My blog post about the ABC’s of SEO will help (read it here.)
  12. Email your list more often. Only sending the email newsletter out when you have the time for it? This is the year we get you on a consistent and frequent schedule of emailing your list all this great content you’re now generating. If you’re doing monthly now – consider bi-weekly. Sending the newsletter every other week? Let’s make it happen by sending it weekly. As my earlier post about emailing your list more frequently explains – the more you email your list – the higher your open rates and consumption of your content – which is all good (read it here.)

There you have it! The official 12 best marketing strategies to grow your business with online marketing for 2012.

Please comment below which of these strategies (or others if you have them) you’ll put into place for the near year and let’s make 2012 the best year yet!

Happy New Year!

Until next time… Learn It, Love It, Live It!

Categories
Business Growth Conversion List Building Marketing Website

The Most Important Page On Your Website

There is no denying that having a solid website is critical for success in building your online business. Not only does it represent you and your message for so many to see – it allows you to attract new visitors and gives you a tremendous opportunity to convert those visitors into leads.

Having a “client attractive” website that pulls people in with your compelling message is critical in building your list with highly motivated and qualified leads.

But, do you know WHICH page on your website is the most important for converting the most highly qualified leads onto your list?

Homepage? Nope.

Contact page? Nope.

Squeeze page or Landing page? Maybe – but not the most qualified.

In my opinion, the most important page on your website for attracting and converting highly qualified and motivated people onto your list is the About page.

Yep – the “About” page. The page where you “tell your story” and allow visitors to find out who you really are and why you do what you do.

Why? It’s the ONE page on your website where you have the best opportunity to truly engage with your visitor with your story, your why and your message. When you do so effectively and in an authentic and compelling manner – you have the best ability to convert them onto your list – when they are the MOST interested, engaged and motivated by reading about you.

How? Easy… And, this is where most people miss it. I’ve seen countless of “About” pages on a website with no optin box. None. Big mistake. Yes, there is the basic optin box on the upper part of the page – but as the visitor is scrolling down and reading more about you – they’re super interested and engaged.

So, why not include an optin field throughout the page as the visitor is reading? Perhaps as you’re telling your story about how you got started or why you do what you do – including a very transparent optin box for the visitor to optin at that moment to find out more will massively increase your conversion to your list.

And, because these people are actively reading your story and everything about you on the About page – you know they are interested and engaged more so than anywhere else on your site. It’s the most transparent and conversational way you can connect with a visitor on your site.

They are learning about you – and wanting to find out more. Including an optin field sprinkled throughout your About page will increase the likelihood of them joining your list.

It’s not a hard call to action like you may have on a squeeze page or landing page referring to your IFO. It could be more subtle and simply refer to whatever the topic is you’ve written as part of that section from your About page.

For example, mine might look like this:

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I’m also the ONLY expert in a very crowded field of “Internet Marketing Coaches” that teaches purely “authentic” online marketing strategies. I don’t bother with all the fluff out there online that focuses on making a quick buck and places no value on the relationship with a prospect or client.

Best of all – I am very practical and easy to work with. I’m known for over-delivering with my clients and giving them EVERYTHING that I have and much more. I show you step-by-step how to do something so it’s easy to put into place and doesn’t require a technical background or “techy” skill set to implement what we cover and quickly put it into action so you can see immediate results.

Want a taste of how I can help you quickly and easily build your email list in an authentic way? Enter your email address below for my free report: Build Your Authentic List:

Enter email address here:

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Doing this small change will not only increase your conversion and build your list, but build your list with truly engaged and interested subscribers – which will pay off in a very BIG way over time…

Until next time… Learn It, Love It, Live It!

Categories
Facebook Fear Mindset Skiing Social Media

Everything Happens for a Reason

If you’ve been following me on Twitter and Facebook recently, you know that I had a nasty ski accident out here in Vail, Colorado. I was here for ski training with my race team from Stratton Vermont for 4 full days of skiing and training with some of the best skiers in the world. Skiers were here from all the Olympic teams spanning from the USA to Austria and Canada. I had a day where I got to see some of my heroes on the slopes – Ted Ligety, Bode Miller and even Lindsey Vonn.

Unfortunately, I had a freak ski accident and ended up damaging my knees (both of them) pretty bad. I thought it wasn’t too bad – but as the pain got worse, I got it checked out with X-rays and an MRI along with multiple trips to the Vail Medical Center and their doctors and specialists. It turns out that I completely tore both of my ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and meniscus (knee ligament) as well as chipped my bone on my outer left knee. I will end up needing reconstructive surgery on both knees and have several months of recovery with physical therapy and many weeks on crutches. No skiing or physical activity for 6-8 months and possibly back for tennis next summer and competitive skiing next winter.

You have to understand – skiing to me is like nothing else. Beyond my wife and kids – it’s one of the few things that inspire me and motivate me more than anything else. Needless to say, I was quite saddened and devastated with what happened.

During these last few days (in particular from the time of my accident to my final diagnosis from one of the best sports medicine doctors on knee injuries) I learned a lot about the people around me – and myself. Below is what I discovered – and I share it with you so can learn from my perspective – as I’m sure we all have trying times like this where the outlook does not look good.

Think positive. During the two days when I didn’t know exactly what the diagnosis was, I stayed positive. And, I mean ultra positive. Talking to my wife Fabienne and others – I consistently thought about the good that will happen – focusing on the result that I most wanted (full recovery and no long term impact.) Even though I now need surgery and will not ski for the better part of the year – being in a place of positive expectation and having an optimistic attitude helped me with going through this experience and not feeling down or negative about it – and ending up not having a worse situation than I am in now.

Bigger purpose. This experience led me to believe there is a reason behind this accident – and a bigger reason I am choosing to have this experience and what it means for me in my long term purpose here on Earth. Yes, it may sound kooky – but I believe it. It’s all about rising to the challenge and stepping up to what this experience is going to lead me to next.

Focus. Now that I have this time to reflect – I can focus clearly on what really matters. Yes, I will still watch the ski videos and obsess over skiing – but this experience leads me to believe that there is a time for being present NOW – and focusing on what really matters most. My family (my wife and kids) and the close friends I have with me. This is by no means a life altering accident – but it’s in these times of challenge that we should all find it important to reflect and contemplate on what matters most.

Gratitude. I am certain that being in a place of gratitude during this time – if not all the time – is critical for feeling positive and upbeat about what is going on around you. I had a long conversation with my wife Fabienne where I listed everything I was grateful for – in this moment. My wife, my kids, my friends, my work, my surroundings, my support at home, etc. I didn’t stop with just the obvious – I drilled down to being grateful for the glass of wine I had that night. Gratitude works wonders – if you trust and state what you’re grateful for.

Humor. I definitely needed to laugh along the way. From the funny picture about the beef jerky I posted to laughing with my ski buddies here about my accident and their own experiences with ski injuries – laughing and making light of a situation can help you feel even more positive and optimistic.

Long term perspective. Although I was really down and upset about what happened – I had to put things into a longer term perspective. Will I ever ski again? Yes. Will my knees recover 100%? Yes. Can I walk (with crutches) and be present with my wife and kids? Yes. For a time I was pissed about not being able to ski this season. But, it’s only one year. I’ll be back next year – and every other year – for many years to come. Think of the joy that will bring me and those I am with.

Community. This is where it gets really inspiring. The comments and support and reaching out from so many – was so supportive and uplifting. The comments on Facebook alone were partly responsible for keeping me motivated and inspired. It felt so good to be recognized and loved in that way – something that social media and technology can do for us – unlike anywhere else. People from under the woodwork on Facebook reached out and offered words of support, recommendations, a place to stay and even a ride to the airport. For this – I thank you…

So, I do believe that everything happens for a reason – if you think about it in that way and allow yourself to believe it. If you go about your daily routine and never think about the subtle coincidences or big shifts that leave you wondering about WHY – remember this: It all happens for a reason.

Perhaps it’s time for YOU to step in and step up. Or, perhaps it’s simply time to slap on some skis and hit the mountain. 🙂

Until next time… Learn It, Love It, Live It!

p.s. As I wrote this I was listening to some reggae music and this track from Ziggy Marley came on. His words resonated with me and I wanted to share them with you. Again, everything happens for a reason…

Life has come a long way since yesterday I say
And its not the same old thing over again I say
Just do what you feel and don’t you fool yourself I say
Cause I can’t make you happy unless I am I say I say I
Got to be true to myself got to be true to myself
Categories
Email Subject Lines List Building Marketing Traffic

How Often Should I Email My List?

I get asked all the time – how often should I email my list? I often answer “as many times as you can get away with.” Listen – the more they digest and consume your stuff and you educate them with your content – the better.

But, I usually 100% of the time answer with “it depends.” I know – it’s not the answer you want to hear. However, it really depends on a number of factors. Here’s what you need to consider before you decide how often you should email your list.

You have to know what your subscriber appetite is for your content. Are they hungry enough where if you gave them more high value / high content stuff (articles, videos, blog posts, etc.) each day – would they want it? Can you actually generate (and sustain generating) that much content? If the answer is yes – than I see keep sending until they say stop.

How will you know when they say stop? When the open rates start to go down and the opt-out starts to go up. That’s the easiest and quickest way to track your efforts.

Here are other factors to consider when deciding on email frequency to your list:

1. Determine what is your existing schedule for emailing your list? Is it random – meaning you email them whenever you feel like it? Or, do you have a pre-existing schedule like once a month or once a week? Once you set a schedule – it’s important to stick to it. They are conditioned to expect that schedule from you and you don’t want to decrease from it. Focus on trying to increase the frequency. Don’t go from more to less – always try to go from less to more. The end goal is to email your list more often but have it not significantly impact unsubscribes or open rates.

2. What is your market and subscriber conditioned to expect? What is their expected appetite when they subscribe? Are they the type who often spend their entire day in email (can email them more) or rarely check more than a few times a week (email them less.) Knowing that is a good indicator about how many times you can email them without doing too much and not giving them enough.

3. Content matters most. The more frequently you can send really good content (and it has to rock) – the better. There are some lists I subscribe to (like the Internet Marketing updates from HubSpot) that send maybe 1-2 emails every day. I don’t mind and pretty much open each email since the content is that good. If your stuff rocks – you should have no hesitation to send more of it.

4. Where are you in your email plans? Meaning – are you just sending out content or are you in a launch or campaign mode? During a launch or campaign often times subscribers are receiving more emails (and generally OK with it). As long as the increase in the volume of emails is complimented with good content and not banging them over the head every day for weeks on end.

5. Track it. In any change with regard to your emailing your list – always check your metrics to ensure it’s having the right impact and effect (and expected result) for your efforts.

I recommend at least once a week. I know for some people that sounds like a lot. And it is for someone just starting out. If that intimidates you – than perhaps try once every other week. But, think of this: Anything less than every other week is almost counterproductive. Waiting 14 days between sending a valuable piece of content to your list doesn’t do enough in terms of building a long lasting relationship with positive goodwill and nurturing the subscribers on your list.

The balance is finding the right schedule where your subscribers never think “I want more and I’m not getting enough” or “this is too much.”

Remember: “consistency breeds trust.” You have to commit and stick to the schedule that works best for you and your subscribers. Your peeps depend on it (more than you’ll ever know.)

Until next time… Learn It, Love It, Live It!

Categories
Blog Google List Building Search Engine Optimization Traffic

How To Get On Page One of Google

I get asked all the time – how do I get my site to the top ranking on Google? If there was an easy and quick solution – we’d all be doing it – and we’d all be at the top page of Google.

But, it doesn’t work that way. It takes knowing what works – and the commitment (plus time and effort) to get the results.

We all want top rankings from Google. Why? As people online are increasingly using the Internet (and most of the time Google) to search for information or resources – top ranked websites in the Google search results are getting the most clicks. How much more traffic and visibility do the top ranking websites get in the results?

A ton… The top ranking gets more than 50% of the clicks from a search. #2 gets close to 14%. After that you’re in the single digits (and not even to mention if you’re not on page one of Google.) More clicks = more traffic = more leads.

So, it’s important to know how Google determines page rank. Page rank represents how important a site is on the Internet. Google figures that when one site links to another site, it is like a vote for the other site. The more votes – the more important the site must be.

But, the importance of the site that is casting the vote also determines how important the vote itself is. Google calculates a site’s importance from the votes cast for it. So, the importance of each vote is also taken into account when determining page rank.

It’s basically Google’s way of deciding a site’s importance. The more important the site, the higher it will appear in the page rankings.

I will break down the 3 most important concepts to increase your page ranking and get on page one of Google.

1. Content. Content is king – more important than anything else. No matter how slick or compelling your website looks – or how many other sites link to it – the content has to got to rock. It must be relevant and keyword rich for the search terms that people are looking for on Google. If you can create killer content and match that to exactly what people are searching for – you’ve reached Google page rank nirvana.

2. Consistency. Now that you’re churning out fresh and relevant content – you must do it consistently. Once a week just doesn’t work anymore. Writing an article for your newsletter once a week is not going to bring you a ton of traffic. Why? Because that content once a week won’t get you on page one of Google (top page rank.) What does? Blogging. You need to be blogging 2-3 times a week (if not more) to consistently put out new content that gets noticed and gets traffic. That will get you on page one of Google. And the blog posts don’t need to be long, drawn out articles (see content point above to ensure you’re putting out the best content.)

3. Compelling. If it’s not interesting to read or worth the time and effort for someone to consume it – don’t bother. Your content (blog posts and articles) literally has to rock the reader’s world. Keep it interesting and the reader will want to share it with others and comment on the relevance. This helps build visibility and back links (which helps your Google page rank.)

Want proof? At ClientAttraction.com we have generated twice weekly blog posts and video content around compelling marketing and mindset information – for very relevant and highly searched keywords (i.e. “how to implement more”, “avoid price resistance”, “how to delegate”) and we’re all #1 top ranking.

If you search for “how to implement more” on google.com – see what shows as top rank on page one. Of 279 million web pages – we’re #1. We didn’t even exist for that search phrase 4 weeks ago before we generated that content.

How did we do it? See #1, #2 and #3 above.

There you have it. An SEO lesson on Google page rank and 3 important strategies to ensure your site is up at the top. I look forward to seeing you there with me. 😎

Until next time… Learn It, Love It, Live It!