I know. You don’t want to sound sales-y.
You feel weird “promoting” your work.
You’d really rather just DO your work & have someone else take care of the marketing.
I know.
But odds are there isn’t anyone else to hand the marketing off to, and even if there were, that person isn’t going to know or care nearly as much about your work as you do.
So let’s play with the vocabulary a bit and see if that helps.
What if you thought of marketing this way:
Marketing Is Making Friends With People You Don’t Know Are Your Friends Yet
Here’s the thing – you don’t have to market to everybody.
You just have to market to the people who are ALREADY INTERESTED in your work.
And guess what? Those people probably already share your values.
So – right now – make a quick list of the VALUES that are most important to you & your work.
For example, the values of The Organized Artist Company are:
Creativity
Authenticity
Transparency
Kindness
Good Humor & Fun
Next time you need to write a bio or an email or a sales page or an email or whatever, run it past your values & make sure it’s a match. This will help insure that you are using the words & phrases that accurately reflect what you do. It will also ATTRACT the perfect clients & customers right to your door.
Honey, You Are On A Mission
You do the work you do because you know it helps people and you love it.
That love, that desire to help and those values that you just wrote down add up to more than creative entrepreneurship.
They add up to a mission.
And when you are on a mission, you are going to be pulled & stretched & challenged & celebrated & pushed waaaaay out of your comfort zone. Be ready for that.
You may not want to market your business, but you can learn to do it well and may even grow to LOVE it. (I do!)
Finally, consider this aphorism:
If No One Is Complaining About Your Marketing, Then You Are Not Doing Enough Marketing
You deserve to have your business be financially sustainable, values-driven and joyful. Not easy, mind you – but joyful.
And improving your copy writing is the NUMBER ONE key to your success.
So…
I’ve partnered up with my good friend Wes Schaeffer from www.TheSalesWhisperer.com – he’s an Infusionsoft Certified Consultant & he’s a full-on, small-business genius with a GREAT sense of humor – everyone says we make a great team : )
So you’re invited to check out our Free Preview Event – called “7 Copy Writing Mistakes That Are Costing You Money”
—–> Watch or download the free preview event here
(or paste this link into your browser window: http://bit.ly/WRNVIP2)
It’s a free webinar for creative entrepreneurs, frustrated small business people…
and YOU if you know that if only your…
– web pages
– bios (don’t you HATE writing Bios? We’ll show you the EASY way!)
– blog posts
– product descriptions
– social media posts (what are you supposed to say on Twitter? Really?)
– press releases
– emails (like this one!)
…were more authentic & more compelling, then you could SELL MORE STUFF, which would mean you would be helping more people! (Which is why we do all this, right?)
Does any of this sound familiar to you?
– You want to promote your business…but you get tongue-tied when people ask you what you do.
– You would love to Blog and Facebook & Twitter & Pinterest & whatever… but you’re not really sure what to say.
– You know your web pages are old & boring…but the idea of redoing it all makes you want to go lay down.
– You’re a creative entrepreneur who’s over-worked.
– You’ve got 37 ideas, a bunch of new projects and plus there’s your actual business…and then there’s the family and the kids and… good heavens, you don’t have the TIME to write new copy!
– You’re ready for financial success and you don’t have time to screw around. You need real answers from experts who really GET IT.
– You are ready to learn a NEW way to write copy that’s easy, fun and…wait for it…. PROFITABLE.
Then this event is for you!
Here’s what people said about it:
“so down to earth, and so real, and are SO encouraging!” – D.D., California
“That was very helpful! Thanks, you two 🙂 ” – R.P., Los Angeles, CA
“I enjoy your laser sharp humor as well as succinct comments and great insights. Always inspirational and instructive.” – C. D., Washington
7 Copy Writing Mistakes That Are Costing You Money
(and how to fix them WITHOUT having to hire an expensive copywriter)
with Small Business Experts
Wes Schaeffer & Samantha Bennett
—–> Watch or download the free preview event here
(or paste this link into your browser window: http://bit.ly/WRNVIP2)
You can listen online AND you can download the MP3.
I’ve been in the trenches & learned a lot about small business marketing in the past bunch of years and I’m thrilled to have this chance to share my insights with you.
YOU KNOW THE WORLD NEEDS YOUR GOOD WORK.
But if they never hear about it, they can’t benefit from it, right?
Please join me & my pal Wes on this Really Useful Webinar —
—–> Watch or download the free preview event here
(or paste this link into your browser window: http://bit.ly/WRNVIP2)
And please let me know how things are going with you – you know I love to hear from you!
Does this question sound familiar?
Dear Sam,
Â
I know what I need to do, I just can’t make myself do it.Â
Â
I watch endless YouTube videos, I play computer solitaire, I fool around on Facebook – I even scrub my kitchen floors – all just to avoid the work that I know is my destiny.Â
Â
I get so mad at myself. Does this mean I’m chasing a Shadow Goal? What do I do?Â
Â
– Elizabeth, N. J.Â
Dear Elizabeth,
Rest easy, honey – you are merely suffering from a biological imperative called “displacement activity.”
All Creative Geniuses get this from time to time.Â
Displacement activity is what happens when an animal is in the grip of two conflicting instincts, and so they enact a third, seemingly inappropriate behavior.
For example, you’ve probably seen a chimpanzee being challenged by another chimpanzee. When the first chimp doesn’t know whether to run away or fight, he will…scratch his head…yawn…look away….start grooming himself…
When you have the instinct to create, and you simultaneously have the instinct to not-create —Â
— the fear says, “don’t do it!”
(And yes, everyone suffers from this fear – celebrities, septuagenarians, kids, career professionals and me – everyone is sometimes afraid of putting their work out there. It’s terrifying.)
And so, confused by the grip of these two equally strong instincts, you shut down and get stuck playing Words With Friends for hours on end.
Sometimes years.
It doesn’t mean you have low self-esteem and it doesn’t mean your dream is impossible and it certainly doesn’t mean you’re lazy.
Shoot, you’re one of the hardest-working people I know. Right?
So the next time this happens, just recognize the dynamic without yelling at yourself.
“Ah,” you might say to yourself, “I appear to be having the instinct to create something. And I also find myself feeling afraid of what will happen if I create that thing. Perfectly natural.
But my fear does not get to make my decisions for me.Â
So I will now set my kitchen timer for 15 minutes and just play around with my creative idea in a light, fun, beta-testing sort of a way and then see what happens.”
Discover more about what keeps us stuck in my free, on-demand, downloadable webinar called Shadow Goals —Â
“Wow, Sam, I loved this! I’ve gone from feeling kinda blah and unsure to wanting to jump up and start. That’s pretty big for me, and I really want to thank you for that. I think a lot of people will find this incredibly helpful!” – K.
“Thank you SO much for your time, Samantha! This has been inspirational and hopeful for me….you’ve already given me some tools to use to move forward! Blessings to you!” – Deborah
“This call is invaluable so far to me. I’m being made redundant on the 1st of march and am in the middle of trying to choose what to do next and I think everything you’re saying is going to help me with this.” – Suzie, U.K.
Learn more about “Shadow Goals” here by watching the free replay: http://instantteleseminar.com/?eventid=26718078
Here’s what they want: THEY WANT YOU TO TALK TO THEM.
I’m teaching a free webinar on easy systems to follow-up with clients and customers (and turn them into raving fans) and I think you’re going to love it —
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/449436145
NOTE: We’re going to try and record it, but I know there’s been some issues with the system lately, so it’s best if you can be there live…
This webinar is for you if:
1) You’re not sure how to even get customers…(it’s OK to admit it…)
2) You have customers, but you’re not very good about following up with them….after all, you don’t want to be a bother…
3) You’re ready to turn your customers into RAVING FANS who happily refer to you all of their friends…
BTW, did you know that a person who has been recommended by a friend is 70% more likely to purchase from you? That’s the kind of statistic that could really make a difference in your bank account, yes?
You MUST create a fun, easy-to-use system for following up with clients and potential customers – that is the lifeblood of any good business, and Brian and I are here to show you exactly how to do it.
And there will be none of that annoying “we’ll tell you what and why but you have to buy some expensive training to learn how…” b.s. – we will actually tell you HOW.
We’re not selling anything on this webinar – this is pure content.
Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/449436145
Learn the 3 keys to consistently following up with your leads, prospects, and clients. In this webinar, we’ll discuss the stages of a typical buying process, and how to ensure that a single lead/client/advocate never falls through the cracks.
Title: 3 Keys to Consistent Follow Up… Getting MORE out of LESS
Date: Thursday, August 4, 2011
Time: 9:45 AM – 11:00 AM PDT
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.
You may also listen in via phone.
System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server
Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer
I want to hear your questions, comments and thoughts on this – so show up and let’s have some FUN!
PS There are a lot of webinars out there, I know. I think I can pretty much guarantee that this one will be well worth your time. Check it out and let me know! Claim your FREE seat here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/449436145
This is the practical, how-to-do-it advice you’ve been looking for.
Be there.
– SSB.
Exclusive Buy-Now Click Here Six-Figure Secrets to Unlock the Five Business Mistakes That Are Blocking Your Top Ten List-Building, SEO-Perfecting, One-Click Marketing Overnight Success VIP Teleseminars from Skyrocketing Into Infinity and Beyond Product Launch Social Media Make A Grillion Dollars In Just 3 Hours = BUSCHWA!
Are you as exhausted by internet marketing hype as I am?
Honestly – if I get one more email promising to show me how it’s so easy to get tons of traffic from Facebook or how to outfox Google or how to organize a three-day webinar that will brainwash attendees into buying everything that’s on offer….
I know we all need to make a living. Me, especially. And the good news is that while there is a lot of strained overselling going on, a lot of the information out there is terrific.
There are a lot of really wonderful, smart, good-hearted people sharing deeply valuable information – some for free, some charge, some charge a LOT.
But the fact of the matter is that building a business – any business – is dang hard work.
And being self-employed is a nonstop challenge with a near-vertical learning curve.
So let’s be fair but firm: if you want to learn how to grow your business, you should hook up with the right people and learn from them.
That’s not an overstatement. Amy’s been one of my closest friends and advisers for over 15 years, and she has blazed the trail for me this whole time. Seriously – she does stuff and then I just copy her.
Amy is offering a brand-new teleseminar that is dedicated to busting open the myths about internet marketing and telling YOU the TRUTH that you need to know. Amy’s hilarious and sunshine-y and smart, and she’s partnered with two of the savviest female entrepreneurs I’ve ever known, the dynamic Christine Arylo and the genius-nutty-professor of copy writing, Michelle P-W.
Register and not only can you attend live or via streaming audio on the web, you will also get the recording PLUS you get immediate access to great new videos that break open three common misconceptions and pose really interesting questions for you to answer.
(And yes, of course I’m a Big Fan and an affiliate for this program – for heaven’s sake, the woman is one of my best friends! And you know Amy & I were promoting each other’s stuff way before either of us had ever heard of an affiliate program and I don’t imagine we’ll quit doing it any time soon.)
Here’s to your authentic success story!
P.S. Seriously – do yourself a favor and sign up for this free event so that you can break free of the Big Fat Lies about internet marketing and build a business based on the TRUTH: http://bit.ly/iEoQve – xoox Sam.
Dear Sam,
I have a million ideas in my head and I get excited every time I think of another one. I want to act on that idea right away and then I have half-finished projects.
A lot of them do come to fruition and that’s exciting and I’d like to make more of them a reality. I’m loving the mind – mapping. I’m only on Session 2.
Every time I touch into in your work, I get energized and inspired, so maybe some of these tools will help.
Blessings & Love,
Beth
Beth McKinnon, CPCC
NowBeth Empowerment Coaching
www.nowbeth.com
Dear Beth,
Thank you so much for writing! I think this issue of FOCUS is huge for people – it’s been coming up a lot lately – so I think you speak for many with this question. Thanks for letting me adapt it for this post.
OK, first of all – make sure you’re writing all your good ideas down as soon as they come to you. Keep them in a file or notebook labeled “Pure Fabulousness” or “Genius!” or “Beth’s Brilliant Ideas” or something fun like that.
Writing them down will help keep them from just bonging around your head taking up valuable real estate and will also lessen any anxiety you may have around them.
Also, I would start to revel in your plethora of ideas. Rather than categorize yourself as someone who’s often distracting herself, think of yourself as a non-stop genius idea factory. Of COURSE you have a million ideas – that’s just how you roll.
And you can feel confident that not every single idea needs to be acted upon. Certainly not right away, anyway. And certainly not by you alone.
We’ll be working with some more prioritizing tools in the coming weeks of Get It Done Workshop, but for now, maybe creating a short list of questions to ask yourself before embarking on a new project might be useful.
You’ll come up with your own, of course, but here are a few I thought of:
1) How much time do I estimate this project might take?
2) What’s the budget for this project?
3) What do I expect to get from accomplishing this project?
4) Am I the right person to execute this project?
5) Is now the right time for this project?
I’m so glad the course is benefiting you – please stay in touch and let me know what happens!
Yours,
Sam.
“Oh, I HATE change!” she said.
And she shook her head and she closed her eyes and shuddered again. “Hate it!”
“Really?” I said, “Because change sure loves you.”
Change loves you. Look at how change is always present in your life, swirling around you and taking you in new directions. Change wants you to notice what’s happening right now. Change points out the infinite possibilities in each new moment.
Change wants to keep you from dwelling in the past (which is a dream) and from fretting about the future (also a dream) and keep you right here, in the gift of the present moment.
And the present moment is our one big chance to create something new. Our ability to make something out of apparent nothingness is miraculous. But it is only possible thanks to change.
And change is so forgiving. If we miss our chance to change a minute ago, here change is again, fresh as ever. Sometimes change shows off with a fabulous sunset or a look from a stranger across a crowded room or a big, unmistakable transition like a birth or a death, but mostly change just dwells right here with us in each heartbeat.
Feel that? Each breath is change. Each meal, each step, each smile – we are ever-transforming. Things may feel the same, but it’s an illusion, like gazing at a stream or a waterfall, which appears static but is actually nothing but movement.
So: with us all the time…located in the present moment…contains infinite possibilities…forgiving…eternal…generative, creative…omnipresent…
Change is not just good: change is God.
Let me say that another way —
Change is not just good: change is the presence of the Divine.
Now, I don’t believe that the Divine cares how you feel about It. The Divine just keeps being the Divine whether you believe or don’t believe, notice or don’t notice, call It by one name or another name or don’t call on It at all.
But I find my life goes more smoothly when I cooperate. And when I quit trying to have control over that which I clearly have no control. Much like arguing with gravity, hating change is rather a futile effort. Better, maybe, to allow the laws of gravity to support you, and to allow the laws of change to enlighten you and to reveal more love to you, so that you may be in closer relationship with the Divinity of every beautiful, fleeting moment.
