We have been talking a lot about lead generation and lists lately. Here’s the thing: your list is either working for you, or it’s not. You either have people who are actively engaging with you and your content (they open emails, click on links and send respond via email or social networks), or you have folks who are dead weight and dragging down your metrics. We recently trimmed 2000 names off of our list of people that were not actively reading or responding to our posts. So what about the people who are listening, reading and responding?
Well, several years ago I was convinced by one of the many marketing gurus that I needed to send a broadcast email to my list every week. For those of you who write a blog or send a broadcast once a month, you might say “yikes! I cannot write that often”, but stay tuned because I thought that as well.
So I gave it a try – writing a weekly blog post that included quality business ideas, tips, and promotions and then sending it via email to my list . You know what happened? My business has improved immensely. Our mailing list increased dramatically, and our revenue went up by 40%. Is that worth thinking about it?
Every time we send out a post, something good happens. We get inquiries; we close prospective business, or we get sign ups for our classes.
For those of you still thinking that there is no way I can write a blog post every week, here are three key ideas to help you move towards that goal:
FORM THE HABIT
Writing is a habit and like any habit, it takes about 60 days to get into a rhythm. I would encourage you to try (when I say try, I mean do) writing weekly for two months and then assess your results.
Don’t have anybody to mail your newsletter to? Check out our podcast with Hugh Culver on how to grow your list
DEVELOP A SYSTEM
Coming up with ideas is the first piece of the system. I have a reminder list that I can access on each of my devices (laptop, phone, iPad) called Blog Post Ideas. Every time an idea strikes me, I add it to the list. When it comes time for me to write my next post, I have a plethora of ideas I can draw from.
As a part of the system, you need to make time for the writing. Block out time each week on your schedule to write your post. When writing time comes, turn off everything else (no email or phone to distract you!!) and find a comfortable and inspiring place to do your writing.
For me, once the writing is finished, the real work begins. My team then takes over the post, posts it to our blog, edits the content to make it look great, adds photos and schedules it to publish. We then schedule it to go out to our whole list via email at the same time to ensure that those people on our list who are engaged know there is new content ready for them to help grow their business.
KEEP THE FOCUS
Always have your eye on the ball when adding things to your “blog ideas” list. We target all things related to the professional speaking business. Once you get in the habit of writing, you will find that the ideas come easier and that your topics tend to expand. However, I would encourage you to really hone your list and keep topics pointed in the direction of your lane (topic area of expertise).
Marketing isn’t just about selling stuff or booking a gig. It’s about telling a story about who you are and what you have to offer and positioning yourself as an expert, or the ‘go-to’ person. By creating valuable content that serves your audience, you can do that AND build an engaged community – all of which will eventually lead to the sale.
See you soon Wealthy Speakers!
PS: If you are looking to ACCELERATE your speaking business, don’t miss out on the chance to get into our last 16-Week program of 2016! We start on 9/29…so register today so you can head into 2017 ready to rock-n-roll!!
