Social Media Marketing Secrets

Posts Tagged ‘social media marketing secrets’

Why You’re Going To Have To “Let Go” Of Your Online Business To Grow It Going Forward…

March 4th, 2010 | Author: Joseph Ratliff

I review a LOT of websites, offers, ezines, products, businesses and on and on when it comes to Internet Marketing (most NOT in the Make Money Online niche).

I haven’t seen enough marketers start to “let go” of their businesses yet. And this mindset will slowly begin to erode the “shell” you’ve hidden behind in your business…then kill that business in the next 3 to 10 years, guaranteed.

What do I mean?

Well, it’s a deep concept usually reserved for my coaching clients…but I will attempt to give the “bird’s eye view” here in this post. And before you dismiss this as simple, or not applicable to you, you need to think of 2 questions first:

1) Am I really conducting business this way?

2) Am I sure this doesn’t apply to me?

Onward.

“Letting go” of your online business means, in simple terms, that you don’t have anything involved in your business processes or marketing that give the impression you want to take control away from the visitors, prospects, or customers/clients that help you grow that business (notice I didn’t say “your customers” because they aren’t yours or mine…they’re people).

And that means you have nothing that gives that impression.

Here’s a list of concepts that help you “let go”:

Transparency.

This means your business and your activities aren’t hidden behind your monitor. That’s right, people are going to eventually quit doing business with people they can’t see everything about. For those of you who think hiding behind an anonymous name on chat boards and forums is “cool” and thinking that you can do business that way, well, you’re done.

Risk Reversal (real risk reversal, not the wimpy kind).

True risk reversal involves a “more than solid” guarantee of your product or service. Instead of wimpy “30-day” guarantees…try a 12 month double your money back if this doesn’t work guarantee. Your sales will go up, your refund rates might too, but not as much as your sales. In some cases, your refund rate doesn’t go up, it goes down. Let that sink into your head for a minute.

Putting yourself out there (in promotions, not related to transparency).

Are you afraid of putting yourself out there? Afraid of adding some controversy to this mix? So long as your doing things legally, ethically, and morally…you should be fine. So get your promos where people will see them!

Policies and service that are totally in favor of the people who give you money. (who gives a &*&*& if they buy a digital product from you, get a refund, then keep the product. Products and ideas are a dime a friggin’ dozen…so make a new one).

If people work up the trust to buy from you, or become a lifelong customer, what are you going to do to keep earning that trust? Yeah, yeah, there are some crappy customers out there who might scam you…but it’s the smaller percentage (less than 2%)…so really, what are you going to focus on? The 2% who aren’t honest and won’t make you money? Or the 98% who are honest and will make you a TON of moolah (if you work hard to keep that trust)?

Delivering on your promises when people give you their hard-earned money.

There are a few “big” “goo-roo” companies in the “make money online” niche that have made hefty promises with newsletter offers and such, then failed to deliver (I’ve tested them all, and only ONE actually met all of the promises they made).

If you have a product to deliver, deliver it BEFORE you bill the next month’s payment (and yes, you can…there’s NO excuses here). If you make a promise to a customer, honor it…period.

And…

If a client/customer wants a refund or needs something to take care of them, do it…without question. If you feel you’re being taken advantage of, refund their money and move on to people who will do business fairly with you. Just remember that’s a 2-way street…not just a one-way street.

Your refund policies mean nothing to the customer, and while that may sound like a BIG, fat wrong thing to you…you’d better get used to it and just take care of them, even when it seems like they’re being idiots.

Participating in Social Media.

This is a big one, letting go of your business also means participating in it…as social media will take a larger and larger role in the growth of businesses both online and offline in the near future.

Quit hiding behind your monitor, and talk to people. This is an interactive medium, not a one-way communication tool.

There’s obviously way more I could add to this DEEP subject, but this should give you a start towards thinking about “letting go” of your online business.

And obviously, I’m not perfect in a couple of these areas myself, but I have plans to improve my shortcomings NOW…because I realize the survival of my businesses will depend on it.

The survival of your online business will depend on it as well…so get to it! Start to “let go” right now. And don’t give me some “wimpy-wad” excuse why you can’t…you can.

Until the next time we look in the mirror together,

Joseph Ratliff

P.S. I’m at work on the first of my “manifestos”, titled “Rules, What Rules?”…which is a guide to empowering you to live life and build your business the way you want to, because there aren’t “rules” that govern how you should do that.

It should be completed within the next 60 days or sooner.

Posted in Entrepreneurship | Tags: internet business secrets, letting go of your business, make money with internet business, social media marketing secrets |

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The First Step

January 3rd, 2010 | Author: Joseph Ratliff

The first step to success in any sales process…is to get your prospect to take the next step…

The second step to success in any sales process…is to get your prospect/customer to take the next step…

The third step to success in any sales process…is to get your customer to take the next step…

Are you getting the picture here?

Instead of trying to sell the house to each and every prospect or customer…instead focus on getting them to take the next step in your sales process.

How?

One thing to check is the value you offer at each step.

For example…

Your opt-in page, ever wonder why you don’t have a 100% opt-in rate if you offer a free download or whatever?

There’s a number of reasons…but have you checked the value you offer at this step? Are you offering re-hashed garbage PLR as a download (in the “make money online” niche especially)?

Are you more concerned with selling this prospect on the next web page than offering them OUTSTANDING value upfront first and earning their trust?

Think about this.

It’s 2010 folks…and the Internet is changing.

The whole marketing and business atmosphere is changing. If you don’t accept that change and alter your online business to conform to it…you’re gonna lose BIG time…period.

So go check your sales process, and inspect the value you’re offering at each step of that process. Double the value you offer at each step…right now.

Don’t be a wimp…double the value at each step in your sales process. You can figure it out.

Until the next time we look in the mirror together,

Joseph Ratliff - How much value do you add to your sales process?

P.S. Did you find the secret download link in this post? Keep searching

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Posted in Business Building Secrets | Tags: adding value, sales process secrets, social media marketing secrets |

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This Is An Example Of The Conversation You Might Have To Control

December 22nd, 2009 | Author: Joseph Ratliff

The conversation on blogs between John Reese and Mark Hopkins (a Mashable writer) itself is a little outdated…but I would say it’s legendary…

It starts (for the most part, there are a ton of “starting spots”) with Mark Hopkins’ attack on John Reese.

John Reese’s first response to Mark’s attack (read the post and the comments)…

John Reese’s follow up response…

It’s important that you take the whole conversation into context before forming an opinion one way or another.

This is an example of how you may have to participate in a conversation started about you in the Social Media over the next decade and beyond. It also serves as a good “how to respond” from John’s perspective in my opinion.

(my opinion of John Reese was positively influenced by this series).

Enjoy!