Have We Forgotten The Basics?

Attraction Marketing.  "Cause" marketing.  Social media marketing.


Video.  LiveStreaming.


Podcasting, messenger bots....the list of fancy marketing tools and techniques is endless.  And every day something new seems to appear.  How can you possibly master all of them?


I have a suggestion.


Let's get back to basics!

How to Become a Strategic Thinker

Are you flexible? And I'm not talking about whether you can touch your forehead to your knees. If you can, that's great. However, I'm talking about having a flexible mindset. An assumption about strategic thinkers, is that they are rigid and unbending when it comes to their thought process. That is absolutely not true! You need to be able to envision a plan, start executing it, and then have the ability to put the brakes on, so that you can shift your direction for success.

Keep an eye on your goal timelines and you will be able to spot the moments when it is time to do some strategic thinking. If you pay attention to what you are feeling, whether you are making daily progress towards your goals, you will know when it is time for a course correction. Strategic thinking will help you determine where and when you need to refocus. When you engage your mind in strategic thinking, you eliminate the panic that might set in once you realize your goals are not moving you forward.

Strategic thinking means that you engage the whole brain, rather than just the logical side. This can be difficult for some of you left-brained folks! But there are exercises you can do to learn how to engage the whole brain. I've included that information in this post.

Whole brain thinking allows you to put a problem under a microscope, examining it using critical and analytical thinking. As you write lists and plan goals, you will use strategic thinking to come up with timelines. This helps to chunk your goals into smaller steps and come up with resources to help you with the steps.

You might think that strategic thinkers are workaholics. Wrong. The best strategic thinkers take breaks throughout their day. Some even take 15-20 minute power naps to recharge their body and mind. They don’t rush headlong into their daily tasks but take time to plan and adapt. Nap time anyone?

To really become a strategic thinker, you must learn to adapt new ways of thinking. Always be a student who is willing and excited to learn new things! Strategic thinkers not only learn new things but they also learn how to cut out the elements that are not moving them forward and replace them with better options.

Are you ready to learn how to be a strategic thinker and make your goals rock? I'm a gamer. So of course I would use games to help me train my brain to think strategically. Here is a list of games/apps that are very popular, and they are sure to help exercise your mind.

1. Rosetta Stone produces the best language training in the world. It has revolutionized the industry. Did you know they have a brain game? It’s called Fit Brain and when you check out the website, you will note that the games are designed by neuroscientists and gaming experts. And the games are quick. You don’t have to put an hour into training your brain everyday. Just pick a comfortable game length and flex those brain cells.

2. Think you have what it takes to be a business tycoon? Check out one of the 25 Best Tycoon Games. These games are guaranteed to make you THINK!

3. The Archimedes Laboratory Project is stuffed with activities that you can use to enhance your creativity and your critical thinking. 

4. Finally let’s look at game that I know you will enjoy playing. This game makes me use parts of my brain that I didn’t know existed. “Braid,” is a time bending puzzle game where worlds behave differently, and you must master an uncharted world.

Strategic thinking is a something that we should all cultivate. It is extremely useful not only in planning and executing you goals but in every facet of your life.

Sharing Someone Else’s Story

Sometimes when you’re customizing PLR content, you'll think of a story that's perfect to include. The only problem is the story is not yours to tell. It's a story that belongs to a loved one, friend, or co-worker. You know the illustration fits perfectly but you're not sure how to share it. Here's what to do…

Get Permission

Before you do anything, it's important that you ask the person whose story you want to share if you can. If you don't ask permission and you publish someone else's details, you could damage that relationship and even end up in legal trouble depending on what you share.

You can start the conversation by approaching the other person and saying, “I'm working on a project about ABC topic and I’d love to share your story about ABC with my audience. Would you be up for that?”

Write the Story

Assuming you received permission, it's time to create the story. Start by creating a messy first draft. Write down all of the details as best you understand or remember them. You can edit or change this content later. But for now, just focus on the story.
When you've finished writing your first draft, it's time to edit it. During this editing phase you may realize you still have some questions for the other person. If that's the case, set aside some time to follow up and get the additional information you need.

Be Sensitive

Writing about someone else's life can open old wounds for them. In some situations, this can be a good thing because it opens the door for more healing. But it may still be painful for the person you're writing about.

As you work on this content, tread carefully. Be kind and ask questions without being judgmental or hurtful. Remember that your goal is to help people and that includes the person whose story you're sharing.

Show a Draft

Once you feel like you've captured the other person's story, it's time to ask for their feedback. Show them what you have so far and explain that it's a draft and still in need of polishing.

The person whose story you're sharing may love it and feel it’s perfect as-is. But they may also ask for changes to the piece. For example, a mother who's sharing the story of her teenage daughter’s eating disorder may want you to omit the name of the treatment center where her daughter receives help.

Explain Your Syndication

When you have a final draft ready, be sure to share it with the person you've written about. This is also the time when you'll want to share where this content will appear. Be specific so there are no unwelcome surprises for your interviewee.

You may say, “I’ll be sharing this story on my blog in (month). As part of my promotional strategy, I'll also be posting excerpts to social media networks and I might talk about it on my podcast or in my newsletter.”

Follow Up

On the day the content goes live, reach out and let the person know. Thank them for sharing. If you’re getting positive feedback include that with your message so you're interviewee knows that their story is making a difference.

Adding stories to PLR content is a great way to customize it. Whether you share your story or someone else's, stay focused on your ultimate goal—connecting with and inspiring your community.

Grab your free checklist that shows you step-by-step how to share a friend’s story on your blog or website! Join our free Facebook group and grab your copy!

The 4 Essential Elements of Good Stories

I used to struggle with my content marketing. I wanted to create content that would connect with my audience but no matter what I posted, I couldn’t get any engagement. I knew I was sending a good amount of traffic to my blog and social media channels so I was stumped.

Finally, I decided to take some actual training in content marketing to help me examine and diagnose my problem. During the training, we reviewed my website, blog, and social media channels. And we quickly pinpointed the problem. My content was too sterile. It sounded like I was talking at my audience instead of having a conversation with them.

I learned how to overcome this problem by weaving stories into my content so it felt more natural.

When it comes to personalizing your content with stories, it can be helpful to understand what makes a good story. These four elements can guide you through the storytelling process…

Goal

Every compelling story starts with a goal. Sometimes, the goal is simple like learning how to use new software. Sometimes, the goal is more complex like seeking a life partner or learning how to eat in healthy ways.

Before you tell a story, pause to reflect on the goal. For example, my goal was to boost her engagement rate and get more feedback from my community about what they wanted to see from me.

Motivation

Motivation is the why behind your goal. It’s what keeps driving you forward even in the face of obstacles and setbacks. Motivation can differ from person to person. You may be motivated to learn new content marketing skills because you want to advertise your business.

But your friend may be motivated to learn content marketing because she wants to earn enough money to bring her husband home from his job. In my case, I wanted a deeper connection with my target audience.

Conflict

Conflict is the obstacle between what you want and how you'll achieve it. Conflict is sometimes internal such as not being sure of the next move, doubting yourself, or getting stuck in a negative mindset.

Sometimes conflict is external. This happens when a force outside of yourself is preventing you from accomplishing your goal. For example, you lack the software you need to create a website or you lack the time to build your business.

Overcoming

The final element in any good story is the moment when you overcome an obstacle and achieve the results you wanted. How you overcome depends on your conflict. For example, you may have been dealing with negative thinking and a conversation with a friend helped you let go of those thoughts.

With external conflict, the overcoming is usually the result of taking action. If your goal was to build your own website and your conflict was that you’re not good with technology, then your moment of overcoming may have been purchasing an online course to learn how to use WordPress.

The best way to learn how to use stories in your content is to study how other marketers weave stories into their topics. The more you do this the easier it will get to see how the four elements work together to create gripping stories



Sharing stories is easy when you use our checklist – join our Facebook group now and get your free checklist!

Customize Your PLR with Stories

I love PLR content! I frequently buy it to use in my own business.

If you aren't sure what PLR content is, let me explain. PLR stands for Private label Rights. Private label rights are a special right or license you purchase which grants you the right to use content written by someone else as your own. Normally, using someone else's content can be considered plagiarism. But with PLR content, the author is giving you the right to use their material. 

What does this mean? Usually, this means you have the right to modify or re-write the material. You also have the right to claim to be the author. And you have the right to sell or give away the material as your own.

This is a very affordable way to get quality content for your site. Perhaps your writing skills aren't as good as you would like. Or perhaps you just don't have the time to create your own content. And in either case, hiring someone to create content for you can be very expensive. 

There is a downside however. Whereas a ghostwriter will be creating content only for you, PLR content may be sold to a multitude of users. And the internet loves original content and can actually punish users of duplicate content.

That's why it is so important to personalize your content.

When I talk about personalizing PLR content I get a lot of confusion. Many PLR users always post the content exactly as-is because they are afraid they'll “mess it up”. Or they may not understand they have the right to edit the material as they see fit.

While personalizing PLR isn’t necessary, it can help you strengthen the bond you have with your community.

Imagine you’ve purchased PLR on the topic of weight loss mistakes. You could use it as-is but if you take some time to personalize it, you’ll get more traction. You can do that by sharing a story from your own life, like the moment when you realized you’d eaten a whole bag of chips only to discover it wasn’t a single-serving bag. Or when you admit that you skipped your morning workout two days in a row. Moments like that make you relatable in the eyes of your audience.

Here are three more benefits of customizing PLR with stories…

Stories Grab Attention

You may not realize it but stories are around you constantly. You hear stories of heroism or tragedy on the news. You watch fictional stories on Netflix. Your best friend shares stories about her day with you.

Using stories is a powerful communication technique. It gives readers and website visitors a reason to pause and pay attention. They want to know what’s going to happen next and how the story ends.

Stories Invite Conversation

Just as you hear stories all day long, you also talk about them all day long. You do this when you gossip about a co-worker at work, when you recommend your Netflix must-binge to a friend, or when you repeat a news story to your spouse.

But stories invite conversation, too. Telling readers of your parenting website about your toddler’s tantrum can lead to discussions on what causes tantrums, tips on how to spot them before they happen, and more.

Stories Create a Feeling of Belonging

Not only do stories create conversation they also help the people feel like they belong. Every day, your community is bombarded with ideas of what they should look like, how they should parent, what they should wear, how they should eat, etc.

It can get to the point that your visitors feel like everyone else has a wonderful life. But when you share a story and peel back the curtain, it creates a bond. Suddenly, your people don’t feel alone any more. They can look at your blog and proudly say, “She gets me!”

Customizing your PLR with stories doesn’t have to complicated or time-consuming. It only takes a few minutes to add a relevant story to your content. Doing this will grow your community in new and exciting ways!

Need a source for great PLR articles? Here's where I go!

Network Marketing Isn't Perfect

You've heard the spiel...


No boss!
No alarm clock!
Unlimited residual income!
Financial freedom!
Time freedom!
Little to no investment required!
Low risk!


It sure sounds perfect, doesn't it?  Who wouldn't love to work with something like this?  It sounds great!


And it is.  But like everything that sounds too good to be true, there is a catch. 


Network marketing can be hard.


Think about it.  Most of you have probably already joined a Network Marketing company.  You might even still be with them, although many of you have already quit. 


Did you see any of the "unlimited residual income"?  Were you able to quit your job and spend endless hours on the beach living a life of leisure?  Probably not.  Does that mean it's a scam like all people say?  Your friends all laughed at you when you tried to recruit them.  Did they all just know better than you?  Or maybe you just aren't cut out to run your own business.  And besides, network marketing isn't a REAL business anyway.  Isn't it some sort of pyramid scheme?  No wonder it didn't work! 


Let me tell you the secret to network marketing.  That thought process is why you didn't see all the benefits promised.  Because deep in your heart, you don't believe it's a real business.  Deep down inside, you still have doubts that it's a legal, legitimate, profitable business-model.  You aren't sure you are capable of running your own business.  On some level, you may not even be sure you deserve to be that successful.  And you're working with and trying to recruit people who feel the same way.


The world is full of people who think network marketing is a scam.  They've been raised to believe that the only way to be successful is to get a "good" education, get a "good" job, work all the time, save as much as you can, and then retire.  And that used to be true.  But if you look around now, you will see that times have changed.  People with "good" educations and "good" jobs aren't saving enough to retire.  Some aren't even making enough to live well. 


So if network marketing has all these faults, how do some people make BIG money?  Simple.  They broke free of the old mindsets that hold most people back.  They embraced network marketing whole-heartedly.  They went "all in" from the day they joined their companies and never looked back.


They acknowledged that this is a legitimate, legal, and VERY PROFITABLE business model.
They understood that it is a REAL business and like any real business, will require work.


They understood that any business requires an investment - of time, of money, of resources - to succeed.  And so they obtained the tools and training necessary to ensure their success.  They were not afraid to invest their time and money in improving their skills, knowing they would reap the rewards down the road.


They knew that no alarm clock didn't mean they could sit around all day and do nothing.  Most of them still get up early in the morning.  Because businesses don't run themselves.  They are willing to work HARD for 3-5 years so they can live hard and play hard afterwards.


They took responsibility for their own success or failure.  Low risk doesn't mean no risk.  They knew they weren't going to recruit Aunt Sue, Cousin Jimmy, and Brother Bob and then retire.  They knew they had to find the right people, with the same mindset they had.  And then they had to work with their new team and train them and teach them the right way to build their business.  They knew that they had to learn all they could about sales and marketing and their products and the comp plan.  And they knew if they didn't do these things, they would fail but it would be their fault.  Not the company's fault.  Not the product's fault.  Not network marketing's fault.  


These are the people who have built a great business inside network marketing.  No, it's not perfect.  It takes work.  It takes commitment.  It takes investment.  But do you want to know why it's better than anything else?  Because you can do it too.  You just need to embrace the mindset that says it possible.  Then go "all in" until you reach your goals.  Unlimited residual income.  No boss. No alarm clock.  FREEDOM!  Try doing that with your job!


Ready to get started with the best company today?  Let's find out!

Social Boundaries Build Confidence

When it comes to social media, boundaries are important. If you have too few boundaries, you could end up oversharing. This can lead to damaged relationships in real life and depending on what you’re oversharing, the loss of your reputation.

To stay comfortable and confident on social media, use these tips…

Set Helpful Limits

Rose liked to lie in bed and surf social media on her phone before going to sleep. But after doing this for several weeks, she noticed the habit was increasing her anxiety and making it difficult to get a restful night’s sleep.

Try this: next time you’re on social media, take a moment to check in with yourself. Are you feeling stressed or overwhelmed? Are you getting anxious? Are you comparing your life or business to someone else’s?

When it comes to social media, one of the smartest things you can do is to create limits for yourself. You may decide that you’ll only check in on social media once a day or you may want to set a time limit when you browse.

Ban Negativity

Your friends on social media are entitled to their opinions. But that doesn’t mean you have to hit like on every single one of Aunt Betty’s political rants or inform your sister that she shared a fake news story (again).

You can choose to hide status updates from people that are consistently negative or that bring you down. A good idea to follow is the three strikes rule. If someone is negative on social media for three posts in a row, hide them.

You can hide friends on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks without having to unfriend or unfollow them. The other person never gets notified that you’ve hidden their content. It’s a great way to distance yourself from unkind remarks and unnecessary drama.

Create a Separate Account

Nicole creates art that makes people think. She likes to explore controversial themes in her work and she’s not afraid to push the envelope. But some of her family members don’t agree with her views and aren’t supportive of her creations.

So, Nicole started a private Instagram account where she shares her art. This allows her to post about her hobby without dealing with negativity from her relatives.

Just like Nicole, you want each of your social media profiles to serve a specific purpose. You might have a Facebook account for staying in touch with distant family and loved ones. But you might dedicate another account, like Instagram or Twitter to sharing your business content.

Social media can be a wonderful tool for connecting and communicating and promoting your business. To get the most out of each network, keep your social feed positive and uplifting. Follow people who inspire you and share your own thoughts authentically.