Episode

Episode 5 | Messes in the Press & Keywords

June 3, 2019 00:26:03

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Episode 5 | Messes in the Press & Keywords

In this episode of the Messy Back-End of Entrepreneurship, we are going to be talking about what you do if you have a bad review. Later in the episode, we are going to be talking to Igor Mateski about content and keyword messages that you want to avoid.

“Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great!” – Rockefeller

Check out E-Myth by Michael Gerber!

EXPERT PANEL

Michael Kawula
Mike Kawula
Roger Copenhaver
Trish Thomason

The Public Mess – How to handle a Bad Review

If you can make a comeback from a public mess that’s pretty incredible.

Don’t hide from it!

Mike – Love customer complaints. They are giving you a chance to fix it. It is when you are not out there talking about it that rumors start to surface. Get out in front of it. Be honest! If you made a mistake, own it!

Trish – You have to learn and grow from it and after you learn from it bury it. Bury it with positive reviews. Encourage your best clients and more people to write reviews, so that one drops down and people aren’t seeing it nearly as much. Instead, they are hearing from many more people that do love and appreciate your services.

Mike – If the review is online – be on it! Comment online. Send out an e-mail to be out in front of it if necessary.

Sheila – Then comment and say yes that happened and this is how we are fixing it. Give them a gift certificate to come back and try it again once it is fixed.

Roger – Acknowledge it and build that trust back with them. You have to become a problem solver and fix any issues before you can build their trust back.

Trish – It is very important not to argue with the customer online. Take the ownership. If there is a discrepancy take it off social media. Ask them to e-mail you and let them know that you want to get this fixed.

Nate – Most people just want to be heard. As the owner let them know that you heard they had a bad experience and you want to make it right.

Sheila – Let’s get out there and try to take care of our public messes the right way by owning up to them and taking care of our customers.

Ridgetop Virtual Solutions
truemoneysaver.com

IGOR Mateski

SEO Consultant
Link

Content and Keyword Messes to Avoid

Our panelists and Igor Mateski discuss SEO, keywords, and content.

How do I choose and use SEO keywords?


You can no longer just pick a keyword and rank because there is a lot of competition now. Igor suggests instead of thinking of search engine optimization, we should start thinking about optimizing content for conversions. It is more of a phrase, but with a very intent focus. The phrases need to vary so they attract customers in different phases.

You have to know who you are talking to and what they are asking.

Keyword buckets are a great way to map this out. You map out each step and build out content for each stage. It is important to hit the right emotions and sentiment.

Blogs and blogging do work, but it requires a lot of research including psychological profiling of your target audience.

The key is producing content that is energetic and informative to read.

How much new content vs. curated content is needed?

Don’t use curated content on your website. Your own content and copywriting will do a lot better for your business and website long term.

Don’t waste your social media audience’s time sharing someone else’s content. Use their time to say something you would want to say. You don’t want to duplicate content over and over again. Populizr (https://populizr.com ) takes the URL you wanted to promote and it provides variations, so you are not duplicating exact posts. It creates up to 25 unique social posts. Then it is posting them across all your social media platforms.

You can be original without stealing other people’s stuff.

Episode 4 | Disappearing Next Level Out of Control Messes

May 27, 2019 00:34:15

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Episode 4 | Disappearing Next Level Out of Control Messes & Tech

In this episode of the Messy Back-End of Entrepreneurship, our Expert, Lori Karpman Management Consultant, helps us get unstuck and overcome distractions.

“Human excellence is a state of mind.” – Socrates

Check out E-Myth by Michael Gerber!

EXPERT PANEL

Michael Kawula
Mike Kawula
Roger Copenhaver
Trish Thomason

The Silent Mess – Our entrepreneur had an online business and the site was just about to go live and the web developer disappeared and he had no access to the site.

Mike Kawula – If it is from an online standpoint make sure you have the source code and they are working in something that everyone can work in. Always have somebody to back-up. Hire someone to checking and duplicating the work of the first person, so it doesn’t impact your business. Especially when you are launching your business, you don’t want somebody that could pull the carpet from under your feet and your business is now on hold. Always plan for it, because unfortunately, it does happen. It also comes down to your style of managing.

Always be planning for the moments that don’t go the way you expect and taking care of your employees.

If you build and have a relationship, they won’t disappear.

Trish Thomason – The first time I had an employee not show up one day was the biggest shock to her. It is important to set up the right expectations with your employees and let them know how the process should work if they don’t want to work there anymore. Not every employee is going to stay forever, and it is not necessarily an insult to you, It is something that we can learn and grow from. You need to stay calm and set up the expectations so the next person you hire won’t leave you high and dry one day.
Company culture is huge!
Nate relates as a millennial. How to keep millennials around – make them feel connected (text, IG, Snapchat) get to know them and let them be heard.

Roger Copenhaver – Millennials are the ones that are going to be building are retirement. We need to be treating them with respect. We need to be thinking about the long game. The culture is going to exist within your company, with your clients, and with your contractors. The culture includes communication and setting expectations. In this day and age that might be sending a text message.

Put a little noise with communication before it becomes a silent mess.

LORI karpman

Speaker | Author | Consultant
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The Messiness of Being Stuck

You should be making money doing something you enjoy.

Get Contol of Your Life By Mel Robbins – In order to get control of your life, you have to do what you’re passionate about.

How do you overcome the distractions and figure out what you love and get unstuck?

Why am I distracted? You don’t like what you’re doing or you’re procrastinating.

There are two kinds of procrastinators. One kind of procrastinator says I will just finish this first or I will just check my e-mail. The second kind is the type that honestly believes that they work better under pressure. They allow themselves to take the time for distractions because they keep saying they have so much time.

The truth of the reality is that people don’t work the best under pressure. When you leave these to the last minute it is your adrenaline that pumps in and you’re not thinking clearly or putting out your best product.

We procrastinate most of the time because we’re feeling overwhelmed by what the task is and we don’t know where to start.
Make a list of the things and projects you need to do.
Break down every single project into the most minute tasks.

If you take care of the small things, the big thing takes care of itself.

As you check the things off your to-do list, you become more self-confident, because you are feeling like you are accomplishing things. That gives you the motivation to then accomplish more.

When you make a list you actually can feel your productivity and you get confidence and it helps build your self-esteem.

Where do I focus my time and energy?

One of the reasons people don’t focus their time and energy is that we don’t protect our business time and revenue-producing hours.

During revenue-producing time focus only on business and revenue-generating tasks.

Sheila found great success by using the first two hours of her day to just focus on what she could do to make money that day.

Turn off the distractions during working times. You can still have an appearance on social media, you just have to schedule that time or doing it during non-working hours.

When you are working on your work you are not doing anything else. You are working on your work.

It is not a good idea to multi-task, because then you don’t get anything done properly. You need to concentrate on one thing, finish it and then move on to the next. If you are doing too many things at one time, nothing is getting 100% of your focus.

Lori’s Offer: Free one-hour strategy session for all YES members and 20% of Standard Fees.

iHeart Radio

Episode 3 | Public & Social Messes

May 20, 2019 00:36:06

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Episode 3 | Public and Social Messes

“Since we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes which see reality.” – Nikos Kazantzakis

DIANA Ennen

Publicity Expert
Facebook Linkedin Twitter WordPress

So I have written a book, now what?

  • You need to be prepared and ready before your release date even if you need a date that is later. You need to have your book release, press release, your pitch to getting book reviews, website, and social media plan all ready to go.
  • Your press release should include all the valuable information about the book including the topic, audience, how large the book is, how they can get the book and a little bit about the author.
  • In your press release make sure you have key facts about the book that would entice the target audience. Most people miss this part!

Is it best to release a book simply as digital as a first-time author?

  • Diana shares that it is best to do it all at the same time. For professional book reviews, they want to have the actual book. There are still people that would rather have a book than an e-book.
  • If you have different launch dates, it confuses your audience.
  • You have more energy and success when you launch all at once. You are able to get those Amazon ratings too. You want to be able to announce your ratings to your audience.

How soon do I need to worry about getting an audiobook?

  • It can be different for everybody, but Diana recommends having it after your big launch.

How do you know who to contact and how many people to contact?

  • Diana uses and recommends Cision.com for her databases. Cision is a paid service, but it allows you get to the editors that do book reviews and write on your topic. If you don’t have Cision you can research this. Send it out to anyone that would have an interest in the topic. Be sure to include newspapers and radio.
  • When you send your pitch over e-mail do not send it as an attachment instead, put it in the body of the e-mail. A pitch includes who you are, why you are contacting them, why they would have any interest in you at all, your bio, and contact information. The pitch goes above the article and press release. Give them ways to engage like interviews by asking if they would like a copy of the book, or could do book reviews.

What is the key step for getting your book out there?

  • In addition to sending the press release, you send an article including excerpts. In the article you can include an introductory paragraph about why it is newsworthy, your 5 tips, closing paragraph, and your bio.
Diana’s Offer: PR Success Series – 4 webinars on writing press releases, blogging, PR secrets and pitching the media Originally $197.00 — $33.00 to your listeners VA or PR Coaching or PR Marketing – 20% off — Email me to set it up. diana@virtualwordpublishing.com. Mention the podcast.

CURTIS howe

Owner SMRTSocial
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Curtis has worked with customers that had a huge following but lacked sales. He analyzed their Facebook page and noticed that the content they were sharing was not attracting their target clients. They changed the content and starting engaging and they starting attracting their ideal client and driving sales.

  • In the past, you used to be able to run a Facebook add and get 90% exposure, but now the average is 4-6%.
  • Relationship-based marketing takes time! It took about 3 months to get it going and start seeing results.
  • Once you get the social media rolling you can really keep it going.
  • The right people is not everybody!

What can businesses do to increase their visibility and branding?

  • The #1 best thing to do is get good content out there that people really want to see. Targeted ads also help get you out there. Being visible on multiple sites is key. If one changes, you have another one you can rely on. You can be protected by having multiple accounts and reaching people on different sites which means not posting the same content across all your sites. The more you can diversify your content and diversify your following the more likely you will be seen every day by your customer.
  • You don’t want all the same content on all the same platforms at the same time. If you post the same things on the same platform they will choose one to follow you on and unfollow you on the rest and you will lose out on that audience.

How do I find where my prospects are hanging out and which platforms should I be using to reach my prospects?

  • Definitely research demographics for different social media platforms to find out where certain people are hanging out on social media.
  • Men are on most sites with a larger presence except Pinterest is a larger female audience by far. Instagram is more female than male. LinkedIn is more male than female, but that is starting to shift as more female professionals join. Snapchat and TikTok are the youngest demographics. Instagram’s age range is 20-45, and Facebook is 25-65. LinkedIn is mostly 25-30 and up and a more a professional site.
  • Do a poll and ask your customers which social networks do you frequent the most and then meet them there.
  • You could also run a cheap add on each platform for your demographic and see which one gets the most response.

Curtis is offering our podcast listeners a free one hour coaching session to help you understand how to make your social media more effective.

Episode 2 | No Messy Clients For Me

May 13, 2019 00:14:52

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Episode 2 | No Messy Clients for Me

In this episode of the Messy Back-End of Entrepreneurship our expert, Briar Harvey shares how to find your ideal client.
“Logic will get you from a to b. Imagination will take you everywhere.” -Albert Einstein

BRIAR harvey

Systems Expert l Funnel Designer
Link Link Link

I keep hearing that I need to make sure everything I do and create speaks to this ideal client. What does that even mean?

Your ideal client is the person to whom we are best positioned to sell our product or service.

First, you need to know what product you are selling or the service you are offering.

Next, you need to know what you need to say to actually sell to your ideal client. When we are looking at the material that is best suited for your ideal client that is everything you create including all your social media posts, e-mail newsletters, blog post, or podcast. To figure that out is really the challenge.

Who is your person and how do you write that thing that is right for them?

If you get this right then people will be magnetically attracted to you. They will hear your message and be able to say you are the right person for me at this time because I have this problem and you can solve it for me.

To figure this out you need to look at how what you do solves a problem. If you don’t have any clients yet, you can mine voice of customer check Reddit and Cora. They are very topical and you could specifically check the entrepreneur group to see exactly what they are talking about right now and the problems they are having.

When we are figuring out our ideal client we need to figure out what they do and what they want. Have a conversation to find these answers through surveys and interviews. Use your network to validate your idea. Facebook is a great place where people are willing to share their opinion on your idea. A Facebook group where your ideal client hangs out can help you find this information but ask very specific questions. Sheila highly suggests the Boss-Moms group on Facebook for female entrepreneurs.

A good way to find your ideal client is to actually have one. If you have one person that you can reach out to interview them and get their feedback.

What kind of questions would you ask in your survey?

  • How does this product work in your life? You want to find out how something makes them feel.
  • How does this product function for you?

In the beginning, this kind of stuff seems very overwhelming, but it is very valuable. If often helps to have some help through this process. It is important to revisit and clarify your ideal client often.

To know and understand who you are speaking to is priceless.

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Episode 1 | What is the Messy Back-End of Entrepreneurship?

May 6, 2017 0:35:24

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Episode 1 | What is the Messy Back-End of Entrepreneurship?

In this episode of the Mess Back-End of Entrepreneurship, we talk about what is a messy back-end and how to know if you have one. Our Expert, Dawn Chitwood will help you figure out what that mess is and what to do with it.

“One of the most common ways for the modern person to maintain self is to keep busy” – Daniel Putnam

Nate reminds us that sometimes it takes a fresh set of eyes to notice something.

Often we can try tweaking some things to help processes smoother, to give me more time to focus on my business or give us more time or freedom to do the things we would rather do in life.

Sheila shares that most people start their business out of passion. They start a business and realize what it all takes on the back-end.

Check out E-Myth by Michael Gerber!

EXPERT PANEL

Michael Kawula
Michael Kawula
Roger Copenhaver
Roger Copenhaver
Trish Thomason
Trish Thomason

Mike Kawula tell us systems are key to business success. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Take care of your customers. Treat each customer like they are the best thing in the world because they can also become your best source of referrals and grow your business the fastest.

Sheila shares the golden nugget that once you get a customer or client keeping that person should be a priority.

Roger Coppenhaver helps us to focus on the sales side of the messy back-end. Salespeople and business owners will spend all their time on other parts of their business, but they often forget to sharpen their sales ability. 90% of people have never taken formal or informal sales training.

Trish Thomason reminds us to have a plan and prepare in advance because you can’t control everything and that will really help with your messy back-end. You can’t know everything or do everything, so you need to bring people in that can help you do the stuff you don’t have time for and put your energy into the stuff that will bring you income.

How The Messy Back-End Got Its Name

Sheila shares that the messy back end got its name from teaching her daughter how to drive. Listen to hear the whole story.

Expert Dawn Chitwood

Something has to go when you are trying to balance everything. You just can’t do it all! It is important to talk about what can be messy and talk about what needs to change in order for you to make the progress or accomplish the goals you want to accomplish.

You know you have a messy back-end because something doesn’t work. The challenge is identifying where the disconnect is. When you’re not accomplishing those goals then something is messy.

E-myth is a great book to read to figure out what is and is not working.

Never ever compare yourself to someone else. We always fall short there! We are all wading in the muck.

What is the back-end?

The front-end of our business is our branding, marketing, and social media. It’s part of our business that everyone sees… the beautifuly branded front-end, we affectionately call it.

The back-end is the business side including accounting, finances, WordPress dashboard, social media, client work, e-mail marketing and so much more.

The important part is determining what we need to embrace and what we need to fix in order to move forward and accomplish what we need to feel good about our business.

There are some things that your not good at that you can’t hire out yet, and that becomes a little messy. Maintain to the point that your business can run for now.

Often done is better than perfect!

It’s alright if clients see some of you messy back-end. It lets them see that you are really human. They connect with you and resonate with you more.

Download and Subscribe now for the full story!