In the world of business, I am sure there is not a Universal List of Marketing Laws; but I do have a list and for me many of these “laws” are actually myths.
One of the biggest myths is that marketing “gets” you clients. Wait a minute, you say. Isn’t that what marketing is for, getting you clients. Ah, I see you have bought into the law/myth. Perhaps this myth that Marketing “gets” you clients is actually #1 on your list.
There are some days when it feels impossible to get motivated to focus on your business tasks. Yet in order to achieve your goals, motivation is essential. Without it, nothing is accomplished. Responsibilities and tasks pile up. Life becomes overwhelming. Motivation becomes more elusive and harder to find.
However, with a few simple strategies you can find that motivation every day. (I am sharing seven here.) Even doing only one of them will help. Try all seven and you’ll find yourself revved up and ready to go on a regular basis!
Some people are motivated by a sense of accomplishment, other people are motivated by praise, and still others are motivated by money. It’s possible you’re motivated entirely by something else. Understanding what motivates you will help you to stay energized. When you’re feeling unmotivated, you can tap into that desire and get the kick-start you need.
For example, if you’re motivated by money, you might kick-start your day by doing something that earns a profit. Consider looking at the task(s) you’re facing differently, thinking how they may generate income (or make an impact etc.) By connecting the task to an outcome that is important to you, you will complete the task with greater enthusiasm.
Many businesses start blogs without a real plan. After all, it’s easy to do – you just need to start writing. But actually, there’s some serious planning involved and one of the major decisions to make is your blog voice.
Just like you need consistent, clear messaging in the rest of your business, a good blog has a clear and consistent voice that is communicated on every page.
Consistency helps you create a brand and this is what builds trust with your audience. More importantly, you need a blog that is not a copy of anyone else but a true reflection of who you are and how you want to show up to your audience.
What does ‘blog voice’ mean? It sounds simple but it’s made up of a number of different elements including personality, beliefs, tone, style, and type of content. Some questions to ask include:
Personality is an especially important consideration because you don’t want your blog to be dull and formal. The human aspect has to come through. It needs to be engaging and speak to emotions as well as giving the reader useful and relevant information.
“Yikes!” “I don’t have enough time.” or “I don’t know what I will write about!” is what I often hear when people talk about trying to blog on a regular basis. There’s no question about it – blogging takes time. If you’re an entrepreneur or small business owner with a daily to-do list as long as your arm, you may feel like you don’t have the time to update your blog. However, it might be your day’s most important task, so don’t skip it. Here are some tips for taking the blogging weight off your shoulders and making blogging what it should be – fun, energizing, and creative.
Everybody has certain times of the day when they feel more inspired than others. For example, you might have your best ideas in the mornings just after you wake up. Set aside some time each day during these periods for working on blog posts. Make it part of your schedule and it will become a habit and ideas will flow and when they do, write away.
Even though I train many people how to present well on video, I have not been using it as much as I know I could on social media platforms. This got me thinking and I began to research the answer to this question, “Exactly how important is video in social media today?” Some would say, “it’s absolutely everything”, and many have built successful social media marketing campaigns solely around video.
Focus is one of those things in life that can feel really hard to attain so we might resist against it. Yes, deep down we know that if we spent the time and created the discipline, the pay-offs would be huge for our productivity and ultimately, our freedom.
There are many reasons solopreneurs and business owners procrastinate. It could be due to perfectionism, overwhelm, or problems prioritizing. The key to overcoming procrastination is learning what your procrastination style is and how to deal with it. Once you’re armed with this information, you’ll find it easier to defeat procrastination and get back on track. it makes sense that each of us is unique so there is not a one size fits all solution. See which one fits you…
Everyone says that you should show your personal side, even if you’re using social media for your business. Personalizing your content and interactions puts a human face on your business. This is how you build real, authentic relationships. But there are cases where you can be too personal, and you need to steer clear of these or the results could be disastrous.
The type of personal content we share on social media falls under the category of small talk, not “big talk.” You might mention a place you ate today and how it was. You may show a picture of your dog and share a milestone in his or her life. But you would avoid topics like romantic encounters, touchy political issues, or things that annoy you about certain people, unless those topics are a central part of your branding. We have all seen how too much politics has made people cranky and frankly rude to one another- even leading to the “unfriending” behavior that is happening all too frequently.
Venting and complaining about your problems is more likely to annoy than engage. However, there is a right way to discuss problems that can actually boost engagement. The way to do it is to share a problem you faced that is also a common problem of your audience. Get them to discuss the problem with you. Even better, offer a solution to this common problem or ask your audience to share theirs.
In this rush, rush, busy, hurry up world of ours, it is easy to get into overwhelm. Sometimes it feels too hard to stop and spend some quiet time to relax, unwind and find your center. And yet, this is crucial. It is in creating that space that we allow ourselves to feel at peace.
I am often called the “Queen of Busy” because I am a mom to 3 active kids, a business owner, a wife and I also teach communication classes in an MBA program and yet, I rarely feel overwhelmed . So how does the “Queen of Busy” stay out of overwhelm? I start my day by creating a space for peace. I get up early and I start my day sitting in my hot tub. I start my day relaxed and spend time to create my thriving mindset by setting intentions. This allows me to decide how I am going to experience my day. We each get to CHOOSE every moment of every day and how we respond to what is happening to us. I choose to respond in a positive way that allows me to stay connected and focused on how I was to feel and what I want to achieve.
I invite you to change your thinking about work/life balance because I think it is an unattainable myth.
Yep, that is right. Work/Life balance is a Myth.
There I have said it. Yes, I know it is one of the most universal sought after ideals. It is not just in North America but it is listed as one of the most important issues around the world. Everyone is seeking work/life balance.
I say “No!” At least not the way most people are going about work/life balance; as a “to-do” item and another thing that needs to be accomplished. There must be some secret out there to achieving it and if I try a little harder, I will achieve it also. And the game begins trying to find the secret to work/life balance.
Everywhere you look there is a magazine article or someone else telling you “The 7 Ways to Achieve Work/Life Balance.” Again another “to do” item and boy, does it feel stressful. Not balanced in the way I want you to feel. What if we looked at balance as a “to be” item and that balance meant feeling a sense of harmony? Now we are getting somewhere that feels a little bit better.
I just don’t think that being in balance is good enough. Once you get the seesaw of life “in balance”, something comes along to push you back out of balance. This kind of balance is static. It is a tenuous place to exist and people often are in a place of striving when trying “to balance it all”. So, I invite you to say, “the heck with balance, let’s thrive!” Now thriving in work and life is exciting and allows you experience your work and life in a way that is dynamic.
Thriving is a term we hear a lot about these days. Thriving according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary means “To grow vigorously and/or to progress toward or realize a goal despite or because of circumstances.” “Despite of” or “because of circumstances”; isn’t that another way of saying “life”. So thriving allows us to do our best work and experience our best life. For years I have talked about Thriving and I like to add that when you are thriving, you are able to take risks; you are able to make mistakes and have “do-overs” so you don’t need to be perfect.
Thriving allows you to think and grow from a place of abundance and possibility. Sometimes thriving means slowing down and nourishing yourself as a plant often does in winter. Thriving is a way of Being instead of a way of Doing and it allows room for peace and harmony to co-exist with mistakes and messiness. All the while supporting you in moving forward toward your goals. And by first “being” you can be more successful at taking action and “doing”.
If you are ready to thrive, I invite you to visit me here again as I write about tools, topic and tips to help you keep moving forward, because that will create success.
So, back to our myth that work/life balance is attainable. I hope you have decided that work/balance as another “to-do” item is no longer something you desire. I invite you to go beyond seeking balance to a creating harmony so your work and your life will both truly thrive.