Write On ~ Creative Writing Services

Lo & Lisa

Recently I attended Ali Brown’s Coaching Business Intensive event. The event was full of great content and attended by incredible people including my very first coach Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero. When I first started my business, I invested in one-on-one coaching with Lorrie because I knew she was the top female copywriter in the Nation and I wanted to know how she did it so I could apply her proven strategies to my business. It was a solid investment that provided accountability, support and motivation to continually move my business forward.

Ali & Lisa

As I looked around the room at the 159 other people I knew for sure that I was in the exact right place to move my business forward. Each of the attendees are driven, dedicated individuals who understand the value of investing in themselves by investing in others. People who purchased tickets paid just under $10,000.00 per ticket to be there (my ticket was comped as part of the perks of being in the Millionaire Protege Club and coaching with Ali, but there were many new faces in the room).

I bring up the investment not to impress, or because of the dollar amount, but as illustration that if you’re really serious about your business, you’ll invest in mentorship, training and mastermind groups that move you forward personally and professionally. It’s all about how you value yourself. And, it’s also quite impressive to see  Ali leverage her knowledge, build her team to include James Roche (who is another one of my favorite coaches), model successful business models and continually create new revenues streams that truly help move business forward and empower women (and enlightened, progressive men) to step into bigger things. (yes, I feel lucky to have her as my coach –but it wasn’t luck that made it happen, it was dedication, determination and a solid investment in myself.)

But first the takeaways:

With that in mind, I’d like to ask you: What do you most want in a coaching/mastermind program? Please take a quick minute to answer that question here because if you’re truly interested in moving forward personally and professionally, your input could shape my program and this could be just what you’ve been looking for… Your opinion matters — share it here or leave a comment.

Anyone who has ever started a business knows there is work involved.  It takes a clear vision, strategic planning, marketing and more to be successful.

The two traits of successful businesses that I see most often (regardless of the type of business) are consistency and communication. To truly choose success, you must incorporate both into your overall strategy.

Consistency = staying power. When you create a strong brand and platform and continue to be true to that you’ll gain trust, brand recognition and people will know you are serious about your business.

Successful businesses  incorporate consistency and communication in all facets of their business. Businesses that fail generally don’t have plans, lack consistency and don’t let potential customers know what they have to offer.

I’ve been pondering this recently because I’ve had several people ask me if I offer specific services (even though they are listed on my website) or assume that they cannot afford to work with me because they didn’t immediately see information about my editing /rewrite rates which are considerably lower than starting from scratch. Plus, there are some things I do that aren’t even listed on my site… (and there are more to come, soon.)

This made me realize I’m not being as consistent with my communication as I should be (can you relate?). It also made me think about the businesses that are continually reinventing themselves with no apparent rhyme or reason…

So, with that being said, I plan to communicate my offerings more effectively and consistently so I can truly be of service to those who need my offerings most.

Are there products and services you should be sharing with your community to support them?

Are you being consistent and communicating?

Are you REALLY clear about who you are, what you do and how you can best serve your ideal clients?

The same is true of most consumers. We’re an impatient, impulsive bunch at times but for the most part we know what we want and when we want it. If you’re a savvy marketer, you’ll deliver when it counts.

Recently I was in the market for some entertainment. Well, I’m always in the market for some entertainment…but I was specifically interested in having some fun that includes wine (no big surprise, I know). As luck would have it, a Facebook friend reached out to me to share some information about a wine cruise. YUMMY.

I was beyond excited. Checked my calendar and sure enough my schedule was free the dates the wine cruise was happening. I could feel the wind in my hair, the wine on lips and even smell the gourmet dinner that would be served on the excursion. I quickly zipped to the website for the wine cruise, my wallet was out so I could grab the plastic (hello air miles) and I was already thinking about which friends to invite. This was going to be some GREAT entertainment…

My excitement quickly faded when I realized the most recent itinerary wasn’t posted. Sure, the dates and general info about the wine cruises were listed. But, there were no details. No price listed and no way for me to quickly find ALL of the details of the package I most desired, select it and quickly buy ( I like to call this pick, click and pay).

Guess what happened next? I sent my friend a quick message that the details were missing. Got word they would be posted soon and a few weeks later I was notified that all the info is available. And while I appreciate this, the immediate opportunity was missed. I bought tickets to a Natalie Merchant concert instead.

So, what went wrong? The wine cruise outfit had me at Merlot but they lost me when I didn’t have all the info I needed to make a purchasing decision.  I didn’t have everything I needed to pick, click and pay and so I moved on. I’ll probably book the cruise another day but my business could have been theirs if they were ready(AND while it’s true I’ll probably book in the future, an immediate opportunity was missed –this is key because not all consumers will give you a second chance).

Are you making THE Biggest Website Mistake ever and inviting people to your site when it’s really not ready to deliver what your customers want to experience?

Take a minute to review your Internet marketing efforts. Look at your website from your customers perspective and consider what you want to experience when you are online. Will you make the sale or will your prospects bail?

P.S. If you’re not sure if your site is working for you, consider a Manyon Marketing Web Makeover (I’m still offering a 7 page review for the price of 1 = HUGE savings for you. There are only 6 openings available per week and my schedule is filling fast.)  Plus, I’m working on a new offering (well, I’ve been offering it for a while but I’m adding to the site soon) the Manyon Marketing Web Flow Map that will help new Internet marketers get really clear on their website flow and strategy before they even hire a designer(trust me this will save you time, money and many headaches).

To start, “I drank the Kool-Aid*”.  The first sip was good. It tasted like success and possibilities. I was jazzed and couldn’t wait for a flood of visitors to show up to my website and want to do business with me. The Kool-Aid was kicking in but I didn’t have the right foundation to support the vision. The promises of quick, easy money online were not as promising as they had first seemed.

That’s why I choose my mentors wisely. And it’s why I only recommend people I know, like and trust or have personal experience with. People who tell you the truth about business with no B.S. or fluff.

The truth of the matter is:

My point is, I want you stop drinking the Kool-Aid, grow quickly, learn from my mistakes and have the best resources available.

* The reference to “drinking the Kool-Aid” is a term often used to demonstrate caution when blindly following the advice of others. No offense to actual Kool-Aid is meant by this reference.

If you really want to increase sales, you have to have the right marketing strategies in place. I like to remind people that the secret to sales success is truly your copy (that’s the content — the words you use- to craft your messaging for marketing, advertising and promotional materials).

This concept is sometimes uncomfortable for some entrepreneurs because implying that copy is the secret to sales success means you actually have to sell.

You may be one of the many who feel that “sell” is a four letter word.  I’d like to invite you to change your thoughts surrounding sales and selling in general.

Think of your copy as a personal invitation to do business with you so you can help more people.

By making this small shift in the way you think about selling and learning some copywriting tricks of the trade, you can create copy to truly connect with your ideal customers (and doesn’t feel too salesy).

I invite you to watch this Manyon Marketing Makeover and grab a free gift from me that really helps you improve your copywriting skills and takes some of the pain out of the process.  I’ve even received testimonials on the freebie.  You don’t have to go to the website mentioned to grab your gift — just look in the upper right-hand corner of the blog and click on the “Grab My Free Stuff” graphic and it’s all yours.

Ann Evanston~Warrior-Preneur Radio

Ann Evanston recently interviewed me on Warrior-Preneur Radio. Her style is refreshing and revealing. I cannot wait to meet her in person and have a glass of wine. Listen in to the interview here — you’ll learn things about me that I hadn’t revealed in an interview until now.  I invite you to listen in (it’s about 1/2 hour long) and then weigh in below.

Ann’s goal is to capture imagination, capture power and capture success. She believes that within every entrepreneur there is a warrior with power that is strong, loving and captivating. These warriors are able to draw people in so they WANT to be a part of something much larger.

Do you believe you’re a warrior? If so, how so? Leave your comments here and feel free to ask questions about the interview, too.

Here are some signs that your site is working for you (and 5 vital elements to successful websites).

Your website:

• Engages: This means people can interact (perhaps via your blog). Your information is clearly stated so potential customers can find what they are looking for easily.
• Informs: This means you provide information that is useful to visitors (this could be resources, links to your blog, or details on how your products and services work.).
• Develops relationships: This means people begin to get a sense of what you can offer them (including your “free taste” or possibly video/audio messages to connect – again, depends on your strategy.).
• Flows well: This means there is a logical, proven flow for your content (people can find your “free stuff” easily and they can find information for various services or products easily).
• Promotes action: This means you invite visitors to do something that engages, informs and develops your relationship (offering a “free taste” and inviting them to take the next logical step to do business with you which results in sales.).

If all of these elements are in place and you’re still not getting results it usually because of one or two things or a combination of both.

*Want to reprint this article in your eZine or newsletter? Just ask and as long as you include my resource box you are welcome to share

Lisa Manyon specializes in POWERFULLY communicating your marketing messages to increase results. She’s a professional copywriter & marketing strategist and owner of Write On~ Creative Writing Services, LLC.  Manyon publishes a free electronic newsletter called Manyon’s Musings and with subscription you receivea bonus Copywriting Action Plan ~7 Power-packed Insider Tricks of the Copywriting Trade to Dramatically Increase Sales of your Products & Services www.writeoncreative.com .

The call to action was below the fold (meaning anyone who visits the site would have to search and click around to find her “free” taste).

The bottom line is that you pay for your designer to deliver a design that is not only eye catching but also supports the main function of your site which should be to symbiotically build relationships and create a money engine for your business.

You know your strategy and what you ultimately want your site to do and the bottom line is it should be working for you to develop relationships and increase your bottom line.

You should get what you pay for and that means your designer should respect your requests. It can be done. I’ve seen it.

My rockin’ web designer at www.SeattleDesignGroup.com can make it happen. There are many other competent designer out there who will deliver what you need to create an effective online structure that support your business goals.

Are you clear on your website strategy?

Have you compromised the flow of your website because of bad advice from a designer?

I want to hear from you.

I recently discovered SARK on Facebook and am THRILLED.  She is one of my all time favorite authors. In fact, just looking at her books inspires me. I‘m drawn to her words and her art and it makes my soul smile.

So, you can imagine my elation when I discovered she is offering a very cool Dream Boogie program where you can play directly with her via teleclass and more. The creative person in me cannot wait — the marketing mind loves how she’s juiced up her sales page for the Dream Boogie program. This is proof that business can fun. So, go ahead and check it out and dream BIG in full color. Her class starts next week, so, act fast. click on the dancing banner for more info…how cool is that?!

Press releases aren’t just for the media anymore. In this Manyon Marketing Makeover you’ll discover how press releases can help your marketing mix.

• Do you regularly share your gifts with the world?
• Are you leveraging your talents to gain credibility?
• Do you know that you can get more clients and make it easier for customers to find you online with a press release marketing strategy?

Watch this quick video and be sure to share your press release success stories below the video (you can improve your press release marketing in under a minute…).

If you haven’t already, it’s time for you to start your press release marketing strategy.

While it’s true that press releases should be a vital part of your marketing efforts there’s a specific formula you must follow. You can apply some of the various copywriting techniques I’ve shared in previous Manyon Marketing Makeover but press releases should not be too salesy or they’ll quickly find their way into the round filing systems (otherwise known as the garbage can in the offline world) or worse yet, if done incorrectly you’ll be considered a press release SPAMMER.

Have you already incorporated press release marketing into your marketing mix? If so, share your success stories here or feel free to ask questions if you’re not sure how to get started (just post a comment and I’ll respond) or incorporate them into your mix?

Oh, and be sure to take the Write On Creative Press Release Producer for spin today – it’s on me — just make sure you know the proper formatting and you have a press release marketing strategy before you get started… Press Release Producer

Technorati Tags: Manyon Marketing Makeover, press release marketing, press release marketing strategies, how to write a press release, the press release formula, press releases, online press releases, Internet publicity, Lisa Manyon, www.writeoncreative.com, press release producer