Personal Development Conversation Starters

 

 

1. What one small step will you take now?
2. What one thing can you do this week to help improve your life?
3. What one thing did you do last week to improve your life?
4. What result(s) do you want to achieve?
5. What would you like to do more of? What can you do make that happen?
6. When did you experience joy this week?
7. Who are you? Describe yourself in detail.
8. Who has achieved similar goals as you? What can you learn from them?
9. Why are you hoping to make this change?
10. Why haven’t you reached this goal already?

Personal Development Tips

 

 

1. Speak to those you admire. Ask them for advice on whatever qualities they have that you want more of.
2. Spend time creating new, positive habits. These habits will be the foundation to your success.
3. Strengthen your mind and improve your analytic skills by playing strategy games.
4. Surround yourself with positive people who have similar goals as you.
5. Tap into new wisdom every day. Read a book. Listen to an audio. Watch a video.
6. To get another perspective, ask for feedback from friends and family.
7. When you find yourself losing focus, ask yourself “why?”. Once you know, you can improve your strategy.
8. Write to yourself to help overcome any lingering doubts or issues you’re still holding on to.
9. You cannot avoid difficult people but you can learn to deal with them. Take some people management training if necessary.
10. Your environment impacts your mood. Create an inspirational area where you spend your most time.

 

If You are Building a List and Not a Tribe, You’re Doing It Wrong

 

If you’ve been doing online marketing for any length of time, you’d have heard the line, “The money is in the list” repeated ad nauseam. Yet, it is true. The money is truly in the list, especially if you have a large and responsive one.

Because of this, thousands of marketers resort to a myriad of methods to grow their list. They focus on the numbers and the size of the list but often fail to realize that quality beats quantity.

It is a fact that there are marketers who have a list of about 10,000 subscribers and can generate six figures a month from this list as compared to many other marketers who have 10 times more subscribers but can’t make even half of what those with the smaller list are making.

The secret to getting the most out of your list is to build a tribe and not a list. You may be wondering, “What’s a tribe… and what’s the difference?”

The difference is that a list is just a group of subscribers who’ve either opted in to get a freebie or they’ve purchased a product of yours and landed on your list. At this stage, the list isn’t too familiar with you and they don’t really know you well.

If you do not establish a relationship with them and you just keep hitting them with email after email, many will unsubscribe and leave because they do not feel a connection with you. You’re just another marketer to them.

A tribe however, is loyal. It takes time to nurture a list till it becomes a tribe. You’ll need to provide value to your list and help them progress towards their goals. Your emails will need to be entertaining and yet, useful.

You’ll need to be honest in your emails and your personality needs to shine. The products you recommend should be good and you must always look out for your tribe because in a sense, since it’s your tribe, you’re the leader. Your vibe attracts your tribe.

Just like any leader knows his tribe well, you’ll need to understand the needs of your list. Create a subscriber avatar. For example, if you’re in the weight loss niche, you must know who your target subscriber is.

It may be a middle-aged woman who could be juggling her career and her family and trying to get her body in shape. Or it could be a busy mom who has had no time to exercise and she’s trying to get rid of a few pounds.

Or it could be an overweight man who wants to get in shape so that he can gain confidence and ladies will start looking at him in a whole new way.

As you can see, all these are different types of people with different needs. You cannot help all of them. You need to pick one specific group or niche and address the needs of these people.

Trying to be everything to everybody is a surefire recipe for failure. Speak in a language that your subscriber can identify with. If your list is mostly comprised of women trying to lose weight on their tummy but you’re talking about getting ripped and muscular, you will not form a bond with your list.

You need to be on the same page as them and know what their needs, goals and dreams are. Now you can help them and provide them the value they need. Once they see that you have their best interests at heart, they’ll trust you and anticipate your emails. You now have a tribe of people who look up to you and want your emails.

It is inevitable that you will get unsubscribes along the way. Do not take this personally or lose sleep over it. To become a navy seal, one needs to go through a series of rigorous of tests and must make the final cut. Many start out but only a select few get through. However, these few are highly trained and have a bond like no other.

In the same way, the people who do not ‘get you’… are better off on someone else’s list. You can’t please everyone. You should be glad to see them go because not only will your autoresponder fees be lower, but you’ll also have a list that’s ‘tight’ and a bunch of subscribers who hang on to your every word.

That is definitely a good place to be. Keep building your list and while you’re doing that, always establish a relationship with your subscribers so that you have a growing list that becomes a tribe.

 

How Often Should You Email?

 

This is one of the most commonly asked questions regarding email marketing. Some marketers say that you should mail daily so that your list can get to know you. You’ll be creating a habit where they look forward to your emails. This is true and there are several marketers who mail their list several times a day and make six figure earnings from email marketing.

On the other hand, many other marketers feel that you shouldn’t swamp your list with emails or they’ll get fed up and unsubscribe. So, they mail less often… but they make good money too.

So, who is right? How often do you mail out?

The truth is that there is no right or wrong answer to this question. It depends on several factors ranging from the people on your list to the type of marketer that you want to be. We’ll look at a few tips below and they’ll shed light on how frequently you should mail.

 

• The Golden Rule

The golden rule is that you should do unto others as you’d want others to do unto you. If you do not mind receiving several emails from marketers promoting products every single day, you’d probably have no qualms mailing your list daily or even several times a day.

However, if you prefer getting one email every 3 or 4 days from a marketer and daily emails seem like too much for you, you can choose to email every 3 or 4 days. You’ll feel better about yourself… and this will reflect in your emails.

You’ll also attract subscribers who prefer fewer but better emails. It’s of vital importance that you do what’s right for you and your list. If several people on your list tell you that they prefer fewer emails, then mail less frequently. You must have a ‘feel’ for your list.

 

• What type of marketer do you want to be

There are two types of marketers when it comes to email marketing. One type follows the ‘Churn and Burn’ method of email marketing. Basically, they release products constantly and use traffic generation methods such as solo ads and paid ads to build their list.

They then hammer this list with emails promoting offer after offer after offer. This can be very effective, and they may make thousands of dollars doing it. However, they’ll burn out their list quick and this explains why they keep having to add new subscribers to the list.

The second type of marketer sends fewer emails to the list and he or she is more concerned about building a relationship and rapport with the list. The focus is on repeat customers and the long-term value of the customer.

Their goal here is to build a business and not sacrifice long term profits for short term rewards. Providing value and helping their list is put ahead of short term profits. They treat their subscribers as people and not cash cows.

Both methods are just as profitable… and ultimately, you should choose one that you’re comfortable with.

 

• Do you have something to sell?

If you feel like you have something to sell to your subscriber that will be of value to them, cast aside your hesitation and mail away. Just make sure you exercise due diligence and check the product out first.

Never make the mistake of blindly promoting a product that you don’t have a clue about. Like they say, trust takes years to earn and seconds to break.

A good practice to follow will be to always have a link to something a subscriber can buy. Even when you’re sharing information and providing value to your list, there should always be one link in your email that will take them to your store or a product that they could buy.

Curious subscribers will click on the links and you will make sales. So, even if your emails are purely helpful content, do find a way to add a link or two subtly within the email that could lead to sales. After all, you are a marketer and you do need an income to keep your business going.

At the end of the day, the best way to know how often you should email your list is to self-reflect on your business goals and to do what is comfortable for you. Monitor your email open rates, click through rates and unsubscribes. With these stats you’ll have all the information you need to figure out just how often your list wants to hear from you.

 

Finding the Right Balance between Delivering Value and Selling In Your Emails

 

Every email marketer must find the right balance between delivering value and promoting products. That’s the only way to ensure the longevity of your list and the loyalty of your subscribers.

If you keep mailing out for offer after offer without giving any value, you’ll appear ‘spammy’ and many of your subscribers will get annoyed and leave. If you keep providing value and giving out freebies, you’ll condition your list to only expect free gifts and they’ll not be inclined to purchase anything from you.

So, finding the right balance is of paramount importance to keeping you in the green. Most subscribers innately know that you’re running a business and will have to promote offers every now and then to cover your business costs and generate profits.

In fact, if you do your email marketing well, your list will be supportive of your business and will purchase your products or the products you recommend. Email marketing is all about having a relationship with your list… and just like every relationship, there must be give and take.

In this article, we’ll look at 3 methods that you can employ to strike the right balance between providing value and making money through promotions.

 

• Provide tools and tips

Your subscribers are on your list to learn from you. They’re looking for information that can help them with whatever their goals are. If you have a weight loss list, your subscribers will want to know tips and tricks to lose weight. If they’re on a gardening list, they’ll want to know the latest methods to grow healthier vegetables or have a better garden.

Your job as an email marketer is to share pertinent, useful and applicable information to them on a regular basis. It’s imperative that your knowledge be shared so that they can learn something from you.

Share with them what works for you. This will keep them hooked to your emails and they’ll be less likely to leave.

 

• Giving gifts or bonuses

If you’re an affiliate marketer, you may need to give attractive bonuses to woo your list so that they buy through your link. This is especially true if you’re in the make money online niche and the product launches are highly competitive. Potential buyers will look around for the best bonuses before they make a purchase.

So, you’ll want to set up a good bonus as and when you can. That said, you do not need to provide a bonus every single time. If you’ve been providing enough value, your subscribers should purchase from you just because they like you.

It is a delicate balancing act here to get the list to purchase without always expecting a bonus… but it can be done.

If you’re in other niches, you could give out gifts like free reports or discount coupons or get special deals for your list that isn’t available elsewhere.

 

• Offer help when you can

One of the best ways to increase engagement in your list is to be contactable. If you’re a successful marketer, you may hire a virtual assistant to assist you with support issues. Ask your list to contact you if they have questions or need help… and when they do, help them out.

If you recommend a product, you can always help them with any issues they may face using it. Be proactive and do what you can to make your subscriber achieve their goals.

Finding the right balance is all about showing that you care. Overdeliver and help whenever you can… and when you have something to sell, your list will support you and not unsubscribe because they think that you’re only looking out for number one.

“You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” – Zig Ziglar

 

Bulls

Bulls are colorblind, therefore will usually charge at a matador’s waving cape no matter what color it is — be it red or neon yellow!

Wyoming

Wyoming was the first state to allow women to vote.

Discover How Honesty and Finding Your Voice Will Boost Your Email Open Rates

 

You may have heard marketers say, “Email marketing is dead” … or email deliverability rates are low these days. The complaints are many and by all appearances, it seems like email marketing is getting tougher now because more and more subscribers are wary and jaded.

Marketing emails are viewed skeptically, and subscribers are much more discerning now. Yet, there are a handful of marketers who excel at email marketing. They have high open rates, high click through rates and their emails get them a ton of sales and commissions.

So, how do they do it?

The answer is simple. They have a good relationship with their list and they have a good-sized list. The best way to build your list fast will be to retain your current subscribers as you add more to the list. If each email you send gets many unsubscribes, it will be an uphill task.

Ultimately, you need to be an honest and transparent marketer who is unique enough to stand above the noise. This is crucial to building trust and getting you noticed by your subscriber. Once you can achieve these 2 goals, getting people to open your emails and buy your products or the products you recommend will be a breeze.

Use the 5 pointers below to boost your open rates by winning your list over with your personality

 

• Promote only what you believe in

This is a HUGE factor when it comes to building trust with your list. You should always promote or sell products that are of high-quality and will get the buyer their money’s worth.

Too many marketers these days tend to promote every product under the sun just so that they can get commissions. In the short run, this may work… but over time, their list will stop trusting them and the sales will dry up faster than a wet towel in the Sahara Desert.

Do your research on the product, the product creator, the price, the pros and cons, etc. This will allow you to give an honest review of the product and if it’s something that you wouldn’t buy… do NOT recommend it.

 

• Show them you’ve purchased the product

One of the best ways to inspire your list to buy the product you’re recommending. Even if you received a review copy or a complimentary gift in return for a promotion, go ahead and buy the product if you like it.

Take a screenshot of your purchase and display it in your email to show that you forked out money for it. This will show that you too have skin in the game and you’re truly recommending something that you believe in.

 

• Test out the product if you can

Test the product out and see if it works. It doesn’t matter if it’s perfume or some ‘make money online’ (MMO) eBook that promises profits. Make sure that you test the product out and see the results for yourself. Do you like it? Does it deliver on its promises? Is it worth the money?

If the answer is yes to all of the above questions, then you can promote it knowing full well that it’s good. Do not blindly pass off the claims on the sales copy as gospel when doing a review.

 

• Don’t contradict yourself

This is very common among online marketers who promote products in the MMO niche. On one day they may be praising a particular YouTube video ranking software and saying that it’s the ‘last one you’ll ever need.’ A week later, when a new but similar video ranking software is released, they’ll promote this like it’s the best thing you’ll ever need.

Your subscribers can see through these shenanigans. Do not contradict yourself in your emails. If you’re promoting a software that is really good, then you should get a copy of it yourself and try it out. You can then share your knowledge and tips with the list and show them the results you got from using the software.

You’re supposed to promote and help your subscribers learn to use what they buy. You can create tutorial videos, blog posts. etc. to guide them. You are limited by your own imagination as far as delivering value goes. That’s what a wise marketer would do instead of pushing every piece of junk that hits the market.

 

• Finding your voice

As a marketer, you’ll need to stand out from the rest. There are many ways to do this. You could use photos of yourself in your emails or have an attractive personality that comes across in your emails. A sense of humor or brutal honesty or links to videos that you’ve made will help your readers get to know you better.

The key to being unique is to let your personality shine. Do not try to fake it till you make it or act like an authority who is pulling in six figures a month, if you’re not even close. The age-old dating advice of just being yourself applies here too.

If you can practice these 5 tips and make them second nature to your email marketing, your open rates will skyrocket, and your subscribers will look forward to your emails.

 

5 Ways to Make Your List Like You

 

There is absolutely no doubt that having a huge email list can be very profitable. However, building a list of subscribers is not the be-all and end-all of email marketing.

In fact, if you do not establish a relationship with your list or make them feel like they have an intangible connection with you, your list will become unresponsive and die off.

You’ll notice that your emails get less opens and your unsubscribes will start increasing. Most marketers have no clue why this happens and usually there is only one reason for it. The people on the list just don’t like or trust them.

It’s really just human nature at work here. If you get a phone call from someone you like, you immediately answer it. What happens if it’s someone you don’t care much for? In most cases, you’ll ignore the call, and in some cases, you’ll even block the number.

That’s exactly what happens with emails too. People quickly and eagerly open emails that come from marketers whom they like… and for those they don’t…. it’s off to the trash or spam folder.

Your job as an online marketer is to make your list like and trust you. They’ll then look forward to your emails and be loyal subscribers. This article will give you 5 ways to achieve this goal. Adopt them and you’ll see a marked improvement in the response from your list.

 

1. Infotainment

People love to be entertained. Even if you’re in a niche that’s serious like diabetes, you can always include interesting stories in your emails to keep your readers hooked.

Too many marketers focus on conversions instead of rapport. They keep their emails brief with a call to action so that readers will click on the link and buy what they’re promoting. While this may work now and then, over time, your subscribers will get tired of your salesy emails and it’ll turn them off.

This is especially true if you’re in the make money online niche. Most list subscribers in this niche are inundated with emails and overwhelmed to the point where they just stop opening the emails.

You need to be entertaining and keep your emails helpful but lighthearted so that it’s not all about the selling.

 

1. Get personal

It is a fact that the most visited page on most blogs is the ‘About Me’ page. The reason for this is that people are curious to know who the person behind the blog is. The same applies to your list. Your subscribers want to know who you are.

Share with them a few personal stories or incidents that may have happened to you. Do not worry about seeming irrelevant. You want to become a ‘friend’ to your subscribers… and people know personal stuff about their friends.

So, bring down your wall and be human. Share what makes you laugh and what annoys you… and whatever you think may be interesting.

 

1. Be truthful

Above all else, be truthful to your list. Do not lie or resort to leaving out pertinent details just to get sales. This is rampant in the online marketing industry today. Marketers recommend and praise products that they don’t have a clue about.

By making a mediocre product look like the next best thing since sliced bread, you may get the sale. However, once your subscriber purchases the product and sees what a letdown it is, they will not trust you in future.

 

1. Polarize

It is a fact that you cannot please everyone. No matter how good you are, there will be people on your list who ‘just don’t get you.’ Many marketers try to be politically correct and toe the line just so that their subscribers don’t leave.

This is wrong and it’s better to just be yourself and let your subscribers like you for who you really are. Say what you want to say without worry. Those who like you will stay on and those who don’t, will leave.

At the end of it all, what you will have is a list of people who truly want to be on your list. This is a ‘tribe’… and over time, there will be immense loyalty and you will truly enjoy interacting with your list.

Do note that it’s best to avoid discussing politics and religion unless you’re really good at being impartial in your writing… and even then, it’s a gamble. Anything else is fair game.

 

1. Be generous

Generosity is so rare these days and it’s especially rare among marketers. Most marketers only send emails promoting products with very little else to go along with their promotions.

People like to buy but they don’t like being sold to. Most people join your list for information and value. They want information that helps them. They didn’t join your list to keep buying products so that you make sales and commissions.

So, provide value to your list often. Be generous and give them tools, tips and your time if you can. Answer all emails that come from your people on your list. Go out of your way to help them.

When you do this well, just intimating that you have a great product on offer will be enough to get their attention and they’ll buy what you recommend. You will not need to send 10 emails a day or hard sell them the product.

You attract flies with honey, not vinegar. Use these 5 tips and make your list like you like a friend they’ve always known.

 

5 Money-Saving Tips for Back-to-School Season – Engineer Mommy

Source: 5 Money-Saving Tips for Back-to-School Season – Engineer Mommy