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Need More Clients? Think Like a Farmer
If you’re running your own business and you need to add more clients to your books, a little patience is the key.
Do you think that all a farmer has to do is wait until autumn to harvest truckloads of delicious tomatoes or corn or wheat? Think again! That farmer has worked hard all year long to prepare for that week or two of reward.
He prepared the ground following last year’s harvest, planted seeds in the spring and watered, fertilised and protected his fragile crops from pests and drought and poor weather.
And finally, after months of work, he enjoys the results.
Your business works the same way, and if you take a page from the farmer’s book, you’ll soon be adding more clients to your list.

Preparing the Ground

This is your brand, your voice, your very presence in your market. If you’re just starting out—like that farmer after his harvest—you’ll spend your time simply becoming known.
Hang out with other business owners in your niche. Join forums where your ideal clients spend their time. Build a website and start your mailing list. This is the prep work that will form the foundation of a solid business in the future.

Planting the Seeds

 
Your seeds are your content and products. With each blog post you write, every product you create, you’re planting a seed you can harvest later. But unlike the farmer, your seeds will produce over and over again, endlessly.
In fact, you’ll likely find that blog posts you wrote years ago will continue to bring in new clients year after year, with no further help from you. Products can be sold over and over again, or reworked into new offers. Podcasts, videos, e-books and more all continue to work for you, month after month, year after year.
When you think about it that way, it’s easy to see that planting seeds is a critical part of every business.

Nurturing Your Crop

 
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just “set it and forget it”? Unfortunately, that style of business rarely works.
Instead, you must spend time nurturing
Stay in touch with your email list
Update old blog posts with new ideas
Study your stats to improve your traffic and conversions
Improve your products
It doesn’t take much effort to update your blog posts or tweak your products, and the rewards can be fantastic.
Of course, being a farmer is a long-term investment. The work you do today may not pay off for weeks or months to come. But with a strong history of consistent “farming” in your business, you’ll soon see that those long-term rewards are paying off consistently as well.
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Beyond SMART: Goal Setting for Entrepreneurs
If there’s one thing we know about goals, they have to be SMART, right?

After all, that’s what we’ve been told for years. The only thing that matters is that your goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.

While that looks great on paper—and clearly it’s easy to remember—it doesn’t go far enough for those who want to achieve big things.
What’s your dream lifestyle?

Think about it. Do you want to be stuck with “attainable” and “realistic” goals when what you really dream about is a 3-day workweek, frequent international travel, and enough money to keep you in the style to which you’d very much like to become accustomed?

Seems pretty clear that those safe, smart goals aren’t going to get you there.

In fact, they might even do worse than simply “not get you there.” They may actively hold you back.

Are your current goals actually holding you back?
 
Consider what happens when you set an “attainable” goal of earning 10% more than you did last year. You might work 10% more. You might spend 10% more on ads or product creation. You might even reach out to 10% more potential clients.

And you’ll likely earn about 10% more.

“Not bad!” you say. After all, that was your goal.

But did that 10% goal inspire you to work harder? Or did it create a subconscious ceiling on your earning potential that you’re unable to break through?

Think big…
Rather than focusing on targets that are attainable and realistic, savvy entrepreneurs know that the key to incredible success lies in creating lofty goals that feel out of reach—maybe even UN-attainable.

They don’t strive to earn 10% more than last year. They want 50% or even 100% more. They stretch themselves. They find new—and better—ways to do things, so they don’t have to work twice as hard, but they remain open to the possibility of doing so—at least in the short term—when it’s necessary.

Of course, you cannot simply declare crazy goals and expect the universe to hand them to you. And that’s exactly why putting aside those smart goals is so…smart. When you shun the attainable in favour of the “how will I ever do THAT?” goal, you push yourself beyond those self-imposed limits and reach for the stars.

You might not double your income, but you’re almost guaranteed to do better than a mere 10% increase. So push your boundaries. Set big, audacious goals. Even if you fail, you’ll be much further ahead than those smart goals would leave you.

Get More Mileage From Live Video With These Quick Tips
Live video is undoubtedly the hottest new marketing tool to come along in a while. Instagram Stories, Zoom and Facebook Live make it dead easy to anyone with a smart phone to have their 15 minutes of fame. And if you’re consistent, personable, and have just a bit of luck, you might just find yourself with thousands of new fans and followers, all thanks to these short videos.

But if you know anything at all about marketing, then you know the last thing you want to do is create a piece of content that has a limited lifespan. After all, once that 15- or 30-minute event is over, it’s gone, right?

Wrong.

Depending on the platform you’re using, there are plenty of ways you can leverage that video to continue to attract an audience for months or even years to come.
Upload to YouTube
The “big daddy” of video marketing, YouTube enjoys its status as the 2nd most searched website only—behind Google.com by only a slim margin.

Well-optimized videos can attract thousands or even millions of views, and help drive traffic to your website, your blog, your product pages, or even the landing page of your choice. Don’t miss the opportunity to profit again and again from the effort you put into creating video. Be sure to upload it to YouTube and:

Create a keyword-rich title
Craft a compelling description
Add a call to action

That’s it! Add this to your workflow for each of your live videos, and you’ll quickly build up a library of YouTube videos that drive traffic to your offers every day.
Post to Your Blog

Sometimes you want to take the conversation out of Facebook or Google and interact on your website. Adding recordings of your live videos allows you to:

Carry on a conversation with your audience through the comments section
Add more commentary and updated information
Attract Google with pertinent keywords and backlinks
Encourage opt-ins by offering viewers downloadable checklists, worksheets, or even transcripts that go with the video

 Share With Your Partners & Colleagues
 

Just as video works well for your sales efforts, it will also work for your Associates and JV partners. Consider offering replays of your better videos for Associates to use in their own blog posts. Or they could use them on social media, and anywhere else they’re promoting your offers. It will help their audience to get to know you better, and give them a sense of your personality and style before they invest in your products or services.

No piece of content—whether written, pre-recorded, or live—should ever suffer the fate of being used only one time. Put all your content to work in multiple locations, and watch your influence—and your profits—soar.

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How to Get Over Your Live Video Nerves
Most of us have live video nerves and indeed it’s a rare person who loves public speaking or appearing on video. (If that’s you, you can stop reading right now by the way).

But if you, like me, suffer sweaty palms, racing heart, and uncontrolled butterflies—and you’re letting these get in the way of your video marketing dreams—then read on.

Here’s the thing: We all get nervous. Even those who love public speaking and appear so natural on video are often shaking on the inside. They’ve just found a way to deal with their fear and make it work for them.
Practice Makes Perfect
The first time you do anything, you’re likely to be nervous—especially if it’s a public performance. The only way to lessen the fear is to do it. And keep doing it!

That means not only should you practice your webinar or speech ahead of time, but you should also take to the stage—whether virtual or real—as often as you possibly can. Don’t pass up any opportunity to appear on video, on podcasts, in a webinar or on the stage.

And if you need a place to practice in a judgement-free zone, consider joining a group such as Toastmasters www.toastmasterclub.org,  where you can work to reduce your video nerves in front of a live audience.
No Pressure
Sometimes, the worst judgment comes from our own head. Don’t let that voice lie to you, though. There really is no need to pressure yourself to perform, or to be perfect, and there’s certainly no need to berate yourself for all those small mistakes you make.

Instead, acknowledge that no one is perfect, that you’re doing your best, and that you’re improving with each and every event—because you almost certainly are! Be nice to yourself, and recognize that there really is no need for perfection.
Just Be Yourself
Here’s the biggest hurdle we can face: trying to be someone we are not. We see professional news anchors, actors, and others who appear poised and polished on every video clip, and we think that’s how we have to appear.

That’s simply not true. Your audience wants to get to know you better, not the person you think you should be. So be your fun-loving, mistake-making, self-forgiving self. It will resonate so much better with your audience that everything else will be easier as a result.

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3 Tips for a Better Live Video
Live video is everywhere. Periscope. YouTube. Facebook. It’s clearly the hottest thing since Facebook, and marketers in every niche are taking advantage by hosting their own events.

Some of them are good. They’re well attended, fun to watch, and you feel like you benefited from attending. But some of them feel like they’re an afterthought, put together at the last minute, and don’t really bring out the best in the host.

If you’re thinking of hosting a live video event, you don’t want to fall into that latter group! Here’s how to avoid it.
Promote, Promote, Promote
On many platforms, a live video event is just a few clicks away. You can literally plan and host a video in just a few minutes, and an impromptu event can be fun.

But with a little planning, you’ll have a much better turnout. And that planning must include promotion.

Let your private groups know about upcoming events. Email your list. Post a blog. Even consider running paid ads for your upcoming video event if there’s the potential to grow your list or increase your sales.

In short, don’t just throw a party without extending invitations to your friends!
Interact with Your Audience
One of the biggest draws of a live video event is the opportunity to interact with the host. Your viewers want to get to know you better. They want to chat with the other participants. They may have questions to ask.

Don’t make the mistake of ignoring them. To do so is to say, “You’re not important to me.”

Instead, take the time to chat up the audience, acknowledge their presence, and answer their questions. Even if it takes you out of the flow and you lose your place momentarily, it’s worth it to make viewers feel respected and as if they’re a part of the event rather than just a passive viewer.

Remember to check the comments later, too. If your video is available for viewing after the live event is over, encourage the conversation in the comments.

 Repeat What Works

You have a lot of options when it comes to live video. Periscope, YouTube, Facebook, and others all have their place, and I encourage you to try them all. But in the end, you’ll want to concentrate on what’s working.

If your audience loves Facebook but can’t figure out Periscope, it makes no sense to broadcast there. The same goes for length, topic choices, and day and time of broadcast. You’ll want to test all the variables, track your results, and do more of what’s working.

Here’s what you don’t need to worry about when it comes to live video: Perfection.

No one expects you to look like a cover model or to speak like a news reader. In fact, if you do look that perfect, it might actually negatively impact your results, simply because your audience loves to feel connected to you. They know they aren’t perfect, and if you can show off your imperfections, it will help create a stronger connection.

Attracting Sponsors for Your Event
There are many different places you can locate potential sponsors for your events. You can approach customers, suppliers, complementary businesses, or even corporations to become sponsors for your event.
Know Your Audience 
If you understand your audience, you will be able to plan better events. By knowing your market, you’ll know what they can afford, what types of products and services they’re interested in. You”ll understand how much they’re willing to pay for the event and even what location is best.
 Craft a Compelling Platform 
It’s important that sponsors understand how your relationship with your audience will translate into sales if they sponsor your event. If you can demonstrate relationships with your event attendees, then you can make a more compelling argument about why a sponsorship might offer them a great return on their investment.
Demonstrate High Integrity
No matter where you are in the process of your business or events planning, continue to demonstrate that your business represents high integrity. Remember that anything you do and say, especially online, will always be there. How you deal with customer complaints, how you answer email, and how fast you do what you say you will do are all important when trying to get sponsors.
Plan Your Event Around Sponsorships
Try to focus events around sponsorships. If you can do that, you can almost guarantee that you’ll always have sponsors for every event that you do. If you give sponsors some control over the event in terms of naming or choosing locations, they will be more willing to sponsor future events.
Write a Directed Proposal
Every contact with a potential sponsor should be written for and sent to a specific person. Don’t write just one template and mass send it to many. Instead, write each proposal to a particular sponsor focusing on how the sponsorship will benefit them.

Planning and getting sponsors for your live events go hand-in-hand. Sponsorships can not only add to the bottom line by increasing the revenue on your event, but it can also add to the success of the event itself. The attendees will leave having a bigger and better experience due to the sponsorships. And the sponsors will be happy for having connected with the attendees.

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How To Earn Money Before, During and After Your Live Event
The best part of planning and hosting a live event is that you’ll have so many opportunities to earn money.  You can make money on ticket sales, t-shirts and merchandise, books, advanced product sales, and even pre-sale tickets for future events. In addition, you can sell recordings of the event itself to attendees and non-attendees alike.

Making the most of your event’s earning power does take a bit of planning, though.
Collect Leads
Be sure all your promotions are designed to collect leads. You can do so with online webinars, guest blog posts, free reports and other valuable information.
Segment Leads
Separate those who bought tickets from those who did not. You can still market to the people who did not attend the event but who signed up for a free webinar or other resource. These people may be interested in many things leading up to the event as well as after, such as sponsorship, event recordings or other products and services.
Seek Sponsorship
Believe it or not, small and large businesses alike are happy to sponsor a well-planned event. Even smaller events can attract great sponsors. The important thing is to show what you can offer in terms of return on investment. In other words, “what’s in it for them?”
Event Recordings
Both those who attend the event as well as those who did not will enjoy the ability to purchase audio or video recordings. You can sell them less expensively to those who were present, or offer them as an incentive to purchase tickets early. Afterwards, market the recordings to those who weren’t able to attend live.
Workshop Recordings
If your event has workshops with limited seating or which run simultaneously, people will miss some of the workshops in person. Selling mini recordings will solve the problem of some attendees not being able to go a particular workshop.
Checklists, Tools & Premiums
Help attendees and others to get the most out of your event by offering checklists, tools and other additional materials. Even items that just help them remember, such as t-shirts, mugs and pictures sell well.
Follow Up
Don’t stop when the event is done, send follow ups to everyone including those who did and did not attend. Everyone should be sent immediate notification of future events or products and services related to the event.

You can earn money on events long after the venue is cleaned up and the lights have been turned off. In fact, with event recordings you can earn an income from the event years down the road by repurposing the recordings, products and tools in a variety of ways.

If you’re considering hosting an event, why not call me on 07701 351686 to find out how I can help?

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