Successful Blog

Stop waiting for the author fairy to arrive

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I have sad news for those of you who are waiting for the “author fairy” to visit.

She doesn’t exist.

No-one will “dub” you a writer. You become a writer by writing.

Saying “I want to be a writer” the same way your 8 year old child says “I want to be a fireman” won’t work.

But I’m not here to burst your bubble and run away.

I’m here with ideas.

How to Become an Author without Help From the Author Fairy

Find Your Topic – What’s already in your heart? What subject do you have deep expertise in? If you were going to do a keynote, what would you talk about? What topic makes you so interested you could talk about nothing else for the next year or so? (Because that’s what you’ll be doing.)

Build a Platform – The next step is to lay the groundwork for your future readers. Create a central hub for others who are interested in your topic to gather. It could be a blog, an online community, a Facebook Group, but you need to build that kindling teepee that will eventually help you light a roaring bonfire. Start providing value right now.

Invest Sweat Equity – Here’s where everyone gets tripped up. You have to actually start writing. Write every day, all the time, for the trashcan and for your platform. Get practice being edited and getting feedback. Be consistent with your writing schedule so that it becomes a discipline.

Get to Know Your Readers – Your platform isn’t a broadcasting station. It should be the start of an ongoing conversation with those who will rally around your book. Talk to them. Find out their hopes, fears, and dreams.

Decide Your Publishing Method – You’re so lucky! You live in a time when you don’t have to wait for a publisher to seek you out. You can consider self-publishing, whether it’s an e-Book on Amazon or boxes of physical books. There’s no stigma to self-publishing anymore; just be sure to use a professional editor and professional cover design so you stack up well against your competition. If you choose to seek a traditional publisher, create a book proposal and be persistent in approaching potential publishing partners. Harry Potter was turned down by 12 publishers before it found a home, so don’t feel bad if you don’t get picked up by the first one.

The bottom line is that you must put yourself forward the achieve your goals, because nobody is going to knock on your door out of the blue.

Now go for it!

 

 

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Featured image via Flickr CC: fotologic

10 insider tips for the traveling blogger

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The traveling blogger is a fish out of water.

Away from the comforts of the home coffee maker, fluffy bunny slippers, and reliable wifi, they must be prepared for anything.

Of course it’s great to step out of your comfort zone and see humans face to face. It’s fantastic to get out your passport and see the world. It’s even better if you can continue to run your business without skipping a beat.

This blog post is a handy dandy roundup of my 10 best insider tips for the traveling blogger.

Use these as a starting point, and you won’t end up in the fetal position in your hotel hallway, begging passers-by for their Mophie chargers (see Tip #1).

Tip #1 – Be All Powerful

It’s more important to pack your charging cords than to pack your underwear. Seriously. But here’s a great tip I received from my sister-in-law (who travels frequently). If you forget your charger, ask at the hotel front desk; often they have a pile of cords that have been left behind by your fellow travelers. Away from my hotel, I always maintain my charge with my Mophie, the greatest invention since sliced bread. Throw a power strip in your suitcase for bonus points.

Tip #2 – Stay Connected (but Securely)

You know not to go on sensitive sites or apps using hotel free WiFi, right? It’s a little better if it’s password protected, but you still need to be cautious. The pros use a VPN to be completely secure while traveling. If you’re concerned, you can even buy a temporary VPN service, which simply encrypts your activity to keep the bad guys away.

Tip #3 – Leave Your Room

Writers need to fill their brains with new ideas, new viewpoints, and fresh air. Don’t go into your hotel room, close the blackout curtains, and eat room service. Be sure you keep up your healthy routines, use the fitness center or go for a jog outside! You might find yourself full of blogging inspiration from your new location.

Tip #4 – Be Prepared

At some point in your travels, you may find yourself in an unfamiliar conference room, in a long tunnel, or stuck in the middle of nowhere. Some things that will ease your panic: a USB stick with your presentation or work-in-progress on it, pre-loaded Google Maps, Band-Aids (for the blisters from your new shoes), and a granola bar (in case they’re serving Haggis).

Tip #5 – When in Rome…

If you’re traveling out of the country, don’t forget to check your data plans for overseas travel (some phone carriers have amazing roaming deals now). Do yourself a favor and buy a plug adaptor (American plugs won’t work in Europe). Appreciate the cultural differences and educate yourself about them before you go (in some countries, you are expected to sit in front with a taxi driver, rather than in the back). Pack a washcloth/facecloth if those are important to your routine, as they won’t be provided in most European hotels.

Tip #6 – Fly in Style

If you travel frequently, invest a little bit of time and money into TSA Precheck, you’ll thank me later. Take advantage of curbside check in (bring $2 per bag for the expected tip) and wave at the long line of people who inexplicably always wait in the inside queues. Take a screenshot of your digital boarding pass to access it quicker on your phone. While we’re talking about phones, download the airline’s app if they have one, and get details like gate change alerts and delay notifications early.

It goes without saying (hopefully), but it’s always a good idea to dress nicely and be respectful to the airline personnel, giving you both good karma and a better chance at being upgraded.

Tip #7 – Get Ahead of the Curve

Use your blogging platform to queue up some posts in advance of your trip. Use any downtime during the year to stockpile some great posts that are evergreen and can go live when you’re traveling. Queue up your blog post social promotion as well, while you’re at it.

Tip #8 – Don’t Forget to Bring Back Content

Take pictures, do some video interviews, do some travel journaling…make sure that you come back with content you can use for the rest of the year. You might want to bring a fresh notebook so you can jot down ideas on the road.

Tip #9 – Be Suitcase Savvy

Put something weird or colorful on your suitcase handle so you can identify it at baggage claim. Put a plastic trash bag in the suitcase for your wet swimsuit or dirty laundry. Pack like a flight attendant by rolling everything; you can fit twice the number of outfits. When your dentist gives you that little packet with a toothbrush and toothpaste, put it in your suitcase and just leave it in there for your next trip.

Tip #10 – Consider Unplugging Completely

This goes against all of the previous “bring your cords” advice, but if you’re able, consider taking a digital break. If you’re traveling because you’re supposed to be on vacation, prep some content in advance, let your audience know that you’re going away for a week or two, and take a deep breath. It’s important to be consistent, but it’s even more important to maintain your sanity.

What’s your best travel tip for the road-weary blogger?

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Your Marketing Funnel is Actually a Rube Goldberg Device

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The traditional marketing funnel is gone, folks.

It’s been replaced by a gigantic, unpredictable, over-the-top Rube Goldberg device.

Giant rube goldberg device
Foto: Johannes Abeling

 

There was a time when the “marketing funnel” was as simple as a consumer seeing a television ad, driving to the store, looking for your branded product, and then purchasing it.

Now, the consumer of that same product can receive a suggestion from his Amazon Echo, then decide to go read some reviews online, get sidetracked by a related (native advertising) article on the product, ask a few questions of the live chatbot on the product ordering page, decide to wait until Christmas, then go into a physical store to make the purchase.

This critical shift in the consumer mindset is going to require a similar shift in the marketing mindset.

5 Key Mindset Shifts to Deal with the New Marketing Funnel Reality

First of all, it’s not linear – the original funnel concept assumed that the customer went through a defined, linear process that was highly predictable. With the new, complex customer journey, there are sidetracks, cul de sacs, and fast-forwards. Each facet of your marketing approach needs to be able to stand alone, to account for consumers who jump into the middle of your marketing/sales process.

Second, you don’t know what they know – studies have claimed that up to 70% of the pre-purchase research is done before the customer even approaches a salesperson. In the new mindset, you can’t just launch into a canned pitch. You need to do a lot of questioning and listening, to find out what the person already knows or assumes about your product. This is so important to start building trust with your customer.

Third, agility is key – your marketing content arsenal needs to be diverse and refreshed frequently. You absolutely must be willing to experiment, pivot, and A/B test like a mad scientist. Schedule time to look at your analytics on a regular basis to see where your customers are coming from, where they’re going on your website, and which content is resonating (or not). Don’t forget to ask your prospects about their journey when you speak to them as well. “Oh, I decided to visit your site after an agency friend of mine recommended you at a conference I just attended.”

Fourth, spread your wings – the old funnel had a single output. You could stand there and take in the leads. Now, you need to put yourself out there and be ready to catch the ball wherever it emerges from the Rube Goldberg device. The new customer might reach out via a Tweet, a Facebook comment, an email, or by filling out your online inquiry form. It’s imperative that you have someone available to “answer the phone,” whatever that means to your customer.

Oh, and fifth, sales is different now too – HBR described this piece of the sales shift in an excellent article. The old sales playbook has been tossed out along with the marketing funnel.

How are you dealing with the new marketing funnel reality?

 

 

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Featured image via Flickr CC: Arne Hendriks

Add This One Crucial Thing to Your Goal Tracker for 2017

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Today’s post is going to be brief, but may just change the way you approach 2017.

We’re all sitting down in the next few weeks, reviewing the past year and setting up a goal tracker for next year.

Part of that process is looking back at projects that may not have panned out, numbers we didn’t hit, or (ahem) pounds we didn’t lose.

  • What about your successes?
  • What about things that made you laugh/smile?
  • What about accomplishments?

Wouldn’t it be valuable to see a consolidated list of those things too?

Here’s how you set yourself up so that in December 2017, you actually have that information.

In whatever time management system you use (I’m a Moleskine + paper weekly planner kinda gal), create a space to track weekly successes and wins.

Then at the end of the year, you can look back through your weekly items and pull together a big list that catapults you into the next year.

Your “wins” don’t have to be new multi-million dollar clients. It could be your daughter mastering the cartwheel.

Those little day-to-day successes get lost in the noise.

  • Did you guest blog for a big website?
  • Did you move to a new accounting software?
  • Did you run a half-marathon?
  • Did you get asked to speak at a local event?

Capture those moments throughout the year and you’re set up for more successes down the road.

You can still take five minutes to beat yourself up if you need to (those last 5 pounds are a killer), but then stand up, shake it off like Taylor Swift, and head into 2017 with a smile on your face.

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Make Room for Wonder

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This is the time of year when it’s easy to envision wonder. The holiday season lets everyone lower their defenses.

  • The slack jawed two year old walking up to Santa in the Mall.
  • Waking up in the morning to a fresh blanket of snow and silence.
  • Videos of Hallelujah Chorus flash mobs.

It’s time to allow wonder to trespass into the rest of the year.

Being in a state of wonder leaves you vulnerable. It exposes you and makes you feel like a child, because children aren’t self-conscious. Children are experiencing everything for the first time, and they aren’t afraid to show their excitement.

Wonder puts the pause to our analytical, logical, data-driven minds.

We let ourselves feel wonder every once in a while, on special occasions:

  • The birth of a child
  • Visiting the Grand Canyon for the first time
  • Watching the Monarch butterflies migrate through Pacific Grove, CA

I’m proposing that we intentionally go to that innocent mind-space on a more regular basis.

Wonder-Generators for Your Daily Life – Some Ideas

Appreciate the wonder of space – remember when you wanted to be an astronaut as a kid? Did you know that NASA has some amazing social accounts you can follow? Feed your inner astronaut and subscribe to NASA’s Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/nasa/.

Dream about technological innovations – I’ve attended the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas many times over the years. It is one of the places where you can get hands-on with technology and inventions that are several years from reality. If you can’t be there in person, you can follow their Twitter feed to see some of the latest goodies: https://twitter.com/ces.

Add some scientific exploration to your diet – visit the Scientific American website and find out whether Michelangelo encoded messages in the Sistine Chapel. Add National Geographic’s photo of the day to your routine, and marvel at the beauty that surrounds all of us.

Weather inspires awe – many of us are amateur tornado chasers, or become glued to the Weather Channel when a hurricane approaches. One element of wonder is the idea that you are not necessarily in control of everything. Weather watching reminds us of our place in the natural order. I’m currently obsessed with the Dark Sky weather app, which includes an amazing global weather tool. In case you need to know the temperature in Antarctica.

OK, you’re up. Where do you go when you want to put yourself in a state of wonder?

 

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Featured image via Flickr CC: Tom Hall

How entrepreneurs can address top trends for 2017

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You should already have kicked off your strategy and planning for 2017 (while continuing to run through the tape at the end of 2016).

While you’re in planning mode, you should also consider what’s going on globally, now and into the next several years.

One great resource for staying on top of trends is the yearly report from the Trendwatching website. Many of their reports are free, but you can also get a paid account for additional access and insights.

The trends outlined in their latest report, “5 Trends for 2017,” can offer you food for thought while you address budget, resources, and tactics for the coming year.

VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE ECONOMY

We have all heard the buzz surrounding augmented reality and virtual reality; soon these types of digital experiences will become the norm rather than an exotic toy. You probably can’t turn your blog into a Magic Leap-worthy whale splash, but you can start to consider the importance of experiences over content.

Your customers are jaded with listicles and slides.

They want to know you and your world. Offer them digital experiences that reinforce your relationship and bring them closer.

The Trendwatching report states that experiences are becoming currency, as limited-access or insider style events make consumers feel like the brand is part of their identity.

Time to brainstorm the types of experiences (real-world and virtual) you can offer your customers/fans/readers.

WORLDS APART

Right now, I can instantly talk with someone in Dubai via video chat.

The world can participate in the #MannequinChallenge on Twitter.

News breaking anywhere in the world is readily accessible.

The new consumer sees a global community and is sorting out their place within it. How does my own relationship to home relate to my knowledge of world challenges? What impact can I have, at home and abroad?

Your challenge as an entrepreneur is to plug into the global society and build bridges where you can. This ties into the strong wave of interest in corporate responsibility and charitable work as well. What types of actions can you take in your business that both support your mission and bond you to the global community at the same time?

POST-DEMOGRAPHIC CONSUMERISM

In the past, marketers liked to segment consumers along strong demographic lines, as if all 21 year old females purchased as a block. The trend now is to target the consumer as an individual, often someone who breaks the old patterns of demographics and behavior.

How does this relate to your business?

For starters, don’t get caught thinking of “Millennials” as a monolithic unit. Don’t assume your older consumer isn’t on Instagram. Start looking for ways to personalize your message.

Your customers aren’t thinking of themselves as 40-60 year old males, so you should stop looking at them that way as well.

Another part of this larger trend is the desire for consumers to be incognito individuals, free from tracking. There’s a wish to be anonymous, or to view the world through the experience of another person (how about the ability to switch your social feed to someone else’s, just to get out of your own bubble).

CAPACITY CAPTURE

We’ve already been educated about sustainability and the trend towards lowering your business impact on resources. The newer trend is toward looking for ways to use resources that might have gone to waste. Think “selling” back unused energy to the power company, or sending packages along with an Uber driver.

Brainstorm some ways that your business might have unused capacity that could be a positive value to someone else. How can you look at these new business models and turn your excess into gold?

BIG BROTHER BRANDS

Yes, we might start using the term “Big Brother” as a positive! Consumers will expect to be monitored and tracked, but will also expect to get value out of giving up some level of privacy. Isn’t it great when you can yell “Hey Siri, who’s singing that song?” into the air, and she responds? Already, my front door unlocks as I approach, because of technology we’ve installed.

As an entrepreneur, the way to take advantage of this trend is to seek ways to provide personalized service that delights the customer. At a micro level, you can leverage publicly available information (or information the customer has shared with you over time) to tailor your offerings, or even to surprise them with a gift. What if you looked at a customer’s Pinterest boards to find a small gift that suits their interests?

Just don’t be creepy about it. Always consider how you’d feel in the situation first.

These top trends for 2017 will certainly affect your business in the coming year. How will you move to leverage them? Are you already on top of some of these? Please share your experiences.

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Featured image via Flickr CC: Knight Center for Journalism