Marketing

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How to create a high-converting lead magnet course

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[397] How to create content that attracts corporate clients with Jess Lorimer

March 20, 2020 by Janet Murray

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 49:14 — 112.7MB) | Embed

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Ever wondered about adding a corporate revenue stream to your business? Maybe you’ve considered selling to corporate organisations but you’re just not sure how to do it? Or what content to create to attract them?

In this episode, sales coach Jess Lorimer explains how to create content that attracts corporate clients. Jess who helps online business owners sell to corporate organisations and is host of the Selling to Corporate podcast explains why you really should consider adding a corporate revenue stream to your business. She explains what it means to sell to a corporate organisation and the steps you can take to get started.

Jess shares the exact type of content that you need to be creating to sell to a corporate organisation. Plus how to create the RIGHT sort of content for LinkedIn to attract corporates - without waiting for them to discover you from scrolling through their LinkedIn feed.

She also shares the two types of content that you NEED to be creating to attract corporates and why you MUST remember that corporates aren’t robots and people need to feel a connection with people they work with. Which is why you should never be afraid to show your personality when you create your content - even when you're trying to attract corporates.

This episode is full of valuable and practical tips from Jess that you can implement immediately to start creating content that converts and attracts.

I’d love to know what you think

{Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode}

Podcast shownotes

About Jess and how her business has evolved (3:01)
What is a corporate and advantages of having a corporate revenue stream (6:01)
Why you should add a corporate revenue stream to your business (07:28)
Steps to take if you want to sell to corporates and how to find the low hanging fruit (13:41)
The two types of content that you can create to sell to corporates (19:45)
Types of proactive content that you can create (19:45)
How to use the two different types of content on different audience platforms (20:39)
The difference between proactive content and broadcast content (23:12)
Examples of different types of proactive content (24:07)
Examples of different types of broadcast content (24:42)
Why you need to make sure you have the right audience for your content (26:42)
Why you need to create content that makes corporates remember you (31:00)
Why you should create broadcast content that shows corporates your personality (38:05)
How to create content that can alert a corporate to a problem they might need to solve (44:37
How you can create content that starts discussions and demonstrates your expertise (46:42)

Resources

Connect with Jess on Instagram

Listen to Jess' podcast Selling to Corporate

Masterclass - How to turn your in-person services into online offerings

Masterclass - How to launch a playbook for your business

Other podcast episodes

[Bonus] How to turn your in person services into online offerings (podcast)
[Bonus] How to generate income fast by creating a power hour for your business (podcast)

How to create an editorial calendar for your business (blog post)

How to write social media posts that sell (online masterclass)

Join the Media Diary Owners Club

How to add closed captions to your video using Rev and Kapwing

Join my get your podcast live in 60 days course

How to create a high-converting lead magnet course

Buy my book Your press release is breaking my heart

Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

Generate income - fast - by creating a Power Hour for your business

March 16, 2020 by Janet Murray

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 39:43 — 90.9MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | RSS

Want to generate income in your business - fast?

Why not create a Power Hour: an online consultancy session, where people pay a one-off fee to pick your brain/get advice about a topic you have expertise in?

In the short-term - where you may not be able to physically deliver in-person services due to the Coronavirus pandemic - it can help you continue to serve your ideal customers/clients.

In the longer-term, it can be a great way to generate additional income for business - without having to leave your desk/studio.

It can also be a great way to deal with people who ask for help - but don’t seem to want to pay for your time. So the next time someone says: ‘I’d love to pick your brain about xxx,’ you can invite them to book a Power Hour.

But how do you choose a topic for your Power Hour? What tech will you need to deliver it? And how much should you charge?

That’s exactly what I’ll cover in this podcast episode - along with tips on how to promote your Power Hour.

{Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode}

As with anything in your business, the more specific/niche you can be the better. So while you can offer a general Power Hour (where anyone can ask you anything about your expert topic) you’ll almost certainly get more take up if you hone in on a specific type of customer/client and/or a common problem your customers/clients experience.

Here are some examples of Power Hours created by my current/former clients:

So for example, Facebook ads expert Laura Moore has a power hour that focuses on increasing ad conversions.

Virtual assistant Catherine Gladywyn offers a power hour for VAs who are stuck on something in their business.

Architectural technologist Jon Clayton has created a power hour for design and architecture

Amy Caiger has a Power Hour that focuses on helping business owners find their niche.

If you have a product-based business, you can still create a Power Hour. You can either offer something that relates to the problem you solve. For example, I sell a Social Media Diary & Planner. Although I don’t currently do this, I could offer a content planning Power Hour for people who want help creating their content plan. I could offer these sessions to existing diary owners as an upsell. Or I could open them up to anyone who needs help with content planning and offer the diary as an upsell at the end of a consultancy session.

Or you could offer a Power Hour to other product-based businesses on how to do something specific that you are already doing successfully but they might be struggling with e.g. creating a marketing plan, setting up a shop on their website.

How to deliver your Power Hour

You can use video-conferencing software like Zoom which allows you to share your screen and participants share theirs with you. You can also share documents and chat ‘live’ with participants. And you can send them the recording afterwards in case they want to go over anything again. Zoom starts from £11.99 a month.

Alternatives to Zoom: Go To Meeting, Team Viewer, Join.me, Google Hangouts, Meet.me & BlueJeans.

If you’re worried your clients will be overwhelmed by the tech, it’s a good idea to send them written instructions and/or a video using a free tool like Loom showing them how to use it (including how to join).

How to ensure your Power Hour is productive

To ensure the session is productive, I’d recommend you do the following:

Create a dedicated page on your website for you Power Hour that includes information about the session and a link to book
Use a tool like Calendly or Acuity Scheduling so clients can book straight into your diary
Send a pre-call email on how to prepare for the session (including any information they might need to bring to the session) and an outline of how the call will be structured.. PLUS instructions on how to use the video conferencing software from their phone/desktop. I’d recommend sending this information immediately after booking, then at least one reminder email before the call
Send a follow-up email within 24 hours of the session, with a link to the recording, a short follow-up report with details of what was discussed and up to three key action points (one side of A4 should be plenty).

These emails can be re-used and adapted - saving you hours of time in the long run. In fact, the whole process can be automated so people can book straight into your diary, are delivered the link to join the call and reminders before the call.

I include template/swipe files for these types of emails in my How To Turn Your Offline Services Into Online Offerings masterclass.

If you’re worried that what you teach/coach can’t be delivered online, I’ve personally worked with a pilates instructor, bread making teacher, psychologist, personal trainer and jewellery- making teacher - all of whom deliver their training/consultancy online. And if they can do it, so can you.

How to price your Power Hour

It can be tempting to base your pricing on what others are charging in your industry. But this can lead to you vastly undercharging - or even overcharging - for your services.

Your pricing should reflect the transformation you can create for your client - not how long it takes you to prepare and deliver the session. So if you can share information/advice/guidance that can save them tons of time, money and/or help them generate income in their business - because you’ve spent years honing your craft - your price should absolutely reflect that.

I’ve generated over a million pounds in sales from the copy I’ve written for my website, sales pages, email marketing and social media. And the reason I’m able to create engaging content is because I spent the best part of 20 years writing and editing for national newspapers. PLUS I’ve invested huge amounts of time (and money) learning about copywriting - specifically for online business. This means I can look at a sales page, social media post or marketing email and immediately see what needs to be changed. Which is why I charge £500 + VAT for a Power Hour - not £50+ VAT.

That said, I haven’t always charged that fee. I started at around £99 + VAT and gradually scaled up as I got more experienced and gathered more testimonials.

So start by thinking about the transformation you can create for someone and the impact that could have on their life/business.

It can help to spell out the return on investment for your clients. So for example, if I could give you some advice on your sales copy that would help 5x your investment, would you think £500 +VAT was expensive? Probably not. It’s all about how you frame it.

But you do need to have the experience to match your pricing. You can’t charge £500 + VAT for your Power Hour just because someone else in your industry is doing it (well you can, but you may not make any sales).

So if you haven’t yet delivered any Power Hours it can be worth offering a number of discounted sessions so you can gather testimonials. I wouldn’t recommend offering them for free. People generally don’t value what they get for free. Which means they’re more likely to cancel/show up late to the session and less likely to implement your advice. Even a modest fee will ensure they have some skin in the game.

How to promote your Power Hour

If you already have an email list - great. Simply email your list, tell them about your Power Hour and (providing you’ve created the right offer for the right audience) you should get bookings. I’d also recommend doing some social media promotion too. If you have a blog/podcast/Youtube channel, it’s also worth sharing information about it there.

If you don’t have an email list (or only have a small list) you’ll need to use proactive outreach. That means making a list of people you know (e.g. current/former clients) who might be interested in your offer. PLUS asking for recommendations/referrals from friends/colleagues. If you’re not sure how to get started with proactive outreach, the first module in my Build Your Online Audience programme focuses on exactly that topic (and includes email/message templates you can adapt for proactive outreach).

Need help building your email list? Check out: 39 surprisingly easy ways to increase your email subscribers

I also have an email list building programme inside my Build Your Online Audience programme

Find out more about my Emergency Response Plan

Podcast shownotes

The context for this bonus podcast episode (01:44)
Find out about my Emergency Response Plan (4:32)
What is a Power Hour and how you can use it in your business (06:50)
Why Power Hours are great for getting rid of time wasters (8:37)
Why you should choose a niche topic for a Power Hour (09:04)
Examples of successful niche Power Hours (12:57)
How to create a Power Hour for a product-based business (14:11)
How you can use a Power Hour to upset and get future business (16:15)
How to use a Power Hour to decide if you want to work with someone (17:57)
How to deliver a Power Hour and apps you can use to deliver (19:30)
How to make sure your Power Hour is productive and take payment (22:10)
Tools you can use to make it easy to schedule a Power Hour in (23:04)
How to prepare people for the Power Hour (and why you need to) (24:54)
How to follow up a Power Hour and what you should include (27:10)
How to plan out a Power Hour call and manage expectations (29:29)
How to price a Power Hour and think of the transformation you offer (30:04)
Why you need good testimonials (and how to get them) (32:42)
How to promote a Power Hour (and what to do if you don’t get a response) (34:25)
How to promote a Power Hour if you don’t have an email list or audience (36:09)

Resources

Video Conferencing Software
Zoom
Go To Meeting
Team Viewer
Join Me
Google Hangouts
Meetme
Blue Jeans
Actuity
Calendly

Presenting software
Screenflow Mac
Thinkific
Teachable
Wistia
Vimeo
YouTube
Audacity
Soundcloud

Masterclass - How to turn your in-person services into online offerings

Masterclass - How to launch a playbook for your business

Other podcast episodes

[333] 39 surprisingly easy ways to increase your email subscribers (podcast)
[335] How to create a high converting lead magnet (podcast)
[343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast)
[348] How to write social media posts that sell (podcast)
[375] How to get your first 1K email subscribers (podcast)
[378] How to use hashtags to build your online audience (podcast)
[386] The four types of content to create that will help you make more sales in 2020 (podcast)
[390] How to stop overthinking your content (podcast)
[391] How to write better social media captions (podcast)
[392] How to get more engagement on Instagram (podcast)
[393] How to create engaging content when you only sell one product or service (podcast)
[Bonus] How to turn your in-person services into online offerings (podcast)

Get my Instagram Engagement Playbook

How to create an editorial calendar for your business (blog post)

How to write social media posts that sell (online masterclass)

Join the Media Diary Owners Club

How to add closed captions to your video using Rev and Kapwing

Join my get your podcast live in 60 days course

How to create a high-converting lead magnet course

Buy my book Your press release is breaking my heart

Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

[396] How to grow an engaged Facebook community with Steve Folland

March 13, 2020 by Janet Murray

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 42:46 — 97.9MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | RSS

Have you ever wondered how to grow a really engaged Facebook group? Where there is a real sense of community - and people genuinely engage? If you’d love some strategies for growing your own online community or you’re thinking of starting a Facebook group then this podcast with video and audio producer Steve Folland is a must-listen.

Steve who is also the host of the Being Freelance podcast shares how he grew his online community and Facebook group from his own podcast. He explains how he started his Facebook group after growing his podcast audience and how he links the content in his Facebook group back to his podcast - even down to the questions that he asks when people join the group.

Steve explains how important it is that your Facebook group is genuine and how your personality will give you the edge and get people to join your tribe.

Plus why you must create really good quality consistent content. He shares the strategies that he’s used to engage his community and grow his Facebook group. Find out why having a specific niche for his Facebook group has made his community really successful and buzzing.

Plus how Steve has used his Facebook group to increase his online presence and his podcast audience.

I'd love to know what you think.

{Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode}

Podcast shownotes

How Steve started the Being Freelance podcast and then his Facebook group (2:11)
How Steve uses his podcast to get people to join his Facebook group (3:23)
Why you need to set the tone of a group for people to connect with you (7:48)
Why having a niche Facebook group helps with engagement and content (9:27)
How Steve creates a buzz and makes people feel part of the community (10:14)
Why you need to set out what you will genuinely use the group for at the outset (16:20)
How Steve set his group rules and the questions he asks when people join (18:13)
How Steve gets people involved and links the group back to the podcast (22:44)
How Steve repurposes content in the group to use on other platforms (24:14)
How Steve uses his podcast to drive people to his Facebook community (27:40)
Why your personality, consistency + content will help attract people to your group (30:11)
Why you should niche your Facebook group as much as possible (34:49)
How Steve’s Facebook group has enabled him to monetise his podcast (35:57)
How having an online community has helped Steve with his online business (39:19)

Resources

Steve's website Being Freelance

Get my 31 post ideas for your Facebook group

Masterclass - How to turn your in-person services into online offerings

Masterclass - How to launch a playbook for your business

Other podcast episodes

[327] Why I am closing my 13.5K Facebook Group (podcast)
[329] What’s working on Facebook right now with Liz Melville (podcast)
[334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows (podcast)
[335] How to create a high converting lead magnet (podcast)
[343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast)
[352] How to sell in a Facebook group without annoying your members (podcast)
[357] How to transform your Facebook Group from ghost town to garden party with Bella Vasta (podcast)
[361] 15 post ideas for your Facebook group (podcast)
[392] How to get more engagement on Instagram (podcast)
[393] How to create engaging content when you only sell one product or service (podcast
[Bonus] How to turn your inperson services into online offerings (podcast)

How to create an editorial calendar for your business (blog post)

How to write social media posts that sell (online masterclass)

Join the Media Diary Owners Club

How to add closed captions to your video using Rev and Kapwing

Join my get your podcast live in 60 days course

How to create a high-converting lead magnet course

Buy my book Your press release is breaking my heart

Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

How to turn your in-person services into online offerings

March 9, 2020 by Janet Murray

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 36:57 — 84.6MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | RSS

If you deliver in-person consultancy, training or coaching in your business you will almost certainly have been affected by the Coronavirus outbreak.

Perhaps you’ve had client meetings cancelled. Or maybe you’ve had workshops/consultancy gigs postponed or put on hold. It could be that you’ve had to cancel live events/workshops of your own. All of which is likely to have an impact on the bottom line of your business.

Health always comes first of course. But with little sign of the crisis abating, it’s sensible to consider how you might offer online alternatives to your offline services.

Not only is this sensible in the midst of a worldwide flu epidemic, it’s also a way to start generating passive/semi-passive income in your business - which means you can stop trading time for money (or certainly do less of it)).

In this special podcast episode, I’ll show you four ways you can start turning your offline services into online offerings.

Delivering in-person coaching online
Turn your coaching/consultancy programmes into online courses/memberships
Turn in-person workshops into webinars/online masterclasses
Launch a playbook/ebook

{Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode}

Delivering in-person coaching online

Booked to deliver 1-2-1/group coaching in-person? This can easily be delivered online, using a free video-conferencing software like Zoom which allows you to share your screen and participants share theirs with you. You can also share documents and chat ‘live’ with participants. And you can send them the recording afterwards in case they want to go over anything again.

Alternatives to Zoom: Go To Meeting, Team Viewer, Join.me, Google Hangouts, Meet.me & BlueJeans.

If you’re worried your clients will be overwhelmed by the tech, you can send them written instructions and/or a video using a free tool like Loom showing them how to use it (including how to join).

To ensure the session is productive, I’d recommend creating a sequence of emails that includes:

Information on how to book in a 1-2-1 session with you (they can use a tool like Calendly or Acuity Scheduling to book straight into your diary)
Information on how to prepare for the session including information on any information on what they might need to bring to the session. PLUS how to use the video conferencing software from their phone/desktop.
Information on what to do after the online session (this might include a link to the recording), any action points agreed and follow up work

These emails can be re-used and adapted - saving you hours of time in the long run. In fact, the whole process can be automated so people can book straight into your diary, be delivered the link to join the call and reminders before the call.

I include template/swipe files for this sequence of emails in my How To Turn Your Offline Services Into Online Offerings masterclass

Turn your coaching/consultancy programmes into online courses/memberships

Booked to deliver in-person training or a workshop? This can be delivered live, using a free video-conferencing software like Zoom (or one of the other examples mentioned above) which allow you to share your screen, share documents and chat ‘live’ with participants.

With a bit of tweaking, it’s possible to make online sessions really interactive. Not only can you use the ‘chat’ function to ask and answer questions, but you can also share your screen with participants and they can share theirs with you, which means you can give feedback on literally anything. So if you’re a tennis coach, you can give feedback on technique. If you’re a pottery or sewing teacher you can check peoples’ creative work. And if you’re a singing teacher you can advise on pitch and tone. With the right technology, pretty much anything is possible.

And you don’t have to deliver the training live. You can record the sessions in advance using video conferencing software like Zoom and/or a screencasting software like Screenflow (for Mac) or Camtasia for (PC) which allow you to talk over your slides

You can host your video tutorials free using a site like Teachable or Thinkific.

But you don’t need dedicated software to host video tutorials/or an online course. You can upload them to a video hosting site like Wistia or Vimeo or simply add them as unlisted/private videos on Youtube. Any digital downloads e.g. workbooks, cheat sheets, checklists can be stored in a file hosting service like Dropbox or Google Drive (you can just paste a link under the relevant video tutorial).

This is exactly what I did for the BETA launch of my online podcasting course: Get Your Podcast Live in 60 Days.

You can use these resources to create audio files/podcasts (or use a digital recording app like Audacity). These can be hosted on any of the platforms above or you can upload them to Soundcloud.

Think what you teach can’t be delivered online? Check out an online course site like Udemy where you’ll find digital resources on everything from surfing to singing to gastric bypass surgery.

Want to learn more? I cover how to launch an online course/workshop in my online masterclass How To Turn Your Offline Services Into Online Offerings masterclass

Turn in-person workshops into webinars/online masterclasses

Run your own live workshops/events? This can also be delivered live, using free video-conferencing software like Zoom (or one of the other examples mentioned above) which allow you to share your screen, share documents and chat ‘live’ with participants.

While I’d recommend promoting live events/workshops at least 12 weeks ahead, you can promote webinars/online classes less than a week before the event. In fact, promoting them too far in advance can mean you actually get fewer people showing up (people just forget about it).

To ensure your webinar is productive, I’d recommend creating the following sequences of emails:

A four-day promotion sequence - promoting the webinar to people and telling them what will be covered
A sequence of reminder emails - reminding people about the webinar and any preparation they might need to do (setting a pre-webinar task can be a great way to keep people engaged before the session)
A sequence of follow-up emails that deliver the recording, slides, handouts (and any other resources shared during the session) and offer and upsell to another product/service

I include template/swipe files for this sequence of emails in my How To Turn Your Offline Services Into Online Offerings masterclass

Don’t have an email list? Read: 39 surprisingly easy ways to increase your email subscribers.

You should also promote the webinar/online masterclass across your social media channels. I included samples of the kinds of posts you might create in my How To Turn Your Offline Services Into Online Offerings masterclass

Once your webinar is recorded you can turn it into an automated, on-demand webinar using a tool like Ever Webinar.

Launch a playbook/ebook

Launching a playbook/ebook can be a great way to turn your knowledge/expertise into a valuable resource you can sell - without leaving your home office. A playbook/ebook is a digital download, typically of around 3-5000 words that solves a very specific problem for a very specific type of client.

I go into much more depth in my how to launch a playbook for your business online masterclass.

There is some work up front in writing the download. You may also need to invest time and/or money (if you don’t have the expertise yourself) for professional-looking design.

But once you’ve created your playbook/ebook - and automated the purchase/delivery process - you can (quite literally) sell it in your sleep. In the first few weeks of launching my Instagram Engagement Playbook, I sold almost 300 copies.

While you’re unlikely to make millions from a playbook/ebook (unless you already have a large audience) it can be a great way to attract qualified leads you can upsell to more high-ticket products.services.

Ideally, you’ll sell your ebook via your website (which means you can track who is buying from you and, crucially, get their email address for upsells/cross-sells) using a resource plug-in like Woocommerce or Shopify. To deliver the playbook/ebook, you’ll need to integrate this with your email marketing software.

Converting the naysayers

If you are taking services online that you have previously delivered offline, you may come up against some resistance from clients who don’t believe online training/coaching/consultancy can be as effective as offline.

It’s a good idea to create content that educates your clients on the benefits of online learning PLUS how it works (often resistance is based around fear e.g. of not being able to use the tech), Demo/sample videos can also help (once people understand what an online class might be like, they’re usually happy to get on board). Finally, gathering testimonials from your clients will also help a lot. If you can get testimonials in which they explicitly talk about how they were concerned about online learning, but their fears were totally unfounded that is ideal.

Podcast shownotes

About this bonus podcast episode (01:04)
The four different ways you can take your business from offline to online (5:23)
How to deliver your in-person workshop or consultancy online (6:46)
Software to use for video conferencing and explaining the tech (7:49)
How to streamline and automate the booking process of your online course (9:55)
How to follow up your online sessions and what people need to know (12:01)
Why you can deliver any type of training online (14:09)
How to turn your in-person coaching/consultancy into an online course (14:49)
How you can use video to give people feedback on online (16:30)
Apps for presenting your content online and how to keep it simple (17:30)
How to turn your in-person workshops into webinars/masterclasses (21:57)
Why you don’t need a long lead time for promoting online webinars (23:52)
Emails that you can send to promote your online webinar (24:50)
Using your follow up emails to upsell (25:44)
Why you need to have people on your email list (26:20)
How to resell your webinar and use it in your sales funnel (28:49)
How to generate sales and leads by creating a playbook or ebook (29:40)
How to convert clients who don’t think it will work online (32:20)

Resources

Video Conferencing Software
Zoom
Go To Meeting
Team Viewer
Join Me
Google Hangouts
Meetme
Blue Jeans
Actuity
Calendly

Presenting software
Screenflow Mac
Thinkific
Teachable
Wistia
Vimeo
YouTube
Audacity
Soundcloud

Masterclass - How to turn your in-person services into online offerings

Masterclass - How to launch a playbook for your business

Other podcast episodes

Get my Instagram Engagement Playbook

How to create an editorial calendar for your business (blog post)

How to write social media posts that sell (online masterclass)

Join the Media Diary Owners Club

How to add closed captions to your video using Rev and Kapwing

Join my get your podcast live in 60 days course

How to create a high-converting lead magnet course

Buy my book Your press release is breaking my heart