Donnie Bryant

Donnie Bryant is a direct response copywriter and marketing consultant. He helps small businesses and solo professionals connect with and convert their “should-be” clients with unusually effective marketing messages and systems.

The First Step to Getting Noticed: Internet Marketing for Coaches, Pt. 3

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Read Part 1 and Part 2:

Have you ever been intimidated by the sheer size of the internet?

Even if you’re not new to marketing your coaching business online, it’s easy to feel like an incoming freshman in a big high school… in a town you just moved to. Getting noticed and gaining acceptance can be a struggle.

But there’s another challenge. Imagine this school is for extremely near-sighted people—no one will see your striking good looks from across the cafeteria. If you’re not right in their faces, they may never see you.

So, how do you overcome the faceless anonymity of the online world?

Over 99% of the time, this is a multi-step process. It usually takes work! There are no silver bullets or red Easy Buttons.

Marketing yourself starts with who you are. Before you start thinking about tactics, concentrate on developing your unique value proposition. You actually have to be the person you’re trying to attract clients to.

Presenting yourself as something or someone you’re not is not a good plan. Neither is promising or promoting something that you can’t deliver.

There are two absolutely indispensable characteristics coaches must possess: expertise and trustworthiness. Of course, you already have both of these traits by the bucketful. The first battle in your war with anonymity is putting them on display for the people you want to reach to see.

Simply stated, the first thing you have to accomplish to defeat anonymity is what Aristotle would call ethos: to be worth the attention you’re asking for.

Robert Collier once said that There is just one reason why anyone ever reads a letter you send him. He expects a reward. That is the key to holding his interest. The only reason anyone will visit your site, buy your product or hire you as their coach is the expectation of reward.

What reward are you offering your desired audience you want? There should be something about your character/personality that makes others confident that you have something relevant and valuable to offer them.

On the internet, that probably starts with providing helpful information

Thats the reason you call a doctor when you’re sick or a plumber when your pipes are clogged. Or why you call a friend when you feel down in the dumps. You know they are specialists in areas you need help in right now.

Expertise and trustworthiness go hand-in-hand. People trust experts. What are you doing to show off your brilliance?

  • Write detailed articles dealing with specific issues that the people you want to reach care deeply about or are very interested in. Solving specific problems they’re actively looking for relief from is always a good one.
  • Blogging is can be very effective. You still have to concentrate on rewarding your readers with valuable insights, resources they can use, etc. It’s your blog, but it should not be about you, per se.
  • Audios and/or videos: interviews, podcasts, on-demand presentation recordings. On top of being quality content, people connect more deeply with you when they can hear your voice and see your face.

The common thread here is content. You want to recreate who you are as a person and as a coach online. You can’t jump into the computer and live on a server, but you can share some of what you know through content.

When it comes to establishing on online presence, people think about a lot of stuff which is secondary in importance. Start by building a strong foundation on the unique value you can add to the lives of those you come in contact with. Worry about tactics later.

In the next installment in this series, we’ll discuss ways to get in front of your target audience, who we earlier likened to extremely near-sighted students. You won’t want to miss it.

—> Get a free copy of the special report “4 Trends that Will Challenge Ability of Coaches to Sustain and Grow Their Practices in 2012.”

Marketing Mindset Traps: Internet Marketing for Coaches Pt. 2

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Don’t miss Part 1>>

Coaches have a moral obligation to market their services and products.

That’s a strong statement to make, but it is 100% true.

If a doctor discovered the cure for cancer, wouldn’t she be morally obligated to share her discovery with as many people as possible? Not doing so would be irresponsible and harmful. No matter what trepidation she may feel, she shouldn’t hold back.

As a coach, you have special gifts that are meant to be shared with people in need. Marketing yourself is the way you get the word out so you can help as many people as you possibly can.

Here’s an excerpt from a comment I recently made in a group discussion on LinkedIn:

“Coaches are by nature focused on others, so self-promotion sometimes feels out of place. Also, when developing coaching skills, marketing is rarely among the top priorities.

“…You can be the most amazing coach, but no one will ever benefit from what you have to offer without good marketing.

“In that way, you OWE it to the people you can help to learn how to market your services.”

Marketing is essential for the business aspect of your coaching. If you’re reluctant to do it, you’ll need to get over it.

The fact that coaches are others-focused is what makes you uniquely suited to be a good marketer. In a day when everyone is a vendor, it can feel like the only reason anyone exists online is to sell something.

You’re different.

Sure, you’re selling your services and/or products, but your sole purpose is not to separate people from their money. You are providing value. You use your skills, experience, etc., to improve the lives of those you come in contact with. (For that, you deserve to be compensated.)

What seems to be working in internet marketing is not as effective as you might think. “Squeeze pages” with miracle cures and pie-in-the-sky promises are so common because most marketers are just copying what they’ve seen others done. But hype-filled hardselling is not what’s working these days. Education is.

Like anything else in life, successful online marketing is largely dependent on your mindset. That being said, let’s briefly examine 5 myths that can sabotage your efforts if you buy into them.

1) Marketing = Manipulation

You may have heard the saying that “all marketers are liars.” That is not the case. Many individuals and businesses have abused their platforms to deceive customers and rip them off. But that is not what marketing is about.

Marketing is giving people reasons to buy or do something that will give them something they want but don’t have or get rid of a problem they have but don’t want. There may be a thousand solutions available. Marketing is demonstrating why yours is the best option.

2) “Build it and they will come”

There’s a reason the title of the movie was Field of Dreams. It would never happen in real life.

If you’ve spent any time at all online, you’ve noticed that it can be incredibly difficult to get noticed. There are literally billions of websites, services and products. Setting up shop on the internet is no guarantee that anyone will ever see you – no matter how awesome your website is.

You may build it and visitors never come. You need to drive traffic to that site by marketing. There are many methods to do this.

3) Quantity vs. Quality

Many teachers of internet marketing will tell you that it’s important to get as much material on the web to increase your visibility. More content on your site makes it more attractive to search engines. More articles on directories put your name in front of more potential clients.

While those statements are true, you should spend more time and energy producing high-quality content rather than focusing on sheer quantity. You want every article, blog post, podcast, whatever, to be so compelling that the reader/listener wants to know more about you. Being “everywhere” will not help if you are unremarkable.

Quality trumps quantity every day of the week.

4) Under-promise and Over-deliver

Never promise more than you can deliver, but why promise less?

Don’t be scared to make big claims, as long as you can back them up.

The idea of under-promising seems to make sense, but it will hurt you. People are searching for the best answers to their questions, the best solutions to their problems. If you promise less than what you can deliver, you’re not telling potential clients all the benefits they’ll receive from working with you. Again, being unremarkable is not helpful.

Over-delivery is great. Under-promising can be suicidal, especially these days, with so many sales messages begging for our attention. What can you say that will stand out?

Be all that you can be, and don’t downplay your greatness in your messaging.

5) Selling Without Selling

Most coaches don’t like “selling.” Believe me, I get it. If you fit that description, you may be interested in the increasingly common idea of “selling without selling.”

Here’s the fact: selling can’t be done without selling. But selling doesn’t have to come out of the used car salesman guidebook. In fact, you should never sell or market in that stereotypical way.

When I’m talking about selling, I’m speaking of the ability to make your offering attractive. That doesn’t require high-pressure tactics, deception, or any kind of sneakiness.

If you tell a prospect all the ways past clients came enjoy their lives better after hiring you, you’re selling, even though it doesn’t feel like it.

When you tell stories that engage, instruct and entertain, you’re selling!

The issue is not how to sell without selling. It’s getting beyond sales tricks and becoming a master attractor. You can sell without being obnoxious. That’s the key.

When your honest intentions are to lead others into success in life and business, and you have the know-how and tools to help them do it, you’ve got the perfect foundation to build a great internet marketing base for your coaching practice.

Read Part 3 of this series>>

Get a free copy of the special report “4 Trends that Will Challenge Ability of Coaches to Sustain and Grow Their Practices in 2012.”

Is the Internet Working For You or Against You? Internet Marketing for Coaches Pt. 1

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There’s an old proverb that says “Don’t speak unless you can improve upon the silence.” There is wisdom in that sentiment, but the fact is that silence is one of the rarest commodities on the planet.

Today, if you want to succeed, you have to be able to improve upon the noise. You also have to be distinct from all of the other voices screaming for attention online.

How will you be heard over all the chatter?

Over the next few days,  well be looking at ways to ensure that the internet is working for you, not against you.

Rather than assume anything, lets cover the bottom-line basics first.

Your Website

There are people who say you can earn a great living online without a website. Naturally, most of them are trying to sell you some underground secret training product to teach you how to do it. In some cases they’re right.

But as a professional business, executive or life coach interested in using the internet to grow your practice, you must at least have a simple website. Believe me most of your peers do. And nearly all of your potential clients will use the internet to search for, research and select coaches they intend to hire. You need your own website to form the foundation for your online presence. Without it, you’re fish food for the competition.

Purchase your own professional domain and email address. Gmail and Hotmail may be convenient for personal use, but what does using them say about a professional coach? Would you hire a lawyer who uses a Yahoo email account? Exactly.

There are places to get free basic websites, but you face the same problem of appearing amateur-ish. Using subdomains such as mycoachingsite.wordpress.com broadcast to your audience that you are using a free service. You’re actually forcing prospective clients to wonder if

  1. you’re not successful enough to afford to buy a $10 domain,
  2. you’re not very serious about your business, or
  3. you’re stingy rather than generous (not a good characteristic for a coach).

Perception is everything. Strong positioning and posture are invaluable.  The expense is minimal; its a tiny investment in your business.

You don’t want to depend on other websites people/organizations websites, either. Doing guest articles or writing a column for someone else’s site can be terrific for promoting yourself and establishing yourself as an expert, but you don’t have autonomy in those situation. You cannot fully control how or when, or even if your content is displayed. You cant guarantee that the relationship will last forever.

What Should Be on Your Site

Even though it is your property, creating a truly compelling website requires that you focus on your desired visitors, not yourself. Even when you’re speaking about your own experience, skills, etc., make it relevant to your audience. Why does your education have to do with the reader? How does it help her?

That being said, your website should have the following components:

  • About You: Whats your signature story? What makes you different from other coaches? More suited to assist your visitors reach their goals than anyone else? Remember, you’re speaking about yourself, but your readers are thinking whats in it for me?
  • Articles: Provide valuable content to help your audience right away and demonstrate your knowledge at the same time. Teaching is a powerful tool to attract followers and keep them coming back for more.
  • Testimonials: Let your current or former clients toot your horn so you don’t have to. This gives proof that your services make a difference in peoples lives and businesses.
  • Contact information: Let people know how they can hire you. Or at least connect with you on any social networks you use. The more points of contact, the better.
  • Products: Have you written a book? Do you sell CDs or DVDs with your messages on them? Make it easy for interested parties to purchase them.
  • Subscription/Sign up for Updates: Getting traffic is great. Getting people to give you permission to stay in touch with them is even better. There are plenty of services that provide sign up forms and email marketing services to deliver high-quality content directly to those who opt in.

In the next installment of this series, well get into more advanced internet marketing concepts you can use to grow your business online.

The truth is that what has worked in the past is not nearly as effective today. And much of it wont work at all in the near future. Set yourself up for success by digging in and getting to know how this game will be played in the coming months.

Read Part 2 of this series>>

Get a free copy of the special report 4 Trends that Will Challenge Ability of Coaches to Sustain and Grow Their Practices in 2012.

My New Business Card

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In my years a copywriter, I’ve never had a business card before. Never saw the need for one.

But recently, I started doing more face-to-face networking in and around Chicago, so I figured I needed something to give to the people I meet.

The above is my first attempt. Yes, I designed it myself.

I’ve love to hear your feedback. (I’ve already heard some great tips from my pal Wayne Buckhanan).

Thanks!

Copywriting Tips from CNBC

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If you’re like me, you’re keeping an eye on what’s going on in the economy. I’ve found myself watching more financial news than ever.

Yesterday, I spent over an hour watching CNBC, analyzing whatever crazy moves the markets are making this week. During that time, I noticed five ways that the program kept me watching intently. These same concepts can help you become a better copywriter and marketer.

1) CNBC knows exactly who their viewers are and what they are watching for. So they are talking to one target audience, and only talking about one topic.

One of the legendary Dick Benson’s 25 direct marketing principles is that “You can never sell two things at once.” CNBC only talks about the financial markets.

Is your advertising material focused on one thing?

Read 4 more copywriting tips inspired by CNBC on the Diamond Website Conversion Blog at https://www.diamondwebsiteconversion.com/2011/10/28/5-copywriting-tips-from-cnbc/.

How LinkedIn Passed Google As My Top Traffic Source

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During the month of July, LinkedIn sent more traffic to my site than any other referral source.

I probably spend about 30 minutes a month worrying about SEO. I don’t worry about bots or spiders too much. But someone recently pointed out to me that there are some distinct disadvantages to being so negligent.

With so many other copywriters with online presence, there’s a good chance that potential clients will never stumble across my website while browsing for the type of services that I offer.

Time for a Change
I use is Google Analytics to keep track of my stats. Direct traffic is always my biggest traffic source, making up close to half of my total visits. Google comes in second, right around 30%, with the balance made up by all my other referrers.

But last month was different. As of the end of the month, LinkedIn holds the top spot, with to 27.64% of my total traffic. Direct traffic trailed slightly at 26.13%. Google dropped to third place with 22.11%.

LinkedIn also had the highest time on site figure at an incredible 8 minutes and 18 seconds. Direct traffic came in at 5:03. The site average was 2:46.

This took place during the busiest month my website has ever seen.

The Turning Point
What made the difference? How did LinkedIn gain such a big share of traffic, especially in a period when nearly twice as many people visited my site than usual? Satanic Sales Pitches. It turns out that the headline was very compelling, arousing enough curiosity to get a ton of clicks. (More proof that strong headlines are incredibly important to getting readership.)

I really don’t spend that much time on LinkedIn. About an hour a week. That didn’t change over the past month. My time was just being used more strategically.

Here’s a few tips:

1) The biggest single biggest traffic-driving factor was one particular blog post –

I pasted the link to this post in my Updates, and shared it in several of the groups I actively participate in. I didn’t post to every group I’m a member of, just where it was relevant. Copywriting, marketing and sales groups.

2) I checked for feedback and engaged commenters in conversation.

3) This is a bit of a cheap trick, but once the discussion died down topic died down, then I “Liked” the discussion. This puts the thread back at the top of Group Updates, to ensure it’s as visible as possible.

Corny, but I wanted to see if it would work. Apparently it does.

4) I optimized my LinkedIn profile for search.

Choose a search term that you’d like to rank at the top of search results for. If you’re a dog groomer for Hollywood movie stars, your keywords might be “dog groomer Hollywood.” In my case, I chose “direct response copywriter Chicago.”

Next, find a way to work those keywords into your Linkedin profile. Your headline, current position and previous experience are areas that have the biggest impact on LI’s search engine results.

The changes I made immediately placed my profile in the #1 position in search inquiries for my keywords, as well as a few related keywords. It also led to two interactions with potential clients and a few new connections.

Not too complicated, right? But the results where profound. How valuable would it be for your profile to be the top result when prospects search for your product or service?

Here’s a test: go to LinkedIn right now and do a search for the keywords you’d like to rank for. Where does your profile show up?

If you’re like me, my name didn’t show up on the first 5 pages for any of the keywords I’d like to be associated with. Optimizing my profile changed that right away.

Believe me, if I can triple the amount of traffic my website got from LinkedIn, you can do it too. If you have specific questions, feel free to contact me.

Set Your Sails

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“It is the set of the sails, not the direction of the wind that determines which way we will go.”  – Jim Rohn

The economy is front, middle and back page news these days. Debt ceilings, the declining dollar and defaults are all we keep hearing about.

And lets face it;  the economy is in shambles. Experts across the country and around the globe are saying that a crisis is unavoidable at this stage.

Now I’m no economics expert, but I’m forced to concur.

The truth is, you and I can’t do much about America’s economy as a whole. The problem is just too big.

I’m not saying that to convince you to throw up you hands and take a fatalistic mentality. Quite the contrary.  Any good coach will tell you not to get caught up in things you have no control over, but to focus on what you can control.

So here’s the question that really matters: how’s YOUR economy?

You can get bogged down about the macroeconomic situation, but you should be more worried about protecting your personal microeconomy.

2011 has been my most profitable year yet as a copywriter. While so many of my colleagues are complaining about taking a hit, having difficulty finding gigs. On the other hand, right now, I have a waiting list for clients who want to work with me.

I’m not saying that to brag, believe me. I bring it up because if I can do it, so can you.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t give you a few insights into why my economy is not currently reflecting what we’re seeing in the economy at large.

1.) I’m continuing to give. So many businesses are clenching their fists, holding back what they could be sharing, for fear of being ripped off. Or, instead of taking the time to nurture leads and develop relationships, they are rushing the selling process.

Give as much value as you can. Giving information (in a strategic fashion) will firmly establish you as an expert, as an individual or business that cares about it’s customers and communities.

2.) Positioning. Don’t get caught in the death spiral of commoditization. You absolutely must be unique, especially during a downturn like we’re facing now. If your competitors can honestly make the same claims that you make about your business, you can only compete with them on price. You don’t really want to do that, do you?

Find your own unique selling proposition/competitive advantage and make sure your target audience knows why you’re a smarter choice than the other guy.

3.) Don’t react in fear. Define a plan of attack and be proactive. What do you want to achieve? Who do you want to work with? What  account are you aiming for? What do you have to do to get it?

Fear is killing your competitors.

Remember: “The possibilities are numerous once we decide to act and not react.” (George Bernard Shaw)

4.) Find out what your audience wants and help them get it.

5.) Don’t be afraid to negotiate confidently.

By all means, seek to understand the big picture. But also understand that no matter what the economy at large is like, there are always some people who are winning. Put yourself in a place to be one of the victors.

7 Email Marketing Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make

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Nowadays, I don’t spend very much time on LinkedIn Answers, but the other day I saw a question that I could help out with.

The question: What should never be included in an email marketing campaign?

My (slightly modified) response: 
1) Don’t make claims without proof. Skepticism is at an all time high. Everyone is scared of getting burned. If you make claims that you don’t back up in the body of the email, you’re setting your campaign up to fail.

2) Never use deception.

3) Generic language is a bad idea. Craft your message so that you’re talking to ONE PERSON. Be as specific & vivid as possible.

4) Don’t use untintelligible language. Overly technical terminology can kill a sales message especially in B2C campaigns. Refrain from using jargon unless you know for sure your audience will understand.

Confused customers don’t buy.

Use the language that your readers use in their own conversations.

5) Avoid links to unrelated sites. If the body of the email is about consumer electronics, don’t insert links to a Viagra vendor.

5.1) Don’t use any links or make any reference whatsoever to Viagra.

6) The copy should not focus on YOU (the sender). It really shouldn’t even be about your product or service. Rather, speak about the recipient and his/her needs/wants and how your offering can satisfy those desires.

7) Each email should try to accomplish ONE objective. You lose readership when you go off in too many directions.

Direct mail legend Dick Benson once said that “you cannot sell two things at once.” Choose one thing.

That’s what autoresponder sequences are for. Multiple emails allow you to focus on or sell more than one product or service
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P.S. If at all possible, the emails should come from a recognizable sender. Even non-spam messages look like spam if they’re sent from strangers.

If you’re emailing cold, attach/associate yourself with someone your list knows and trusts/

You Need Help

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I think my fees are very reasonable, but from time to time potential clients have accused me of charging too much for my copywriting services.

Yes, it’s true; you can hire a writer on Elance to write your sales page for $20. But chances are, you’ll get what you pay for.

Price is what you pay; value is what you get.

This morning my buddy John Breese sent me an example of someone who should have put more thought into who they put in charge of writing their copy.

This is a real example taken from a real website:

Can Everyone Take Creatine?

It appears so. I have seen no major problems with creatine reported in the literature, even in long-term studies. Yet, just to be safe, anyone with diabetes or kidney dysfunction should probably avoid creatine until further long-term studies are done. Some people do experience bad breath, flatulence, cramping or an upset stomach with high doses. If cramping occurs, just drink more water; for an upset stomach just ingest less creatine. Bad breath and flatulence are babyboomers’ companions anyway, so big deal. Take some mints and stay out of crowded rooms.

—
Here’s the real truth: no matter how much this copy cost (even if the site owner wrote it himself for $0), it was too expensive.

If your marketing or website copy looks like this, please get some professional help, before you lose anymore customers.

People Versus Spiders

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Denny Hatch wrote another brilliant article this week.

“Search Engine Optimization is the current rage—grabbing the attention of spiders and crawlers in the hopes that the message will surface all over the Internet.

Yet it’s flesh-and-blood people that want information, spend money on goodies and give to charity—not emotionless, pre-programmed electronic robots.

Go ahead, fascinate robots. But if your message is a bore, you are a mouse click away from oblivion.

Call me Luddite or troglodyte, but I will continue to write headlines and copy for people, not robots.

And I’ll study the work of the great copywriters, such as Mel Martin.”

Hatch then goes on to talk about the “greatest copywriter you’ve never heard of.” He describes Martin’s career, successes and genius, along with a few evidences that he was a mere mortal just like the rest of us.

Go read “Are You Writing for Spiders? Meet Mel Martin, Master of Fascinations.” This is the kind of stuff copywriters like me just can’t get enough of.