Have you recently joined the Build Your Online Audience Programme and want to make sure you get the most out of the programme?
Or perhaps you’ve been in the Build Your Online Audience programme for a while and want to make sure you get the most out of your membership?
Maybe you’ve haven’t joined yet and just want to get a sense of what’s involved (all fine).
If so you probably have questions like:
Find out why your mindset is important and the content that’s included in the programme and the differences between the two versions of the Build Your Online Audience Programme. Plus the support that you will get inside the membership from myself and my team.
If you're not a member - you might want to start this podcast - Should you join my Build Your Online Audience Programme.
{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.}
While it’s tempting to start by listing out features of the programme, I know what you’re really interested in is the potential transformation i.e. what kind of results can you expect if you join. Which is why I’m going to start with getting into the right mindset.
Managing your mindset
While the Build Your Online Audience programme includes some fantastic resources and support….what will really make the difference to your progress is the mindset with which you approach things.
With that in mind, here are a few things you need to bear in mind.
1. Being successful in a membership programme isn't about how much time you spend in it.
People use membership communities in different ways. Some like to work through all the resources, show up to live calls and post in the Facebook group every day. Others prefer to dip in and out as and when they need help. Either is fine.
Getting a return on investment is NOT about how much you ‘use’ the membership i.e. how often you log into the membership area, how many live calls you attend, how many masterclasses you watch (in fact that can be a form of procrastination!).
For example:
✔️Leadership coach Blaire Palmer generated £42k in sales from one class (Science of Audience Building). Even if she never watched anything again, I think she’d say she got a return on investment.
✔️Canva expert Gemma Cormack took her income from £240 a month to £3950.00 per month. She has also added 2k new Instagram followers after completing my Instagram Success Academy course. Again, even if she never accessed another resource, I think she’d say she got a great return on investment.
✔️Camille recently launched a membership and generated 8k in sales - adding 100 new members (she’d predicted 50)
✔️Fashion consultant Trisha Sakhlecha, used our Get It Done accountability sessions to create a sequence of emails that helped her generate five coaching enquiries and three sales
✔️Victoria Rose launched a podcast (using the podcasting course), increased her Instagram following by 180% and generated almost £1800 in sales
✔️Claire Gleave launched her Activewear company Natal Active and generated £6.5k in her first month of business (she predicted £1.2k). Also added 2k Instagram followers
It’s about results. So while there’s tons of useful content in the membership, you may find that there’s just ONE thing that delivers the biggest investment for you. It could be one piece of advice (from me or something else in the group), one recommendation, one relationship, one conversation or one collaboration.
2. You will need to be patient
Forget about the ‘get rich quick’ stories. It takes most people a good year to build an engaged audience online.
At LEAST.
Which means you’ll need to keep showing up, consistently, and publish high-quality content. You’ll need to focus on building your email list - however frustrating it might feel. And you’ll need to keep tweaking and testing until you learn what works. And keep tweaking and testing some more. Because NO ONE gets it right first time. And doing it wrong (or even just ‘ok’) is how you learn how to do it right.
The good news is, you’ve got my support - and the support of the Build Your Online Audience community - to keep you going, even when it feels hard.
To ensure you have money coming in during that time you have the Science of Audience Building class.
3. You may need to be courageous
If you’re not used to putting yourself/your business out there…you may need to be courageous and try things you haven’t done before. But just think what it will do for your confidence.
4. You will need to take responsibility
The Build Your Audience Programme has all the resources and support you need to succeed including our fab Get It Done sessions - focused co-working sessions that will help you get things done.
Ultimately though, it’s up to you to take action. That’s the only bit I can’t help you with. If you don’t do the work, you won’t get the results. It’s that simple.
You will need to prioritise
But make sure you reach out to Sam our Community Manager.
5. You will lose your mojo
I can tell you right now...there will be times when you need to take time out from the membership programme: when your workload gets crazy, you have family issues to deal with or over the holiday period, for example. At times like this, you may feel like you’ve lost your mojo, and wonder how you’ll ever get it back.
If you’re feeling like this, rest assured this is perfectly normal. Life gets in the way for all of us from time to time. The key thing is to get back on track as soon as you can.
Whatever you do, don’t beat yourself up about it. We’ve all bought resources or signed up to online training programmes we haven’t used as much as we’d like to. Sometimes life or business (or both) just gets in the way. That doesn’t mean you can’t or won’t be able to. Remember, getting value out of a membership programme is NOT about how many classes you watch
If you’ve had to take a break from your membership community - or are struggling to keep up - you may experience a range of emotions: embarrassment, frustration or even anger, for example. You may feel annoyed at yourself that you’ve paid for something you’re not using or isn’t getting you the results you hoped for.
When you feel like this, it’s tempting to ‘hide’ and hope no one notices your absence, but the longer you leave it, the harder it will be to make a comeback. So be brave and let us and know how you’re feeling. Drop us a line on janet@janetmurray.co.uk and we’ll do our best to help.
Finally...people join membership communities for the content and stay for the community. So don’t underestimate the power of being part of a supportive business community.
The content in my Build Your Online Audience Programme
What is included in the Standard programme?
The standard programme takes you through the exact steps you need to take to build your online audience - from getting clear on your niche (the all-important first step) to getting more followers on social media, building a loyal following for your blog/vlog, podcast (if you have one) and building your email list.
SESSION 1: Nail your niche
Find the right niche for your business (or refine the one you have) so you can become the market leader.
SESSION 2: Developing your brand voice
Create brand voice guidelines for your business so you never get stuck on what to say about your business (and how to say it).
SESSION 3: Creating your visual brand
Create a visual style sheet for your business - or refresh the one you have - so people fall in love with your brand (over and over again)
SESSION 4: Choosing your platforms
Choose the content platforms that are right for your business (i.e. blog, Youtube, podcast, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and/or Twitter).
SESSION 5: Creating bingeworthy content
Learn how to create content that’s more addictive than your favourite Netflix series.
SESSION 6: Unforgettable social media
Create irresistible social media content that attracts new followers and fans - every single day.
SESSION 7: Email marketing 101
Get started with email list building (even if you feel daunted by the tech).
SESSION 8: Email magnetism
Create a compelling email lead magnet (and learn zillions of ways to get new email subscribers).
SESSION 9: Nurture and Grow
Learn how to write compelling email marketing copy - including welcome sequences, nurture sequences and email newsletters people actually look forward to receiving.
😮 INCLUDES FIVE DONE-FOR-YOU EMAIL SEQUENCES YOU CAN ADAPT FOR YOU OWN BUSINESS 😮
Also included:
✔️Bonus classes on the key social media platforms: Twitter, Instagram Facebook, LinkedIn and Canva
✔️A weekly group coaching call featuring guest experts who focus on the ‘mindset’ side of building your online audience (monthly themes include money mindset, productivity, motivation, goal-setting, planning and prioritisation and confidence)
✔️Facebook Community where you can get daily help/support from myself and other business owners who are committed to building their online audience
What is included in the Premium version of the programme?
All of the above PLUS: ACCESS TO MY ENTIRE ADVANCED MASTERCLASS LIBRARY
Includes the following classes (worth £792)
PLUS additional courses/classes (worth £1782)
✔️ Getting started with Pinterest
✔️ Blogging Success Formula
✔️ Instagram Success Academy
✔️ Getting started with Facebook ads (coming later in the year)
✔️ Getting started with Youtube (coming soon)
✔️ Getting started with live video (coming later in the year)
✔️ Launching your own podcast
✔️ Blogging Success Formula
BONUS course: How to create awesome sales copy (worth £497)
🐝 GET IT DONE SESSIONS 🐝
The Premium version also includes my popular Get It Done sessions. These focused co-working sessions where you can work with other members on a specific task/set of tasks (related to your audience building).
What is the format of the classes?
Each class is typically around 90 minutes and includes a video tutorial and comprehensive workbook.
Many of the classes are taught live, but there is no need to worry if you can’t attend live as all the classes and resources are available in the membership area (usually within 24 hours of the class - often sooner).
Classes are delivered via Zoom video conferencing and are generally very interactive with plenty of opportunities to ask questions and get feedback.
Making the most of Office Hour
Our weekly Office Hour takes place on Mondays - alternating at 11am/4pm (GMT/BST). If you want to check the time for your specific time zone, you can do that here. It takes place online (we use the video conferencing software Zoom) and is a chance for members to ask questions about any aspect of their marketing and get feedback from myself and the rest of the group. At the start of the call, I also update the group about membership news e.g. upcoming events and/or challenges.
Occasionally the time of the Office Hour might change - for example, if I am speaking/travelling. If this is the case we will let you know via our member bot. We will attempt to give you plenty of notice, but please be aware this may not always be possible.
Attending the weekly Office Hour call is not only a chance for you to ask questions, but it’s also an opportunity for you to get to know other members, build your support network and create opportunities for collaboration.
How to prepare for Office Hour
You don’t need to prepare anything for the call - apart from making a note of any questions you would like to raise.
However, when you join the call, you may be asked to introduce yourself to the rest of the group in ten words or less (on video), so it’s a good idea to craft your ‘ten-word top line’ before you get on the call e.g. ‘I sell gift boxes for new mums’ or ‘I’m a business coach, specialising in working with introverts’.
Due to time constraints this really does need to be a ten-word top line...and the more specific you can be the better. If people are confused about what you do, they’re far less likely to remember you/your business.
A replay of the call, along with summary notes (which are time-stamped so you know what has been discussed) will be available in the membership area and Facebook group afterwards. This should be uploaded within 24 hours - often much sooner - but you may need to bear with us at busy times.
What's not included in the Build Your Online Audience programme
1-2-1 calls with me
Personal responses to your questions via social media messaging (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter) or phone
Personal responses to your questions via email (please use the Facebook group to ask questions)
If you feel like you need more personalised attention, drop us a line on janet@janetmurray.co.uk to find out about upgrading your membership to one of our coaching programmes
The support you get in the Build Your Online Audience programme
About Team JM
As you can imagine, I have hundreds of clients and there’s only one of me...so I rely on these guys to look after you so I can focus on the content/teaching.
But I’m lucky enough to be supported by a fab team and here’s what they can help you with.
Sam Hill, Community Manager
Sam helps look after the Build Your Online Audience Community. This includes: creating the show notes for our weekly Office Hour, supporting me on online classes and events. She also helps with moderation in the Facebook group (including directing you to relevant resources and connecting members’ with common interests). She can also help if you can’t log into your account (just tag her into a post in the Facebook group).
Julie Williams, Tech Support
Julie manages the Janet Murray inbox and provides technical support. So if you’re locked out of your account, have ordered something from the website that hasn’t come through or are struggling to access the learning resources on the members’ site, Julie is your first port of contact.
Lisa Crossland, Events Manager
Lisa handles the financial side of the business and looks after the fulfilment of all of the physical products (books, diaries etc), She is the person to speak to if you have a query about a payment, are looking for a VAT invoice…anything money related really.
Lisa also deals with all my event logistics - from booking the venue, to managing the speakers (including booking their hotels/travel) to arranging the printing of the workbooks. So if you have any logistical questions e.g. ‘where’s the special lunch I ordered?’ ‘what time is the group dinner this evening?’ or ‘can I have an invoice/receipt?’ she’s the person to talk to.
Tracey Tester, Design & Creative
Tracey is the creative brain behind the Janet Murray brand. She is responsible for all the on and offline visual branding, including my popular Social Media Diary & Planner. Tracey also works closely with me on the development of content ideas, including online courses, publications and live events.
Kim Willis, Social Media
Kim helps me with social media management - primarily relating to the promotion of my podcast.
Sarah Mulcare, Messenger Bot
Sarah builds and manages our member messenger bot which is the main communication tool we use in the Build Your Online Audience programme. The bot will remind you about all our upcoming classes/coaching sessions. If you think you don’t like messenger bots...I’d urge you to give ours a try. It really is the most convenient - and least intrusive way - to keep you up to speed with everything that’s going on.
We’re all mums combining our roles with bringing up school-aged children, which means we sometimes keep slightly unusual hours (e..g evenings and weekends) and tend to work less during school holiday periods. Occasionally this can mean we take a little bit longer to get back to you…but we do surprisingly well, considering.
If at any time you have a question - or need some help or advice, please do tag myself, or Sam into your Facebook posts or send an email to janet@janetmurray.co.uk which will be picked up by someone in the team.
Key Information
WORKING HOURS
1. My working hours are 9-5pm (BST/GMT) Mon-Fri although this may vary when/if I am travelling. This means if you email/post a question relating to the programme during those hours, you can expect to receive a reply within 24 hours if it’s a working day (longer if it’s the weekend). You may receive a reply from myself or from one of my team members.
2. My team members keep the same hours…so please respect their right to have an evening/weekend. This includes private messaging them on their personal Facebook accounts. If you do want to contact the team via Facebook please go via my page but we really do prefer email. If you send your message to janet@janetmurray.co.uk one of the team can pick it up there.
RESPONSE TIMES
1. Due to the high numbers of students enrolled in my online programmes, I am not able to answer individual questions via email. If you would like to book a 1-2-1 consultation with me please email janet@janetmurray.co.uk for fees and availability.
2. If you have a question, please tag me in and I will reply within 24 hours if it’s a working day (working hours listed above). Please appreciate I get a LOT of notifications so if I miss your post, it is not intentional - so just re-tag me and or nag one of my team members starting with your community manager Sam Hill.
YOUR PARTICIPATION
This Build Your Audience Programme contains all the information you need to build your online audience. If anything is unclear you can also ask me questions in our dedicated Facebook community.
But ultimately the only person who can do the work is YOU.
So if you don’t use the membership materials and/or use the Facebook community to get support, the only person you can blame if you’re not successful is YOU.
To that end, you must take personal responsibility for your own learning. Which includes asking for help if you need it.
Not a member of my Build Your Online Audience programme but want to join? Join my Build Your Online Audience programme here
Thinking about joining my Build Your Online Audience programme? Listen to this podcast
Podcast shownotes
Resources
[BONUS] Should you join my Build Your Online Audience Programme (podcast)
Other Podcast episodes
[339] How To Build An Audience for an Online Course or membership (podcast)
[343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast)
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
Do you ever struggle promoting your business success and telling everyone how great you are?
Perhaps you'd love to be one of those people that tells everyone how amazing they are - but you don't want to come across as an arrogant braggy show-off - so you just keep quiet and hope everyone will just notice you?
If that sounds familiar then this podcast is for you. I explain why you must shout about your success and how to show potential clients how fabulous you are - without using contrived website testimonials.
Find out how to use your client success stories to showcase your highlight reel and why you need to think carefully about the problem you solve - before you rush off to pitch to a client.
I explain the steps you need to take to make sure you get a great testimonial from a client that has clarity and impact - rather than just a load of meaningless wimpy words.
Plus how to make sure your testimonials show how brilliant you are - rather than just tell.
And why testimonials aren't just for potential clients or customers but why you current clients and customers need to hear how great you are too.
Join my Build Your Online Audience Programme
[337] The tools I use to build an online audience (podcast)
[339] How to build an audience for an online course or membership (podcast)
[343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast)
[372] How to build an engaged online audience (podcast)
[BONUS] Should you join my Build Your Online Audience Programme? (podcast)
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
Would you love to launch an online course - but you're not sure how long it will take or you may be wondering how long it will take you to create the resources and get it online?
There are so many factors to consider. For example:
This podcast episode (which you can also read as a blog post) will take you through the key things you need to consider to estimate how long it will take you to create your course.
The first and most important decision you need to make about your course is the topic.
Choose a topic you know well and/or have already created content on as this can vastly reduce the amount of time needed to create your course - and get it to market.
For example, my first course, Soulful PR for Starters was a beginners course on how to do your own PR. I had already created a cluster of blog posts on this topic. For example:
So I was able to use the blog posts I had already created (which were tried and tested ideas) to quickly create an outline for my course.
Had I been starting from scratch it could have taken HOURS of research.
This will have the biggest impact on your time as the longer your course, the longer it will take you to create the materials.
According to Teachable, a starter course might be just five – 20 lessons and cover a smaller aspect of a wider topic e.g. How to create a high-converting lead magnet or it may cover it at a beginner’s level of detail e.g. Soulful PR for Starters.
A typical price to sell a starter course might be $50 – $200.
A flagship course like Build Your Online Audience might be 20 – 100 lessons and cover all aspects of a topic in lots of depth with plenty of additional resources and maybe a community aspect to the programme too. It could sell for $200 – $2000+.
Bonus tip If it’s your first course, try a starter course as part of a funnel. A tripwire. Then you can measure how long things take you.
As a minimum, most online courses contain:
Some course creators also provide audio versions of their courses (which is a great idea for accessibility) and transcripts.
This means that at a very minimum you will need to:
If you are planning to do it all yourself, you may need to factor in time to learn about video editing, design. However, I really recommend using a professional designer and perhaps even an audio editor. I’d recommend outsourcing if you can.
Bonus tip: Don’t forget to factor in time learning new skills or costs for outsourcing.
It’s typically quicker to create live content (as you have to do it all in one ‘take’) but depending on how perfect you want your content to be - you may want to edit your content afterwards and cut out any unnecessary bits. But see point 6 - it can be quite nerve-wracking teaching online (or teaching at all if you haven’t done it before).
For a masterclass that’s 90 mins - 2 hours long it takes me:
If you’re a confident, competent online teacher, go for it live.
As with anything in life, you tend to get quicker. When I first started creating online courses, it could sometimes take me up to three hours to create an online class. Now I do it all in one take. I don’t even edit out mistakes unless they are REALLY big.
While I don’t advocate creating your course upfront before knowing if anyone will buy your course. Creating one session to see how long it takes you might be an idea. OR try a masterclass or webinar first before you launch a course to see how long it will take you.
Bonus tip: Start with a masterclass or webinar first before you launch a course. Make sure you presell before you create.
I am - so it takes less time but what about you? If you’ve never taught anything before it will take you longer than someone who is experienced in teaching.
Make sure you research the different learning styles that people have - some people learn visually others from listening or reading.
It’s important to mix up your styles so that you reach different people at different times.
Bonus tip: Do some research on different learning styles on how people learn etc. Think about the accessibility of your course.
Make sure you presell your course before you create it. This way you'll know if it's got legs. The worse that can happen is that you have to refund people as you haven't had enough interest.
If you haven't got a big online audience to sell to - you might consider starting small with a webinar or masterclass to build interest from and then build your online audience.
Ready to know more?
Join my How To Plan And Create Awesome Teaching Resources For An Online Course
Join my How To Plan And Create Awesome Teaching Resources For An Online Course
Join my Build Your Online Audience Programme
Rev.com Affiliate link with $10 off for new customers
[337] The tools I use to build an online audience (podcast)
[339] How to build an audience for an online course or membership (podcast)
[343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast)
[372] How to build an engaged online audience (podcast)
[BONUS] Should you join my Build Your Online Audience Programme? (podcast)
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
Are you considering joining my Build Your Online Audience programme but aren’t sure whether it’s right for you?
If so you probably have questions like:
While it’s tempting to start with the features of the programme, I know what you’re really interested in is the potential transformation i.e. what kind of results can you expect if you join.
As with anything in life you get out what you put in but here’s what some members have achieved:
✔️ Leadership coach Blaire Palmer generated £42k in sales from one class (Science of Audience Building) Achieved within 90 days.
✔️ Canva expert Gemma Cormack took her income from £240 a month to £3950.00 per month. She has also added 2k new Instagram followers after completing my Instagram Success Academy course. Achieved within 90 days.
✔️ Fashion consultant Trisha Sakhlecha, used our Get It Done accountability sessions to create a sequence of emails that helped her generate five coaching enquiries and three sales. Achieved within 90 days.
✔️ Victoria Rose launched a podcast (using the podcasting course), increased her Instagram following by 180% and generated almost £1800 in sales
Achieved within 90 days
✔️ Claire Gleave launched her Activewear company Natal Active and generated £6.5k in her first month of business (she predicted £1.2k). Also added 2k Instagram followers
You don’t NEED to build an online audience. If you’re getting enough leads/sales online - and/or you only need a small number of clients each year and you can get them via your existing contacts - you don’t need to do anything.
But if you want to sell one-to-many i.e. you want to sell your products/services in the hundreds and thousands. And you don’t want to have to do personal outreach for every sale, you need an online audience.
To put this into context, the average conversion rate for online sales is just 1-2%. Which means for every hundred people in your audience, only a handful will buy. So if you’re looking to sell at scale i.e. products, online courses, membership...you need a much bigger audience than you think you do.
There are two levels to the programme: Standard and Premium.
Standard: is £240/£36 pcm
Premium: is £440/£66 pcm
As a monthly member - no minimum numbers of months.
The Build Your Online Audience programme is the only dedicated membership programme aimed at helping you build an online audience i.e. more fans, followers and subscribers.
Because the more of the right kind of people you have in the audience, the easier it will be for you to make online sales.
Key topics covered in the Standard programme are:
✔️ Social media marketing: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram
✔️ Content planning and creation
✔️ Content strategy (blogging, podcasting, video marketing)
✔️ Email marketing (including how to create a lead magnet and build your email list).
We also focus on the mindset part of building your audience, with weekly group coaching sessions on relevant topics including: money mindset, productivity, motivation, goal-setting, planning and prioritisation and self-confidence.
The standard version of the Build Your Online programme takes you through the exact steps you need to take to build your online audience - from getting clear on your niche (the all-important first step) to getting more followers on social media, building a loyal following for your blog/vlog, podcast (if you have one) and building your email list.
SESSION 1: Nail your niche
Find the right niche for your business (or refine the one you have) so you can become the market leader.
SESSION 2: Developing your brand voice
Create brand voice guidelines for your business so you never get stuck on what to say about your business (and how to say it).
SESSION 3: Creating your visual brand
Create a visual style sheet for your business - or refresh the one you have - so people fall in love with your brand (over and over again)
SESSION 4: Choosing your platforms
Choose the content platforms that are right for your business (i.e. blog, Youtube, podcast, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and/or Twitter).
SESSION 5: Creating binge worthy content
Learn how to create content that’s more addictive than your favourite Netflix series.
SESSION 6: Unforgettable social media
Create irresistible social media content that attracts new followers and fans - every single day.
SESSION 7: Email marketing 101
Get started with email list building (even if you feel daunted by the tech).
SESSION 8: Email magnetism
Create a compelling email lead magnet (and learn zillions of ways to get new email subscribers).
SESSION 9: Nurture and Grow
Learn how to write compelling email marketing copy - including welcome sequences, nurture sequences and email newsletters people actually look forward to receiving.
😮 INCLUDES FIVE DONE-FOR-YOU EMAIL SEQUENCES YOU CAN ADAPT FOR YOU OWN BUSINESS 😮
Also included:
✔️ Bonus classes on the key social media platforms: Twitter, Instagram Facebook, LinkedIn. PLUS a Canva masterclass.
✔️ A weekly group coaching call featuring guest experts who focus on the ‘mindset’ side of building your online audience (monthly themes include money mindset, productivity, motivation, goal-setting, planning and prioritisation and confidence)
✔️ Facebook Community where you can get daily help/support from myself and other business owners who are committed to building their online audience
The Premium version of the Build Your Online Audience programme includes:
All of the above PLUS: ACCESS TO MY ENTIRE ADVANCED MASTERCLASS LIBRARY
Includes the following classes (worth £792)
PLUS additional courses/classes (worth £1782)
✔️ Getting started with Pinterest
✔️ Blogging Success Formula
✔️ Instagram Success Academy
✔️ Getting started with Facebook ads (coming later in the year)
✔️ Getting started with Youtube (coming soon)
✔️ Getting started with live video (coming later in the year)
✔️ Launching your own podcast
✔️ Blogging Success Formula
BONUS course: How to create awesome sales copy (worth £497)
🐝 GET IT DONE SESSIONS 🐝
The Premium version of the Build Your Online Audience programme also includes my popular Get It Done sessions. These focused co-working sessions where you can work with other members on a specific task/set of tasks (related to your audience building).
Who is the Build Your Online Audience for?
The Build Your Online Audience programme is suitable for anyone who wants to build an online audience i.e. more followers, fans and subscribers.
It’s suitable for:
✔️ Service-based based businesses (including hospitality)
✔️ Product-based businesses
✔️ Online business
✔️ Offline businesses
✔️ New businesses
✔️ Established businesses
✔️ Freelancers/sole traders
✔️ Solopreneurs/entrepreneurs
✔️ Small/Medium-sized businesses
✔️ Colleges/universities
✔️ Charities
And if you need more reassurance, here’s a list of some of the types of business owners I’ve helped with audience building:
Glamping site owners, genealogists, costume designers, social media managers, accountants, psychologists, personal trainers, coaches/consultants, holiday cottage owners, estate agents, wedding planners, website designers, jewellery designers, artists, writers, vocal coaches, nutritionists, business coaches, universities, cake makers, hairstylists, jewellery designers.
Absolutely yes. The audience-building strategies you use to build an audience for a product-based business are exactly the same as those you’d use for a service-based. Because a service IS a product, right? To put that into context, I use exactly the same strategies to sell a digital product like my Build Your Online Audience programme as I do a physical product like my Social Media Diary & Planner.
Here is a list of some of the product-based business owners I work with:
✔️ Hand-made jewellery
✔️ Evening dresses and gowns
✔️ Dance costumes
✔️ Face masks
✔️ Vegan handbags
✔️ Subscription boxes
✔️ Personalised baby/toddler gifts
✔️ Recipe kits
✔️ Skincare and makeup
✔️ Books/planners
✔️ Yoga wear and accessories
✔️ Children’s clothes
✔️ Activewear for mums and mums-to-be
Not at all. Whether you’re new in business - or you’re looking to pivot/or create an audience for something new, the Build Your Online Audience programme can help.
Is the Build Your Online Audience programme suitable for new business owners?
Definitely. Whether you’re completely new in business - or you’re looking to pivot/or create an audience for something new, the Build Your Online Audience programme can help.
Each class is typically around 90 minutes and includes a video tutorial and comprehensive workbook.
Many of the classes are taught live, but there is no need to worry if you can’t attend live as all the classes and resources are available in the membership area (usually within 24 hours of the class - often sooner).
Classes are delivered via Zoom video conferencing and are generally very interactive with plenty of opportunities to ask questions and get feedback.
It’s never too early to start building your audience. And I would recommend joining BEFORE you launch your new product/service. Otherwise, who are you going to sell it to?
As with anything in your business you get out what you put in?
You get out what you put in. Shared success stories of 90 days
Absolutely yes. Paul Couchman (great growth in his Instagram 1500 new followers) historic food, Mahmood Reza accountant (helped launch an awareness day) Jon Clayton architectural technologist (£600 of sales from Science of Audience Building).
Minimum of two hours a week.
You don’t have to do everything
Join my Build Your Online Audience programme here
[339] How To Build An Audience for an Online Course or membership (podcast)
[343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast)
[380] How to set goals for audience growth in 2020 and why you should (podcast)
[386] The four types of content that will help you make more sales in 2020 (podcast)
[417] How much does it cost to launch your own planner (podcast)
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
Would you love to make more sales from your website? Maybe you'd love to know the type of content to create to attract more people to your website?
Find out how to attract more website visitors and increase your sales in this podcast with online marketing consultant and website optimisation expert Vicki Jakes.
Vicki explains the key things that your website must-do if you’d like to sell more of your product or service. Including the four main website pages that any website should have and why your call to action needs to be really obvious.
Find out why your website content and the language you use is more important than using fancy pants keywords - and how to make Google really fall in love with you and show your content to a bigger audience.
Vicki shares simple, practical tips to get your website do the hard work for you. And the key things to consider when optimising your website to make it rank higher in search.
Discover the three main Google Analytic metrics that you must monitor and how to keep people on your website longer.
PLUS why knowing your best performing content will help you save time creating new content.
Vicki Jakes website
Find out more about my Build Your Audience Programme
Keywords everywhere website
How to write a blog post every day 21 tips to get you started (blog post)
Why you need
[236] Why you need a blog for your business (podcast)
[330] How to write awesome sales copy for your business (podcast)
[336] How to make sales from your business blog (podcast)
[343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast)
[380] How to set goals for audience growth in 2020 and why you should (podcast)
[386] The four types of content that will help you make more sales in 2020 (podcast)
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
Does your relationship with money hold you back in business?
Perhaps you struggle with pricing your goods or services or you’re too quick to discount. Or you always undercharge because you feel guilty charging the full price?
If this resonates with you then you’ll love this podcast episode with financial coach and planner and host of the podcast 'In her Financial Shoes' Catherine Morgan.
It’s a deep dive into how money mindset issues can really hold you back from growing your audience and building your business.
Find out how those little phrases from your childhood like ‘money doesn’t grow on trees’ and deep-rooted beliefs and preconceptions that have been passed down the generations (even if they're not true!) can really affect your relationship with money.
Catherine reveals the three most common types of relationship people have with money. Find out what type you are and how this impacts how you show up in business.
Discover why people get so addicted to taking courses and why over-giving is really common in online entrepreneurs. And what prevents some people from spending ANY money in their business. PLUS what this means for the content that you create in your business.
Catherine shares two steps that you can take right now - to start understanding your relationship with money - and how you can take your mindset from scarcity to abundance.
Catherine Morgan website
Catherine Morgan Money Personality Quiz
Catherine Morgan podcast In her Financial Shoes
Find out more about my Build Your Audience Programme
[Bonus] How I discovered my ADHD superpower (podcast)
[217] How to find your entrepreneurial superpower with Osmaan Sharif (podcast)
[390] How to stop overthinking your content (podcast)
[406] Mindset problems that can slow your audience growth with Osmaan Sharif (podcast)
[413] How to get more done in less time and build your audience faster (podcast)
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
Wondering if TikTok is right for your business? But not really sure if it’s your ‘thing’? Perhaps you think it’s just for teens and you’ve got no idea where to start?
If that sounds familiar then this podcast episode with marketing expert Sam Bearfoot is a must-listen. Sam explains exactly how you can use TikTok to build your online audience and promote your business.
Find out the best type of content to create on TikTok and why being authentically 'you' - will help you create content for TikTok and help you stand out amongst the crowds.
Discover how you can use TikTok to get people into your messages and grow your other social media platforms like Instagram.
Even if you’ve never used TikTok before - Sam explains how to get started with TikTok and how you can get inspired and begin creating content for TikTok (and why it doesn’t have to just be dancing!).
Plus how you can save time by repurposing the content you create on TikTok on your other social media platforms.
Sam shares so much value in this episode - I’d love to know if you’re inspired to start.
Find out more about my Build Your Audience Programme
TikTok accounts recommended by Sam
[347] How to create engaging social media posts even if you hate being on camera (podcast)
[377] How to write super engaging copy about your business with Jo Watson (podcast)
[343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast)
[373] How to get more followers on any social media platform (podcast)
[384] How to be more yourself in your social media content with Natalie Lue (podcast)
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
With sales of planners and organisers topping $386 million last year, we're clearly a generation obsessed with planning.
And since I launched my Social Media Diary & Planner, back in 2017, I get asked tons of questions from people who want to launch their own.
So in this podcast episode, I answer your burning questions, including the number one question: how much does it cost to launch a planner?
The rather unsatisfactory answer to this is: it depends on a number of things, including
If you don’t have all of this information to hand, you won’t even be able to get a quote from a printer.
So if you want to launch your own planner, one of the first things you need to do is sit down and plan out exactly what you will include on every page of your planner - even down to how many pages you want for each month of the year. This is generally known as a flatplan. I include flatplan templates in my online masterclass: How to launch your own planner.
This is important because you can only print a perfect bound book (and, essentially, your planner is a book) in multiples of four pages. This means that if you decide to add or take away content at a later stage, it could have a big impact on your project (and your budget). If you go for spiral bound, you can add or take away pages in multiples of two, but if you don’t plan out your content thoroughly beforehand, you could still create problems for yourself further down the line.
it’s difficult to estimate how many pages you will need without knowing how your planner will be laid out. Sites like Canva and Creative Market have planner templates you can browse for inspiration. Pinterest is also a great place to look for inspiration.
At this stage, you also need to do some research on the correct paper weight for your planner and best method of binding. If you want to create a product people can use (and possibly carry around with them) for a full year it needs to be hardy. The last thing you want is people complaining/asking for refunds because the pages are ripped and/or the ink is seeping through.
So the best thing you can do at this stage - is to create a flatplan of your planner, then contact a number of printers for a quotation.
Most printers will be happy to advise you and/or send through paper samples. It’s important to touch/feel the paper yourself before you get anything printed. I’d also suggest buying some different planners so you can compare size, binding and layout plus how easy they are to use.
There are instructions on how to create a flatplan for your planner (and flatplan templates), a checklist of information you need to supply a printer with in order to get a quote and a list of all the printing terminology you need to know in my online masterclass on how to launch your own planner.
Once you’ve got quotes from printers (I’d suggest getting a minimum of three).While it may be tempting to outsource your printing overseas this may not be the best practical solution. While it can be cheaper, if there is a problem with the printing, it’s much more difficult to fix if your printer is in China. This is definitely something to bear in mind if you want to launch a seasonal planner i.e. one that runs from January to January. Not only will you need to allow additional time for the initial print and delivery, if you are unhappy with any aspect of the printing, it could take weeks (or even months) to fix. This is not to say it is a bad idea, but for your first planner, it may be best to stay local.
Once you have some printing quotes, you can estimate how much it will cost you to produce each copy of your planner. Then, based on how much profit you want to make (and research on similar products on the market) you can decide on the price of your planner.
When costing out your planner, remember you also need to include things like:
There is a checklist of all the costs you need to consider in my online masterclass on how to launch your own planner.
If you don’t want the hassle of organising your own printing, there is the option of using a print-on-demand service like Createspace, Lulu or Ingram Spark. With this option, you upload your artwork file for your planner to their website and, every time someone orders a copy, it is printed and sent to them. This cuts down on packaging and fulfilment costs, but you will still need to pay for design, editing and proofreading.
While print-on-demand is often less expensive per copy, you also have less control over the process. So if something goes wrong, it can be much more difficult to fix. Many people mistakenly think that using a large, established platform means you have a ready-made audience to buy their planner. This couldn’t be further from the truth. You will still need to work really hard to market your planner.
There is a detailed comparison of DIY printing versus print-on-demand in my online masterclass on how to launch a planner for your industry.
Ideally yes...otherwise who are you going to sell your planner to?
Most online sales convert at just 1-2%, so if you’re hoping to sell hundreds or thousands of copies of your planner, you will need a large enough audience to sell to. You can use my audience calculator to see if you have enough people in your audience right now to make your target sales.
If you don’t have a big enough audience, you have two choices. You can either focus on building your online audience to the size you need to launch a planner. This may take at least a year but could save you a lot of time and money in the long run. Here’s how to build an audience.
Or you can explore the idea of doing a short print run to test your idea. This will almost certainly reduce your profit, as shorter print runs are generally more expensive. But it will also reduce the risk of you making a loss on your planner (and ending up with a stack of planners gathering dust in your loft/garage).
At this stage, you should also ask yourself some tough questions about whether you have the authority to launch a planner on your chosen topic. For example, if you want to launch a planner for yoga teachers, but you’re currently working in banking, you may find you don’t have the credibility to make enough sales. In this case, it would be better to spend some time building your audience before launching a planner.
Absolutely yes. In fact, if you don’t want a stack of planners you can’t sell (and a hefty printing bill) I would absolutely recommend it.
The reality is, you can carry out tons of research, but won’t know for sure if anyone wants to buy your planner until you ask people to pay you money for it.
This is why I believe you shouldn’t print your planner until you have made enough sales to at least break even.
This is why I recommend creating a test offer. This is where you get a designer to create an image of your diary, create a simple landing page (a web page where people can only do one thing i.e. order your diary) and invite people to pre-order their planner at a reduced cost on the understanding that they may need to wait a bit longer for their planner.
I share my test offer strategy (including a checklist of the steps you need to take and the resources you need) in my how to launch a planner masterclass.
Unless you are a designer yourself, I really wouldn’t recommend it.
If you want your planner to look professional, I believe you need to use a professional - ideally someone who has a background in book/magazine publishing.
Not only will this ensure your planner has a professional look and feel, they should also be able to advise you on any potential problems with the design. For example, a professional designer will be able to advise on font size/type, what type of content is best on right and left-hand pages, potential problems with user experiences (e.g. left-handers). You only know that stuff if you’ve worked in publishing.
Sites like Canva and Creative Market have planner templates you can browse for inspiration. Pinterest is also great for inspiration. But, unless you are a designer, I would use it just for that - inspiration.
This isn’t actually on my list of frequently asked questions, but I’ve included it because it’s something people generally don’t give enough thought i.e. they create a planner they want to create - rather than something people actually want to buy.
Remember, nice-looking stationery is all very well, but if your planner doesn’t solve a problem for people, you’ll struggle to sell it.
Let’s take my media diary as an example. It’s an A4 desk diary that features key dates and awareness days that can help you plan out your content for the coming year. It also has planning templates that help you create annual, quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily content plans. So the media diary solves two key problems for the people who buy it: not being able to think of any/enough content ideas and not having a clear content plan to follow. Not publishing regular content can decrease your visibility, authority and credibility - which can have an impact on the bottom line of your business.
Remember that your planner doesn’t necessarily have to solve a practical problem e.g. not being able to think of ideas. It can also solve an emotional problem/need, such as wanting to look stylish around your peers.
But it does need to solve a problem...otherwise it won’t sell.
I have a planner viability test in my how to launch a planner masterclass.
Audience Calculator: Work out the audience size you need that you need with my audience calculator
Self publish with Amazon Create Space
[326] The one thing you need to do to generate passive income for your business (podcast)
[339] How To Build An Audience for an Online Course or membership (podcast)
[343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast)
[355] How to create and launch a planner for your industry (podcast)
[374] How to create a year's worth of content in one morning (podcast)
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
Hands up...I’m not the most organised person in the world.
But I AM insanely productive - publishing hundreds of podcasts, blogs and social media posts every year - and rarely missing a deadline.
My recent ADHD diagnosis made me question how I’d managed to stay so productive - despite being disorganised.
If you haven’t heard of it before, that stands of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) - a disorder that affects the functioning of the brain and includes symptoms such as inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. Problems with memory, forgetfulness, organisation.
And it made me realise I’d actually developed coping strategies to stay productive - which I share with you in this episode.
They’re actually really good strategies that can help anyone who struggles to get things done (which we all do at times).
Here are five things that help me stay productive.
This is why I do the same thing at the same time every day. For example:
Experts believe it can take as little as 21 days to adopt a new habit. So if you can get into the habit of posting your blog post on a particular day and/or planning your social media posts at a particular time each week, this can be really powerful for your productivity.
For example, this month (July 2020) I’ve launched a Pinterest course in my membership programme Build Your Online Audience. Knowing it was coming up, meant I could schedule a relevant week of content ahead of the launch, including a podcast on getting started with Pinterest , a cool messenger bot quiz on whether Pinterest is right for your business and tons of relevant social media posts.
However, I’m hyper-aware that some people might find working with strangers of the internet kind of awkward. So this week I’m trialling my own ‘Get It Done’ sessions for members of my Build Your Online Audience programme.
Sign up for my Daily Email
Janetmurray.co.uk/podcastfinder
Join my Build Your Online Audience Programme and get access to my NEW Pinterest course
[Bonus] How I discovered my ADHD superpower (podcast)
[374] How to create a year's worth of content in one morning (podcast)
[390] How to stop overthinking your content (podcast)
[393] How to create engaging content when you only sell one product or service (podcast)
[406] Mindset problems that can slow your audience growth with Osmaan Sharif (podcast)
[409] How to use Pinterest to grow your online audience with Kate Beavis (podcast)
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
Ever worried that you're annoying your subscribers by sending too many emails? Want to know how many emails are enough and how you can keep your email subscribers happy? Then you'll love this podcast episode with email marketing experts and hosts of The Email Marketing Show Rob & Kennedy.
They share four things that you can do to make sure your email subscribers are your biggest fans. Find out why managing expectations is key to happy subscribers and how your subscribers can get to know you.
Discover tips and tactics if you think your email subscribers have fallen out of love with you and how you can win back sleepy subscribers.
They explain why you shouldn't overthink email segmentation. And why you mustn't be afraid to delete people from your email list.
PLUS how you can sell in your emails and still give value.
It's full of really practical advice and takeaways that you can apply straight away in your own business.
The Email Marketing Show Podcast
Rob & Kennedy’s Facebook Group
Join my Build Your Audience programme
Find out about my Pinterest Course
[333] 39 surprisingly easy ways to increase your email subscribers (podcast)
[350] How to use surveys to increase your online sales with Rob & Kennedy (podcast)
[395] How to write addictive email copy with Rob & Kennedy (podcast)
[401] How often should you email your list (podcast)
[404] Five compelling reasons to email your list every day (or least more often than you do now) (podcast)
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
I was recently diagnosed with ADHD.
At the grand old age of 45.
If you haven’t heard of it before, that stands of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) - a disorder that affects the functioning of the brain and includes symptoms such as inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness.
I’ve found it uncharacteristically difficult to talk/write about, but I’m sharing it here in the hope it might be of help (even just as a reminder that everyone has their ‘things’ to deal with).
In this special podcast episode, I share the story of how I discovered I had ADHD and why I believe it's my secret superpower as an entrepreneur.
By the time you get to the end of this post, there’s a good chance you’ll be thinking one of three things (or maybe all three).
So, to put it into context...yes we all do some of the things I share with you here sometimes. What makes the difference with ADHD is (a) the frequency with which the symptoms occur (b) the extent to which it affects your life.
It’s also worth mentioning that ADHD shows up differently in different people….particularly in girls and women (which is why it’s often missed). For example, the hyperactivity and/or restlessness can be mental rather than physical (as in my case).
And while educational/professional achievement in people with ADHD is often lower, it can show up in high achievers too. In fact the ability to 'hyperfocus' - to zone in on a particular area of interest and block out everything else - can be EXACTLY the thing that helps you to become a high achiever (another reason why ADHD can get missed).
I always felt there was something a bit ‘different’ about how my brain worked - but like many people - I associated ADHD with hyperactive teenage boys, so never imagined I could have it.
Then I stumbled across an article about women and ADHD and thought…’oh my God, that’s ME.’ I spent the next year or so reading and researching, which is what, eventually, led to me getting tested and getting a diagnosis.
To put my symptoms into context, here are some of the questions I’ve grappled with pretty much all of my life 👇:
✔️ How can I be such a high achiever at things I find interesting but suck SO badly at those I don’t (which is VERY apparent from my school reports)?
✔️ Why can I concentrate for hours on things I’m interested in - to the point where I lose track of time - but struggle to pay attention to anything that doesn’t?
✔️ Why am I so bad at ‘life stuff?’ Paying bills, booking/cancelling appointments, ordering groceries, cooking….
✔️ Why do I get so excited about new things….then struggle to finish them?
✔️ Why am I so bad at friendship? Remembering friends' birthdays, sending baby gifts, asking after them when they’re sick, turning up to social things…well maybe not bad, just inconsistent...
✔️ Why am I such an impulsive spender (but never seem to learn from my mistakes)?
✔️ Why am I so brilliant with words...but frequently get muddled up with numbers and dates?
✔️ Why do I leave everything until the last minute? In fact, why does leaving it to the last minute sometimes feel like the ONLY way to get it done?
✔️ Why do I struggle so much with detail? To the point where starting a project with lots of moving parts or instructions to read feels PHYSICALLY painful?
✔️ Why can’t I hold down a job or even stick working in an office with other people for more than a few weeks at a time?
✔️ Why do I get so BORED of everything so quickly: meetings, relationships, social events, small talk, projects...?
✔️ Why do I sometimes make such impulsive decisions? Decisions that can blow up relationships (friendship/work/family)...often on a whim?
✔️ Why am I SO damn sensitive? To the point where a cross word/brush off from a colleague/friend can put me in a dark place for weeks on end…
✔️ Why am I a compulsive workaholic who works longer hours than anyone else I know (often to achieve the same results)?
✔️ Why don’t I enjoy holidays/days off like other people seem to?
✔️ Why can’t I SWITCH MY DAMN BRAIN OFF? 🤯
All of which I now realise are symptoms of ADHD.
If you’ve worked with me and/or are a friend, you may be surprised by me sharing this.
Because I probably come across as pretty calm, right?
I generally don’t pace the floor, interrupt people when they’re speaking and/or talk incessantly (well, only sometimes 😂 ) or any of the other stereotypical symptoms of ADHD.
The only thing you might have noticed is that sometimes I talk a bit fast. And - if you’ve worked with me, you’ll also know I THINK fast. Which can make it hard to keep up at times...
But I wasn’t bouncing off the walls as a child/teenager (and nor do I do that now). So I had no reason to believe - and nor did anyone else in my life - that the things I describe above were anything more than personality quirks.
Relationships is the area where I struggle most. While I LOVE people, I find navigating the unwritten rules of friendship - and particularly female friendship groups - nigh on impossible.
Maintaining female friendships often involves doing things you don’t want to do - or that bore you - just to be accepted. Which I’ve learned doesn’t work for the ADHD brain.
I’ve been dropped from numerous female friendship groups over the years for not playing by the ‘rules’ (or at least it feels like I have - but that might be down to Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria, which comes hand in hand with ADHD, but I’ll save that for another post!).
Which means life can feel a bit lonely at times. 😢
While I have tons of acquaintances, I only have a handful of really close friends. Generally driven, ambitious women like me. Or men. Because both are unlikely to get offended when I forget to message them back, say/do the wrong thing or disappear for a few months because I’m engrossed in work or a new hobby. Because that’s all I can manage without messing things up.
Until recently, I saw my inability to maintain deep and long-lasting friendships with women as a character flaw. In fact, I’ve spent countless hours pouring my heart out to my mum about it over the years. Now I realise this is probably down to having a different kind of brain... which kind of helps a bit.
Work-wise, I’ve completely leant into my zone of genius (writing, communicating, creating content) and outsourced the things I find hard. And I love what I do, which means I rarely have problems paying attention to work stuff.
Life wise...I kind of bumble along, trying - and often failing - to create systems to keep me organised. But I still get far too many fines/charges for forgetting to pay things. I’m still impulsive with money, but because I earn more these days, it’s less of a problem. Which means I no longer have any debt. Although, if my income changed, I know that’s something I’d have to watch out for.
I’ve learned that the ADHD brain only has two modes: ‘now’ or ‘not now’ - which means you can’t draw on a previous experience like most people do (for example, getting charged for going over your overdraft limit because you bought something you couldn’t afford). Which is why you keep repeating the same mistakes - over and over again - much to the frustration of family/friends/colleagues.
Relationships are the area where I struggle most. While I LOVE people, I find navigating the unwritten rules of friendship - and particularly female friendship groups - nigh on impossible.
Maintaining female friendships often involves doing things you don’t want to do - or that bore you - just to be accepted. Which I’ve learned doesn’t work for the ADHD brain.
I’ve been dropped from numerous female friendship groups over the years for not playing by the ‘rules’ (or at least it feels like I have - but that might be down to Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria, which comes hand in hand with ADHD, but I’ll save that for another post!).
Which means life can feel a bit lonely at times.
While I have tons of acquaintances, I only have a handful of really close friends. Generally driven, ambitious women like me. Or men. Because both are unlikely to get offended when I forget to message them back, say/do the wrong thing or disappear for a few months because I’m engrossed in work or a new hobby. Because that’s all I can manage without messing things up.
Until recently, I saw my inability to maintain deep and long-lasting friendships with women as a character flaw. In fact, I’ve spent countless hours pouring my heart out to my mum about it over the years. Now I realise this is probably down to having a different kind of brain, which kind of helps a bit.
This is all quite new to me, so I’ll leave it here (and I’m also a bit bored now).
I’m just starting out on this journey, so I still have a lot to learn. I spent the first few weeks wondering whether the test was ‘wrong’ and worrying about whether people would think I was jumping on to some kind of trend/bandwagon (ADHD is really common in entrepreneurs).
Once I’ve got my head around it, I’m sure it’s a topic I will revisit again - especially once I’ve explored different treatment options. But I wanted to share this with you in case it was helpful in any way.
And it goes without saying that while living with a restless, racing mind isn’t always easy (in fact, it can feel unbearable at times), it is almost certainly responsible for some of the things I’ve achieved in my life/business.
Over and out.
A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD
Sign up for my Daily Email
Janetmurray.co.uk/podcastfinder
Join my Build Your Online Audience Programme and get access to my NEW Pinterest course
[217] How to find your entrepreneurial superpower with Osmaan Sharif (podcast)
[406] Mindset problems that can slow your audience growth (podcast)
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
Would you love to be the market leader in your industry - the go-to specialist? If so, you'll love this podcast episode with business coach, best-selling author and host of the Expert Unrivalled Podcast Jen Hall.
Whether you have a product or service-based business Jen explains the three things you must-do if you want to become a market leader.
Discover why you must ditch 'niche fear' and why not niching could be the biggest mistake you make in your business. Jen explains why differentiation and messaging are key and why you must nail your USP.
Find out why size and fame don't matter if you want to become a market leader in your industry. And how you can stand out in a crowded market - even if can't think of any new ideas.
PLUS why becoming a market leader is the BEST thing you can do for your business and your bottom line.
Jen Hall The Expert Unrivalled Podcast
Sign up for my Daily Email
Janetmurray.co.uk/podcastfinder
Join my Build Your Online Audience Programme and get access to my NEW Pinterest course
[349] How to find the right niche for your business (podcast)
[389] How to find your niche and why you need to with Jo Soley (podcast)
[406] Mindset problems that can slow your audience growth with Osmaan Sharif (podcast)
[409] How to use Pinterest to grow your online audience with Kate Beavis (podcast)
[Bonus] How to generate income fast by creating a power hour for your business (podcast)
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
If you've been wondering how you can promote positive messages about inclusion and diversity, a good place to start is with your marketing materials.
In this fascinating interview, marketing expert and confidence coach Ramat Tejani explains how to spot unconscious bias in your marketing and how to be more inclusive.
Find out how you can make a difference from the way you write your content and the tone of voice you use - through to the guests that you might invite on your podcast or Facebook Live.
Ramat also recommends resources that you might find helpful to understand this more.
I'd love to know if you find this helpful.
It's about Damn Time Arlan Hamilton
Sway: Unravelling Unconscious Bias Dr Pragya Agarwal
Ramat Tejani Website
Ramat Tejani Instagram - The Inspiration Box
Ramat Tejani Instagram
Ramat Tejani Twitter
Sign up for my Daily Email
Join my Instagram Academy Course here
Janetmurray.co.uk/podcastfinder
Join my Build Your Online Audience Programme
Join my Build Your Online Audience Programme
[343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast)
[348] How to write social media posts that sell (podcast)
[384] How to be more yourself in your social media content with Nat Lue (podcast)
[372] How to build an engaged online audience (podcast)
[391] How to write better social media captions (podcast)
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and LinkedIn
Want to learn how to use Pinterest to grow your online audience?
If so, you need to listen to this podcast episode with Pinterest expert Kate Beavis.
Kate explains why Pinterest is a visual search engine - and not a social media platform - which makes it a powerful tool to build your online audience.
She shares expert tips for setting up your Pinterest boards, what kind of content you should be sharing - and how often - and how to make use of the latest Pinterest features.
Kate also explains why Pinterest isn't just for product-based businesses and why it's ideal for service-based businesses too.
PLUS how you can create tons of content fast and what you need to understand before you start creating content for Pinterest.
There's so much value in this podcast episode. Even if you're already using Pinterest in your business I guarantee you'll find something useful.
Kate's website The Indie Practice
TheIndiePractice Pinterest
TheIndiePractice Facebook
Join my Instagram Success Academy here
Janetmurray.co.uk/podcastfinder
Join my Build Your Online Audience Programme
[163] How to get high profile media coverage in your business with Kate Beavis (podcast)
[319] Why you should be using Pinterest in 2019 with Eve Tokens (podcast)
[372] How to build an engaged online audience (podcast)
[391] How to write better social media captions (podcast)
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
Do you ever have those days when you feel like you're all out of ideas for Instagram Stories? Or you've been posting Instagram Stories but you feel like your ideas are a bit stale and you'd love to shake them up a bit?
Maybe you've got a product or service launch coming up and you’d love to know some new innovative ways to talk about what it is that you do and promote your product or service?
Then listen to this podcast episode where I share 11 Instagram Story ideas to generate more sales in your business. With three of them I go into more depth and explain how you can construct the entire Instagram Story from beginning to end.
Discover how you can use Instagram Stories to start conversations and generate sales. Plus why getting people into your DM’s is key.
I’d love to know what you think.
Join my Instagram Academy Course here
Janetmurray.co.uk/podcastfinder
Join my Build Your Online Audience Programme
[362] How to grow your Instagram following to 27K fast (podcast)
[379] How to grow your Instagram posts by 1K in 30 days (podcast)
[385] How to sell on Instagram Stories (without feeling sleazy) (podcast)
[391] How to write better social media captions (podcast)
[392] How to get more engagement on Instagram (podcast)
Masterclass - How to generate passive income in your business
Masterclass - How to plan sell and launch an online Webinar or Masterclass for your business
Masterclass - How to turn your in-person services into online offerings
Masterclass - How to launch a playbook for your business
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
How to create a high-converting lead magnet course
Buy my book Your press release is breaking my heart
Social Media Video Engagement Playbook
Social Media Engagement Playbook
LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
Do you ever have a series of social media posts or marketing emails to write and find yourself wondering how you heck you can make the topic interesting?
In this podcast episode, I share my secret strategy for turning 'boring' topics into super engaging content.
It’s so simple, you’ll wonder why you didn’t think of it yourself.
Sign up for my Daily Email
Join my Instagram Academy Course here
Janetmurray.co.uk/podcastfinder
Join my Build Your Online Audience Programme
Masterclass - How to generate passive income in your business
Masterclass - How to plan sell and launch an online Webinar or Masterclass for your business
Masterclass - How to turn your in-person services into online offerings
Masterclass - How to launch a playbook for your business
[333] 39 surprisingly easy ways to increase your email subscribers (podcast)
[343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast)
[374] How to create a year's worth of content in one morning (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)
[398] What sort of content should you create during a global crisis (podcast)
[399] How to build your online audience during a global crisis (podcast)
[405] The secret to creating bingeworthy content (podcast)
[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
Order your 2020 Media Diary here
Join my Build Your Audience Programme
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
Social Media Video Engagement Playbook
Ever felt that something in your mind is holding you back from growing your business and your online audience? Then you’ll love this podcast episode with performance and mindset coach Osmaan Sharif.
Osmann explains the common struggles that affect our mindset as entrepreneurs and how this can get in the way of building our audience.
Discover why you need to know your entrepreneurial super power and how this will help you identify the parts of your business that you should be focusing on and what you might need to let go.
Find out how aligning your values with your business goals will motivate you and help you achieve your goals and what happens to your mindset when they get too far out of synch.
He shares practical advice that you can apply in your business to deal with overwhelm, procrastination and perfectionism. Plus how 90 day goal setting can help us move forwards in business.
As always I'd love to know what you think.
Osmaan Sharif’s Rapid Transformation website
Find out more about your entrepreneurial superpower in this podcast episode:
[217] How to find your entrepreneurial superpower with Osmaan Sharif (podcast)
Sign up for my Daily Email
Join my Instagram Academy Course here
Janetmurray.co.uk/podcastfinder
Join my Build Your Online Audience Programme
Masterclass - How to generate passive income in your business
Masterclass - How to plan sell and launch an online Webinar or Masterclass for your business
Masterclass - How to turn your in-person services into online offerings
Masterclass - How to launch a playbook for your business
[333] 39 surprisingly easy ways to increase your email subscribers (podcast)
[343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast)
[374] How to create a year's worth of content in one morning (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)
[398] What sort of content should you create during a global crisis (podcast)
[399] How to build your online audience during a global crisis (podcast)
[405] The secret to creating bingeworthy content (podcast)
[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
Order your 2020 Media Diary here
Join my Build Your Audience Programme
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
Social Media Video Engagement Playbook
Social Media Engagement Playbook
LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
Want to know how to make content so good that it’s like your favourite show on Netflix where one show is never enough?
The sort of content that people just can’t get enough of and they want to binge on it.
Listen to this podcast episode where I explain how you can make your content bingeworthy and make people crave your content so much that they just can’t stop consuming it.
I explain why Netflix is SO addictive and how we can learn so much from it by applying the same principals. Discover how you can make your regular content be it email, podcast, YouTube or blog just as addictive as Netflix and people can’t wait to get their eyes (or ears) on it.
I share practical tips and tactics about how to make your content bingeworthy and why it’s so powerful if your content can do this.
Find out why our brains crave familiarity and how you can make your content irresistible.
As always I’d love to know what you think.
p.s Warning you might want to go on and listen to other episodes after this one.
My daughter and I have a serious Netflix habit.
We sit down at 10pm every night with a chocolate covered Oreo and cup of tea to get our ‘fix’.
Over the past few months we’ve watched:
Over the past few years we’ve watched the entire seven series of The Gilmore Girls - including the revival - several times. And I think we’re on our third time through Call The Midwife, which has seven series.
At 11pm we often end up bickering because my daughter wants to watch another episode. And it’s hard to play the responsible parent because I’m DYING to see the next one. If you think 11pm is late for a 14-year-old to go to bed, by the way…well I’ll tell you about that tomorrow.
From a behavioural science point of view, our behaviour follows a classic pattern of habit formation.
There is a cue (the time - 10pm)
There is a routine (the cup of tea and the chocolate Oreo)
There is a reward (the enjoyment of the show)
This is followed by a craving for the next show.
The reason Netflix shows are so addictive is because they flood us with the feel-good hormone dopamine, leaving us ‘hungry’ for the next show.
And there is so much we can learn from Netflix on how to make our own content more ‘binge worthy’.
For example, I’ve been publishing a new podcast every Friday for the past four years (cue). People often tell me they plan their dog walk/gym visit around this (routine). I know that if people have enjoyed the episode (reward) they’ll want to listen to others on a similar topic (craving). Which is why I often mention other relevant episodes on the show (and include them in the show notes).
And since I’ve been publishing my daily email on/around 7am each day (cue), people have started telling me it’s the first thing they read each day over their coffee (routine). If they’ve enjoyed the email (reward) they’ll be looking forward to the next one (craving). Which is why I sometimes hint at what I’m going to cover in the next one.
What does this mean for you? If you can make your content part of someone’s routine, you’ll find it much easier to build an engaged online audience.
So how do you do this?
A cue can be created by deciding on a regular day/date/time. For example, if people know you put a new podcast out every Friday, they can plan their activities around it. My podcast, daily email, podcasts, Boris
A routine can be established through a familiar format. Even this podcast has one. As human beings we like to know what to EXPECT.
We can learn a lot from the news/magazine shows.
Radio 4 - news on the hour, half hour, 15.
People watch Newsnight - Emily Maitlis reads the news, then there’s a few interviews
So my Daily email works because it’s the same every day.
The reward mostly comes from the enjoyment/value of the content. But there are other ways to reward people who engage with your content - for example reading out reviews/doing shout outs. When people feel seen, heard and appreciated, they’re far more likely to keep engaging with your content.
You can create cravings by telling people what’s coming up in the next post/show. Or referring to other related content they might find interesting.
Teasers or trailers e.g. daily emails - gave them the title...what is it going to be about?
On a platform like Youtube you can actively encourage people to binge on your content by creating playlists of videos on similar topics. On a blog, you can create round-up posts of blogs on similar topics. On a podcast you can record ‘seasons’ on specific topics to encourage people to listen to a bunch of episodes at once.
In psychology this is known as clustering. People have a limited amount of space in their short-term memory. In fact, most people can only remember around seven pieces of information at a time. So planning/organising your content in this way can make it easier for people to consume (and binge) on your content.
Clustering doesn’t only apply to how you plan your content - but also how you present it too i.e. how you design and lay out your content to increase memory retention.
One way to do it is by grouping similar topics together -- either under numbered bullet points or with different header sizes.
Besides being much easier to scan, your content will be much easier to remember and recall down the road -- especially if you’re creating long form content.
In BYOA we look at other psychological principles
Reciprocity
Social Proof
Paradox of choice
Sign up for my Daily Email
[395] How to write addictive email copy with Rob & Kennedy (podcast)
[401] How often should you email your list (podcast)
Join my Instagram Academy Course here
Janetmurray.co.uk/podcastfinder
Join my Build Your Online Audience Programme
Masterclass - How to generate passive income in your business
Masterclass - How to plan sell and launch an online Webinar or Masterclass for your business
Masterclass - How to turn your in-person services into online offerings
Masterclass - How to launch a playbook for your business
[333] 39 surprisingly easy ways to increase your email subscribers (podcast)
[343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast)
[374] How to create a year's worth of content in one morning (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)
[398] What sort of content should you create during a global crisis (podcast)
[399] How to build your online audience during a global crisis (podcast)
[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
Order your 2020 Media Diary here
Join my Build Your Audience Programme
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
Social Media Video Engagement Playbook
Social Media Engagement Playbook
LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
If you’re like most business owners I know the idea of emailing your list each day might seem crazy. Won’t people get sick of hearing from you every day? Won’t you lose all your subscribers?
I recently started sending a daily email to my list and, in this podcast episode, I share the surprising results.
Even if you have no intention of sending a daily email to your audience, this episode will give you ideas and inspiration for what to write in your emails so you can build a closer relationship with your audience.
This is probably one of my most personal podcasts and I share a lot of my business and what inspires me to write.
I’d love to know if it inspires you.
Here's five great reasons to email your list regularly with practical tips on how to get into the habit of writing every day and why it will make you a better writer.
People often tell me they struggle with writing copy for their business. Writing an email newsletter, sales pages - or sometimes even a simple social media post - can paralyse them for weeks. And this isn’t just newbies. I hear this from experienced business owners too.
But like everything, writing is about practice. And the more you do it, the easier it gets.
My friend Kennedy started sending a daily email to his list because he’s dyslexic and wanted to get better at writing.
He’s been doing it for two years now. But if you read his stylish, entertaining emails, you’d NEVER guess (and, yes, it was Kennedy who gave me the idea for MY daily email).
Which is why developing a daily writing practice is such a powerful thing to do - even if (like me) you're already a confident writer.
I get up at 5am and make coffee. Then I write my daily email, then my Instagram post, followed by any social media copy, email marketing copy, Facebook ads I have to write. And - apart from a daily team meeting at 10.45am - I don’t do any meetings or coaching calls until midday. I just write/create content.
Why do I do it this way? Because I believe it’s easier to write when you first wake up - when your mind is uncluttered by the worries of the day and - crucially - there are no interruptions.
And while I never suffer from writer’s block (which is what 18 years in journalism does for you), I do write better copy when I’m feeling inspired.
Now I’m not saying you should get up at 5am every day and write a daily email, like me and Kennedy (who’s also an early riser). But developing a writing routine - where you write and/or journal at a certain time of day (ideally first thing) is one of the most powerful ways to improve your writing and/or creativity in general.
Since I started my Daily Email in April 2020, I’ve racked up a cool 13,000 words of copy that can be repurposed into social media posts, email marketing copy and Facebook ads.
I recently created a whole series of Facebook ads for my new Instagram course from ‘daily email’ copy - and a bunch of marketing emails. And I’d much rather have a bank of good writing to draw from, than force myself to write an eight-part email marketing sequence when I’m not feeling it.
In fact, I actually repurposed some daily email copy to create this podcast episode and blog post.
Since I’ve been sending my daily email I’ve been getting tons of emails back from people who resonate with the stories/experiences in my emails. Being more vulnerable and sharing some of the downsides of being an entrepreneur has resonated particularly strongly. For example, when I shared the contents of the email below, I got a flurry of emails in return from people who'd also had shirty emails from clients - so they could relate to my story.
| Your emails are constant. Quite annoying. And very pushy. I buy your social media diary because it is helpful. I do not expect to be literally bombarded daily. And some of them are highly inapproriate, very 80's salesy (not how the world works these days) and even for someone who is all about the business and all about marketing and sales, verging on rude in their tone and somewhat patronising/look at me how wonderful I am, at times. Feedback I hope is useful. I will buy the diary again but please remove me from mailing and marketing lists. |
When I invite people to sign up for my daily email, I make it clear that I might mention relevant products/services. In fact I put a link to a product/service in pretty much every email. And people buy.
I also see writing as a form of therapy. So while writing the daily is (I hope) helpful for my audience. It’s also a way of helping me process my experiences and emotions. Some people journal...I write my daily emails.
If you have kids or other responsibilities, it’s easy to tell yourself that you don’t have time. Or that it would be ‘impossible’ to find 15 minutes to write each morning.
But where there’s a will there’s always a way, right?
Sign up for my Daily Email
[395] How to write addictive email copy with Rob & Kennedy (podcast)
[401] How often should you email your list (podcast)
Join my Instagram Academy Course here
Janetmurray.co.uk/podcastfinder
Join my Build Your Online Audience Programme
Masterclass - How to generate passive income in your business
Masterclass - How to plan sell and launch an online Webinar or Masterclass for your business
Masterclass - How to turn your in-person services into online offerings
Masterclass - How to launch a playbook for your business
[333] 39 surprisingly easy ways to increase your email subscribers (podcast)
[343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast)
[374] How to create a year's worth of content in one morning (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)
[398] What sort of content should you create during a global crisis (podcast)
[399] How to build your online audience during a global crisis (podcast)
[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
Order your 2020 Media Diary here
Join my Build Your Audience Programme
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
Social Media Video Engagement Playbook
Social Media Engagement Playbook
LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
Would you love to know how you to build your audience using competitions and giveaways?
If you've ever wondered how to run a competition or giveaway and how you can use this to build your audience on social media - then you'll love this podcast episode - with Mark Simpson founder of Boostly and worldwide Facebook group the Hospitality Community.
Mark explains step by step how you can build your online audience by using giveaways and competitions on Facebook and Instagram
Discover how you can use competitions to get people from your Facebook page and onto your email list. He explains how to make your competition post go viral with clever copy and posting tactics. And how to make sure you don't fall foul of Facebook regulations by using the right copy.
Find out how you can use competitions or giveaways to build an audience in any industry and how you can use them to create a buzz when you're launching a new product or service.
Mark shares so much in this podcast episode including his tried and tested 5-day formula for creating and running successful competitions and giveaways on Facebook and Instagram.
Plus he shares the exact copy for Facebook and Instagram competition/giveaway posts so that you don’t have to create it yourself.
I hope you're as excited by this podcast as I am and I'd love to know what you think.
Connect with Mark on Instagram
Mark's Boostly podcast
Access Marks FREE 5 day competition copy here: boostly.co.uk/janetmurray
Join my Instagram Academy Course here
Janetmurray.co.uk/podcastfinder
Join my Build Your Online Audience Programme
Masterclass - How to generate passive income in your business
Masterclass - How to plan sell and launch an online Webinar or Masterclass for your business
Masterclass - How to turn your in-person services into online offerings
Masterclass - How to launch a playbook for your business
[343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast)
[374] How to create a year's worth of content in one morning (podcast)
[378] How to use hashtags to build your online audience (podcast)
[379] How to grow your Instagram posts by 1K in 30 days (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)
[398] What sort of content should you create during a global crisis (podcast)
[399] How to build your online audience during a global crisis (podcast)
[400] How to build a large audience for your blog, vlog or podcast (podcast)
[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
Order your 2020 Media Diary here
Join my Build Your Audience Programme
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
Social Media Video Engagement Playbook
Social Media Engagement Playbook
LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
Are you feeling frustrated with your Instagram growth?
In this episode, I share the surprising reason your account isn’t growing (even though you’re posting consistently, using relevant hashtags and/or spending time engaging on other peoples’ accounts). And show you how to fix it.
If you’re struggling to attract new followers to your Instagram content, you may think it’s because you haven’t nailed your strategy. You need to post more often/consistently. You need to find the right time of day to post. You need to find the right hashtags to attract your ideal/clients.
But while honing these strategies can help, there is one fundamental thing you have to be able to do to grow your following. If you can’t do this, you’ll struggle to grow your audience - regardless of any strategies you try.
So what is this magic thing you must be able to do?
You have to be able to connect emotionally with your audience.
Your content needs to make people stop in their feed,
And it needs to make them feel something. For example:
If you want people to take the time to stop and read your post. If you want people to hit ‘save’ or ‘share’ - or leave you a comment - it has to hit them right in the heart.
It if doesn’t, they’ll just keep on scrolling.
So how do you know your content is hitting the spot? More people will be liking, commenting on and sharing your content for sure. But what will really show your content is hitting the spot is when people leave comments like:
‘This really resonates with me.’
‘I feel like you’re inside my head.’
‘I was just thinking this earlier.
So how do you create this kind of content? Keep reading and you’ll find out.
Take a look at the account of some key competitors that are getting good engagement and growth on their account.
How are they engaging their audience emotionally?
Natalie Lue - everything we do is about making us feel better. So if we can make our audience feel better about themselves they’ll love us for it.
Lifestyle envy (personal/work) - Hannah Otto, The Annaedit, Brand Stylist
Humour: Alyssa Limperis, Simon Holland, Glitterbeards, Paul Flaart
Empathy: Matt Haig, Jamie Tworkowski (Jamie T), Helen Marie
Reassurance/encouragement: Boss Babe, me
Challenge: polarising content - don’t see so much on Instagram
People need to SEE themselves in your story - even if they haven’t had that exact experience.
For example, I have a recent post: Don’t take criticism from people you wouldn’t take advice from.
In the caption I talked about how people email me with ‘advice’ on email marketing - even though they don’t have
1,333 likes
1086 shares
640 saves
I’ve just been looking at my top ten performing Instagram posts of the past year.
My best performing post got:
PLUS it’s been saved 2,495 times, landed me 912 new followers and 90% of people who saw the post weren’t even following me in the first place.
Pretty mind-blowing, right?
Well here’s the interesting thing.
Only ONE of my ten best-performing Instagram posts was actually created by ME (number 10 as it happens). The rest of the posts (including this one) were originally created by other people. I was simply resharing them.
In the last six months I’ve more than doubled my Instagram following from 6.5k to over 15k and content curation (sharing other peoples’ content) has been a big part of my strategy.
The way I see it, there is so much great content out there already - created by people who are more eloquent, funny and/or talented than I could ever be.
So instead of dishing up my rather mediocre content, why not introduce my audience to the best of the best?
That way I can focus on giving them exactly what they need: funny, inspiring, poignant, polarising...whatever it is they need to hear at any given time.
Without having to come up with a single idea myself.
And in doing so, I’m not just growing my own Instagram account. I’m helping to grow other peoples’ too.
Which is a win-win all round, right?
Of course there is an art to content curation (including how to credit those whose content you share). Which is why I’ve devoted a whole section to it in my new Instagram course, which starts in May.
But not only can content curation save you tons of time...it can also help you improve the quality of your content.
Which is why I’d love you to give it a try (tip: it doesn’t just work on Instagram)
Join my Instagram Academy Course here
Janetmurray.co.uk/podcastfinder
Join my Build Your Online Audience Programme
Masterclass - How to generate passive income in your business
Masterclass - How to plan sell and launch an online Webinar or Masterclass for your business
Masterclass - How to turn your in-person services into online offerings
Masterclass - How to launch a playbook for your business
[343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast)
[362] How to grow your Instagram following to 27K fast (podcast)
[374] How to create a year's worth of content in one morning (podcast)
[378] How to use hashtags to build your online audience (podcast)
[379] How to grow your Instagram posts by 1K in 30 days (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)
[398] What sort of content should you create during a global crisis (podcast)
[399] How to build your online audience during a global crisis (podcast)
[400] How to build a large audience for your blog, vlog or podcast (podcast)
[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
Order your 2020 Media Diary here
Join my Build Your Audience Programme
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
Social Media Video Engagement Playbook
Social Media Engagement Playbook
LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
‘How often should I email my list?’
This is probably one of the most common questions I get asked about email marketing.
The rather unsatisfactory answer is ‘it depends’ - on all sorts of factors, including how often you usually email your list, what’s going on in your business at the time and what your goals are.
But what I can tell you is that you are almost certainly emailing your list less than you should - and missing out on sales as a result.
In this podcast episode, I tackle the question of how often you should be emailing your list - and share the key email sequences every business owner should have.
This is the sequence of emails you send someone when they join your email list.
If they have signed up via a free lead magnet (i.e. a resource you create specifically with the intention of getting people to join your list), I’d suggest sending a series of 3-5 emails where you break down the content of your lead magnet and give additional value. I generally refer to this as a ‘delivery sequence’.
So for example with my 23 Social Media Ideas lead magnet, I send five follow up emails (across four days). The first - which should land immediately after they subscribe to the lead magnet - is to deliver the lead magnet.
The second - sent around 24 hours later - asks subscribers to email back and let me know if they received the email ok. This can help troubleshoot any potential problems with spam (once a new subscriber emails me back, their email provider recognises us as ‘friends’ - which means my content is less likely to end up in spam).
The next three delve deeper into the problem the lead magnet solves (not being able to come up with engaging content ideas). I share three types of post (one each day): the question post, the ‘story’ post and the ‘grenade’ post. In this email I make a sales offer to a product/service that feels like the natural ‘next step’ to the lead magnet. This may or may not lead into a sales sequence.
I may also make a ‘soft’ sales offer in the p.s. of the second or third email (or both).
If people are joining your list for another reason i.e. you just have a general ‘sign up’ email, I’d recommend a 3-5 email ‘getting to know you’ sequence where you talk a little bit about what to expect from being on your list and help people get to know you better.
You should also create a welcome sequence for people who buy one of your products/services. For a coaching/membership programme - where you’re going to be working with people over a longer period of time - I’d recommend a 3-5 day ‘tour’. In my Build Your Online Audience Programme, you get a ‘tour’ of the membership (including the site/resources and team). For an online course, masterclass or playbook I’d generally keep it shorter.
This is the sequence of emails you send someone to promote a paid product/service. This can be anything from an online masterclass to a playbook to an online course.
The length of your sales sequence really depends on the product/service you’re selling, but, personally, I wouldn’t recommend sales campaigns that run for longer than 5-7 days - with some kind of scarcity built in - otherwise people can start to zone out.
I’d recommend sending at least one email every day, with at least 2-3 emails on the last day. I’d also recommend creating a ‘looked not bought’ sequence - which you send to those who have clicked on the link to purchase (more on that later).
However, the length of your campaign can depend on the product/service you’re selling. For example, I have a four day email sequence I use for online masterclasses, which I generally start three days before the day of the masterclass. If I start to promote any earlier, I find people forget about the masterclass.
One of the biggest mistakes I see people making with their email marketing, is not asking people why they didn’t buy. While it can be uncomfortable to ask, it can also be an opportunity to convert someone who might otherwise have walked away.
The reasons people don’t buy are varied and complex. Some people have unanswered questions, but for whatever reason they don’t ask. Others have a fundamental misunderstanding about the product/service - which can be down to missing/misleading information on your sales page, for example. A few have decided the product/service is not for them based on an incorrect assumption.
For example, lots of my customers/clients convince themselves my services are not suitable for product-based businesses - even though I do my best to stress this in my marketing and use relevant testimonials.
In many cases, when you provide subscribers with the information they need, they will decide to buy. Even if they don’t, at least they’ve had all the information they need to make a decision (which means they may still buy at a later date).
But if you’re not brave enough to ask the question, you’ll never know. Which means you’re almost certainly missing out on sales.
This is why it’s vital to have a Looked Not Bought sequence in every email campaign you create where you simply say something like: I noticed you’d been checking out x product/service but haven’t yet bought. Let me know if you have any questions.
Sometimes people can feel nervous about voicing their concerns. This is why it can be helping to give a list of typical reasons people have given for not buying.
If you would like to see my Top 10 podcasts then head to my Podcast Finder and my messenger bot will make some suggestions.
janetmurray.co.uk/podcastfinder
Join my Build Your Online Audience Programme
Masterclass - How to generate passive income in your business
Masterclass - How to plan sell and launch an online Webinar or Masterclass for your business
Masterclass - How to turn your in-person services into online offerings
Masterclass - How to launch a playbook for your business
[333] 39 surprisingly easy ways to build your email list (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)
[348] How to write social media posts that sell (podcast episode)
[359] How to create an email newsletter that people look forward to receiving (podcast)
[360] How to get people to open your emails (podcast)
[375] How to get your first 1K email subscribers (podcast)
[395] How to write addictive email copy with Rob & Kennedy (podcast)
[398] What sort of content should you create during a global crisis (podcast)
[399] How to build your online audience during a global crisis (podcast)
[400] How to build a large audience for your blog, vlog or podcast (podcast)
[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 write social media posts that sell (online masterclass)
Join the Media Diary Owners Club
Join my Build Your Audience Programme
How to add closed captions to your video using Rev and Kapwing
How to create a high-converting lead magnet course
Buy my book Your press release is breaking my heart
Social Media Video Engagement Playbook
Social Media Engagement Playbook
LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
Publishing regular content on a blog, vlog or podcast can be a great way to build your online audience.
My podcast The Janet Murray Show gets around 35k downloads per month, consistently ranks top of the UK podcast charts for marketing and is the biggest driver for leads and sales in my business. Which is why I’ve invested a huge amount of time and resources into building my podcast audience since I launched in 2015.
But just having a blog, vlog/Youtube channel or podcast isn’t enough. People won’t automatically find your content, just because it’s out there. You need to invest time and resources building an audience for that content.
And while the platforms might be different, the audience-building strategies will be the same - regardless you have a blog, Youtube channel, Facebook Live Show or podcast.
Which is why, in my 400th episode of the podcast I want to share my top audience building strategies with you.
It sounds obvious, but showing up regularly is key. I launched my podcast The Janet Murray Show back in 2015 and I’ve never missed an episode.
I started out publishing a new episode every Friday. For a few years I published two episodes a week (one solo show midweek and one interview episode first thing on a Friday). So on the odd occasion my podcast has gone live later than usual, people have actually messaged me to ask me where it is.
If you struggle with consistency, I’d recommend making a public commitment to posting your new episode/post on a particular date/time e.g. Friday. This gives you accountability (if you’ve promised something publicly, it’s much harder not to do it). It also helps get your audience familiar with your publishing schedule, which means consuming your content can become part of their routine. For example, my podcast listeners often tell me they listen to the latest episode of my podcast on the school run, when they’re cleaning their house on a Saturday or out for a run on a Sunday morning.
Becoming part of peoples’ routine is a sign you’re building an engaged and loyal audience.
Consistency also matters when it comes to the promotion of your blog/vlog or podcast. Most content creators I know vastly underpromote their content. They publish a new episode/post, make a few ‘announcement’ posts about it on social media, then move onto their next piece of content.
If you want to build an audience for your blog/vlog/podcast, you need to treat every new post/episode as a launch, which means creating a promotion strategy that you rinse and repeat every time (and add to as time goes on). For example, when my podcast goes live on a Friday I email my list, create some kind of announcement on my Facebook messenger and do an Instagram Story. This is followed up with multiple pieces of social media content across the week. We also regularly promote episodes from my back catalogue. This means finding different ways to talk about the same episode (more on that later).
While there is always more you can do (there’s still lots more I could do to promote each episode) a good rule of thumb is this: promote each episode way more than you feel comfortable with and you’ll probably have it about right.
One of the quickest ways to build your own audience is to get in front of other peoples’. This is why inviting guests on your podcast, Facebook Live or Youtube show - or inviting people to guest blog on your website - can be a great way to build your audience. When you do this, they are likely to share that content with their own audience, which means people will want to find out more about you.
It’s often assumed that collaborating with people with bigger audiences than your own is the best strategy. Personally I’ve found that collaborating with people with smaller, engaged audiences can often be more effective than the big names in my industry. This is because people who already have a large audience may not have the time - or inclination - to share your podcast episode/Youtube interview. Whereas someone with a small, but engaged audience will share the heck out of your content - and do it with so much enthusiasm -you may find you get better results.
Creating guest content for other peoples’ platforms - those with similar audiences to yours - is another great way to build an audience for your own content. Here’s how to pitch yourself as a podcast guest (these tips apply to pitching yourself for anything).
Speaking at live events, teaching guest classes and taking part in virtual summits or webinars can be another great way to grow your audience. Although I would not recommend paying to be part of virtual summits - unless there is a very compelling reason to do so (and evidence that you will get a return on investment).
Getting press coverage can be another great way to build your audience - as long as your call-to-action sends people to your blog/vlog or podcast (more on that later).
One of the biggest mistakes I see bloggers, vloggers and podcasters making is what I refer to as ‘post and flee’ i.e. they post a few announcement posts about their blog/vlog or podcast on social media then and do nothing else until the next one comes out.
Recommendations are powerful. Public recommendations are even more powerful. So, if you can generate public conversations about your content, people are much more likely to want to check it out.
So instead of posting announcements about your latest blog, vlog or podcast, ask questions that relate to the topic of your podcast.
For example, if I have a new podcast episode coming out on how to get more engagement on Instagram I will start by asking questions to pre-qualify people who might be interested in listening to that podcast e.g. how would you rate your engagement on Instagram, are you interested in learning strategies on how to increase your Instagram engagement. Then I will share the link with people who have demonstrated an interest in the topic.
While that might seem like more work, it’s more effective because you’re getting that content into the hands of people who actually need it. And those people are far more likely to share.
I might also post some polarising content - for example asking people if they believe the algorithm is to blame for poor engagement on Instagram or poor content.
If you don’t know what the algorithm is, by the way, it’s the complicated - and super top secret - mathematical equation Facebook uses to determine how many people your content is shown to).
Across the course of a week, I will find different ways to talk about that same piece of content - looking at different angles/subtopics in different formats e.g. audiograms, posts, memes, videos.
Tagging people in - for example, people you’ve mentioned in your blog/vlog or podcast - can be another great way to get engagement. When you mention people, they’re often happy to comment, like and share.
Using a social media scheduler is fine, but if you don’t make time to engage with your followers, your audience will not grow.
You might not want to hear this, but the more followers you have on social media, the easier it will be to grow the audience for your blog, vlog or podcast. The more of the right followers that is. Which is why it’s important to focus on growing your following - and your engagement - on at least one social media platform.
You can join my Build Your Online Audience programme here
If you want to grow your audience for a blog/vlog or podcast, another powerful thing you can do is issue a single call-to-action. So every time you write a guest blog, do some guest teaching, are interviewed in a podcast, send people to your blog/vlog or podcast. Add a banner to all your social media channels, put it in the email signature on your emails - in your messenger bot. Everywhere if you can.
[331] What it really takes to build an audience with John Lee Dumas (podcast)
If you’re publishing a regular blog/vlog or podcast - with the aim of promoting your business - you should be creating content that solves your ideal customers’ problems. Which means, if you’ve got your topics right, people will actually be looking for content on the topics you cover.
Which means you need to make it as easy as possible for people to find your content. This means you need to use effective titles that use the words and phrases people are actually searching for, rather than things that sound clever.
A lot of this is down to common sense and simply involves thinking about the kind of things your ideal customer/clients will be searching for online. But using keyword tools can help you refine your terms.
I have a full explanation of how to do keyword research in this post on how to make sales from your business blog (episode 336 of the podcast) but you can start by using Google autocomplete
Type in your topic title and take note of the suggestions that come up under the search box — that’ll give you a great idea of the kinds of things that people are searching for relating to that subject. You can apply the same trick to Youtube and Pinterest too.
The key is to find search terms that are popular, but not so popular it would be impossible for your content to come up first in search. So a term like ‘how to write a press release’ is a popular but broad term, but how to write a press release for your small business is more niche. Which is why my blog post on that topic comes up on the first page of Google.
Other tools I use for keyword research.
There is quite specific keyword research you can do on Youtube and you can optimise your content to make it more easily found.
Three of my most successful blog posts
[333] 39 surprisingly easy ways to build your email list
[334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows
[338] Why you feel afraid of selling
If you would like to see my Top 10. Then head to my Podcast Finder and my messenger bot will take you through
Contrary to popular belief, putting money behind something doesn’t mean it will necessarily perform well. If you don’t know how to create engaging content that would encourage people to take action (even if it wasn’t an ad) you’re generally wasting your time. PLUS most people don’t buy from cold ads - unless you’ve got your targeting really spot on.
[329] What’s working on Facebook right now with Liz Melville (podcast)
janetmurray.co.uk/podcastfinder
janetmurray.co.uk/podcastfinder
Join my Build Your Online Audience Programme
Masterclass - How to plan sell and launch an online Webinar or Masterclass for your business
Masterclass - How to turn your in-person services into online offerings
Masterclass - How to launch a playbook for your business
[080] Three must-do tips for pitching yourself as a podcast guest (podcast)
[190] How to pitch yourself as a podcast guest (and why you must do) (podcast)
[253] How to land guest appearances on podcasts with Nicola Holland (podcast)
[263] Why I changed the name of my podcast (podcast)
[376] Lessons learned from 1 millions downloads of my podcast (podcast)
[383] How to get your podcast live in 60 days (podcast)
[329] What’s working on Facebook right now with Liz Melville (podcast)
[331] What it really takes to build an audience with John Lee Dumas (podcast)
[333] 39 surprisingly easy ways to build your email list (podcast)
[334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows (podcast)
[336] How to make sales from your business blog (podcast)
[338] Why you feel scared about selling (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 episode)
[386] The four types of content to create that will help you make more sales in 2020 (podcast)
[391] How to write better social media captions (podcast)
[398] What sort of content should you create during a global crisis (podcast)
[399] How to build your online audience during a global crisis (podcast)
[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 pitch yourself as a podcast guest (blog)
Seven compelling reasons to start a podcast in 2020 (blog post)
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
Join my Build Your Audience Programme
How to add closed captions to your video using Rev and Kapwing
How to create a high-converting lead magnet course
Buy my book Your press release is breaking my heart
Social Media Video Engagement Playbook
Social Media Engagement Playbook
LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
Are you wondering how you can build your online audience during the Coronavirus crisis? Perhaps your online audience is really small and you'd like to make it bigger? Or maybe you’re thinking what's the point in building an audience during a global pandemic? Especially if you can’t actually sell your product or service at the moment?
In this podcast I explain exactly why there’s never been a better time to build an online audience. And I give you practical tips and examples that you can implement right now to build your online audience.
I explain why your content is at the heart of your audience building and how to lean in and find the angle that you can talk about in relation to your product or service. And why you MUST talk about Coronavirus and not just sweep it under the carpet.
I also share why you can't just rely on using paid ads to sell because your audience needs a genuine connection before they will buy.
I give you examples of businesses that have adapted and are creating great content about their products and services. Plus why you must keep showing up; and how you can connect with your audience by demonstrating your expertise - even if you can’t sell your product or service at the moment. So that as soon as you can start selling your audience knows who you are and can't wait to buy from you.
I’d love to know what you think.
Matt Haig Instagram
Join my Build Your Online Audience Programme
Masterclass - How to plan sell and launch an online Webinar or Masterclass for your business
Masterclass - How to turn your in-person services into online offerings
Masterclass - How to launch a playbook for your business
[343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast)
[377] How to write super engaging copy about your business with Jo Watson (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)
[395] How to create addictive email copy with Rob & Kennedy (podcast)
[398] What sort of content should you create during a global crisis (podcast)
[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
Order your 2020 Media Diary here
Join my Build Your Audience Programme
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
Social Media Video Engagement Playbook
Social Media Engagement Playbook
LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
Struggling to know what sort of content you should be creating during the current global crisis and worried about saying the wrong thing? Wondering how to create content about your business and keep selling during the Coronavirus pandemic?
With things changing on a daily basis - it's hard to know what to say - let alone how to plan your content.
In this podcast I share practical advice and guidance about how to navigate your way through the current global crisis and how to go about thinking about your content during this pandemic.
I explain why you mustn’t be afraid to lean in and talk about the C-Word. Plus why you should definitely switch off the scheduler.
I explain why you mustn’t assume that people aren’t buying and why you must keep selling - and how to do it without appearing insensitive or spammy. Plus how to position yourself so that people understand WHY you are selling to avoid those ‘neggy’ comments.
I also tell you why adapting and selling now will put your business in a much stronger position for when the crisis is over.
I'd love to know what you think.
Matt Haig Instagram
Joe Wicks YouTube
Masterclass - How to plan sell and launch an online Webinar or Masterclass for your business
Masterclass - How to turn your in-person services into online offerings
Masterclass - How to launch a playbook for your business
[343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (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)
[395] How to create addictive email copy with Rob & Kennedy (podcast)
[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
Order your 2020 Media Diary here
Join my Build Your Audience Programme
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
Social Media Video Engagement Playbook
Social Media Engagement Playbook
LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn