There’s a difference between touching on a pain point and being an asshole. If you genuinely feel you need to insult people to get them to buy your product then I think you need to sit down and rethink your value proposition or your product.
Your clients are being bombarded with negativity from all sides. They are getting it from the little voice inside, the world around them, possibly their family and friends. If they are a mom I can tell you right now there is mom guilt in play and the force is strong with that one. The last place they need and want it from is the person who’s claiming that they can help. You attract so many more flies with honey than with vinegar. In a sea of darkness be a shining ray of hope. The light that tells them it doesnt HAVE to continue. Help them to know that there is a better way without putting them down.
I’m not saying there isn’t a time and place to be brash because there really, really is, but it isn’t in your email headline or in your sales copy. Let me give you two examples:
What you’re doing wrong with your newsletter
OR
3 Amazing tips to pump out a kickass newsletter
The first one screams, man I’m fucking something else up….why can’t I do anything right!?! The second makes me instantly want to know more and it gets me fired up and excited about a positive change I can make in my business! Am I right?
Within the email I’m going to give detailed examples with pain points to boot but the difference is I made my reader feel like there is hope rather than making them feel like a fuck up.
Starting a business is hard and requires a ton of courage! And that first bit is super rough as you battle doubt, anxiety, trying to stay afloat financially, and have a life at the same time. Show them love and kindness and truly teach them how to succeed. That is how you make your mark in this world and create a positive impact for the world as a whole. That’s also how you attract more clients who want and need what you can give them! By staying positive and giving them your best you create a loving and trusting relationship which means more sales and we all know what that means, cha-ching! Now go make that money, honey!
I’ve always followed the concept of lead with revenue. And it really is important to know your limits financially, set boundaries, and follow them as closely as you can! With that being said there are some things that I genuinely believe are worth the investment regardless of whether or not you have income coming in because it allows you to put yourself out there in a meaningful way and get yourself known. If done genuinely and from a heart centered approach it will ultimately bring in your clients and get your foot in the door. Without further ado here are my top five things you cannot live without when starting a blog or creative business and their approximate cost.
- Domain Name – You absolutely want to buy your own domain. It’s your calling card. Its the thing you will post everywhere and it makes you look professional and serious about blogging or your business. Domains can range in price from 2.99-20.00 for the year. Most places that offer web hosting (see the next one) also offer domain registration. One in particular, Blue Host, will give you a domain name free (for the first year) for signing up. Definitely something to keep in mind.
- Website Hosting – This is where your domain name will live. It’s your websites home in the vast expanses of cyberspace. Prices can range anywhere from 5.99 to well over 100.00 a month. Just starting out you can find some pretty good deals and the 5.99 plan is more than enough. Most companies will give you a discount on your first year. A few really good companies to work with are GoDaddy, A Small Orange, Bluehost, and Host Gator. I will be doing a more extensive post on this later with charts and all that good stuff.
- The most fabulous part about most of these companies is that they also allow for an affiliate program (of which I am not currently a part of) which means that IF you are an affiliate for the company that you choose to host with you can potentially get your hosting for free AND maybe make a little extra. Can I get an OPA (in your finest greek accent) for passive income!
- Canva – Canva has been a saving grace for me. In today’s world you need excellent images to go along with your posts. Pro-tip – create a specific look for all of your posts so that when you post things to pinterest people know who you are just by the look! Canva has a subscription based option for business’ however there is a completely free option as well that will suffice while you get yourself going!
- Facebook – A business page and subscribing to groups is a wonderful way to spread the word about what you are doing and how to reach you. It’s a way to get in contact with your ideal clients and show your unique talents and skills.
- Dropbox or a good external hard drive – I am currently sitting here writing this post in Pages. I personally prefer to write and edit (round one at least) in a word processing app and then move them over into my wordpress account after. I highly recommend you back everything up MULTIPLE times and MULTIPLE PLACES. Things happen and sometimes everything is lost. If you have to at some point go back and rebuild your whole site wouldn’t you love to have all of those posts backed up somewhere to be able to repost them? Same thing for your images. It will also make life easier when you go to upgrade your computer and TRUST me you will NEED to do that at some point!
Would you like a free checklist to help you get started and help keep you on track? Leave me a comment and I will pull that together and post it in a new post!
Are you interested in starting a business and just not sure where to start? This is my niche! I love helping creative women just like yourself get out of their heads and into their hearts to find their passion again and create a worthwhile and meaningful action plan to get back on track and move in the direction of their dreams. Contact me here to get started!
