Money a taboo topic?
Have you been programmed to have a negative mindset towards money? Maybe you grew up in a home where money was a touchy subject and there never was enough. Maybe you have or still are struggling with money in your own personal life, and these experiences are now reflecting on your business.
Fear grows in the dark - avoiding tough conversations about money (or anything really), escalates fear around the topic and results in more stifled feelings and —you guessed it —even more fear. It becomes a much harder, bigger, more scary conversation when it stays in the dark. Shining light on the topic is THE best way to relieve fear so today, right now, let’s shed some light on the conversation - and gently begin to talk about money.
@@ "Let’s start the conversation on money #womeninbusiness @@
I am here to tell you, it is okay to talk about money. It is okay to focus on your finances and it is okay to want to be financially abundant. Beginning the conversation is the hardest part. By starting, we can re-write the scripts that have been playing in your mind and start to take control of your money situation.
What is money on a spiritual level?
Money is a form of energy. Balancing this energy opens up paths to receive it in return. If you are holding this energy (money) tight from a fear of losing it or not having enough, energy blocks form. These blocks then impede the inflow of money.
@@ Money is a form of energy. Clear the energy to open up paths to receive it in return #womeninbusiness @@
Often, money is associated with success so instead of focusing on the word money, shift your focus to what success actually means for you. Once you define “success” for you ,the positive steps to take bring you there become clear.
Where your focus goes energy flows. So here are a few questions to start focusing on “success” on your own terms (financial or otherwise!) :
What are your financial goals for your business?
What are your service goals for your business?
Do you set weekly / monthly / quarterly “success lists”?
How was your week in business?
Did you have productive / successful week? If so, why was it productive?
Was it internal energy or external energy that impacted on your goals?
Actively participate in this inner conversation. When you focus on ways to define success, and to grow your income from that place, you are on the right path.
You also need to remember that people value money very differently, but that doesn’t mean that one person’s value is better than your value. There is no right or wrong way when it comes to money and your goals.
@@ Where your focus goes, energy flows #womeninbusiness @@
By starting the conversation and supporting your friends, peers and family you are helping to empower them. Focus on lifting each other up, this will help you on your own money path.
Start the conversation now, join us in the Kula.
Feeling Stuck in your business? Rewind to your why!
Are you feeling overwhelmed by all the noise on the internet …
about entrepreneurship, about business, about upleveling, and about marketing to the masses?
It’s difficult to find values-centric business support, especially as you grow into the next phase of your business.
Growing a business takes diligence and focus: there is so much to do and an overwhelming amount of information designed to support you. But sometimes the business of business overwhelms you, then analysis paralysis sets in, then you wonder why you are in business at all!
Breathe with me … inhale deeply….
And exhale.
Let’s get back to the dream you had about starting your own business —- the awareness that you have something wonderful to share with the world and your clients and that it was time to start a business that would allow you to do just that.
Find a tool or a few tools to help you remember why you started doing what you’re doing and create something that will help remind you about this on a daily basis because when things get hard - and they will - you’ll need something in your physical space that will signify the importance of what you’re doing.
Not every tool will work for everybody - some people love writing, listening, talking, moving, journaling, meditating - find the tool that will work for you. Some type of activity that you can do that will help you get back to why you started your business.
Here are a few to try:
1. Vision Boarding
Did you create a vision board when you started? If so, dig that out, does it still resonate with you? If it doesn’t, change it. If it does, take some time to breathe and honor the work that you put in to create that board and get back to those feelings that you felt as you were doing that work - the excitement of dreaming.
If you are creating a new one, hop over to Pinterest and pin to your heart’s conecnt. Or, go old school and cut out images from your favorite magazines. Need another suggestion? Try this online tool like fotor where you can drag and drop on to a board to create your collage.
It’s important to take action after creating the vision board - the action of placing it in an area that you’ll see every single day. Your office wall, your refrigerator, your screen saver, your phone background.
2. Mantras
Using a daily mantra helps to program your brain on a subconscious level to bring abundance into your life and bring you closer to your why. Saying mantras out loud allows the universe to hear and feel your energy vibrations and start working in magical ways to bring you abundance. Remember everything that you say after “I am …” is true. Coming from a heart full of gratitude will allow you to receive abundance easily. Create your own matras or repeat the below mantras on a daily basis:
My purpose is clear, I am on the correct path.
I am open to receive abundance.
@@My purpose is clear, I am on the correct path. #womeninbusiness @@
3. Gratitude Journaling
Think about your favorite client or that activity in your business that feels like you’re in the zone. You know that activity where it seems that time stands still, your face gets a little flushed, you can feel that you are making a difference in the universe. That space … that feeling … write about that.
This is forcing your mind to focus on the positive things and brings about positive energy. Too often when we are feeling stuck and resistance we gravitate towards a negative mindset and by focusing on things that are working or going right in our lives and business (even small things) really helps move you into a positive and pro-active mindset. Changing our mindset which is what we are doing is going to help bring about more positivity and clarity into our lives.
4. Reminisce with a friend
If processing things out loud with someone helps, have tea with a friend and ask if you could talk about why you started your business. Having those words come out of your mouth about your why can help you get back to that feeling you had as you were starting out. When reminiscing about this with a friend, staying in that space - give no energy or attention to all of the outside noises and all of your to do’s. Just talk about why you’re doing what you’re doing. It may help to record this, listen to it later and pick out a few key words or phrases that you say and put use them as your screensaver, or create a picture with the words - put it someplace visible to have instant, visible reminders about your Why!
These are just a few tools to help you rewind to your why.
What is your favorite way to get unstuck? Share some – others may need some help to get unstuck – your experience could help someone else!
Join the Kula —a Free Coaching Community on Facebook where I share tools and min-classes each week. Connect with us here.
7 Reasons Women Under Earn in Business (+ Tips to Earn More)
The world sees women as world-class multi-taskers; We’re often expected to juggle family, career, health, self-care, and hobbies without ever letting one of those precious balls drop from our hands. Filling many roles can make our lives richer but attempting to be everything to everyone just puts us at risk of being mediocre across the board.
The world sees women as world-class multi-taskers; We’re often expected to juggle family, career, health, self-care, and hobbies without ever letting one of those precious balls drop from our hands. This is not breaking news, of course. Like me, I’m sure you’ve read at least a few of the “Can Women Have It All?” articles that magazines and websites continue to crank out on a near-daily basis.
And—as some of the more helpful articles point out—there are definite advantages to mastering multi-tasking. Filling many roles can make our lives richer, and understanding life balance makes us more agile at work and at home. But some of us aren’t meant to be Jills of All Trades, and attempting to be everything to everyone just puts us at risk of being mediocre across the board.
It also makes us far more likely to fall into the gender wage gap.
Most people are aware that women earn about $0.79 for every $1 paid to men. But these statistics are based largely on corporations, non-profits, universities, and other large-scale businesses. Those of us who have struck out as entrepreneurs or are running small, lean companies aren’t generally included. And my guess is that the gap would widen considerably if we were.
Because when you combine the expectations that society thrusts at us with the expectations we pile onto ourselves, many women business owners become utterly overwhelmed. Which translates into struggling to charge what we’re worth and earn what we deserve.
How do I know? Because I did it myself. For years!
Here’s why, what I did to change those self-defeating habits, and what YOU can do if you’re facing similar challenges:
1 // I Didn't Know How to Earn More
For far too long, I focused on the learning instead of the doing.. I knew there were some steps I could take that could help my business bring in more income (teacher training, coaching) but that’s where my knowledge ended. The actionable steps of building a multi-six figure or million-dollar business were way outside of my knowledge base—and well outside my comfort zone. I knew I could do it, I just didn’t know how to to do it.
WHAT I CHANGED: In my case, I needed a push from an outside source, so I hired mentors and coaches who had built businesses similar to the one I wanted for myself. Every time I got stuck on the “how to” of taking my business to the next level, I invested in targeted support to keep pushing me in the right direction. Each successive mentor highlighted the steps I could take to increase my income, and gave me the confidence to take action.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: I know it’s a major cliche, but keep it as simple as possible to take action. Having a five-year plan is fantastic, but if you don’t even have a five-week plan, start there. If, like me, you know that targeted support would boost your income, start here.
[Click to Tweet ] Women: want to earn more in biz? Pick a single action and dive in
2 // I Believed Helpers Deserved Less
Because I’m a people helper by nature and by trade, I thought I didn’t deserve to command a higher income for my work. I was convinced that what I was doing was a calling, and that the meaning trumped the money. The problem with that? My innate and duty-driven urge to help others often came at the expense of my own health and happiness. To the extent that I couldn’t afford health insurance (so bye-bye regular checkups and health screenings) for my first 6 years in business.
WHAT I CHANGED: For me, this was a simple shift in mindset. It took a long time, but I finally accepted that all hard work deserves compensation, including mine. Helping people—whether it’s your calling or just your job—is incredibly important but you will be unable to do your job well if you are in a state of continuous financial strain.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: Remember that altruistic and creative occupations are equally as valuable as their bottom line-focused counterparts. And remember to take care of YOU first. Or you won’t be in business for long (...and who can you help then?).
[Click to Tweet ] Remember to take care of YOU first -or you won’t be in business for long
3 // I Didn't Want to Be Perceived as Greedy
As a former Southern Baptist, I learned early on that the love of money was the root of all evil (Timothy 6:10). In my child mind I extrapolated that to “money is the root of all evil.” It’s a common mistake and I’m not the first recovering Christian to conflate the meaning of that missive.
WHAT I CHANGED: Honestly? I got bone-tired of struggling to make ends meet month after month, and forced myself to accept that money was an essential part of business. In fact, it’s the essential energy of business, the energy that fuels your actions to attain your desired lifestyle. Money is also the ticket to choice and success, however you might define success for yourself. Yes, greed can get you into trouble, but the desire to earn a comfortable living is neither unreasonable nor perilous.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: When you feel money-guilt rising up, try this mantra: “Money is energy and an indication that I am serving the right people in my business. I deserve prosperity for my hard work.”
[Click to Tweet ] Money is energy and you deserve fair compensation for your valuable work
4 // I Didn't Want to Charge More Than My Peers
When I began practicing health coaching and yoga therapy, I did what many other service providers do: I compared my fees to those of similar services and charged the same (or less). I figured, “Well, that’s what so-and-so is charging so it must be fair.”
Wrong. Pricing isn’t arbitrary—it’s a strategy. And every person or business offering a particular service may not be offering the same level of service. Most of my “colleagues” weren’t graduate-trained behavioral change coaches with more than 600 hours of dedicated training in person-centered therapeutic yoga and a research background in functional foods and science-based nutrition. They were passionate yoga teachers with considerably less training and far fewer credentials. My professional pathway was a tad more rigorous, so the comparison trap didn’t do my bank account any favors.
WHAT I CHANGED: I did more research on coaches with training commensurate to my own and I found my own financial ease amount—then reverse-engineered my pricing from my service and income goals. I determined who I truly wanted to serve and reminded myself that being exceedingly generous is part of how I want to show up in the world—so charging more for my services aligned with how I wanted to serve! Remember: a higher price point for your offers shows potential customers that you value your own expertise and services. (And, yes, I might’ve held my breath and crossed my fingers on occasion, too! Charging more can feel like a leap of faith even when it’s a conscious choice.)
WHAT YOU CAN DO: Don’t just poke around, do real research. Find colleagues or companies with your level of training, experience, or skill and investigate their price structures. Then charge 15% more because nearly every small business undercharges.
[Click to Tweet ] Pricing is strategic: don’t just poke around, do real research
5 // I Didn't Know What to Do With More Money
I’ll be honest: for much of my life I ran from the responsibility associated with wealth. I was so triggered by my own income status that basic financial wellness sent me into mild panic attacks. Yes, I read blogs about personal finance and yes, my daddy taught me early on that I needed to have an emergency fund. And personal savings. And that credit cards were a slippery slope. (True story: I got my first credit card at age 33 when I realized that they could also be handy safety nets.) Short of that, my financial planning strategy was summarized in five words: spend less and save more.
WHAT I CHANGED: I met with a financial planner who told me how to use my profits to my best advantage. Then I actually did what she told me to do. Since her advice was specific to my income, needs, and goals, it was far easier to digest and implement than any book or blog post.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: While this is not financial or legal advice, consider meeting with a financial planner yourself, if you can. Usually, the initial consult is free and if you like a planner’s style and want to continue the relationship, she/he won’t generally charge you direct fees, but will instead take a small percentage from your investment earnings. Financial planners can also help with budgeting, retirement planning, and wills - all deeply boring but incredibly important things.
6 // I Didn't Want to Alienate Anyone
I don’t come from a wealthy family and most of my closest friends are in the blue-collar- to-mostly-comfortable income bracket. Earning more than friends or family felt like a betrayal of basic human connection and a disservice to my community. I didn't want to make anyone I cared about feel "less than," so I didn’t challenge or address my own under-earning habits.
WHAT I CHANGED: I reminded myself that personal wealth and conspicuous consumerism don’t always go hand-in-hand. I could earn more and be wealthier without parading that fact around town and making my loved-ones uneasy, jealous, or aggravated. And, through some delicate but essential conversations, was reminded that the people who love me genuinely want me to succeed. And that includes increasing my earnings —because, really? My ultimate dream is to be a philanthropist and invest in businesses that solve some of the world’s biggest problems...and money is a big part of making that dream a reality.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: Remember that how much you make doesn’t (or shouldn’t) change your fundamental values. Whether you’re making $30,000 or $300,000 each year, you’re still you.
7 // I Didn't Ask for More
I’ll be the first to admit that I learned some hard life lessons, well, the hard way. Including, “You don’t get what you deserve—you get what you ask for.” Since I shied away from asking for higher fees or better pay structures, I walked away with less money and had no one to blame but myself.
WHAT I CHANGED: I read “Lean In.” The book certainly isn’t perfect, but dang, it’s a great reminder that women are paid less simply because we don’t ask for more. I also began preparing myself mentally before every payment negotiation. Walking in knowing that I might be making some uncomfortable demands made it easier to tackle those tough topics when they arose.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: Acknowledge that “If you don’t ask, the answer is always, ‘no.’” And then force yourself to ask. Role play before negotiating, and arrive prepared to be bold. Remember that, as an entrepreneur, you are the only person who determines how much money you deserve for your work.
Does all this mean that I’m earning the absolute maximum I possibly could and constantly negotiating for more? Heck no. I still chicken out or make a bad call once in awhile, and I am totally fine with that. Running a business isn’t about perfection, it’s about progress. I’m smarter, savvier, and braver in my money-related decision-making now, and that’s an accomplishment in and of itself.
I hope that hearing my story has reminded you that everyone struggles, and that small changes can make a huge difference. If you can tweak even one action or habit to increase your earning potential, you are making important, measureable, brag-worthy progress.
Progress that can keep you from falling into that pesky wage gap.
Do you have another to reason (or tip) to share? Head over to the Kula and tell us all about it!
Use Self Care to Grow Your Business + Prevent Burnout as a Woman Entrepreneur
Self Care Essentials for Healers, Helpers, Coaches, and Yoga Therapists
If you're in the healing, helping and wellness fields, chances are you have a deep desire to facilitate change and encourage others in their healing journey. You may have come to your career in yoga, massage, meditation, acupuncture, therapy, coaching, mental health, or integrative medicine because of personal crises. Your passion and enthusiasm for healing may have even eclipsed your own personal needs at times. Maybe your own self-care has slipped to the extent that burnout is a common occurrence (or at least a recent memory).
My own healing journey began at age 17 with meditation, Ayurveda, healing essential oils and Buddhist studies. Over the next several years, I added yoga, pranayama and Western nutrition to the mix of self-care supports to maintain a mindful lifestyle.
Self-care is essential for avoiding burnout and overwhelm and for maintaining healthy work-life flow. In my work with women healers and helpers, I support the discovery process for finding one's optimum self-care supports for overall balance and ease —in life and business.
Over the years —and through much trial and error —I've developed a set of essential self-care tips for female entrepreneurs in the healing and helping fields who are often wearing many other hats: mother, caretaker, volunteer, social activist, artist-by-night.
Now, I support other women healers and helpers to embark on healing journeys themselves. If you are a healer, helper, or transformational service provider whose work centers on supporting clients in their own journey of transformation, then self-care is a powerful strategy for long-term business success.
1 // Take care of you first
Pretend I'm wearing my best flight attendant uniform right now and reminding you to put your own oxygen mask on before helping others in crisis—bring that into your business as well. YOU are the heart of your business. Take time for precious self-care, commit to your practices, and emphasize appropriate nourishment and sacred rejuvenation. In the Buddhist wisdom traditions, the Oxygen Mask Law is summarized in the teaching of bodhicitta: the wish to be free of suffering so that you may support others in freeing their own bonds as well. As a healer, helper, or spiritual entrepreneur, your business exists because of your deep wish to support others, to empower others, to help others awaken. Give that gift to yourself first.
You are the heart of your business.
In practice:
// Eat something nourishing
// Snuggle up with a good book
// Experience the wonder of nature
// Practice a strengths-based ritual for well-being and flow
// Lie on the floor and breathe deeply
// Recite mantra, affirmations, poetry or calming prayers
// Take a day off (if you are able to do so)
Mantra: "My business thrives when I nourish myself and tend to my own self-care needs."
2 // Treat money as energy
Money is energy: and as an entrepreneur, or service provider, you’re turning your energy, skills and experiences into money. It becomes easier to manage money when you reconceive money as the manifestation of your vital energy in the financial world.
When you accept that the act of attending to your money-energy is itself an act of self-care, it is much easier to make friends with your finances.
Just as you might direct the energy of the breath into tight areas of your body in a yoga posture, or channel your strength for the last miles of the marathon, you can learn to direct the money-energy of your business. The best part is that you are able to make this shift without the associated drama and trauma of well-worn habits and outdated relationships to money.
In practice:
// Make friends with your finances by designating a “money date” in your calendar for bookkeeping, bank account balancing, and accounting tasks. Each week or each month, as it suits your needs.
// Make it NEW, FUN, AND EXCITING. When you get your emotions on board, you’re more likely to follow through with small changes (and challenges). Have your Money Date at an adorable cafe, or a gorgeous park, or the botanical gardens, or your favorite tea house. Rent a swanky hotel room for the day and fit in a spa morning the following day —or put on your favorite P.J.s and binge watch The Peripheral at the end of the night. It’s your date! Make it new, fun, and exciting.
// Take a look around at the places money energy is “leaking out” —in business and in life —and stop the leaks! There are many ways to honor your current financial reality without depriving yourself —and shifting the money story from one of lack to one of abundance is a supreme act of self-care.
Mantra: "Abundance expands when I direct the (money)energy in my business appropriately."
3 // Treat time as a resource
Your time is sacred, precious and finite so use it effectively by staying focused on the services, offerings, tasks, hobbies, and causes that reflect your values.
Treating time as a resource also means prioritizing your actual hourly rate in your business—and acknowledging when it makes sense to delegate or hire out certain tasks.
In practice:
// Strong boundaries strengthen focus. When you determine your time and money boundaries, you are clear on the tasks that aligns with your business objectives
// Prioritize tasks that grow your business —these are the tasks that pave the way for business growth such as services, sales, marketing, or program / product development.
// Take 10 Rule: Shortcircuit overwhelm, procrastination, indecision, and/or burnout with the Take 10 Rule:
Visualize the best outcome in 10 minutes / 10 hours / 10 days / 10 months:
Then ask: What one action can I take right now?
Mantra:
"I respect myself enough to treat my time as a valuable resource."
4 // Build the right business for YOU
Building the right business for you begins by looking at your strengths, passions, and skills. If you love to learn, study and teach, then you'll be happier in a model that allows you to share your intellectual endeavors in that arena. If you ache to connect people in larger, group experiences, a business model where you plan or attend conferences, launch your speaking career, or lead retreats will ultimately provide you more satisfaction. If you are passionate about your hometown community, a strong local presence (opening a yoga studio, wellness center, or building a local private client base) may be a good fit.
In practice:
// Identify your talents, passions, skills and strengths and commit to bringing them fully into your business.
//
Mantra: "By aligning who I am with what I do, my business becomes an act of sacred self-realization."
5 // Create Daily Rituals that Support Long-Term Success
Our daily habits matter because every day counts in business. What you do with your most productive hours within the day may make the difference between building a profitable business or burning out. And what you do (or do not do) today may affect whether your business has working capital in six months —or whether you are closing the doors.
Internalize this truth: what you do this year will affect where your business will be in 3 years.
But which actions DO we take? What exactly IS the next best step? When is enough, enough? Most importantly, how do you keep taking baby steps forward on a Big Vision plan when our motivation flags? Or when life gets crazy? Or when the little one comes down with a fever? How do you keep going when you have just endured a life-shifting revelation?
Here’s my solution:
Focused, aligned action yields business growth
I call this a business dinacharya. Dinacharya is the Sanskrit term for a series of small daily practices that allow for greater ease in body, mind. Drawn from Ayurveda, dinacharya is a method of framing your time in the space of a day to align individual and universal energies.
The principle of dinacharya is that small actions, taken daily, have a cumulative and exponential effect.
From a highly pragmatic view, dinacharya is the foundation of your health—and, in my view, the health of your business. Healthy daily habits invite harmony, wellbeing, and longevity —in business and in life. While dinacharya for our physical health includes practices like movement, mindset, connection, spiritual practices and communication, a business dinacharya includes customer service, client work, group classes, checking email, social media, and financial elements. Your business dinacharya also needs to include preventive, supportive and goal-directed measures to ensure you are staying on course with your business vision. (You DO have a business vision, right?)
As a conscious entrepreneur, you crave a certain lifestyle —and you want to build a business that supports that lifestyle. You want meaningful work, creative rest, time for your practices, and sacred space for the values you treasure. There's only one way to make this happen —you have to build a business that reflects your values at all levels.
In practice: Have a clear picture of what actions are necessary to move your business forward and what actions are necessary for keeping the proverbial doors open. Usually those are two different categories.
Mantra: "Focus is practical magic —and my small focused actions have a cumulative and exponential effect"
Ok, now tell me: what did I forget? Do you have self-care or focus to share?
Let us know in the comments below —or head over to the Kula and share there!
5 Tips to Improve Your Content Marketing
Do you want to become a leader in your industry?
Are you ready for a steady stream of perfect-fit clients to knock down your (proverbial) door?
Awesome! You are in the right place.
Becoming a known expert is easier than ever with the power of information —and you have valuable wisdom and insight to share!
The key to content marketing success is creating interesting content that your audience is going to find valuable, useful and shareable!
In our last post on the subject of content marketing, How to Create Engaging Content that Attracts Your Dream Clients, I talked to you briefly about something called VIRAS. VIRAS is an acronym that, when followed throughout the content creation process, improves our content and attracts more of the best-fit clients.
VIRAS stands for = valuable, inspiring, relevant, actionable and specific.
Let’s take a look at each of the five pieces of VIRAS —together they form a five-step process you can apply to improve your own content marketing.
1 // V is for Valuable
When considering content to share, ask yourself — will my potential client receive value from this information? Even better: will my perfect-fit client? If the answer is no, then skip it and focus on what WILL deliver value to a potential or existing client.
For example, is it important for you to know that I cleaned houses for 5 years during high school and college? Only if I can connect it to a specific lessons learned to deliver a valuable insight: such as, doing whatever it takes to reach your goals, time management, early entrepreneurial skills and developing boutique services that advance your income and opportunities.
2 // I is for Inspiring
Keep your content inspiring and positive. Although you definitely want to employ effective psychological triggers (like loss-gain, opportunity cost, and urgency), remain as positive as possible in your messaging. Walking the line between motivating and empowering is a skill in sharing content that your perfect-fit clients and customers will adore. Remain as positive in your language as possible —including reframing negative calls to action in positive terms.
For example: Although I could have written the first sentence of above paragraph as follows: "Don't use a negative tone in your content." Do you notice how that sentence elicits a different feeling? A simple reframe using positive language has a lighter tone and an empowering after-effect.
[Tweet "People won't always remember what you say, but they'll remember how you made them feel"]
3 // R is for Relevant
Is the content you are sharing relevant to your perfect-fit client? Only share content that is of direct relevance to your potential client or customer. If you can connect an experience, story, or insight to a current lesson that interests your Dream Client, then by all means, go ahead.
Here’s a quick example: Although I’m a certified yoga therapist and have a yoga teacher training school, I don’t share content related to yoga anatomy, therapeutic yoga or the Wisdom Method on this blog. Why? Because it’s not relevant to my perfect-fit client — unless I’m sharing exact strategies I used to grow my business.
[Tweet "Your business isn't about you: it's about the problems you solve for your clients. @thekellieadkins"]
4 // A is for Actionable
Your content needs to have a point. Asking yourself a simple question — “What’s the point?” — is a great place to begin to ensure your content is actionable to your client. There needs to be a clear action for the reader / viewer to take after consuming your content.
What do you want to the reader / viewer / listener to do after they read / watch / listen? What action-oriented tips will you leave them with? Is there a next step —either in another piece of Free content (perhaps behind an opt-in gate or application) or in a paid product or service?
5 // S is for Specific
Last but not least, ensure the content you are sharing is specific to a particular person, client or customer. Your mom may read your blog, but chances are you are not trying to attract your mom into your business.
Consider what the client needs that you, or your amazing offers, can provide. In fact, be sure that each piece of content you share has a specific gain for your client. Better still, noodle over the top 5 problems you solve for your Dream Client and create content that provides those solutions!
It helps to envision your specific Dream Client when creating content. Imagine them receiving the content in great detail: how will they feel before reading / watching / listening? How will they feel after? Who will they share it with? The more specific you become with your content, the more it will resonate with your Dream Clients.
[Tweet "Envision a specific Client to create content that converts "]
Pass each of the content pieces you create through this VIRAS litmus test and you’ll see more engagement and interaction on the content you create. This interaction will lead to you gaining more followers / fans who will want even more of what it is you are sharing. Keeping people waiting on the edge of their seat for the next thing you create is a total business sweet spot.
I’d Love to Hear from You
What were your biggest takeaways from today’s article? How will this help you move your business forward and attract more clients? Leave your insights in the comments below!
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I'm loving these content marketing tips from @thekellieadkins
How to Create Engaging Content that Attracts Your Dream Clients
Knowing how, and where, to attract your dream clients can feel elusive to most entrepreneurs. The “if you build it, they will come” philosophy doesn’t always hold up and, unfortunately, most entrepreneurs learn this the hard way! However, there is one strategy that does work when applied correctly and that strategy is: content.
Crafting the right content for your audience is critical to your overall success.
Engaging blog posts, videos, live streams and downloads can draw your potential clients in and help them feel as though they are in the right place. Aligned content can provide them with the “taste test” they need to move from prospect to customer confidently.
Let’s take a look at the steps required to take your content from boring to soaring.
Step #1 - Cozy Up to Your Customers
The first thing you need to do is understand who your prospects are and what they want. Not all people are created equal so what works in your business may not work in mine and vice versa.
The best way to figure out what people want, content-wise, is to look at your audience and do some research to figure out where they are. If you already have a content strategy, use data from your current content systems to determine which is performing the best. For some, that may be your blog or newsletter, for others, it’s social media.
Jot the following platforms down on a sheet of paper and rank them in order of most engaged to least engaged:
Blog
Newsletters / Monthly Content or Broadcasts
Videos
Podcasts
Audiobooks
Social Media platforms
The second best way to figure out what works is to survey your audience. You can use a survey tool to send a questionnaire to your list and your social media networks. Keep the survey short and sweet and ask questions like, “Where do you do most of your online content consumption?” or “Where do you spend most of your time online?”
Understanding your prospect’s behaviors, and their preferred consumption style, will help you to narrow your efforts in on what works.
Step #2 - Determine Your Own Level of Commitment
Creating content is hard work and is incredibly time consuming. Since we can’t create content for every platform, every day and maintain a high degree of quality, we need to be much more selective about where we spend our time.
Ask yourself the following questions:
How many hours can I, realistically speaking, put into content creation?
Which mediums are the easiest for me to create content for?
What am I willing, and able, to create on a regular schedule?
Because consistency is key in content marketing, the most effective content to share is the one that you will consistently create. Consistency is how you build trust with your potential clients and generate the connections necessary for business.
Step #3 - Figure Out Your Posting Schedule
Once you know the platform you’re going to create for, based on your prospect’s preferences, and you’ve created a schedule that you can easily commit to, the next step is to jot down a posting schedule so that you can stick to it.
In most cases, a weekly schedule works best for most people (i.e.: 1 blog post per week, 1 newsletter per week, 5 social media updates per week, etc.) but you need to find the balance that works for you.
Also remember that different platforms have a shorter shelf-life for content. Choose the platforms where you are able to remain consistent in order to gain traction.
Prioritize your content schedule so your potential clients get in the habit of hearing from you — and get excited about what you are sharing!
One of the ways to get them excited is to ensure that your content is valuable, inspiring, relevant, actionable and specific (VIRAS). Read more about the VIRAS approach to content marketing here.
Step #4 - Determine Your Content Focus
What are the top struggles your perfect-fit clients have right now? Those solutions are a great place to start with content creation.
What are the problems people are coming into your practice with —and how do they feel after they’re resolved? That’s a great way to feature the transformation your services provide.
What are the results that your clients and customers have received from your signature offers? Divide those results into how-to articles and create content that walks them through the process of getting those results.
If you are just beginning to create a content strategy, you may need to get a high level overview of your existing content. Run everything through the VIRAS test and eliminate anything that is off-brand or irrelevant to your current work.
Questions + Taking It Further
If you have any questions about the first four steps, please leave them as a comment below or pop on over to join the discussion in the Kula, an incredible group of Conscious Female Entrepreneurs.