Do you have 2019 business goals? If not, now’s the time to sit down and think about setting some!
To help you get started, here are some questions I’d recommend asking yourself (and I went ahead and answered them for myself, just to give you an example of how this helps me!)…
I recently received a question asking, “Is it still worth it to have a Facebook account for your business?”
My answer? Maybe, maybe not. I really depends on your audience, where they’re hanging out, and what kind of content you’re producing.
Unfortunately, we’ve really seen the power of Facebook decline over the past few years and I no longer see it as important as it used to be.
Once upon a time, Facebook was the driving force behind MoneySavingMom.com. But our Facebook numbers have continued to plummet with each passing year.
That being said, there are still some really great reasons to have a Facebook account for your business. Here are the top three:
Guest post by Micah Klug from HomeFaithFamily.com
When was the last time you used your phone for directions? If you’re anything like me, I’m guessing it was pretty recently!
Let’s say you pulled up directions to your local grocery story. Did you do a search for the exact address or for the store’s name?
Most likely, you searched for the store’s name. Why? Because even though you don’t know the exact address, you know where you want to go!
The organic traffic to your blog — also known as search traffic — works very similarly to this.
When people go to Google to search for an answer to their question, they might not input your exact blogging URL, but they will search for specific keywords that end up sending them to your blog! That’s because people are searching for answers to their questions using specific keywords.
Continue ReadingThis post contains affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.
Did you know that blogging and social media can be one of the best ways to market a direct sales business? In this post, I’m going to give you five strategies to grow your direct sales business through blogging and social media.
{Note: Please make sure you are allowed to have a blog and use social media with your direct sales business. Many businesses have very, very specific rules on what you can and can’t say and do online. If you know for sure blogging and social media is allowed, then continue reading! If not, please do your own research to make sure it is allowed.}
Beth recently wrote in with this great question:
“Hi Crystal. I would like to get out of debt so that we can better save and maybe travel. My problem is that I’m stuck on what to write. I sit down and nothing comes to mind. How do I find what to write about? Thanks for challenging me to put this in writing. -Beth”
Beth: I want you to know that you’re not alone! I think everyone has times when they struggle with knowing what they should blog about — whether that’s just on a particular day, during a certain season, or as they start the process of setting up their blog and begin to think of planning posts to write.
Maybe you are starting a blog but you’re not sure what the topic should be, or you have your blog set up but you can’t figure out what to write about, or you’ve been blogging for a long time and you don’t love what you’re currently blogging about. Please know this: all writers have times when they struggle to figure out what to write about.
When you’re not sure what to write about, here are 10 questions to ask yourself:
Black Friday is in two days and this is an amazing time of year to promote some of your favorite deals and sales. It’s one of our biggest earning times of the year and I can’t stress enough how fantastic a time of year this is to share deals with your blog readers using referral or affiliate links — especially if they are deals on great Christmas gift ideas!
I’ve got 4 proven tips to help you make more money as a blogger during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend, but before I share those, I wanted to let you know that our HUGE Black Friday sale is LIVE!
Psst! If you’re not signed up for our affiliate program, you can sign up here and share your affiliate links with your followers (using some of the tips I share below in this post) and make 50% commissions on any sale generated through your link!
Here are all of the courses included in the Black Friday sale + the price you’ll get with the coupon code:
Want to purchase more than one course? Go to this page and you can add multiple courses to your cart at one time.
Don’t forget, use coupon code BF2018 to get the 50% off pricing. This coupon code is valid through Monday, November 26, 2018.
And now for my best tips on how to make more money this weekend…
Talk about how it has impacted you and why you think others should buy it. Don’t just say: Here’s a sale you should check out.
Nope, tell people exactly how this product is going to make a significant difference in their life. Don’t tell them that they should buy; convince them as to why they should buy it.
Some questions to ask yourself as you write posts/do Facebook Lives & IG stories/put together email newsletters about products:
Blog posts and social media posts can be effective, but they will never hold a candle to how an email in someone’s inbox will convert. Don’t be shy; write and send out emails to your email list. (Be sure to keep this in mind when you write your email newsletters.)
Pay special attention to your subject line — that’s what’s going to convince someone to actually open your email. And then make sure that you write an email newsletter that is both interesting but also compelling.
Maybe start by sharing a story of something personal and then tie in the product to that story. Finally, close with
telling people how the product will impact their life (bullet points can work great for this!) and why they should buy this weekend because of great sale.
Be sure to include a clear Buy Now button or Click Here to Buy Now type of live link at the bottom. Make it incredibly easy for people to take advantage of the sale!
You guys, I know that I sound like a broken record, but live video is where it is at. It’s one of the most effective ways to convert sales — in an incredibly organic and engaging way.
Seriously, you gotta try FB Live and IG stories. I know it’s scary. I know it’s outside your comfort zone. I know that it takes practice. But it really, really works. In fact, oftentimes, live video will beat out or match the conversions we see when we send out email newsletters.
Plus, the more you do it, the easier it gets. For real. (I never, ever thought I’d fall in love with live video. But I have!)
As always, the more you can point people to your own personal experience with a product, the more you can promote the specific benefits of a product, and the more you bring your own unique voice, the more effective your promotion will be.
A few tips for live video: make sure that you are personable (use people’s names if they are leaving comments), have a simple outline, be interesting and overly enthusiastic (it translates to energy on the camera), make your call to action very clear, repeat it multiple times, and use your affiliate link in your teaser text on FB Live and in your bio on Instagram (if you don’t yet have the swipe up feature).
For instance, when I promote our Black Friday sale and Cyber Monday sale on my products to my audience, I will do multiple blog posts, multiple Facebook Lives, multiple Instagram stories, plus I’ll send out multiple email newsletters and post on Facebook.
I know that might seem like overkill, but remember that not everyone follows you on every platform, not everyone logs into every platform every day, and all platforms now have algorithms in place so not everyone who follows you on them sees all of your posts.
But more than that, what I’ve seen to be so true is that people need to hear about something multiple times before they will decide to actually get up and take action! 
What I Am NOT Saying To Do
Now, I’m not saying that you should post the same photo five times on Facebook. That would be boring and would frustrate people.
What I AM saying is to get creative and come up with multiple ways you can promote the sale — focusing on different aspects of the product, sharing it from different angles, sharing a quote photo that you can weave in a message about the product, sharing a picture you took of the product, sharing a video where you talk about how the product has impacted you, and maybe sharing a post specifically about the sale (this is usually most effective during the last few hours of the sale).
Any time I’m planning to promote a product in earnest on my site/social media, I will sit down and brainstorm ideas for different ways I can promote it, different pictures I can use, different angles I can approach it from, different features I can focus on.
Then, I think about which platform is best for which type of promotion and then I map out a plan for promotion where I write down each idea and what day and what platform I’ll use.
This really helps me so that I’m able to promote the same sale over and over again without frustrating or boring people — and it also helps me to not fall into a creative rut.
Now it’s your turn to get out there and make some great commissions! I’m cheering for you and your success as an affiliate this weekend.
And don’t forget to go use coupon code BF2018 to get 50% off all of our courses!
P.S. Our Black Friday Sale is our best pricing of the entire year! I don’t want you to miss this opportunity to grab some great deals on blogging courses and other courses to help you be more organized, calm, and intentional in your every day life.
Guest post by Erin Port from SimplePurposefulLiving.com
Instagram stories are my favorite way to authentically engage with my tribe, and they have single-handedly fostered the sense of community that I have with my followers. One of the methods I’ve used to do this is direct video messages.
If you’re looking for unique ways to meaningfully connect with your tribe and increase engagement, I’d highly recommend trying out direct video messages.
One day I was responding to a tribe member via Instagram direct message and I saw there was a video message component built in right next to where I could send a text response. I remembered some advice I had received that face-to-face conversations could not be replaced by a written word and I decided to try sending my first video message response.
I started doing this often and my tribe loved it. They even started to respond with their own video messages, which was SO cool because I could see their faces and hear their voices!
These direct video messaging exchanges have been invaluable. Not only have I increased engagement, but I’ve also gotten to know my audience on such a more intimate level. I’ve been able to have direct connections with them and listen to their stories — which in effect has helped me create content that better reflects my audience and meets their needs.
Don’t let video messages intimidate you; just try it out! Direct video messages are just like an Instagram story except they are sent to one individual instead of posted on your stories feed.
Here’s how to get started…
The social media world is run by algorithms, and those algorithms love authentic engagement. When you send direct video messages, you are not only getting to know your tribe better but the algorithm also sees you are engaging in a meaningful way. That’s a win-win!
Since I started using direct video messages, I have seen a large increase in the number of daily messages I receive. On average I receive about 100 messages each day. I take the time to respond by video message to everyone every day. (After all, I did ask my tribe to message me, so I want them to know they can expect a response from me to make it worth their time!)
We all have a desire to be seen, known and heard in this crazy world. Direct video messages give your tribe that ability to be seen and heard, and it feels more real and personal — like you’re friends! It completely changes the way you engage with your tribe on social media.
If you want to make authentic connections with your audience and increase your engagement in a meaningful way, I’d highly encourage you to try out direct video messaging!
Erin Port is wife and mom of three, soon to be four by international adoption. In addition, Erin is a public speaker and blogger. She founded Simple Purposeful Living to empower and equip women to lead simple and purposeful lives in a chaotic world so they can do what matters most with those that matter most. In her free time, she loves to find simple adventure with her family.
A YBM follower recently wrote in with this really great question:
“Hey Crystal, I need some help! I started my Instagram account back in January as more of a mini blog because I didn’t want to have a full-fledged blog. I started as more of a home decor influencer, but I tired of always talking about home decor and it wasn’t fun anymore. I found myself desiring to be more of a lifestyle/homemaker blogger, but I have been floundering trying to pull it off. There are just so many things to include!
Do I need a niche? I have this thing set up for myself where I talk about certain things on certain days, but I feel like I’m seriously all over the place: Monday Motivation/Tuesday Home Tips/Workout Wednesday/Healthy Thursday/Friday Favorites. My brain is fried from trying to focus on so many topics so often, but I’m not sure how to fix it. It doesn’t seem to make sense to concentrate on one thing each week — like it’d be difficult to keep up a following. Help me stop floundering in this Instagram/blogging world! Please!”
If any of you have ever felt like this (I know I definitely have!), I’m sure you can relate to this feeling of being overwhelmed about what to post or talk about, how to choose what to focus on, and how to organize your thoughts and ideas.
Honestly? It can just feel like total social media burnout sometimes, and to avoid giving up and walking away from it all, I think it’s really important to learn how to combat these feelings of being completely overwhelmed by social media.