{"id":2191,"date":"2018-07-12T00:25:42","date_gmt":"2018-07-12T04:25:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bizmavens.com\/academy\/?page_id=2191"},"modified":"2023-07-09T08:52:05","modified_gmt":"2023-07-09T13:52:05","slug":"next-steps","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bizmavens.com\/academy\/blog-smarter-dashboard\/next-steps\/","title":{"rendered":"Where to Go From Here"},"content":{"rendered":"

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My Account<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Support<\/a><\/p>\n

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BLOG SMARTER DASHBOARD<\/a> :: COMMUNITY<\/a><\/p>\n

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Module 6: Serve & Profit<\/em><\/h3>\n

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Well, this is it.<\/p>\n

We’ve spent the last 12 weeks together, day in and day out. You wrestled with the toughest<\/strong> business decisions any CEO has to make, and you made them<\/em>. Not only did you build a strong brand that will serve your target market more deeply and<\/em> set your business up for long-term success, you also learned the phrase “give it a whangdoodle.” \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

Looking back at where you started and where you are now, you’ve come so far<\/em>. And if you don’t believe me, go back and find your Week 1 Learning Log<\/a> and read through your Gold Nuggets and the questions you had back then. Odds are those Gold Nuggets are old hat to you now \u2013 and the questions you’re asking this week compared to those first few questions show how very much<\/em> you’ve learned in a relatively short time.<\/p>\n

But what now<\/strong>?! We’ve spent so much time together and supported each other through so many tough CEO decisions that next week might feel a bit…empty<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Below, you’ll find some suggested next steps<\/strong> to keep you on track, plus a powerful Blog Smarter technique to help you sustain your momentum over the long haul.<\/p>\n

And if you find yourself craving a space like this where you can continue<\/em> learning alongside your fellow CEOs and hold each other accountable, tune into our last coaching call this week for a special announcement about a members-only working group just for Blog Smarter grads. \ud83d\ude4c<\/p>\n

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But first, I have a favor to ask:<\/strong> While your Blog Smarter journey is fresh on your mind, can you please tell me about your experience<\/a>? It should take you just a few minutes, and your answers will help make the program experience even better for future students\u2014plus answering those quick questions will help cement what you’ve learned. \ud83d\udcaa<\/p>\n

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Not Quite Done?<\/h2>\n

If life got in the way and you’re still working your way through the program, remember that you get lifetime access, so you don’t need to rush.<\/p>\n

Keep moving forward through the program and completing the assignments in order to apply the strategy directly to your business. Take it at your own pace and trust the process<\/em>. Jumping around won’t do you (or your business) any good!<\/p>\n

If you’re serious about making your business more profitable, completing the brand-building work outlined in this program should be your top<\/strong> priority for your business before tackling any other big project<\/em>. A strong brand is a prerequisite for a growing business, so focus on that first and foremost.<\/p>\n

Bonuses Coming Soon!<\/h2>\n

To celebrate you making it to the end of this program, next Monday, any bonuses you qualified for when you first registered for the program will unlock in your dashboard.\u00a0 So if you’ve finished the program and you’re ready to keep learning right away, you’ll have those to tide you over!<\/p>\n

Your Next Steps<\/h2>\n

Over the last 12 weeks, you worked hard to build a strong brand that will serve as a powerful foundation for your business moving forward. But at this point in the program, you’ve probably already started thinking about your next<\/em> big audacious goal<\/strong>. You might want to create your first product, launch a membership program, write a book, automate your marketing systems, write a nurture sequence to take new subscribers through your best content, grow your search traffic through SEO \u2013 the possibilities are endless.<\/p>\n

First, take a deep breath<\/em>. You have big goals for your business, and that’s a good thing! But if those big goals become so overwhelming that they paralyze you into not even knowing where to start, that won’t move your business forward or help you serve your target market more deeply.<\/p>\n

Assuming you’ve finished the program (and if you haven’t, do that first!), pick ONE goal<\/strong> for yourself for the next month, 3 months, or however long you think it might take you. Know that it will probably take longer than you think it will upfront. That’s just how the human brain works, and that’s perfectly okay.<\/p>\n

After you have that goal picked out, focus on that ONE goal and resist the temptation to be distracted away by the next shiny object that crosses your path.<\/p>\n

While we can’t cover every<\/em> conceivable blogging goal in this one program, you’ll have the best<\/strong> success when you rely on the Listen-Plan-Deliver cycle, no matter your goal.<\/p>\n

And wherever possible, use the strategies you learned in this program to blow your goals out of the water. For example:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • If you want to create your first product<\/strong>, kick off a session of the Listen-Plan-Deliver cycle to make sure you come up with something your target market will actually buy.<\/li>\n
  • Or if you want to grow your traffic<\/strong> with the best<\/em> kind of page views, use the Snowball Technique from Module Five to grow your audience and win over new super fans.<\/li>\n
  • Or if you want to write an automated email sequence<\/strong> for your subscribers, revisit the bonus Set It + Forget It lesson from Module Four to make sure every email you create drives the reader to open and click, open and click.<\/li>\n
  • Or if you want to improve your subscriber conversion rate<\/strong>, go back to the Tiny Taste lead magnet steps in Module Four and create an offer that will magnetically attract your target market.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    But…Which Goal to Pick First?<\/h2>\n

    If you’re struggling to pick just ONE goal to focus on next, remember that you don’t have to do everything<\/em> right now. Every step you take towards a more profitable business is something to celebrate, no matter how small or big that step is.<\/p>\n

    But if you’re having trouble with prioritizing what to focus on first<\/strong>, below you’ll find a set of questions to help guide you.<\/p>\n

    Note:<\/strong> Because these techniques build on top of each other, it’s important to make sure your foundation is solid before moving forward to the next question. For example, if you have a very low open rate for your email list, developing a product will likely not do you much good because your subscribers won’t even open the email where you announce the product.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Have you finished all the brand-building assignments inside the Blog Smarter program?\n
        \n
      • No: Do that.<\/li>\n
      • Yes: Continue to the next question.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
      • Did your Tiny Taste lead magnet increase your subscriber conversion rate?\n
          \n
        • No: Revisit Module Four and evaluate your lead magnet with fresh eyes. Your site is like a bucket with holes in the bottom, and an irresistible lead magnet will plug more of those holes.<\/li>\n
        • Yes: Continue to the next question.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
        • Did the improvements you made to your onboarding process increase the open and click rate for your first welcome email?\n
            \n
          • No: Revisit Module Four and evaluate your onboarding process with fresh eyes. These are the people who’ve already said “yes” to your brand and will be most likely to become customers down the line, so it’s important to make them feel cared for.<\/li>\n
          • Yes: Continue to the next question.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
          • Did switching to the Brand Ambassador Boot Camp Technique increase the average open and click rate for your regular emails to your list?\n
              \n
            • No: Revisit Module Four and evaluate your approach to emails with fresh eyes. If you want your subscribers to become brand ambassadors, you must train them to open and click.<\/li>\n
            • Yes: Continue to the next question.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
            • After publishing more on-brand content and\/or reworking old content to bring it in line with your strong brand, did your traffic increase? (Several factors influence page views such as social media algorithms, search engine updates, and so on, so you’ll want to look at the bigger picture over several weeks or months to evaluate this.)\n
                \n
              • No: Revisit Module Five and use the Snowball Technique to grow your traffic and find your super fans.<\/li>\n
              • Yes: Continue to the next question.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
              • Have you started a Listen-Plan-Deliver cycle for a small product or service to help your target market?\n
                  \n
                • No: Revisit Module Six and do that.<\/li>\n
                • Yes: Continue to the next question.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                • Want to keep improving<\/strong> from there? To increase…\n
                    \n
                  • Subscriber conversion rate: Revisit Module Four and brainstorm a new lead magnet.<\/li>\n
                  • Open rate or click rate: Revisit the bonus Set It + Forget It lesson from Module Four.<\/li>\n
                  • Profit: Revisit Module Six and kick off a Listen-Plan-Deliver cycle to brainstorm a new product\/service or evaluate an existing product\/service. Also, revisit the bonus Set It + Forget It lesson from Module Four and think about how you can let your subscribers know about your products on a more regular basis.<\/li>\n
                  • Page views: Revisit Module Five, then brainstorm new on-brand content and use the Snowball Technique.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                    How to Keep Your Momentum Going<\/h2>\n

                    While it would be nice if we could wave our magic wands and turn our blogs into massive income-generating machines that run 100 percent on autopilot, the truth is that no business decision you can make\u2014no business plan\u2014will last forever.<\/p>\n

                    But here’s the good news<\/strong>: You already have all the tools you need to get you 5, 10, or even 20 years down the road.<\/p>\n

                    Because you now have the Blog Smarter system.<\/p>\n

                    This program isn’t just a one-time deal<\/em>. The Blog Smarter approach is a way of running your business every day. And you can return to this process any time<\/em> you feel stuck, like if your business experiences a slow-down or if you feel the momentum shift with your business.<\/p>\n

                    And so every six months or so, you\u2019ll want to return to this process. You\u2019ll set a date and time for your 6-month\u00a0Blog + Business Review<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

                    Here\u2019s what that will look like…<\/p>\n

                    Step One: Listen + Observe<\/h3>\n

                    First, measure what\u2019s currently working on your blog. You\u2019ll return to the principles from Module One<\/strong> and revisit:<\/p>\n

                      \n
                    • Who are the people showing up on your blog?<\/li>\n
                    • What do they need? What do they desire?<\/li>\n
                    • What\u2019s standing in the way of their success?<\/li>\n
                    • Does what you\u2019re currently doing match up with what your people need?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                      You\u2019ll also want to revisit the Zoom and Pan Technique:<\/p>\n

                        \n
                      • Which topics have you covered in the last six months? What has been the most successful? What has been least successful?<\/li>\n
                      • Do you need to zoom in further?<\/li>\n
                      • Is it time to pan around to another area of your authority?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                        As always, you\u2019ll make decisions based on your actual observations of what\u2019s happening on your blog: in your Google Analytics, yes, but also in all the ways you’ve connected with your people and in all the things you\u2019ve gleaned as you\u2019ve listened during your regular Listen-Plan-Deliver cycles of business.<\/p>\n

                        Step Two: Revisit Your Brand<\/h3>\n

                        Time will pass. Life will change. What\u2019s true for you today may not be true in six months.<\/p>\n

                        That\u2019s normal.<\/em><\/p>\n

                        After you\u2019ve taken inventory of what\u2019s currently working for you\u2014what your subscribers are saying\u2014it\u2019s time to revisit your brand using the tools you learned in Module Two<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

                          \n
                        • Do you still aspire to the same character traits? The same qualities? If not, it’s time to update your personal brand.<\/li>\n
                        • Do you still believe the same things about the topic you write about? As you grow in your own understanding of your topic, you\u2019ll gain new insights that will lead to changing beliefs.\u00a0Craft a new Anchor Belief and continue to move forward.<\/li>\n
                        • Revisit your Signature Story. Has anything changed? Are you hearing things from\u00a0where your readers are in their lives<\/em>\u00a0that would mean you need to refocus your Signature Story on a different aspect?<\/li>\n
                        • You might have developed new skills and abilities in the last six months.<\/span>\u00a0So\u00a0<\/span>based on what your readers need<\/em>, craft a new Brand Promise so you can<\/span>\u00a0serve your target market even more deeply<\/i><\/span>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                          Step Three: Hone Your Visible Brand<\/h3>\n

                          If you\u2019ve made any adjustments to your core brand elements, revisit the areas of your website you learned about in Module Three<\/strong>, plus any social media profiles or other places you have a presence. You\u2019ll take a look at:<\/p>\n

                            \n
                          • Your About page<\/li>\n
                          • Blog title<\/li>\n
                          • Tagline<\/li>\n
                          • Navigation<\/li>\n
                          • Messaging (including sidebar areas and what shows up on your home page)<\/li>\n
                          • Your personal presence (photo)\u2014especially if you\u2019ve had any life changes like a totally new hairstyle<\/li>\n
                          • Logo and other visual brand elements<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                            Everywhere you have an opportunity to connect with your target market, you need to communicate your strong brand.<\/p>\n

                            Step Four: Refresh Your Subscribe Machine<\/h3>\n

                            If you\u2019ve made any major changes with the people you serve or what you write about, revisit your lead magnet and make sure it\u2019s still positioned to attract your target market and still serves them.<\/p>\n

                            Also, use what you learned in Module Four<\/strong> to take a fresh look at your\u00a0subscriber gateways\u00a0and the\u00a0touchpoints\u00a0in your onboarding system, then make adjustments as necessary.<\/p>\n

                            Step Five: Take a Content Inventory<\/h3>\n

                            In Module Five<\/strong>, you developed a plan for creating only<\/em> evergreen authority-building content for your blog.\u00a0Check in to find out how that went.<\/p>\n

                            What did you try that didn\u2019t work? What turned into an unexpected smash-hit success?<\/p>\n

                            Also, revisit your content plan and brainstorm new content. Use these techniques to develop a rough game plan for the next six months<\/em>:<\/p>\n

                              \n
                            • Treasure Trove Raid<\/li>\n
                            • Active Listening<\/li>\n
                            • Success Tower<\/li>\n
                            • Need to Know<\/li>\n
                            • Past Success<\/li>\n
                            • Bonus: Viral Content Spying<\/span><\/li>\n
                            • Bonus: Consulting or Coaching<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                              Step Six: Master Your Money<\/h3>\n

                              As the Smart CEO of your business, you have a\u00a0choice<\/strong>\u00a0about how you\u2019ll make money to sustain your operations and help you serve your readers more deeply. Take an honest look at where you decided to focus your monetization efforts in Module Six<\/strong>,\u00a0and ask yourself:<\/p>\n

                                \n
                              • How is that working? For example, have you developed any winning affiliate relationships, or do you need to research more?<\/li>\n
                              • What would you like to achieve in the\u00a0<\/strong>next six months<\/em>?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                Your Assignment<\/h1>\n

                                Today, set a reminder in your calendar for six months from today to complete your Blog + Business Review. Then after that review rolls around, you’ll set another reminder\u00a0for your\u00a0next<\/em>\u00a0Blog + Business Review session.<\/p>\n

                                As you move through this review of your business, rely on the Blog Smarter system to inform your next steps. That will help you see\u00a0what\u2019s working\u00a0and help you make the decisions that will carry your target market and<\/em> your business forward.<\/p>\n

                                And I’ll be right here, cheering you on!<\/p>\n

                                Kelly<\/p>\n

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                                Steps to success…<\/h3>\n

                                [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Progressally Objectives” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

                                [progressally_objectives] <\/p>\n

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                                My Account\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Support\u00a0BLOG SMARTER DASHBOARD :: COMMUNITY  Module 6: Serve & Profit   Well, this is it. We’ve spent the last 12 weeks together, day in and day out. You wrestled with the toughest business decisions any CEO has to make, and you made them. Not only did you build a strong brand […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":2131,"menu_order":80,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-template-blank.php","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2191","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bizmavens.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2191","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bizmavens.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bizmavens.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bizmavens.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bizmavens.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2191"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bizmavens.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2191\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bizmavens.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2131"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bizmavens.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2191"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}