My Personal Branding Experiments

Last night, I decided to invest an hour a week back into Medium.com

Back in April, I wrote a post on my eCommerce blog called “An Introduction to Instagram Marketing for eCommerce”.
https://ecommercetrainingacademy.com/introduction-to-insta…/

It’s pretty simple. I’ve been very busy!

It’s not an excuse but a valid reason.

I must admit though that I’ve been really productive over the past 3 months (since November 2013) and I’m so proud of myself.  It’s been all about execution.  Lots of projects, many new clients and a very busy time at iNetVideo.com.

I haven’t blogged much not because I didn’t know what to write about but because I’ve been creating lots of content for different purposes.

Here’s a list of what I’ve been busy & having fun with:

1. Busy Creating my Blogging Course

In November, a friend of mine recommended that I launch a blogging course.  At first, I wasn’t really up for the challenge.  I was really busy with the holiday shopping season at iNetVideo as well as many projects going on.

Nonetheless, I decided to launch the course because it’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a very long time but never did.  It was a great opportunity since I put my reputation on the line by having people signup ahead of creating the course.  By doing so, it really pushed me to get it done before the end of the year.

I created 10 modules to help people launch & maintain a successful blog.  I was busy writing premium content for each module.  You can learn more about my online blogging course.

2. Busy Creating my Personal Branding Course

It took me 14 days to create the Personal blogging course and I didn’t stop there.  People messaged me wanting to learn how to create a website for personal branding.  I still had 3 weeks left before the end of the year and really enjoyed the rush in creating the blogging course.

So I decided to launch a Personal Branding Course where I teach people how to boost their personal brand online.  I show them how to create a plan, create a website, create a social media presence, create a simple blog and much more.

I was busy creating 7 modules with lots of bonus material. I recruited around 10 students using my social media network and had them take the course for free in exchange for feedback and for taking part in case studies.  I also created a Private Facebook Group for Tribe members. It’s a great way to stay in touch with the community on social media.

Learn more about my Personal Branding Online Course

3. Busy Building my eCommerce Training Academy

I’m sure you already know that I’m very passionate about eCommerce (if you didn’t, now you know!). In 2013, I decided to launch the eCommerce Training Academy where we help online retailers improve conversions and boost profits in their online business.

I decided to create the academy after working with many clients through my conversion rate optimization agency, eCommerceHackers.com. Provide simple to follow courses using video & screencasts as well as webinars.

I created passionTribe to help individuals and the eCommerce Training Academy to help businesses.

4. Busy With Hosting Online Webinars

One thing I’ve been enjoying a lot these weeks is hosting webinars.  I decided to focus on them to generate new leads for the academy and my agency.

Each webinar is made specifically for online retailers to help them find ways of improving their online business.  They’re short and free to attend.  I’ve been hosting 2-3 eCommerce webinars a month and I started making the recordings available to those who subscribed to them.

5. Busy With My New Agency Clients

Over the past couple of months, I’ve been getting many new clients for my agency.  We specialize in ecommerce advising and conversion rate optimization for online retailers.

Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is growing and online retailers need it more than ever.  I’ve been really active in the eCommerce community through social media & speaking at conferences.  I’m also getting lots of awareness as an eCommerce Advisor.

Since I’ve been creating lots of content for the academy, I’m seeing that it’s helping me establish myself as an expert within the industry.  I really enjoy helping retailers and decided to do more of it using webinars, courses and social media networking.

So there you have it. Those are the reasons why I haven’t blogged for the past 30 days.  Instead, I’ve been focusing on creating premium content for my community which I believe is much more productive & valuable.

What are you busy building right now?

This morning, I woke up to an inbox full of emails about Black Friday.  Some were good while others were simply a total waste of time.  I did finally get my copy of Scrivener for $20, a tool I plan on using to create and manage my blog writing.

All those emails made me think: Why not use this opportunity to test out my own Black Friday promotion for my eCommerce advising services.

I am aware that online business owners are very busy right now and barely have time to scratch their heads.  Some might be planning their 2015 projects while others might be dealing with many business challenges such as under-performing marketing campaigns or dealing with lower conversion rates.

Why not offer them a deal that they can use during this holiday season and also take advantage of in the new year to help them improve their online business?

Here’s what I did

I usually charge $150/hr for my VIP Advising sessions.  I decided to lower the price to $75/hr until midnight of Nov 28, 2014.  I also offered people a maximum of 5 hours that they can buy and bank for later use.

Here’s the email message I sent out this morning using GetResponse, (my email software)

Hi [[firstname]]

As you can see, it’s a very simple email and with easy to follow instructions.

This offer not only is targeted for people within my own list, which most of them are online business owners or have a website of some sort, but also has a sense of urgency (expires at midnight).

I made the offer irresistible not only from a pricing perspective, saving them 50%, but also from the flexibility aspect of being able to use it for the new year.

If you provide services, you should try these types of promotions.  Don’t just sit there and watch everyone taking advantage.  Do the same!

What type of Black Friday promotions have worked for you?