This episode of the Online Marketing Made Easy Podcast, is extra special because it is the very first edition of the Ask Amy segment that I'm adding to the Online Marketing Made Easy podcast.

Every other week I'm going to be answering your questions all about online marketing, Facebook marketing, Facebook ads, webinars and email marketing. If you've got a question, I likely am going to have an answer for you! All you need to do is go to amyporterfield.com/askamy and leave me a recorded message. Your question just might be the very next one I choose for the show!

In this episode, here’s what we’ll cover:

• Something I've been struggling with lately
• Why my style hasn't always served my customers
• The push back I've gotten regarding how I teach Facebook marketing
• How overwhelming and scary creating a marketing plan can be when you're first starting your business
• The importance of pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone
• Why you should look at Facebook differently
• And so much more!

Here's the question for this episode:

I just launched my website officially at Easter. I took your advice, I put a Facebook sweepstakes on the right side bar, and the resort I work at allowed me to give out a fantastic package, they're really helping me out and it's going really well. In the first month, I've got about 130-something likes and I just love to see that, but I want to keep the momentum going. I want to know what the next step for me might be, whether it's Facebook ads or whatever you think would be the most efficient thing for me.

Key Takeaways

• Anytime you get new leads from Facebook, it's important to be ready to nurture those leads.

• Follow up with your new leads with a weekly email, with the focus initially being on pure value, instead of selling.

• After 4-6 weeks of pure value, select one opportunity to  promote. Send 3-4 emails that talk about this opportunity. Be sure to make those emails about them, rather than about you and your offer.

• Work on sharpening your copywriting skills. This is important even if you plan to hire someone to write them for you in the future.

• If people don't purchase, put them back into a value-add sequence, and when you're ready to promote again, go back to 3-4 emails about an opportunity.

• Use Facebook ads to drive traffic to a lead magnet rather than to a sales page. The goal of ads is to grow your email list. This is how to turn your efforts into profits.

• Even though it's hard to get organic reach on your Page, it's still important to provide good content for the people who see your posts.

• Email is more intimate than Facebook, when you really understand how to use email.

• It's useless to have a big email list if you never use it to promote.

On this episode of the Online Marketing Made Easy Podcast, we talked all about Facebook ad targeting. But before we get to that, I wanted to tell you about some changes coming your way related to my podcast.

First, starting in June I am going record one episode per week, rather than every other week like I have been doing. Look out for some extra podcast love coming your way!

Second, I am going to add an extra layer to my podcast and start recording an “Ask Amy” segment where you get to send me your questions and I will address them on my show. In full disclosure I took this idea from my good friend, Pat Flynn who now has a show called AskPat. I called Pat to ask if he minded, and in true Pat fashion, he encouraged me to go for it. Gotta love good friends like that.

So if you would like me to address any questions you might have about online marketing, Facebook marketing, list building, content creation, webinars - anything goes - so just go to Ask Amy and you can be one of the first to leave me a question.

OK, switching gears, let’s get back to our topic for today, Facebook ad targeting. I’ve invited my really good friend, Rick Mulready to come on the show with me so we could talk about what we both are seeing that’s working right now with ad targeting.

Rick has an extensive online marketing background and teaches Facebook advertising to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The cool thing is that he is in the trenches daily experimenting with ad campaigns and getting some pretty big results; the guy knows his stuff.

So Rick lives in San Diego and lately we’ve been meeting up at Starbucks and sharing insights about our experiences with Facebook ads. (Does that sound super geeky? We can't help it - we love this ad stuff!) The discussions have been so good that I wanted to get Rick on the show and invite you all into one of the most valuable discussions we’ve had, which is focused on Facebook ad targeting.

In this episode, here’s what we’ll cover:

• The most valuable Facebook ad targeting options, including Interests, Custom Audiences and Lookalike Audiences.

• Which targeting option to choose when you are just starting out.

• How to target your website visitors with your Facebook ads.

• How to expand your targeting options if you feel you can't seem to find a big enough target that is effective.

• We'll answer the question, "How many people should I target with my ad?

• We will also discuss which ad metrics to pay close attention to so you know your ad is working.

To help you navigate your Facebook ad targeting, I've included additional details in this post so you can understand how each target works and where to locate.

I suggest you create your ads in the Power Editor.  Think of the Power Editor as a more robust "Facebook Ads Manager" dashboard. You can do more in the Power Editor and I highly recommend you test it out. (It's a bit confusing at first, but I promise it gets easier once you understand where everything's located!)

I can't stress this enough:  The MOST important part of your Facebook ads campaign is targeting. Below I will walk you through some of the most important targeting features.

There are two different places where you will set up your ad targeting.  When you are totally new to ads, two of the easiest targeting features you can use are "Demographics" and "Interests." To locate these two targeting features, go into the Power Editor, and under the "Ads" tab you will see  the "Audience" tab in blue.

Once inside the Power Editor, when you click on "Ads" you will see the "Audience" tab.

Under the "Audience" tab, if you scroll down a bit you will first see "Demographics" where you can set the age, gender and location for your ad targeting.  Scroll down some more and you will see: Interests, Behaviors and categories. Let me briefly explain each to you.

Interests

The "Interest" field allows you to type in the name of the Facebook Pages you want to target. When you target a Facebook Page, you are asking Facebook to show your ad to the fans of that specific Facebook Page. Note that sometimes when you type in the name of the Facebook Page in the "Interest" field, it won’t show up. If you have this problem, be sure to first go to the actual Page and check the name of the Page and make sure you type in the exact name of that Page. However, sometimes that won't even work.  Some Pages just won't show up in the "Interest" field - it's a Facebook glitch.  Frustrating, I know!

Hot tip: Brainstorm a list of people, publications, other groups in your industry, and even competitors whose fans you may want to target.

Hot tip #2: Use Graph Search, which is basically a search functionality inside of Facebook. It is a really long search bar across the top when you’re logged in to Facebook. You can conduct searches such as, “Pages liked by people who like __________” (insert the name of your page in the blank). This will give you a good idea of Pages you might want to target.

Here are some other searches you may want to try:

• Favorite interest of people who like. . .
• Groups of people who like. . .
• Pages liked by people who like xyz Page and abc Page
• You can get even more specific and search for things like, “Pages liked by women who live in Canada who like xyz page.”

Especially if you’re just starting out and don’t have a large email list or a large fan base, "Interests" is a great place to start.

There are two other targeting sections right below "Interests." Let's explore those briefly.

Behaviors

Behaviors is located right under interests. This is a more advanced targeting technique. The way this works is that Facebook partners with 3rd party data companies that track people’s purchasing behavior outside of Facebook.

Categories

Categories is the section located under Behaviors.

"Partner Categories" are similar to behaviors, where Facebook partners with other companies to get data.

There are also "Facebook Categories" you can explore. If someone likes a Page about cooking, you can target a broader category such as food and dining.

Neither Rick nor I use "Categories"  because it tends to be too general, so we don’t recommend them, but they are worth testing just to see if they might be a good fit for you.

Custom Audiences

Now switching gears here, let's talk about a few other Facebook ad targeting strategies that are even more powerful than the targeting above.

Once of the ways both Rick and I set up our targeting is with "Custom Audiences" and "Lookalike Audiences."  You can create a Custom Audience by taking a list of email addresses of those who have subscribed to your email list and uploading them to Facebook. Facebook will check it’s database against your email list and find matches. For example, out of 3,000 email addresses, there may be 1,500 matching email addresses on Facebook. Now you have a list of 1,500 quality lead you can target inside of Facebook. (Note: You need at least 100 matches for this to work.)

Lookalike Audiences

Now with Lookalike Audiences, this is where the magic happens! Once you have a Custom Audience, you can create a Lookalike Audience. Facebook can take your Custom Audience and create another targeted list that is very similar to the one you uploaded. Since Facebook knows so much about our likes, interests and behaviors, these Lookalike Audiences are pretty valuable to say the least!

Regardless of the size of your Custom Audience, your Lookalike Audience may be as large as a couple of million people. The ideal target audience size can vary. If you have a HIGHLY targeted list it can be as small as 1,000 people, but we suggest you keep your targeting groups to a maximum of 600,000 - 700,000 people. I usually try to aim for 500,000. (Note:  This does not apply for people targeting a very local audience. Your lists will be much smaller of course!).

Targeting Set Up

To set up your Custom and Lookalike Audiences, you will do this in the Power Editor a well.  When you log into the Power Editor, in the upper left you should see a drop down menu that says "Manage Ads." Click there and then click "Audiences."

Once you are on the "Audience" page, you can click on "Custom Audience."

From there, the image below will pop up.  To upload your email list to Facebook, click the first option, "Data File Custom Audience."

In the "Data Type" you will see a few options for upload, choose "Emails."

It may take a few hours for Facebook to check your email addresses against those in their system, so be patient and check back in a few hours. Come back to this exact same spot in the Power Editor and you will see the status of your new audience.

Retargeting with Facebook Ads

Another feature of Custom Audiences is the ability to create a target list from your website traffic.  This strategy is also known as retargeting.

Here's how it works:

• You generate a pixel code from Facebook and then place that pixel on your website.

• Facebook begins collecting data from that pixel and creates a Custom Audience for you of your website traffic.

• Now you can target that Custom Audience and show your ads to them OR you can create a Lookalike Audience so you can have an even larger, targeted group to use as well.

Below I show you where to access the Facebook pixel that you will add to your website.  Click "View Custom Audience Pixel" to get the instructions you need to place this pixel in the correct spot on your website.

Once you have your Custom Audience of website visitors in place, you can then create a Lookalike Audience to expand your targeting.

In the "Source" field below you will type in the name of your website visitors Custom Audience and Facebook will create a Lookalike Audience for you. This is some pretty powerful targeting because it's so much more focused that just targeting people who have liked a specific Page!

Now one more thing I will add to the mix.  As you might already know, you can target your existing fan base with your ads.  You would do that in the same section where you would target "Interests."  But what you might now know is that you can also create a Lookalike Audience to target people SIMILAR to your existing fan base. In the "Source" field you will type in the name of your Facebook Page to generate your new target list.

Key Takeaways

• Facebook targeting is one of the most important components to your Facebook ad success.

• If you have not done so already, take a little time to experiment with Custom Audiences and Lookalike Audiences.

• I am 99.9% sure that your audience is spending time on Facebook. My challenge to you is to create smart targeting options to go find them!

2017 Amendment

Graph search is no longer available. Facebook has replaced it with a similar tool called Audience Insights. To learn more about Audience Insights, click here.

On this episode of the Online Marketing Made Easy Podcast, I decided to do something a little bit different. I’m currently promoting my signature program, Facebook Marketing Profit Lab. When I create a new program, I always create a free, value-packed training around the promotion. In this case, the training is called, “How to Create an Easy-to-Implement Facebook Marketing Plan that REALLY Works.”

I deliver the training through live webinars, and after the promotion is over in a few weeks, the free live webinar will no longer be available. I have worked SO HARD on this training that I want it to live on beyond my promotion, and I thought that the best way to accomplish that was to present the training in a podcast.

I think you will find it extremely valuable, and at the end of this podcast you will have a really good understanding of how to create a Facebook marketing plan that is focused on both the needs of your business AND the needs of your customers. In addition to that, this plan will actually help you produce leads and revenue on a consistent basis on Facebook.

People have a lot of concerns about Facebook:

• They aren’t sure what they’re doing and they feel stuck

• They are frustrated with their list building strategies; their list is growing painfully slow

• Or, they are just frustrated with Facebook in general, but are still holding out a little hope because they really want Facebook to work for them because they’ve put a lot of effort and in some cases a lot of money into it but just haven’t gotten the results they were hoping for.

• And some people are just looking for a plan so they get see more fans, leads or sales through Facebook.

If you can relate to any of that, this podcast is perfect for you!

Specifically, we covered the following 7 steps that you need to Create a Facebook marketing plan that really works.

1. Create Your Lead Magnet

To build trust and affinity with your Facebook fans, create a free irresistible giveaway that solves a problem or offers immense value. To ensure that your giveaway attracts your perfect ideal audience on Facebook, create something that is SO GOOD your audience would pay for it.

2. Set Up Your Lead Capture Page

The next step is to create a webpage that will collect name and emails in exchange for your giveaway.  A well designed lead capture page is critical because it must convert. Instead of paying for a programmer and designer to create this page for you, look into using LeadPages. With this tool you could have a lead capture page up and running in 10 minutes!

3. Create a “Gotta Have It” Facebook Post and Turn It Into an Ad

At this point you want to create a Facebook post that entices your fans to sign up for your irresistible giveaway. This post will become your Facebook ad.  To get maximum exposure and results, create an Unpublished Page Post (also known as a “Dark Post) in the Power Editor ads dashboard. Only run this ad in the News Feed.

In this episode I promised to show the current Facebook ad I am running that is generating over $30,000 a month for me via my Facebook Marketing Plan.

My Unpublished Facebook Ad

When you go into the Power Editor, you will see the option to create an "Unpublished Page Post" and when you click on that link, this box will pop up.  This is where you want to include all of your copy and the image.  Note the image size in the example below:

4. Only Show Your Ad To Your “Perfect Customer” Target List

To ensure that your ad is only seen by Facebook users who will be genuinely interested in your free giveaway, use Lookalike Audiences on Facebook as your targeting strategy. Not only will this help you target your perfect customer profile, it will also allow you to reach a larger, targeted audience.

5. Only Pay For Leads That Have A True Interest In Your Offer

It’s important that you understand how much you want to pay for your leads.  When you get clear on what you want to eventually sell to your new lead, it’s easier to decide how much you will pay for your ads to convert a fan into a new customer.

6. Always Know In Real-Time If Your Lead Magnet Is Working

Use the Conversion Tracking Tool to ensure that your lead magnet is converting fans into leads.  Track these metrics daily so you can be confident that your strategy is actually working!

7. Create The “5 MUST EMAILS” To Perfectly Position Your Offer

One you have attracted your new lead from your Facebook efforts, it’s time to take things outside of Facebook. Create an email auto responder series to provide even more value to your new lead and when the time is right for you, begin to introduce them to your offer.  Email marketing will move your new lead to become a customer.

On this episode of the Online Marketing Made Easy Podcast, we talked all about video creation and editing. I know a few of you instantly felt a little anxious when you read those words, because video is not usually at the top of anyone’s “favorite things to do” list - or at least that's the case for me!

I’ve been creating videos ever since I started my online business, but it’s always been a tough thing for me. I don’t particularly like to see myself on video and let’s face it, video is a lot of work - from both the creation and editing sides.

And yet video is very important for online marketers, which is why I invited my friend, Caleb Wojcik to be on the show. Caleb promised me that he would give some tips to make video easier, and he delivered on his promise!

In this episode, here’s what we’ll cover:

• Caleb's progression from screencast videos to using multiple cameras
• The best type of video to start with
• How your audience determines how polished your videos need to be
• How to make videos using PowerPoint or Keynote
• How to make video editing faster and less painful
• The reason why 60% of the people that Caleb surveyed don't create video
• A trick for finding mistakes in the videos you create
• The benefits of editing backwards
• The sweet spot when it comes to video length
• Why you shouldn't put videos that people will pay to see on YouTube
• Where to host your videos
• And so much more!

Key Takeaways

• If you're nervous about creating videos, screencasts are a great way to start.

• The best screen recording software is Screenflow for Mac and Camtasia for windows.

• It at all possible, when shooting video, sit facing a window.

• If natural light isn't available, position lighting directly in front of you, at a 30-45-degree angle. Light shining directly on you, you'll end up with a shadow from the camera on your face.

• When using your phone to shoot talking head videos, be sure to use a mic, such as Rode Smartlav to improve sound quality.

• DIY videos are fine, especially when they're not being used as part of a paid program. For paid programs, it's better to go pro if possible.

Gear to Check Out

Microphones

• The Rode Smartlav mic
• Heil PR-40
• Blue Microphones

Software

• Screenflow
• Camtasia
• Plural Eyes
• iMovie
• Final Cut Pro X
• Adobe Premiere

Teleprompter 

• ikan teleprompter

Video Hosting

• Wistia
• Vimeo
• Turnstile

DSLR Cameras

• Canon T5i
• Canon Rebel

Digital Audio Recorders

• Tascam
• Zoom H49
• Lavalier

On this episode of the Online Marketing Made Easy Podcast, I interviewed my good friend, Chris Ducker. This interview came at a perfect time, because the evening after completing the interview, I got on a plane to the Philippines to speak at Chris' event, Tropical Think Tank.

This was an exciting trip for me because not only is this my first trip to the Philippines, I also had the opportunity to speak with some some really fantastic people, including Pat Flynn, John Dumas, Greg Hickman and Natalie Sisson, and of course Chris Ducker himself, so it was a lot of fun.

On today’s show, we are talking about the power of virtual support and outsourcing. This is an important topic for me, because I recently learned a valuable lesson, something I did not believe for so long until I finally experienced it personally in my business.

So many successful people I look up to have told me that it is possible to work less and make a bigger impact, which includes bigger profits. That was hard for me to believe because it went against everything I knew about hard work paying off.

However, on episode 23, I talked about how I experienced this very thing in 2013. I tell you this because with the right support, you truly can do less and make more. That’s why I think the topic today is so valuable to anyone building a business online.

I’ve actually had Chris on the show before and so today we are going to dive a bit deeper into this topic. For those of you who do not know Chris, Chris is a serial entrepreneur, virtual staffing expert, blogger, podcaster and author of the new book Virtual Freedom (which is a FANTASTIC book and one I highly recommend.)

In this episode, right from the start, Chris gets personal about a recent experience he had with burnout - and how his burnout did not effect his business AT ALL.

Also, Chris dives into the mindset and mechanics around expanding your team with virtual support. The mindset requires a different way of looking at your business and your role in your business, seeing the value of letting go of some of it, and leveraging it by entrusting certain aspects of it to someone else. The mechanics include specific strategies and tools you can use to maximize your outsourcing experience.

In this episode, here’s what we’ll cover:

• Mindset and the mechanics of expanding your team

• The value of letting go and leveraging

• Chris' burnout, and what he did about it

• The importance of taking care of yourself and switching off regularly

• What entrepreneurs should do with the time they save by outsourcing

• How a virtual team kept Chris' business going in the midst of his burnout

• The importance of entrepreneurs going off the grid from time to time

• What super hero syndrome is, and how to overcome it

• The impact of ego on your business

• What will defeat the benefits of your outsourcing efforts

• How you can make more by working less

• How to counter the feeling that you can do things faster yourself than telling someone else to do it

• The biggest problem when training your virtual staff

• How to throw little curve balls to your VA, and why you should

• Why you need to take care of your team ahead of all else

• Whether you should outsource locally or overseas

• The 3 basic ways Chris communicates with his staff

• The point where a lot of businesses begin to fail and how to avoid it

• And so much more!

When training your virtual staff, the biggest challenge you'll run into is yourself [Tweet This]

On this episode of the Online Marketing Made Easy Podcast, we talk all about Twitter.

Since I am not a Twitter expert, I have invited my friend and mentor, Michael Stelzner, on the show to talk about some very specific strategies he uses to promote his live and online events with Twitter.

Mike would say that he too is not a Twitter expert, but I would disagree because he is doing things on Twitter that are getting some serious results - and he’s been perfecting his Twitter strategy for many, many years, so in my book, he’s a pro.

For those of you who might not know Mike, he is the founder of  the best social media site around, Social Media Examiner, which he launched  in October of 2009, which has exploded, to say the least. Last year more than 7.5 million people visited the site. He's the author of two books (Launch & Writing White Papers) and is host of the Social Media Marketing Podcast. He also founded the parenting blog MyKidsAdventures.com.

5 Strategic Ways to Promote with Twitter

1. Transactional Tweets

This type of tweet has a psychological component to it. When people have just made a purchase or signed up for a newsletter, they're poised to take action, and are more likely to do the next thing you ask them to do. Therefore, as soon as the transaction is complete, send them to a thank you page, and on the page, add a text link with a request.

For instance, you may have a text link that says something like, "Click here to tweet your excitement about (coming to an event, a course they just purchased, etc.). When they click on the link, have it open up a pre-populated tweet that says something like, "I'm attending/just purchased. . ."  Be sure to include a link to the event or item being tweeted about.

2. Verbal Tweets

Podcast listeners are often on the go. They may be listening from the gym, while they're driving, etc, so give them a URL that is easy to remember. Mike directs people to go to SocialMediaExaminer.com/love. I actually stole this idea from Mike, and on occasion in my podcast you'll hear me ask you to go to AmyPorterfield.com/love. If you click on that link, you'll see that it opens up a window with a pre-populated tweet about how much they love my podcast. This is a great way to get your podcast listeners to spread the word about your podcast!

3. Shout-Out Tweets

Shout-out tweets are a great way to give love to someone! An example of how Mike uses this technique is that he lists all of the speakers for his events and asks people to click on the name of their favorite presenter. When they do, again, a pre-populated tweet opens up that says something like, "Hey [name], I'm really looking forward to meeting you at [event]."

4. Affiliate Tweets

Write up 10-15 different tweets that promote your product or event, and put them on a blog page or in an email. All people have to do is add their affiliate link to the tweets you've crafted, and they can then easily be shared. The easier you make things, the more likely people are to share! You can use this same strategy even if you don't have affiliates, but have other offerings that you want your audience to help you promote.

5. Custom Tweets

Social share buttons such as Digg Digg have been around for awhile, but when people use them, they promote only the specific page or post the person is on. But you may not want the person driving traffic to the page they are on, such as on the page with information on hotels for an event that is being promoted.

The solution is to craft custom tweets, and then embed that code on any page. This enables you to include a link to the page you want people to go to, regardless of the page they tweeted from. This also gives great social proof because instead of having several Twitter buttons with smaller tweet counts, when you use the widget, the tweet count is aggregated.

Hashtags

In the final third of the show, Michael dove deep into how to best use Hashtags on Twitter, as well as shared some of his favorite Twitter tools.

On this episode of the Online Marketing Made Easy Podcast, I share with you some insight I’ve recently discovered about myself. It’s something that I’ve always known on some level, but I’ve just recently really owned it and started to be actively aware of it. I decided to share it with you, because maybe you can relate.

Here’s the deal. Sometimes my mind is a pretty scary place to live as a result of the stories that I create  about my experiences. When I’m in my head, these stories are completely true and real, but in reality, they are just perceptions.

As an example, in the early years of my business if I promoted something and it didn’t go as well as I thought it should, the story that would play in my mind was that I’m just not as good as my peers, that I didn’t have what it takes to be a success, that I’m in over my head, and that I should have never left Tony Robbins. These stories crushed my confidence!

Now that I’m more aware of these stories, I try to spend as much time as possible in the present moment, where life is actually happening, rather than focusing on these stories that I’ve made up. This approach has helped me quiet fears, doubts, and worries as they pop up as I’m building my business.

I’m sharing this with you because these stories are something we all have to deal with from time to time. Because of that, I invited my good friend and mentor, Marie Forleo, founder of B-School, best selling author and the creator of the award-winning web show MarieTV.com, back to the show as my first repeat guest.

I specifically asked Marie to come on the show to explore these mindset pitfalls, because Marie is not only a marketing pro,  she also has a great way of pulling you out of your head and into the present moment where things tend to look very different than they do in our minds.

Marie and I discuss the following three mindset pitfalls that entrepreneur’s tend to face as they’re building their business:

#1: How Do I Deal with the Competition?

Competition can be destructive, especially when you’re first starting out and are vulnerable. It can cause a downward spiral that Marie refers to as “the comparison hangover.”

You may be tempted to look at someone else’s videos, Facebook Page, Twitter stream and so on and feel like you’ll never get there. The comparison hangover can make people feel like crap and some people even use it to take themselves out of the game.

But competition is actually a very positive thing that can fuel you and drive you to succeed. It can be a healthy form of peer pressure that can actually push you to strive for more.

One thing I learned when I was working with Tony Robbins is that it’s important to surround yourself with people who are more successful than you so that it motivates you to strive to do even better. While you’re doing so, it’s important to remind yourself that they used to be right where you are and didn’t attain their level of success overnight.

It’s up to each of us to pay attention to these signals and the type of story we’re making up in our minds regarding our competition, and choose to make competition a positive thing.

#2: How Do I Deal with Criticism in My Business?

If criticism shows up on the doorstep of your blog or your Facebook Page, it’s important to deal with it head on. In many cases, critics just want to be heard, so if you acknowledge them and their point of view, and tell them you respect where they’re coming from and perhaps even find a point in their criticism that you agree with and acknowledge it, it works wonders.

By doing so, you completely disarm them and open up a dialogue. When you respond with something like, “I completely agree with you on that point” or “I can really see where you’re coming from,” both of you may actually end up learning something!

Naturally, we’re not talking about rude and tasteless comments or things that are sexually offensive, but criticism where someone is legitimately upset or doesn't agree with your point of view.

Marie shared a saying that is important to remember:

All human communication is either a loving response or a cry for help. [Tweet This]

This perception is a very helpful tool for all of us to remember. When someone’s criticism is a cry for help, showing respect and acknowledging them can really help.

In addition to this, constructive criticism – if you don’t shy away from it – can make you better in the same way that competition can. It can help you to raise your game and grow considerably.

Now remember, we’re not talking about rude comments on YouTube where people criticize your appearance or things that have no basis in truth.
Another tip is that when someone criticizes you, take a look at what they’ve created in their own life or business. People who are truly successful themselves are unlikely to hatefully critique someone else, especially online.

#3: How Do I Deal with a Lack of Follow Through?

Follow through is one of the most important lessons that Marie has ever learned. She shared some thoughts from a friend of hers and one of her favorite authors, Steven Pressfield.

It’s important to ask yourself, “Am I operating like an amateur or a pro?” It’s a simple question, but the answer is profound and changes everything.

Amateurs are people who show up every now and then, flake on their commitments, don’t take their work seriously and are more likely to get lost in things like addiction, drama, negativity, or eating constantly. They may have a lot to do, but have a ton of excuses about why it doesn’t get done.

We all know amateurs and in fact have all been an amateur at some time in our lives.

In contrast, a pro is someone who shows up no matter what, who gets results no matter what, and figures out how to make things work. Pros take themselves seriously and are dependable.

A pro is different from a perfectionist. Pros produce no matter what, even if it can’t be done perfectly. For example, if a pro has made a commitment to publish content a certain day of the week, death is about the only thing that could keep it from happening. A pro also understands that the only way to get good at something is to do it consistently.

If you’re struggling with perfectionism, focus more on the actual content, rather than the bells and whistles that are nice to have, but not 100% necessary.

It also helps to get things started, knowing that everything is going to be an iteration. For example, when you initially release a course, it may not be just the way you want it to be, but you can keep making improvements.

This is what Marie did when she first launched B-School, her online school for modern entrepreneurs. B-School has now been out for five years, and has grown into a comprehensive soup to nuts program that changes people’s lives.

This episode of the Online Marketing Made Easy Podcast is all about some of the big business lessons I learned last year and that I'm taking with me into this New Year.

I call them lessons, but really they were big wins that just really worked well that you can apply to your own online business.

In this episode, here’s what we’ll cover:

• Why you should create a year-long promotional calendar

• The importance of documenting all planned promotional emails

• How I earn the right to promote my programs

• How to know when to say no to opportunities

• How to do more with less

• My revenue in 2013

• How I optimized my online programs

• What to do if you're just starting out in your business and don't know what to focus on

• The importance of focusing on one big project at a time

• How to create marketing funnels for increased revenue

• My experience (both good and bad) with masterminds

• And so much more!