I know I have talked about copy many times. But can you blame me? It’s a hot topic!

Many of you that are growing your business online or have been growing your business for a while now still struggle with copy.

Believe me, I get it. I have definitely struggled for years with writing good copy for my business. And when I finally felt like I got that "copy mojo," things started to become easier in every aspect of my business.

That's why I'm so excited to bring you my guest today -- Nikki Elledge Brown. Along with being a proud military spouse, a mom, and a former park ranger, she's an amazing communicator and businesswoman. Nikki went from teaching communications at college-level to running a business that broke multiple six figures in under 18 months. (Wow, right?)

And the heart of her business is teaching entrepreneurs (like you and me) how to write their own copy, better than ever!

Nikki's approach to copy is putting it into "recipes." Sales pages, blog posts, video scripts, About pages...she breaks them all down into specific, doable steps that make copywriting easier than a "just add water" cake mix!

Today's show is packed with ridiculously simple recipes for every piece of copy you'll ever have to write, along with a few to help with your mindset around copywriting.

Stuff like...

• How to write with purpose
• The value of YOUR voice (+ how to use it in your copy)
• Sales page tips (how to make it easy for people to buy from you)
• Sample blog post recipe
• Sample blog VIDEO recipe
• How to write a great headline in under 10 minutes
• What to do when you're not sure what to write about
• How to avoid sharing TMI (too much information)
• How to master your mindset around copywriting

Nikki also put together our freebie today, which is--you guessed it--a "recipe book" of copywriting formulas. Click here to get it now!

As I mentioned, Nikki has built a hugely successful business in an amazingly short amount of time on her way with words. She had over 90 new clients sign up with her in her first two months of business!

And in her words, the key to this kind of growth is not just being good at helping others communicate, but being able to communicate her own brand clearly to potential clients.

"You are losing money if you aren’t communicating effectively."

Find out Nikki's recipes for maximizing your revenue potential with easier-than-ever techniques for communicating with your audience. Her free PDF is about to become your copywriting "Joy of Cooking"--an indispensable guide to everything you'll ever need to write for your business. Click here to get it now!

What a difference a tweak makes!

If you've spent any time on this blog (or podcast) in recent weeks, you know how firmly I stake my belief in webinars. Webinars offer a platform that lets you connect with people on an entirely new, personal level you just don’t get with most marketing strategies.

And what other marketing strategy can offer the opportunity for consistent on-the-spot revenue?

If you’ve done successful webinars in the past and are looking to make even bigger revenue, OR if you’ve never done webinars before or maybe have just dabbled with them in the past, today is going to be quite a pleasant surprise.

Starting with this number: $62,000

As the title says, just three little webinar-related tweaks made a $62,000 difference in my bottom line. I knew they'd have an impact, but the size of that number surprised even me.

See, I knew there were aspects of my webinar strategy that could use a shot in the arm.

• I wanted more sales generated from my webinars
• I wanted more people to show up live during my webinars
• I wanted to attract a new audience and grow my email list with the webinars.

Whenever you want to reach a new goal, you know some parts of your strategy are going to have to change.

So I set to work making adjustments, starting with:

Tweak #1: The Sales Page

This might surprise you, but I always do a sales page for any promotion I put together. Where some people might drive webinar attendees right to their product order form, my style is to give people extra information, especially if they are on the fence.

In the past we used to send people directly from the webinar to the sales page to read all about the product and then buy. But over time, we realized I wasn’t getting as many sales on the webinar as I had thought I should.

And that's how this simple tweak came about. I still use the sales page, but I'm using it smarter. That single change resulted in instant sales from the very next webinar, as well as a bigger boost of those instant sales.

(Click here to listen to the full episode and find out the simple tweak that boosted instant webinar sales!)

Tweak #2: More Webinars During Promotion

I want to give a shout-out to a member of the mastermind I used to be in. He's the one who suggested this tweak to me.

He said if webinars work really well for me, I should be capitalizing on that.

This idea--do more of what's already working for you--was so simple, it was revolutionary.

In the past, I'd do one webinar for each promotion. But at his suggestion, I stepped up my game.

It took a while for this tweak to hit its stride. But once it did, I saw amazing results.

Tweak #3: Facebook Ads

This is one I learned from my amazing coach, Todd Herman.

I found that when I'm running Facebook ads for a webinar promo to a cold audience that probably doesn’t know much about me, that ad needs to look a whole lot different than an ad to a warm audience (my fan base, my own email list, or a retargeting list).

Here are some examples:

The warm-audience ad

The warm-audience ad is more "talky" and personable. It has a lot more of my branding in it, in terms of colors and design. These people already know me and like me, so it plays on that familiarity we have.

Compare that to...

The cold-audience ad

The cold-audience doesn't have a lot of branding to it. The text is short, punchy and blatant: "This is what we have going on, sign up here." Because this audience doesn't know me, I keep it much more generic.

Find out more about how to tailor your Facebook ads to different audiences. Click here to listen to the whole episode.

One More Thing

One other huge change I made last year that has been a game-changer in terms of webinar attendance is an email series I call the Pre-Webinar Onboarding Sequence. This series of emails starts the minute you register for a webinar, and it's become an integral part of my brand.

You'll get a lot more info about this email sequence (and how to make it your own) if you sign up for my upcoming free Master Class! You'll also get stories, case studies, and a lot more knowledge about how to make webinars work for your business. Click here to register now!

I love these opportunities to answer your questions directly. And lately, the questions have swirled around a specific theme. (It seems we're all on a very similar wavelength right now!)

What's the theme, you ask?

How to grow your business to the next level. 

Whether you're just getting started or have been in business for years, the steps that take you from where you are to where you want to go remain pretty consistent.

In other words, we have a lot in common, you and I.

Question #1: What is the first thing you do before you start a brand new project?

The answer here may surprise you...unless, of course, you've participated in one of my programs in the past couple years. (I kind of can't shut up about it.) It's incredibly simple and incredibly effective cornerstone of every project that makes my process absolutely fly by. I can't live without it.

...and neither should you! Sign up for my free training to own this strategy for yourself!

Question #2: What is the biggest struggle in your business right now?

Glad you asked. This is something I've been thinking a lot about. It feels like I'm missing something important in my team--some vital role isn't being filled. As a result, it feels like there's a "chokehold" in my business.  After much deliberation, I think I've figured out what it is.

Question #3: What’s one challenge you have overcome this year?

I am really proud of this answer. (And guess what? It involves you.) And in overcoming this challenge, I've learned that it's not always a matter of changing something in order to make the challenge go away. Sometimes it's a matter of changing the way you look at the challenge.

Question #4: I've noticed you haven’t been traveling much lately. Why the change?

Aren't you observant? It's true--I've scaled way back on the travel commitments. And no, I didn't develop a fear of flying or lose my interest in participating in big events. Instead, it was a shift in my focus, and a commitment to doing even better at the things I do best.

Question #5: When you were first starting out did you feel a bit alone in your business?

Not at first--I was so relieved to be out of the busy corporate environment, a little isolation was fine. But over time, yes, I felt the need for more company in my solo-preneurship. Feeling alone squashes your creativity...so don't go there! (Click here to listen to the full episode, where I break down my strategy for keeping good company.)

Next time you're networking with a group of entrepreneurs, keep your ears peeled for a certain word floating above the conversation.

The word is "mastermind," and it's a concept that is trickling down from the multimillion-dollar start-up set to homegrown entrepreneurs like you and me.

If you're not familiar with the term, the term "mastermind" can have a very "Great and Powerful Oz" sound about it. Simply put, a mastermind is a small, very focused group of business owners who meet regularly to sharpen and strengthen their business strategies.

One of the biggest advocates around for mastermind groups is Jaime Tardy, founder of EventualMillionaire.com. Jaime is the kind of person anyone would want in their mastermind group--she has razor-sharp focus, unwavering commitment to her goals, an insatiable appetite to learn...and she's also a lot of fun to talk with!

Jaime joined me this week to talk all things mastermind, and the takeaway is hugely informative. If you've been thinking about creating or joining a mastermind, or even if this is the first time you've the term, this episode is going to spell out exactly what the benefits are, what kind of mastermind you should be looking for, and how to conduct operations once you get started.

Jaime also put together a worksheet for forming your own mastermind, complete with email scripts for contacting potential members. Click here to download it so you can get started right away!

Should I Pay to Join a Mastermind?

There are lots of opportunities out there to join an existing mastermind for a subscription fee. I did this early in my business, and it was helpful...but Jaime says that the most valuable masterminds don't involve money changing hands.

"Peer masterminds," as they're sometimes called, have these advantages over paid groups:

• You have equal say to everyone else in the group--no single person is controlling it.
• They tend to last longer than paid subscription-based groups.
• It's easier to form true friendships with others in the mastermind.

Should My Mastermind Only Have People from My Niche?

Definitely not! Jaime is in a mastermind with a financial advisor, an internet marketer, and a professional sword swallower! What they do have in common is a high regard for systems and processes, and a level of success that they're trying to reach.

"You have heard the quote, 'You are the average of the five people that surround you.' We want the level of just about everyone else in the group to be about the same, or at least have different niches of what they can talk about. You want to make sure that each person has an expertise that other people could use."

It's also a good idea to reach out to at least one or two people who are way more experienced or profitable than you currently are. These people will raise the bar on the meetings and bring insight that could take you months (or years!) to achieve. These people should be at the top of your list to invite to your mastermind...even if it's a little scary to reach out to them.

"If it scares you, that’s a good thing. You are going to be creating something that you can have for three to five years. This group could help your business make so much money. Yes, you might be super scared to email them once. But what’s the worst that will happen?"

What Happens in a Mastermind Meeting?

You can organize a mastermind meeting in any way that makes sense, but here is the rough outline that Jaime's mastermind uses:

First 15 minutes: The group goes around on the call and shares their wins from the previous week. Whether it's making a million dollars or cleaning off their desk, no victory is too small to share.

"We are always looking forward, and never realize the amazing stuff that we are already accomplishing. So being able to share that lets us all rejoice in each other’s wins. And it is really inspiring."

30-40 minutes: Each week, one member takes the hot seat with a specific issue they're facing in their business. They bring any collateral or examples that can help inform the members about the issue--they might even email everyone ahead of time. The rest of the group will weigh in on the issue and offer their unique expertise to solve the problem.

"You can bring whatever you want to the hot seat. You talk about it and at the end you usually have some sort of clarity or direction to go in whether it be a resource, something to try, being introduced to a person. That makes a huge difference."

Final 10-20 minutes: The group selects the next member to take the hot seat for the following week. With the others' help, the upcoming member reviews his/her goals for the quarter, so that the group can help them solve a problem that gets them closer to that goal.

"As entrepreneurs, we can get really distracted. We are trying to make sure that our actions actually align with what we want. That is when you see massive progress."

How Do I Know if My Mastermind Is Working?

The same way you know if any relationship is working--if you feel mostly positive effects from being involved with it.

There are definitely masterminds that are not a good fit for you, that just don't offer what you're looking to get out of it.

Or perhaps it's going great for you, but someone else in the mastermind is routinely late to meetings, participates minimally, or contributes negative energy.In either case, a few meetings is usually all it takes to know that something's not working right.

"The level of commitment matters. If it doesn’t, people are not going to feel like they are getting value from it, and they will start backing off or will quit. And then it starts to feel icky."

Get Jaime's insights for keeping your mastermind on track! Click here to listen to the full interview now.  

Commit to Your Own Success

It can take one or two tries to find the right group of people for your mastermind. But from my own experience, I can tell you that my entire business changed when I finally locked into the right group.

I want you to have the same experience, so if this is something you have been thinking about for a while, commit to yourself:

"In 30 days I will have created my own small mastermind of five people."

Best of all, forming your mastermind is so incredibly easy if you follow Jaime's step-by-step worksheet. Click here to download it now!

If you’ve sought out training to help you build your business, or tracked the success of other entrepreneurs, you have firsthand experience of the power webinars have to not only engage and excite an audience, but to convert them to into paying clients.

Maybe you’ve even been one of those people who signed up for a webinar to get a little free education, and ended up making a purchasing decision that you were genuinely excited about!

So why does the idea of putting on your own webinar have you quaking in your boots?

Let me guess...

• You don’t mind a little grunt work, but you doubt your ability to string together all that technology.

• You love the idea of delivering content in a highly personal way to your audience, but you hate the idea of a sales pitch at the end.

• You’ve got a foolproof concept in mind . . .  however, you’re not sure how you’ll pull together an audience since your email list and sales funnel are still a work in progress.

Busy entrepreneurs (like you and me) don’t have a SECOND to waste on activities that aren’t directly linked to profit. If you’ve ever tried creating a webinar before, you know that sinking feeling of waiting, as the seconds tick by, for your sales to pick up speed. (Ugh! It’s the worst, isn’t it?)

In my experience, I’ve found that four major myths are to blame for a poor conversion rate.

I’m going to debunk those myths for you, and show you how to replace them with truly effective practices that will not only reward all your hard work, but have you out of your chair with excitement.

Myth #1: Webinars are just a marketing strategy (and not a whole system).

What most entrepreneurs think of as “webinars” is really just a small fraction of what they really entail.

Most view webinars as just the presentation component. In fact, the presentation constitutes no more than 15% of an entire, well-integrated webinar STRATEGY.

A truly effective webinar strategy involves 5 Key Stages (planning, pre, live, post, automated), all of which MUST be executed in perfect harmony in order for cash to change hands at the end of your presentation.

In short, a webinar isn’t a single tactic, but an entire system with many moving parts, specific timelines, and delicate levers to pull.

My webinar system is so much more than just a set of slides pulled together in a presentation deck.

Specifically, my webinar system includes strategic content designed to be precisely aligned with my paid program.  It also includes a list building component, an email marketing plan, a technology strategy, a focus on scarcity and engagement, special Q&A sessions to eliminate objections and so much more.

And when everything lines up perfectly, your business grabs hold of an effective, efficient sales machine that acts as the backbone of your business and gives you the opportunity to grow, scale and automate at will.

Myth # 2: Webinars are a TON of effort and involve too much expensive technology.

True. Webinars AREN’T simple.

But that doesn’t mean they can’t be relatively easy when met with the right A-Z blueprint that leaves nothing to chance.

From pairing together the most affordable/reliable technology to knowing exactly how many email follow-ups to send to maximize conversions, a step-by-step blueprint can take an otherwise COMPLEX strategy and make it attainable for even the most time-starved solopreneur.

And for the business owner that possesses such a blueprint, the “complexity” of running a profitable webinar actually becomes a huge competitive advantage, giving them the unique chance to be the FIRST in their space to use webinars effectively.

Just to name a few, some of the best webinar platforms (for both live and automated webinars) include GoToWebinar, Google Hangouts, Easy Webinar, Webinar Jam, Stealth Seminar and Evergreen Business Systems. I want to engourage you to check a few out to see what might be a great fit for your webinar plans.

And on a final note, YES, executing a webinar strategy requires effort…but you’ve already proven that you’re willing to put in effort--you just need the reassurance of knowing that every bit of energy you put into your business will come back to you tenfold.

What you CAN’T afford to do is waste time and energy in perpetual “figure it out” mode.

Myth #3 - I’m fine; I learned about webinars a few years ago.

While it’s awesome that you got a head start on webinar marketing a few years back, the very same early mover advantage can EASILY become a major detriment to you and your biz if you fail to embrace the MANY factors of success that have changed over the years.

Audiences have changed…

Attention spans have changed… (Thanks, Netflix.)

Technology has changed…

Customer buying habits have changed…

Presentation practices have changed… (There were a few things you were taught to say on a call a few years ago that are now surefire ways to make your viewers hit self-eject.)

And how we go about GETTING people to show up on the call (and buy after the fact) has changed as well.

Hint: It’s not enough to just invite your audience to the webinar and hope they show up. There are very specific things you MUST do to not only make sure they show up, but show up in a highly focused and engaged state. (Click here to download my freebie and discover exactly what I do to ensure I always get a strong webinar turnout when I go live on my webinars.)

So when you add it all up, there’s very little you can bank on from the tactics of years past if you want to succeed in the shifting paradigm of webinar strategy.

Which quickly helps us dispel our next myth…

Myth #4 - It’s too late. I already missed the boat on webinars.

Sure, you missed the boat on webinars as a tactic…

…but there’s always another boat coming!

And that next boat is...wait for it...

Webinars as a COMPLETE sales funnel.

And if you’re reading this post RIGHT NOW, then you’re in a unique position to catch wind of this new strategic approach before anyone else in your niche does, and in doing so, claim your stake in the rich blue ocean ripe with sizeable and scalable profits.

So chances are that even if your competitors are already using webinars (the old way), you can gain a competitive advantage by being the FIRST to build a complete webinar funnel based on the proven frameworks, techniques, and strategies that I’m about to share with you.

Keep reading . . . now that you know the 4 webinar myths, I've created a DETAILED, free cheat sheet to help you with your first (or next!) webinar . . .

My wish for you is to sidestep the countless traps that make most webinars epic disasters, and instead learn how to create a masterpiece.

I’ve been doing webinars for over 5 years now and I’ve made MANY mistakes along the way. You don’t need to do the same! I’ve compiled a list of 5 of my biggest webinar mistakes over the years and how to avoid them before your first (or next!) webinar. Click here now to get that list!