I asked a question recently, to see if people really caught on to my concept. Over the past year I decided to make some changes to the way I blog; the way I write online has taken a major turn.
People do not find and absorb content online in the same way they did 5 or 10 years ago. Dare I say the game has changed? So I asked last week how…
How do you get people’s attention online?
If you have watched some of my training videos or if you are on my training list, you have seen me talk about this. My old system advised people to “just tell a story.” Well, to get people’s attention with the written word you have to do more than that now.
I have believed and shared for some time now that we are not in an information age anymore. We have entered an experience age. Now, as content creators and marketers, we have to create an experience to get and keep an audience.
So I asked the question, “How do you get people’s attention online?” One person actually answered the question with, “Ask short questions on Facebook.” Yes exactly that is how you get people’s attention in this experience age.
You see most of us feel compelled to answer the question. It’s like a trigger in our minds that we just have to respond. Some have to get in on the conversation and type out a response but almost everyone at least answers the question in their minds…
Questions can be both good and bad. You see, some will come out strong with emotion when they see a question. Others will show a real side of limited beliefs. Others will jump to a wisdom point and look at the question from all sides.
Now before you think, “Hey, Tim, great idea!” I must state I did not come up with this myself. Many skilled marketers are using it. What I want to do today is help you with the process of using the questions I have asked on Facebook over the past week to explain the good and bad. Maybe I can help you with some pointers on how you can use this new way to market and create content online.
Some people over-analyze the question. Others are quick to judge. But I ask, did you see the truth in the question?
This should have been a stop and think moment for you. This was posted after a question that many people were getting wrong. Some of the most brilliant minds in the world will tell you the first thought or instinct that comes to mind is usually the right one. Well I also know the first thing that comes to mind will usually tell a lot about you.
Over the years I have learned to stop and think before speaking. After all we have two ears and one mouth. Most people who jump to answer without thinking on some questions really put their foot in their mouth. Trust me, as a young adult I did this so much I felt like the village idiot.
Maybe I should show you how to use these questions people are asking to help build a better life and business for yourself.
Many marketers are using this idea and on sites like LinkedIn, you may be able to keep straight robot format of business only. I use Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. They show a human side in my marketing. Studies have shown that people trust people who curse, who share real emotion and struggles. That is why I use these sites more to attract. Let’s use this as a place to share another question I asked.
Do you have purpose in all that you do?
Over the past few months I have recently connected with two business coaches on Facebook who, using the “two ears vs one mouth idea,” you can figure they are like robots. They always ask serious business questions that, no matter what answer you give, provides them an opening to sell that you need their business.
Yes, it’s brilliant, but I do not believe everyone needs my business solution; I help a select group of people and want to target to work with that select group. I’m not just looking for people so I can just make my NLP pitch and raise my numbers.
So I ask some fun questions and some serious questions. Some that my mother will jump on me for. Others that will make my mother laugh. Again some will judge, some will think…
Some of the fun questions I ask are to see a real side of people, like the question about the 70s song from Steve Miller Band.
In the song, “Take the Money and Run,” who took the money and ran?
This is a fun question to see who actually remembers the song. Some answers tell me people did what I expected: they started singing the song. They fill in the lyrics to the song. They talk about where they were when they heard it last. And some actually head to Amazon or iTunes and download the song.
Does your cat or dog snore?
This is one of the greatest things you can use to attract and build an audience online: Cats, Dogs, Cooking, and Golf, are the four big niches for blogging online. Make your blog and online content around these four and you can build a gold mine in content marketing. So I ask cat questions. Since including my cat in many of my online photos and stories, I have watched subscriptions and sales increase over 25%. And, yes, I love my cat. He is not just a business asset to me, although I still think I’m going to create a blog for my cat.
But let me get to the last two questions and the purpose behind them.
What if I told you there was no wrong answer?
I asked this question online to see who in my world thinks before they speak. My business is helping people create online content centered around a blog. A great blog is created by people who put serious thought into it. A great blog has purpose behind it to get followers to your business and create loyal raving fans who become raving customers, who tell the world about you.
So many people jumped to add an opinion to this question; only a few actually thought this through and then wondered. One of the people who I consider family is Maurice DiMino and he always tells me my questions cause him to sit back and think. That is the purpose. And guess what: just like Jeopardy this question had a perfect answer. For those whose response to this question with, “That would depend on what the question is,” got it right. It was not a blanket statement to say there is no right answer; it’s a statement that should make you think before answering.
Which brings me to my final question and why I wanted to create this post today. A question that is so related to anything we do in business.
What is the cost of organic traffic?
Now this was a thinker and tricky question. So many are asking questions on social media sites to create organic traffic. If you are like most people, you believe organic traffic is the same thing as FREE traffic. You see, my idea of getting people to come from my Facebook over here to my site is an idea to create organic traffic. BUT it’s not FREE. You see, when asking, “Does everything you do have a purpose?” I had a purpose to create this blog post, to attract the right people here to read it.
It’s not free because, a few hours of my time was put into this marketing plan, and while some think it’s free, your time is the most expensive asset you own. Once you use time up no money in the world can buy that time back.
So when people ask, “What is the cheapest way to get traffic to my site?” I stand behind my statement on targeted ads. Just like the Super Bowl has some of the most creative ads because they know the audience that is watching, you finding where your audience is and learning how to write ads to get those eyes to check out your content is going to be the cheapest way.
No matter what you do, whether trying to get organic traffic or paid traffic, they both cost!! No matter if you learn how to use SEO to get people to your site or ask questions on Facebook or use paid advertisements with Google ads, Facebook ads, etc., you are going to pay. It’s going to take an investment on your part to make it work.
So if you want to learn more ways to get traffic to your site, from asking questions to using advertisements, check out the training we do on Rock Around Your Blog. Sign up for the trainings on asking questions and other ways to get traffic off social media and connect with you.
Tim Gillette is the Creator of The Rock’N’Roll Keys to Business Success, using music, motorcycles and mentorship to create Entrepreneurs who lead. To find out more about upcoming webinars sign up here . Free Online Training that Rocks.
