Joey Ragona | Strategic Business Academy

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Author: Joey Ragona

Spark Entrepreneurship

ReThink How You Build Your Business

I CAN'T TELL YOU how much I love this video, because it makes me rethink about how to help you build your business:

Check it out:

Here's my take on it:

OF course, the messages inside we've heard before…we've seen the quotes, we've shared them, we've told others the same thing…

Yet, most of us just exist on this planet. We don't LIVE.

And it totally relates to how your build your business

When I started coaching, I quickly got a reputation for telling people they needed to quit their job. “Go to Joey and he's gonna tell you to quit.”

Not because I'm insensitive to your financial situation, but because I want you to see reality in what you SAY you want to do.

However, there's WAY more behind that which I won't get into here… if you want to have a chat about it, I'm open for that because all I want is for you to be FREE and LIVE…

But this isn't about me – or my coaching “program”.

It's just me calling you out.

Because I DON'T want you to have to take a vacation from your job…if you have to do that, in my mind, something's not right.

This is about you…about what you truly want to do and how much pushing it back year after year is costing you. “When X happens…” is a bullshit excuse…just be real – “I'm scared shitless, and don't believe in myself.”

THAT's the hard truth.

If you've read this far and you're starting to breathe heavier through your nostrils because I've stirred up some emotion – some defensive reaction because you believe “well, YOU don't know my situation…”, good.

But get over it.

EVERYONE has a “situation.”

And you and me have shared those videos as well; videos of total domination overcoming whatever situation is at hand. A person with no arms swimming in competition…people with MD running marathons…it goes on and on…

And do you know WHY they did it?

Because they BELIEVED in themselves – AND – NOTHING, not anyone would stop them…AND, they have a place in their heart to do what they LOVE….

Live my friend.

And build your business – one that SUITS your life!

What do YOU think? Let me know below!

Market Your Product

Social Media Strategy for Business Uncovered

Every week a client wants to look over and “tweak” their social media strategy for business…

More than likely, it’s because they’ve talked to someone who’s “crushing” it on [X] platform.

This is a huge problem.

Because it pulls them away from “crushing” what they’re already doing.

With ANY social media strategy for business, it’s probable that you won’t see ANY immediate results.

Which leads the entrepreneur down the path of finding “something that works better, faster.”

And THAT leads to inconsistency.

Trust me on this one. I know what I’m talking about here…don’t ask me how 😉

It’s improbable that your social media strategy for business includes every form of advertising

Yet, I see so many entrepreneurs trying this very strategy.

Of all the successful online marketing stories, the entrepreneur focused on ONE sales channel and used it to cut through the competition because they were bouncing around from this to that.

I’m not saying put all your eggs in one basket either.

Mastering 1-3 social media channels is your best use of time right now, IMO.

I’ve had clients tell me that “Twitter doesn’t work”, but when I asked them what they’re doing there, it’s minimal and sporadic.

This post isn’t about “how” to use each of the social media channels, but we need to understand the context of each in order to utilize the power behind it.

AND THAT’S THE PROBLEM when entrepreneurs approach their social media strategy for business…

They are spreading themselves too thin and not learning how to master ONE social media strategy at a time.

Once you have ONE sales/social media channel mastered, move on to the next one.

Because you can’t spend ALL your time on just ONE source – that’s like a stool with only one leg, right?

Your Social Media Strategy For Business Balancing Act

All in all, this is about a balancing act.

As an entrepreneur, start by thoroughly mastering ONE social media channel. Preferably one that your audience/prospects “listen to” and engage with. (I know, I’m speaking to the choir here)

Second, do the same thing with social media channels 2 and 3.

As you begin to dominate these channels, it will be like you’re “everywhere” when you really don’t have to be.

Let's keep the conversation going…any thoughts?

Write Copy That Sells

Facebook Ad Help: How to get your Facebook Ad Approved

Every once in a while we all need Facebook ad help, am I right?

This week I set out to conquer a consulting client’s ad campaign that was getting disapproved over and over.

The First Thing You Should Know When Looking for Facebook Ad Help

Although their advertising policies directions aren’t the best, they ARE there to help you and me.

I’ve read them more than a few times, and STILL missed this:

Here’s a pic of the ad that was disapproved:

Can you see where I messed up?

The Best Facebook Ad Help From the Inside

I have to say, chatting with a Facebook Ad rep this time was really helpful.

He pointed out that my wording was targeting “attributes” of my prospects.

In other words, I was “calling them out”.

But that’s what I’m used to – it’s what I teach all my consulting clients in direct marketing…

But it will REALLY mess you up when you’re doing Facebook ads.

So here’s the ad I fixed that “won” the approval of the compliance team:

Can you see the subtle differences?

I'm no longer “speaking” to a specific person – it could be anyone.

That's what I gather Facebook wants…

So props to the Facebook dude who helped with this wording too….

I totally learned something.

So Here’s the Facebook Ad Help Summary:

When you’re doing any ads for Facebook, ensure you’re not targeting a specific “person” in the ad.

That’s what I’m gathering.

It’s the polar opposite of how you and me would write a sales letter, design a landing page, etc.

As you can see from the ad above that “won”, it’s “kinda” targeting ANYONE – which goes against all direct marketing rules, right?

However, you CAN still PLACE the ad in front of targeted audiences ;).

Peace!

What’d you think? Have any comments, thoughts, ideas?

Let’s start a conversation below!

Market Your Product

Digital Marketing Challenges That Make You Successful

At first, I wasn’t so sure I should share my digital marketing challenges, defeats and failures with you…

But then I read this passage in Seth Godin’s Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us

So here's one of my latest digital marketing challenges:

You’re looking at a screenshot of a failed email sales funnel –

ZERO sales.

Money put into advertising to get people into the funnel.

And I was wrong. So far.

Which is cool.

Because it’s not fatal – even though I’ve spent money getting people into the funnel – one of the biggest digital marketing challenges you and I will have.

As a result, I’ve discovered something is just not right about the funnel.

Maybe it’s the offer – perhaps it’s the lead magnet – could be it’s not in front of the right audience…

I think it was Dan Kennedy who said that it’s usually not the offer we need to change, it’s the AUDIENCE in which we put the offer in FRONT OF, that needs to change.

Seth Godin also points out “the secret of being wrong isn’t to avoid being wrong – the secret is being willing to be wrong.”

I’m SO ok with being wrong because eventually, I’ll be right, and help others like I intended to in the first place.

I share these digital marketing challenges with the consulting clients I’m building these funnels for also – I’m not hiding the fact that things don’t ALWAYS work out – because that’s the reality.

If there were shortcuts in life – a magic button to avoid all the risk and pain of growing our businesses, wouldn’t you think there’d be MORE entrepreneurs than there are people living in the status quo – “safe and sound”? (read: sarcasm)

What about you? Are you willing to step out of the status quo and be wrong about something?

You and me will be in some great company; Steve Jobs, Isaac Newton…the list goes on and on.

Let’s have a conversation about our digital marketing challenges below !

Spark Entrepreneurship

An Open Letter to Entrepreneurs for Overcoming Procrastination

Today’s April Fools and this is no joke about overcoming procrastination…

Because someone's gonna catch it sooner or later..

Page 2 – yea TWO – of my new book has a major typo!

Here it is:

This has everything to do with overcoming procrastination, and I’ll get to it in a minute.

But most importantly, HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?

I had a publisher – AND an editor!

Truth is, I had my dirty hands formatting the final version of the book…

And just didn’t spell check that part.

Dumb, I know.

So it’s totally my fault…(and I feel really guilty for my editor)

Maybe you've seen it already and didn't know when the right time to tell me was…

I know that's how some friends and family felt until I acknowledged the mistake on my own.

But listen…

Here’s the reason I'm telling you this story about overcoming procrastination…

You would NEVER have seen the typo…

If I didn't WRITE and PUBLISH the dang book in the first place !!

We all want perfection – to never make a mistake.

We're scared of putting ourselves out there, exposing ourselves in case we mess up (like I just did).

We're petrified of being judged by others.

If that's you too, welcome to the club.

ANY kind of perfection holds us back my friend.

Your book will never get written, your business will never expand and grow..

You’ll never quit that job you hate and step into what makes you feel alive every day…

You’ll be stuck in mediocrity all your life, collapsing in your chair at the end of the week from disappointment, waiting for the perfect time – hoping things will change “next week”.

I learned from one my own coaches to “go for version 3” as a “cure” for overcoming procrastination.

In other words – don’t worry about the first 3 “versions” of something you put out there.

I’m not saying put out a piece of shit – try your best…

But get it out there.

In fact, it’s funny, because IN this book, one MY OWN coaching clients references “version 3” as his favourite thing he learned from ME 🙂

LOL – I’m just passin’ along the good stuff!

What are your thoughts? Do you have your own “cure” for overcoming procrastination? Let’s get a conversation going…

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