How to start a Facebook Ad campaign (Very quickly)

How to start a Facebook Ad campaign (easily... and by remodeling what's working)

"Model those who have come before you". The best of the best are repeatedly staying that you should not reinvent the wheel. Tony Robbins, master life coach, Russell Brunson, click funnels creator and even Virgin's Richard Bransen are all in agreement that the best approach is to see what's working, re-engineer that model and adapt for your own.  

Simple right?

So here are some easy ways for your to spy on your competition and see what sort of Facebook campaigns are working. 


1. Set up an Ad account for free

If for you and your business only -  
https://www.facebook.com/ads/manager.

If you wish to manage multiple accounts - https://business.facebook.com/

2. Use Adespresso.com to see how your competitors are advertising

https://adespresso.com/ads-examples/
Type in your keyword, or search by industry and learn how others in your field are advertising.



3. See what ads your competitor is running
Visit your competitors Facebook page. Locate the 3 dots (...) in the top right corner beside the share button

Click the drop down and select "View Ads". You can now see every ad that the company is currently running.


4. Spying on your competitors traffic sources

Use Spyfu.com - you receive 10 free credits if you stick in an email address. Have a look at the referral traffic for your competitors website. If a decent (and consistent) chunk is coming from Facebook, then you know they are getting a high click through rate from their ads... you could be onto something!

Now you've got a good idea on what's working for your target market, let's create the ad.

Click here for the post on setting up your first Facebook Ad

What's wrong with the business basics - Friday tips for small businesses

Basic business principles

I know that business has become more casual in the way that people do business.

No need for full shirt and tie, meet a prospect in a coffee shop, no problem. Email sign off as "cheers mate, chat soon" is also part of it now. I understand the trend towards "less formal" communication but yet there are some basic principles that I think are utterly important to have that we CANNOT compromise on!

Non-compromise 1:
Email address
When did it become acceptable to put a gmail address on your business card? What does it say about your business? That you are not really professional, that you are not really serious about what you do. It's a simple thing, but it can have a very big impact on trust. 

And it goes without saying that hotmail, yahoo, and any others are also not business accounts, they are personal accounts.

Non-Compromise 2:
Networking
There is so must involved in a simple networking interaction and there are many many books on the subject matter. I've noticed a lot of poor networking etiquette that is not doing the person, the company and their brand any favours.  

One networker goes.."Can I have you card?", you reply "Sorry, I only have a few left". 

Essentially you have just said that this person you are speaking with is not important to you! You're really giving him the 2 fingers. How do you think he feels? Do you think he is going to refer you to a potential prospect down the line? Does that person have good feelings about you and your company? Basic courtesy here is crucial.

Ok, but what happens if I meet a prospect, I need to keep my cards to give to them, to give to this person that actually might need my service. 

Come on.. really.. that's simple. You can take our your phone and either add them on Linkedin, or take down their email address as a note. Or you can say. "Hey, I think I might be able to help you with that project, I dont have any business cards left but would it be ok if i take down you telephone number and email." Done, easy! 

Non-Compromise 3:
It's not about you, it's about them
Remember that business is not about you. It's about the other person of whom you can help. It's about solving their problems. 

Don't try and ram your services down someone else's throat. People are wiser these days and don't respond well to direct salesy type of communication. Instead, ask them first what they do, dig deeper, be interested in them, and try to figure out their problems and how you can help them. Then your respond to them is tailored and relevant and they might even like what you say.

The basics are to listen first. To use an old cliche. "You have 2 ears and 1 mouth, use them in that ratio". 


Non-Compromise 4:
Follow up. 
Build your network and make connections. Even if you have nothing of note worthy to say, you should still send an email to that person to say, nice to chat to you. See you at the next event.

But if you want their business, this is a great opportunity to earn their trust. Do some research into their industry, find something that you think is valuable and that they would be interested in. Something that they can do to solve a problem that they have. You are not selling anything, but you are building rapport, becoming a thought leader, and building your case for them to become a client. 

That's all for now
..

Go get it done!
-GuruGav
No-Nonsense Marketing

Fun Friday - Actual Marketing tips to implement today

(Don't just take note and put it on the to-do list for next week)

This is not for Next weeks to-do list

ok..


Reach out - are you reaching out?

People are talking about RO marketing nowadays. Well what the hell does that mean. It's kinda like a new take on networking, building connections, and growing through referrals.

It mean you should reach out to people. People who you haven't spoken to in a while. Ask them how they are getting on and how their business is going. 

Is your mind focussed on reaching out you just might spot an opportunity. 

And not just to prospects.. reach out to old friends, ex-colleagues, old clients. Maybe they don't know that you have a company. Maybe they know someone that needs your services. If anything you are being nice and remaining top of mind. 

So go, reach out to 5 people.











Tip 2. 
Harness your craft. 

If you wanna be the best of the best give yourself time to become the best. There are skills you can always work on. Scripting, persuasion, sales videos. Try new things, put it out there and see what the reaction is.  

2 hours in the morning dedicate to harnessing your skills. If you can't give 2 hours, give 1 hour. If you cant give 1 hour, then set your alarm 2 hours earlier and do it

Get it done
-GuruGav

Marketing launchpad - the A-Z of what you need to do!

A - Ask your audience. People often undertake business ventures without ever asking the customer. "would you buy such a product/service"

B - Be yourself. Time and time again the best gurus in the world are repeating that the only way to be true to be comfortable is to devise your own method. Find a certain method/style that you like and adapt it for your own.  

C - Customer-centric - always have the customer in mind from the moment you start. 

D - Devise your plan - a plan of where you wanna get to is important. And now I don't want to see a 40 page business plan. That's so 1998! A simple plan that is actionable, that is ambitious, that is there is front of you every day as a guide. From my years of business I've learned that the you can get most of you plan onto 1 single page. 

E - Evaluate the market, the competitions. See whats happening, what is out there that you can make better

F - FOCUS - do not try and do everything at once. Pick a few tasks to focus on and hit the ground running. 

G - GOALS - set goals, SMART goals. We've all heard that acronyms a million times. but its true. Use it, its a good baseline for focusing your efforts. 

H - Hungry. be hungry for the sale. Persistence is king. Don't be afraid of "pissing someone off" or being self conscious. No-one really cares about you- that's the mentality you've got to have

I - Ideal Customer - everyone is referring to this now as the avatar. Do you know their needs, desires, deepest fears, problems, what keeps them up at night, what they eat for breakfast. Put yourself in their shoes. 

J - JUST DO IT - thanks Nike. In an era of procrastination, distraction, notifications, fear, and self consciousness. Nike has some great word of wisdom. Just do out there an get it done. 

K - Keep yourself moving. If you've tried one avenue and it isn't working, pivot and try something else. Life is about split testing. That essential how all great businesses start, trying one thing, learning, moving to the next, spotting an opportunity here. etc

L - Laymans - make sure that you keep everything simple. In laymen terms. The world is becoming too complicated and your clients will appreciate the simplicity of your offering and the clarity in which you can explain to them about how you can help. No jargon

M -mentality. This is the no1 thing that is going to decided your fate. Mentality separates the men from the boys. Most of the top sales coaches and marketing gurus work on mentality alone. they believe that the tools and tactics and strategy can be adopted by anyone. Anyone who approaches the work with the right mentality

N - Network . another valuable asset, and one which most people shy away from. Just get involved, speak to people. be kind and genuinely ask question about their business. If they are not a prospect, maybe then know someone who is. Build your bridges early. 

O - Open doors - open the door and introduce yourself. Don't be afraid to ring someone and ask them to meet you for coffee. 

P - Proof is in the pudding. When you start working with customers, make sure to document what you did along the way and the results you achieved. This will essentially be your sales pitch to the new prospect. 

Q - Quit the mind. The best of the best are all turning to meditation as a way to calm the mind and really focus on the task at hand. Try Headspace App

R - Reach Out - look at your network, your extended network. anyone who you think might be a prospect of know someone. reach out to them
Also reach out to old university friends, school friends and ex-colleagues. your never know when an opportunity might arise from a simple Linkedin "how are things" message. 

S - Sales funnels - understand the flow of your customers journey from initial phase through to sales. what are the trigger points/persuasion tools 

T - Time. Is a crucial best friend. use her wisely. Read the 4 hour work week if you wanna know how to be a critical time keeper, and master productivity player

U - Use the various tools at your disposal. Youtube videos for learning, sales funnels software, lead magnets, landing pages, SEO tools. etc

V - Value - make sure you continue to provide value at every point in time. Consider the value ladder. (if you don't know read Dotcom secrets) if you are not providing value to the client you don't really have leg to stand on. So some ground work and really figure out a solution that is going to solve their problem

W - Webinars. If you fancy yourself in front of the camera, this can be an amazing way to bring in new leads. 

X - X marks the spot. Set your eyes on the prize and go for it. sell, sell, sell. Always be selling. Frame you mind to be consistently scanning the environment for possible opportunities and prospects. all day every day. 

Y - You.. are the only one who can determine your success. Which means.. look after yourself. Don't forget about your family. Stay in touch with friends, and keep in good health. All these factors will contribute to your overall health, your mental health--> mental strength-->business success

Z - zzzzz. don't sleep. But visualize. If you visualize your success the action you take every day will seem familiar and you'll feel more comfortable. 

BOOM
Now, get it done!

complements of www.nononsensemarketing.ca

February Blues (Like a hangover from January)

February blues are the real blues!!! Because you've started the year with so much gusto, a fantastic plan, then you get swamped. You think, faaaaaack!! What happened to January, I had grand plans but how can I keep going like this.

If this is you, you need help. Taking the weight off the shoulders is the best thing you can do for yourself and your business. Work on your biz, not in it. (overused cliche I know)

We all start off Jan with great intentions. Ambitions to grow, to connect with new people, to bring on new clients. X and Y should be achieved and you should be on your way to a solid Feb. But something has happened. Its hasn’t come as fast as we would like.

We’ve got suck running the business, with firefighting. Getting bogged down in the day-2-day. And yes it is hard to take yourself from the daily activities when you are in this alone.

Why has this happened?

Partially because our minds are sucked into the get rich quick, immediate ROI, 10K in 30days mentality, which is being touted in the media to helpless business owners. Unfortunately that’s not the way it works. It’s takes graft, creative strategizing, persistence, but no-one wants to hear that story.

Change your mentality. Believe in the process. Focus on the small steps you can do each day that will ultimately bring you closer to your goal.

So, here we have it.

February Blues — Hangover CURE

1. 1. Quickly analyze January — don’t spend too long at this.
   What worked, what didn’t, why didn’t I achieve on what I set out to do.
2. 2. Looking ahead — Feb and Mar (Q1) — really visualize what you are going to do these 2 months
3. 3. Don’t plan too much. Because “planning is the opposite of doing”. What can you honestly say you can commit to every day.
4. 4. Highlight the areas you want to focus on. 1 or 2 marketing tasks, don’t spread yourself too thin
5. 5. Make it an execution month. Where you set SMART goals and deliver on these goals daily.
6. 6. Sales funnel clarity — (and make it visual — funnelytics.io) Think of all the steps it is going to take to bring your client through the funnel from initial interaction to the sale
7. 7. Outsource and Automate — these should be your new best friends. Start adopting processes that automate the sales processes appointments scheduling, and follow ups.
8. 8. Capture info — You can easily set up you website with a lead capture, or run ads to drive prospects to a landing page with value.
9. 9. An email sequence — to nurture/warm your prospect. Offer value, then a discount, and then your core offer.

Some useful resources

I like Neil Patel, he covers the broad spectrum. Even interesting reads like “How to Do SEO When You’re in a Low-Volume Niche”

Landingi — a pretty cool sleek landing page creator. Its all drag and drop, they have pre-made templates that are 1 page optimized landing pages.

Digital marketer — beginners guide to Digital marketing, check it out

Facebook groups — they are tons of these. All providing great insights, free value, and brilliant for Q&A

Builderall — the all in one marketing solution. My favourite tool I’m using right now. Includes a website builder (drag and drop), sales funnel templates, landing pages, an email auto-responder. And is just down right fantastic to use. If you don’t want to pay $97/mth for Click Funnels. This platform is $30/mth.

Stay fresh, stay hungry!

-Gavin (founder)
nononsensemarketing.ca

Day 3- Christmas Marketing Tidbits

Christmas Marketing Tidbits – 30 days of simple actionable advice

Who should do the talking? The prospect or you?

The one who asks questions is in control.

"You have 2 ears and 1 mouth, use them in that ratio"

Expert Secret Tip – you should be asking the questions. Questions control the conversation.

Why – to uncover problems and painpaints

These painpoints are your golden ticket. The ticket that will drive the customers towards wanting your services

2018.. be fast out of the blocks.

Start the year off fast!!

Are you going to light and agile, active and determined coming into the new year?

Don’t start of slow, don’t lose half of January to Christmas hangover.

Don’t admit self defeat and succumb to January blues.

While others are napping (or even digesting), it's your time to make some gains. Put in a few hours and hit it hard come January 

Best wishes to all, enjoy the break, but keep focused.

Day 18: My top books of 2017

Pencils of Promise - Adam Brau

Anything you want - Derek Siver

Dotcom Secrets - Russell Brunsen

Elon Musk - Elon Musk

Day 12: Planning Vs Doing

As a master planner, I procrastinate the actual function of planning..

.. to get shit done.

I'm sharing this because I know this is the type of mental battle that many business owners, entrepreneurs, and consultants. 

The best plan is the world is useless if it is not executed upon.

Planning is the opposite of doing in a sense. It's pre-"Doing". The trick is not to get so hooked on this phase of the activity because you will lose sense and drive for what matters, the application of that idea/plan.

POA - plan of action. Not... plan of non-action. or plan to plan.

Planning and thinking are one of the same.. and they are the opposite of doing and executing.

Why do I do this?
It's a fear thing really. I'm happy to stay in the comfort zone before the "what happens if i carry this plan out and I fail?".
Accept what is, re frame your mind and get it done!

Inactivity is the real failure. Get that into your brain, and you will start to turn things around.

What can help you?
Some quotes maybe...
"I don't think, because thinking is the opposite of doing", some David Goggins, Navy Seal
"Don't start anything you're not going to finish", Seth Godin, Marketeer.

Day 5 - Rapport like a boss

Do you actually give a shit about the client?

... Well you should, if you want their business long term

Caring means doing shit that you don't really wanna do, and remembering minute details that are going to impress your clients next time round. 

I think that this is the essence of good rapport. Remembering something personal that a client said to you, and asking them about it the next time you speak with them. 

People are bad at rapport these days. They are not taking time to get to know their clients. Their clients are merely a voice on the end of a signature

What can you do

Remembering birthdays, children birthdays, special events. Ask them about their weekend, and you’ll find out about their family, friends and hobbies.

Next time you’re with them, ask them about those hobbies. 

Pro Tip:

Pre-rapport 

Example. You're meeting with a client for the first time. Do your research, scope their LinkedIn, if they are from a different City/Town, check out what the latest local news is. Then ask them about it.

God Speed 
-GOH

Day 2: Christmas Marketing Tidbits

30 days of simple actionable advice

What does it mean to sell

What does it mean to sell. To be a salesman? 

Everyone says you should be selling yourself.

Someone top coaches believe that everyone is a salesman, even technical founders hardcore coding who have never had to deal with customers. But these guys are selling to potential investors. 

A softer word we often use is to "market” oneself. In essence it is the same thing, we are trying to promote our best selves in any given moment. 

TIP: Reframe your thinking

The word  “Sell”, is actually derived from the Norwegian term selge, which mean to serve. 

Taking this mindset, the sale becomes more of a collaborative, “I want to help you because I care about you sale” approach

rather than.... "here is my shiney bag of services, I don’t know if you’re a right fit for my product but buy now anyway" 

It makes you think about the client and the value you are adding. Serving is gonna be your best chance of building a long lasting relationship.

Are you serving clients, or selling to them?

30 days of Xmas - Marketing Tips - Day 1

Starting a business - what to focus on first 

"What are the necessities; and what is it important right now"

Ok lets do something...... a Mind dump  

Two things we try to do we a mind dump

• Highlight the business decisions that should be made quickly
• Categorize your activity list into admin, immediate, and outsource 

Get a blank piece of paper. 

Write down anything that comes to mind regarding the business 

Get all the things onto a page, any ideas or activities that are occupying your mind right now. Any Business decisions that need to be made... anything that comes to mind. 

We are going to dump all these thoughts down on a piece of paper to clear your mind... to build FOCUS.

We are trying to highlight the business decisions that you should not spend too much time on. Because right now we are trying to be productive and accelerate time to market

Next we group them 

1. Admin - business setup and admin task
2. Immediate - 'I must do' - company name, niche focus, ideal customer, value proposition, goals, 
3. Outsource - 'Someone else can do' - website, branding, logos, sales scripts, pictures, 

Whatever you think are non-critical activities right at this moment that are not going to deliver value, get them off your plate by making quick decision on them, or outsource the task to someone else. These tasks are draining, so get them off your plate. 

You might have a cool marketing idea for a viral campaign targeted at stay at home moms. Let's push that to the side and move forward with the basics, then we can attack these activities later. 

Trump Tweets – a year in review

12 months since the Greatest Country in the World announced their new leader

And what has he accomplished….. in the twitter world

Followers - 42.2Million
Tweets - 36,300
Top Favourited and Retweets

Most Favourited – 617K

2^nd most Favorited – Trump gets creative with WWE reference – his own assault on CNN outside of the ring



3^rd most favourited – upon winning the election


The next few favuouties are a mix of positive, negative and threatening




 Not Happy with the Electoral College


 Backing up his Wife’s plagaurised speech

Fidel Castro is Dead! – just FYI to the world

Taking the knee

Picking a fight with Steph Curry

Prior to being president – some old favourites

 

 
 New found love for slagging “Rocketman”




Special thanks to http://www.trumptwitterarchive.com/ for the data

Looking forward to another year from the King of Twitter