Have you ever wondered how to use photos (images) on your website to improve your SEO strategy? Chances are, no. But photos can improve SEO when you use them correctly. Here’s how.
You can and should use photos to improve SEO strategy. Don’t let SEO scare you. Using images to improve SEO strategy is relatively simple and can make a big difference in the ability of your soulmate clients to find you.
I realize SEO may not be sexy, but it is powerful and can be simplified. SEO is the best and easiest way to achieve long-term success and to grow your business without social media.
Note: Within this post, I use the words photos and images interchangeably. In addition, please refer to Episode 37 for additional details on using images to improve SEO strategy.
What photos to use in your SEO strategy
Start with a professional photo of yourself on your home page and about page. People buy personality, not products and services. Let people who come to your site immediately see who you are – your eyes and smile are the gateway to an emotional connection. Your visual presence is key to building your personal brand.
In addition, include images of you working with clients, behind-the-scenes activities, customized stock photos of your computer, office space, etc. If you don’t have photos of your team, or of you working with clients, use stock photos. Canva is a great resource for stock photos and you don’t need a pro account to use them.
If possible, testimonials featured on your website should include a photo of the person who gave the testimonial.
Where should you use photos on your website?
As I mentioned before, you want to be visible on as many pages as possible so that people know immediately who you are. Your header or banner images are real estate to showcase yourself on every page.
Every page of your website should have at least one photo.
Your blogs should have a featured image which will help your website visitors readily identify what the blog is about – even if only a graphic with the title on it.
Every time you write copy for a blog post, think about the keyword or keyphrase of your post and use an image that relates to that. I’ll explain why.
Photos are a great way to separate large blocks of copy to make your content more skimmable and improve readability. Readability influences SEO.
How to use photos to improve SEO strategy
Let’s dive into the nitty gritty of SEO for images on your website.
Your image setup will be determined by your website platform. I use WordPress so the example in the blog post is specific to that. However, every platform, Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, etc. will have the same attributes for you to populate for each photo on your website.
If you haven’t been doing this all along, you may feel overwhelmed or discouraged at the thought of this task, especially if you already have a lot of images on your site. Focus on doing this going forward and backtrack as time permits. This is not something to get overwhelmed about. It is simply knowledge for you to employ so that you can continue to grow your business.
What attributes to include on photos on your website
Alt Text
Many people don’t know that the purpose of alt text is to help non-sighted people know what is on a graphic or image. Not only can you add alt text to images on your website but also on social media platforms and LinkedIn.
When adding alt text, describe in as much detail as possible what is on the photo or graphic. Include your keyword or keyphrase for that page or post in the alt text.
Title
When you title your image, include your keyword or keyphrase for the page or post. Here’s a hint. If you use Canva to create your graphics/images for your website, you can title them in Canva. When you title the image or graphic Canva, the title is already present when you upload the image to your website.
Caption
You do not need to include a caption for SEO purposes, it is an optional feature. But note that if you do include the caption, it will be featured under the photo or graphic when you add it to your page or post.
Description
The description is similar to the alt text but doesn’t need to have as many specifics. You know that I’m all about simplification and saving time. With that said, I copy the first part of my alt text explaining what the post or page is about and paste it into the description. In addition, I always include my name so that when people find the image or graphic online, they know it belongs to me.
URL
The URL will be automatically assigned based on the URL you have established for the page or post. You can customize the URL, however, I don’t recommend it because you want it to be found with the page or post you have added it to.
Size
Speed is a very important factor for the health of your website. Therefore, you do not want to have large photos that will slow the functionality of your site. Your images should be no more than 800 pixels on the largest side. In fact, I often use 600 x 600 pixels when using a square photo or graphic.
If you do not have a program on your computer to size images, don’t worry. You have options. There are plugins that you can add to your website that will compress your photos. In addition, you can resize images in Canva. When you download images from Canva, choose the jpeg format and size the image using the slider. So simple.
Videos can improve SEO strategy too
Note that all of these tips to use images to improve SEO strategy also apply to videos on your website.
Do you want to grow your business without social media? If yes, the Success Without Social Mastermind Business Growth Program is the best place to start! Learn more and apply today.
If you want to be discovered by your soulmate clients, you must have a content strategy. Content is king and the most important part of your SEO strategy.
When you write content for SEO, you increase your chances of being found on Google and attracting your soulmate clients.
What you need to consider to write content for SEO that connects with your soulmate clients
The first thing to consider when you sit down to write content for SEO on your website is differentiation. When you differentiate yourself through stories you will stand out as an expert and authority in your niche. In addition, you will build an emotional connection with your audience and they will trust you faster.
What stories can you share?
First, share the story of the journey that led you to where you are today. What experiences, challenges, highs, and lows have you experienced that have given you the expertise you now have? Share your challenges and how you overcame them to get to where you are today. This will help your audience see that you can help them, that you truly understand their pain points, and will be able to help them overcome their challenges to reach their goals.
You can also share stories on how you felt God calling you to try something new, to start your business, and serve new people in a new way.
Tell stories about your experiences of working with clients. Likewise, share testimonials from clients so that your audience can see and understand how you are helping others. This will help your audience understand the quality of service or product that you offer, and that you help your clients get results. It will also indicate how you get results for your clients. All important factors for someone to decide to work with you.
When we talk about sharing stories in your content, don’t fear being vulnerable. The level of vulnerability is up to you. But you do want to demonstrate that you’ve had a myriad of experiences.
Marketing is communicating
When you think about how you want to write content for SEO, remember that marketing is communication. You build your personal brand and then you communicate what makes you unique. Your marketing strategy should include SEO so that people can find you and learn more about you and what makes you unique. As you think about the stories you want to tell in your content, always refer to what differentiates you. For the sake of SEO, the things that differentiate you become part of your keyword and keyphrase strategy on your website. Knowing without a doubt who your soulmate clients are will also help you fine-tune your keyword and keyphrase list so that they will know you are talking directly to them.
Get personal
Along the lines of vulnerability, get personal. You don’t have to divulge your entire life history or your most intimate secrets but help your audience get to know you. Let them see your personality. People are more likely to buy from a personality they like and trust than to simply purchase a product or service.
Be a resource when you write content
When you consider what to write when creating content, think about providing value for your audience. You don’t have to give everything away. But share enough that your audience can easily see and understand that you have the knowledge, tools, processes, or products that they need to reach their goals.
I’m sure you’ve heard it said that you can’t give too much away. This may be controversial, but the reality is that when you become a go-to resource, you demonstrate your authority in your area of expertise, and people will keep coming back for more. Most people won’t have the time, energy, or resources to implement or do everything you teach. Therefore the more you present yourself as a resource, the more likely your audience will see you as someone they need to hire.
Be sure and use keywords and key phrases as you share resources, especially long-tail key phrases, to get found on Google when people search for your expertise.
When you write content for SEO you must write with clarity
Google doesn’t want to have to second guess what your website is about. Your content strategy must be clear and follow a hierarchy. For example, if you are writing a blog post about hiring a Christian business coach, you should have the phrase Christian business coach throughout your article. Use the phrase in the title, in headers, and throughout the article.
To be even more specific, use a long-tail key phrase like how to hire a Christian business coach or the benefit of hiring a Christian business coach.
But be sure that your end message is clear to the reader as well. There should be no opening for confusion on the topic you are writing about or what your expertise is. Even if you are writing on a topic that isn’t directly related to your business, doing a podcast interview is a perfect example, be strategic and link that topic back to something you say and do to help your clients.
Strategy is key to ensuring clarity so that your soulmate clients know you are speaking directly to them and are here to help them.
Structure your content so that Google can make sense of it. This means breaking your content down into bite-size chunks. Write for ease of understanding and have an order in your content so that people don’t feel like they are jumping all over the place to figure out what you are trying to say. Use headings, sub-headings, and short sentences and paragraphs to make your content easy to skim and read. Remember, most people skim content first on a mobile device. The easier you make it for people to read your content, the more Google will see you as creating content that people will be interested in seeing.
A content strategy is necessary if your want to write content for SEO
The content you create is obviously important but the content strategy doesn’t stop there. For Google to see your website as one they should rank, they want to see that people come to your site and stay on your site. The longer they stay on your site, the more value Google will think you provide.
To keep people on your site, write content that you can link to additional content on your site. Include internal links to blog posts and content that will provide added value. Think of it as sending your audience down a rabbit hole of learning opportunities.
When you write content that provides value and is seen as resourceful your audience will continue to consume the content. The more they consume your content, the more they will see you as an expert and therefore, the more they will trust you. Since trust determines buying practices, writing content that builds trust is critical. In addition, Google will trust you when they see your audience trusts you and will be more likely to rank you higher on search engine results pages.
Your content should be:
Original – your perspective, your opinion, a new idea or concept, your original approach to solving a problem, for example, my Purpose to ResultsTM – Success without Social. No one wants to read copycat content and when Google sees that you are providing new perspectives, they will be more likely to share your content.
Readable and skimmable – this is where headings, sub-headings, short sentences, and small paragraphs especially come into play.
Findable – use a keyword and keyphrase strategy that will help Google understand specifically what you want to be found for and who should find you.
If anxiety has a grip on you, you may feel flustered and frustrated. Learn your anxiety style and start managing it effectively.
When you recognize your anxiety style, you’ll understand yourself and your reactions better. In addition, you’ll be able to implement transformative strategies and improve relationships.
Go from flustered to flourishing
Are you ready to go from flustered to flourishing? Whether you’ve had anxiety in your life or you know someone who has, there are certain styles of anxiety that result in how people react to, and experience, anxiety. Likewise, there are certain strategies that you can practice at the moment and apply to your daily life to better navigate anxiety. By applying the strategies, you can avoid spiraling out of control, damaging relationships, or hurting other people as a result of your anxiety building.
Much of the work Amber Trublood does is about helping you understand your motivational style and your super sense. What visceral sense are you most attuned to? When you understand that, you can better match your strategies for navigating anxiety and life in general. What is your anxiety style, what really drives you and your reactions?
Ask yourself, what reactions aren’t serving you, for example, when anxiety is building, and what do you feel when you are flourishing? Much like having two sides of a coin, you have an anxiety style and superhero traits.
Different anxiety styles for different people
You are attuned to different things in a different way than somebody with a different anxiety style. Where can you celebrate those differences and your uniqueness? Let’s acknowledge and celebrate the amazing things about you. For example, if you are good at being tuned into the present moment, celebrate your ability to do so. Because not everyone can do it.
Or, another example, some people are super tuned into the needs of others, or super focused on planning and organizing and can collect a lot of details in their heads. Note what skills and abilities you have that maybe other people don’t have and celebrate those. Maybe through this process, you can elicit a little bit more compassion.
Not only have compassion for other people in your life who maybe aren’t skilled in those ways but have more compassion for yourself.
Amber believes that when you spend a lot of time in self-judgment and shame and being unkind to yourself, it’s a waste of your time.
Understanding your specific anxiety style and what may be contributed to that, can help you elicit some self-kindness.
The 5 Anxiety Styles
Lover
Fighter
Executive
Visionary
Dynamo
The five styles of anxiety are based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Four of the styles directly correlate with the needs.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is fundamental needs we have as humans. Everyone has different needs and experiences life and triggers differently. Even siblings have different responses to how they were raised or the experiences surrounding their needs being met. One sibling may be more deeply and profoundly influenced by experiences than another sibling.
Similarly, everyone is their own person. Therefore, you’re the best judge of your own self-care and what’s going to work for you. And often, you know, more about yourself and your needs than you give yourself credit for.
Recognizing your anxiety style and implementing strategies to navigate it
Once you recognize your anxiety style, implement one strategy at a time to manage it and build from there. Also, know that you may have one primary anxiety style and a secondary style. Understanding the five anxiety styles will help you feel more connected and compassionate toward others.
The Dynamo Anxiety Style
Someone with the dynamo anxiety style is very connected with, and driven by, a sense of achievement, a sense of acknowledgment.
In addition, they are doers. And they like to get things done right. You might be a dynamo if you have a to-do list, but not only that, you add something to your to-do list just so that you can check it off. Doing so gives you a sense of satisfaction and a little adrenaline rush, dopamine high from checking the item off the list.
But if you are a dynamo, you truly feed off the sense of acknowledgment, appreciation, and achievement. Not only from within but from the outside, from others. In some ways, this has served you well in life. And in other ways, it may be hindering you. Acknowledging and celebrating where it’s serving you instead of only focusing on the negative, will help you navigate the emotions that accompany the anxiety.
Recognize where it isn’t serving you
Also important is to notice where this is not serving you and what you can do to release that and move through it into a healthier environment. As a dynamo, it is important that you feel valued as a human regardless of your accomplishments.
You are always gonna be somebody who accomplishes a lot because it’s fun and you enjoy it. However, it is important to know deep in your soul, in your heart, that you’re enough already without doing the next thing, without writing the next book. This is a process and won’t change overnight.
Dynamos are also more in their heads than in their hearts or their guts. Amber shared that this is something that she personally works on a lot. She’s always thinking, planning, and deciding. She spends time on her thoughts in the future. And that doesn’t always serve her. It doesn’t always serve relationships, connection with other people in her life, or her ability to find joy in the present moment.
When this happens, pull your thoughts back to the present and allow yourself to feel gratitude in the moment, for the little things you have or that are going on in the moment.
The Lover Anxiety Style
Lovers are people who are very driven by their relationships with the people in their life, their loved ones. They need to feel wanted, they need a sense of belonging, and they want to be appreciated by people in their life.
In addition, lovers tend to be more in their hearts, obviously and in the present moment, or in the past more than in the future. So that’s another differentiating factor. They make decisions based on feelings instead of a logical sequence of pluses and minuses and things.
An example of a Dynamo is when you see a post on social media and all of your friends or colleagues are together at a place near your home. But you weren’t invited. And instead of experiencing a very natural response of disappointment or confusion, Lovers tend to take it to a much deeper level. A lover might ask herself, oh my gosh, is she mad at me? Or, did I say something to offend her?
From there, the lover thinks I can’t stand her. I don’t wanna be around her. The lover’s brain spirals to the worst-case scenario.
One of the strategies for people who are lovers or who have lovers close in their lives, which I would say almost everybody does, is to explain your trigger and ask them to tell you when they might have to work late, or are going out, etc.
Ultimately, it’s about explaining in a little bit more detail. Could be two more sentences. But the expectations change and the lover isn’t frustrated or hurt and you can connect and have an enjoyable time together.
The Fighter Anxiety Style
Fighters tend to be the people in your life who, when there is conflict or injustice, even if it has nothing to do with them, will move toward it. They will get involved and have a propensity, or urge, to help the underdog.
Lovers see something that’s unfair, it could be in the house, could be in school, it could be in their community, or it could be in the political arena. But they move toward it. Fighters are very comfortable in conflict. They’re very accustomed to chaos and challenge and see themselves as survivors.
In addition, they wear it as a badge of honor. This is a sense of pride. The downside of this is that it comes from having had a lot of trauma or conflict in their childhood where they didn’t feel safe, where there weren’t caring adults that came in to protect them.
Do you have a lot of conflict in your life?
Unfortunately, a lot of fighters have a lot of conflict in their life. They have a lot of ups and downs. And their relationships are tumultuous relationships, not only with people, but with money, or health. They experience a lot of ups and downs.
Fighters are comfortable in the chaos. Something interesting about fighters is that their triggers tend to be almost the opposite of other people’s triggers. When everything seems calm, everything’s going really smoothly, they are happy in their relationships, they often feel uncomfortable, because they do not want to put their guard down out of fear.
How can fighters feel safe in the happy and the calm while still experiencing the adrenaline surge of challenges in their lives?
You might know you’re a fighter if people in your life often say things like why do you keep getting involved with things that have nothing to do with you or your family? Or don’t you have enough problems to worry about?
Strategies for fighters include deep inner child meditations and reparenting. In addition, instead of jumping right in, ask if you have the bandwidth for it. You get to choose not to add more to your plate.
The Executive Anxiety Style
Executives are people who are amazing and tend to do a lot of planning, and organizing. So their goal is to feel emotionally safe and the mechanism they utilize for that is, control and structure.
Executives want to know what’s coming so that they can prepare for it. Once they know, they prepare. People often approach executives to help them plan.
An example of an executive is someone who carries a first aid kit wherever they go.
Executives feel more emotionally safe when they have a sense of control and knowledge. An example of an executive in a relationship with a lover is this, the lover comes home and says, oh my gosh, you’re not gonna believe this. My boss just gave us his beach house for the weekend. The lover will be excited and ready to go. The executive will need a minute to process the change of plans.
Understanding yourself and your own triggers will help you communicate and you can work with others to prepare and make the best plans that work for everyone.
Executives are similar to dynamos. They are in their heads, they are thinking about the future. In addition, they are driven by the need to feel safe, protected, and cared for.
The Visionary Anxiety Style
Visionaries are focused on a grand vision, a grand dream, and a future. They feel a deep sense of purpose for something big. Visionaries who’ve figured out what their grand vision or purpose is, and who have clarity can feel very energized, very focused, and have a hard time slowing down. In addition, they may have a hard time connecting with people who don’t have plans as grand as their own.
Visionaries may not have the attention to detail that dynamos have, likely because they are in a hurry to achieve their grand vision. However, they need attention to detail to make the big dream happen. But they are all over the place, they lack focus.
They might make decisions more from their heart and their gut as opposed to being super regimented and planning out strategies. But they are future and achievement-oriented like dynamos. In some ways, the two are very similar, but their process might be very different.
Visionaries may need to be reminded to allow others into their life as they follow their big dreams and goals. To have mutual respect and acceptance, which will ultimately help them achieve their visions. Having strong relationships may not make sense to them.
Visionaries, however, who haven’t figured out what their dream or grand vision is can feel very frustrated and flustered. They recognize that they are meant for more, but the don’t know what that is yet.
That can be extremely excruciatingly frustrating for visionaries.
The 5 Anxiety Styles Framework
Amber’s framework came from a desire to help people have more insight and self-awareness so that they can be more compassionate with themselves, which ultimately means being more compassionate with others.
The Grace to Do It
This framework is so critical to really dive into it but give yourself the grace to try one thing at a time. The more you adapt the better you will be able to shift the the pattern of negative relationships for yourself and others.
About Amber Trublood
Amber is a licensed therapist and mom of four boys. She is also a writer and author. Amber coaches moms and helps them with overwhelm and anxiety. Through her coaching, she provides practical strategies that people can use both in the moment and when needed.
Before using AI in your marketing strategy, you need to know the facts.
There are several points you need to be aware of before using AI to grow your personal brand and business.
Before using AI for content, you need to understand exactly what it is. You may have heard it referred to as Chat GPT in addition to artificial intelligence and AI. ChatGPT is a dialogue format of AI, it was created to be more conversational. But for the sake of this post, we will not go into all of the types and levels of AI available on the market today. That is a much deeper level of technical understanding than I have. As complicated as AI may seem when used for content generation, it isn’t something to fear. However, it is important to use caution.
What is AI?
Artificial intelligence, (AI) is the use of computer systems to simulate the human mind. There are various hardware and software programs involved in AI, for example, Python, Java, R, C++, and Julia. There are experts who specialize in AI programming.
How does AI work?
In simplified terms, a bot will consume large amounts of data, look for patterns, and then make predictions. When a human puts in text, a chatbot can pull information and have lifelike exchanges with the human. You ask a question; it gives you an answer.
AI techniques are improving rapidly and can produce very realistic text, music, graphics, images, etc.
What do you need to know before using AI?
I’ve had an opinion about AI for a while since first introduced. The anxious skeptic in my first thought that’s amazing. But immediately my mind went to the thought that that means a bot could take my information, the content I’ve worked hard to create, and give it to someone else t use. And I may never know it.
I thought about plagiarism and how before, that was a big deal, but it may no longer be because of how the data is being discovered and shared for someone else to use. And believe me, not everyone is rewording the results produced by AI programs.
In addition, I thought about how AI was going to take away human jobs. And it reminded me of going to the grocery store or Target or Costco and the self-check-out lanes. Talk about anxiety producing. Every single time I use them something goes wrong, and I have to wait for the human who is frantically trying to help 10 other people to have time to help me. All the while, the light is flashing, and the intercom is saying help is needed in lane 5. I love check-our clerks and the service they provide. Computers shouldn’t replace them. Let computers replace the need for vacuuming or other meniscal tasks but not the ones that give humans jobs and allow them to provide for their families.
Before I felt comfortable addressing the topic of AI, I researched it and asked my small business attorney, Cheri Andrews, for her legal perspective.
With that said, here are a few things to consider before using AI in your business:
If you are trying to grow a personal brand and business, you need to be genuine and authentic. Is AI going to accurately represent you, your tone, your knowledge, your level of professionalism, and your opinions that make up your personal brand?
What stops someone else in your niche from asking the same question, getting the same response, and using the exact same answer in their content?
Are you willing to review the AI outputs and add your own brilliance, flare, opinion, and expertise?
In addition, you need to be aware of these facts before using AI:
No one in the technology industry is verifying the information to monitor for plagiarism. This could hurt you in two ways. First, your valuable content could be given to others to use. Second, you could be plagiarizing someone else.
No one is monitoring the accuracy of the content shared when you ask a question. Therefore, you could use what was regurgitated by a chatbot and lose your credibility, which means you’d lose the trust of your community. Since trust determines buying practices, this could ultimately hurt your business in a big way.
No one is confirming that the information provided is from an authoritative, reputable, and expert source on the subject matter. Again, this could influence your credibility as an expert in your niche if you aren’t carefully checking the information produced by AI.
Before using AI, decide why you are using it in the first place.
Are you using it to save time because you don’t like to write? Or are you using AI because you don’t believe you are creative enough to create compelling content and copy? Do you not believe that you have the expert answer and are seeking help in finding it? Or do you simply need a little help with content idea generation? Are you using AI for a quick solution to attract clients – thinking the more content you put out the more clients you’ll get?
Here’s the truth. You are creative and you can write because you are an expert in your niche. All of your life and business experiences along with God himself, give you the ability to create and share meaningful and impactful content.
Of course, there are times when we lack ideas, and if that’s the situation you are in, use AI for idea generation. But at the same time, get back in touch with your own creativity. Maybe you need to step away from the office for a bit and take a walk, listen to music, garden, or do crafts. Or ask your community what they want to learn from you. They see you as an expert and they are depending on you to show up as yourself and share what you know.
The reason you are using AI is going to determine how you use it.
Before using AI responses in your content, I suggest you:
Review all answers for accuracy and credibility.
Rewrite most of the AI-generated response in your own voice, and words, to avoid confusion amidst your community. Remember, confused people do not buy.
Ensure that the AI-generated response agrees with your values as a business owner.
Use AI sparingly and do your own research to keep your mind fresh and abreast of all new information in your industry.
We live in a digital era as it is. If you take advantage of AI but don’t rewrite it in your own voice, you will sound like everyone else and all of the time you’ve spent to develop your personal brand and grow your business will have been lost.
Here are some places you can use AI in your business should you choose to:
Email marketing. Here’s an example. I have an SEO webinar coming up soon so before creating this post I wanted to do a little research for myself. So, I asked copy.ai to write an email about an SEO webinar. It generated a response that included this paragraph: Are you tired of your website being buried on the second or third page of search engine results? Do you want to learn how to increase traffic to your website and improve your online presence? If so, we have great news for you!
Pretty accurate, for sure, but I would have to change it up a bit and not have three questions in a row at the beginning of an email. I also don’t know that I’d refer to the SEO webinar as great news, but then again, maybe.
But I make these suggestions loosely as I strongly encourage you to write your own content, create your own speeches, and write from a place of authenticity that is aligned with your values.
Resources for AI
Before using AI, you need to know where to find it. I did a little digging on this subject too. I found a few lists of top AI companies, but there were a few that were repeated on multiple lists.
It’s important to note that prices vary between the companies and the amount of AI you get. Most of the companies offer so many words, like 10,000 per month, for a set monthly fee. However, you can upgrade your account for more AI-generated content.
There are several companies that offer a free entry-level plan. If you are using AI for idea generation and using it sparingly, a free plan may serve you well.
Free AI companies –
Copy.ai
Contentbot
Scalenut
Neurflash
Rytr
Iparagraph
Simplified
Smartcopy
Read more about each of the companies listed above. Suresh Chaudhary provides an overview of the pros and cons of each company.
Other AI companies in no order – there are hundreds of them.
Do a Google search to see which is the best fit for you.
Jasper
Google
Grammarly
Anyword
Writesonic
Frase
Check out this article by Shelly Walsh in Search Engine Journal for her recommendations on the top 10 AI companies.
When using AI . . .
Start broad and narrow down. Ask questions that your community has. Do comparisons, this or that. Some AI programs will offer prompts that you can use and fill in the blank.
In summary
Before using AI, decide why you are using it, how you want to use it, and how much time you are going to invest in rewriting the information so that it is in your voice, resonates with your soulmate clients, and helps you to continue to build your personal brand and grow your business.
If you aren’t using AI, you are not at risk of losing your business or place in the market, unless you aren’t creating content and doing due diligence to be visible in the online space. I’ve seen people say that if you want to be competitive and stay ahead of the curve, you have to use AI. Not true. If you are a good writer and creative and feel confident that you can grow your business without it, you do not need to conform to using AI. You get to choose if and how you use the tool. But if you do use it, use it with integrity while being authentically yourself.
People need a place to find you when they search for you. Your website will demonstrate that you are professional and trustworthy. In addition, your website allows people to get to know you and connect with you. Having a website allows you to create your own personal corner of the online space and get found by more people.
Likewise, your website is a platform you own. If social media disappears, you won’t be as panicked because you still have your website and people will be able to find you and see you as the expert you truly are.
Why it’s important to know how to write a sales page
When you launch a program, launch a new offer, or even publish a book, you want to have a sales page.
Your sales page becomes the cornerstone for where people will find the information needed to make an informed decision about your program or offer. When writing sales pages, your goal is to provide valuable information so that you can convert readers to clients.
Past experiences matter in entrepreneurship
As a side note, Robyn and Lauren talked about how previous career journeys help shape you as an entrepreneur. You do not need special credentials to become an entrepreneur. All of the experiences you’ve had on your journey have led to your current expertise. Your journey and experiences become part of the story you tell when you write a sales page. Sharing your story builds an emotional connection with your audience and community.
Refer to these strategies when you write a sales page
Your sales page should be written as though you are in the mind of the person landing on your page.
Communicate with the person landing on your page throughout the copy on the page.
When you write a sales page, make it about the reader.
Do market research to know what your reader is thinking, and feeling, and their pain points. In addition, understand what they need and how you can solve their problem.
Use the voice of the customer. You can find the voice of the customer in testimonials, from information collected on previous sales calls, and by doing surveys.
When you write a sales page, grab the reader’s attention
The header or hero image/section is perfect for grabbing the attention of the reader. This should not be clever, cute, or witty, but should be specific to the offer you are selling. Think about who you align with and who you want to impact. Your message must be clear to them.
In addition, think about multiple buyers as you write a sales page. Some people will come ready to purchase, others are doing research.
Include a purchase button at the top of the page for those who are ready to buy.
Also, note that the hero image or section is great real estate for SEO. Therefore include your keywords/keyphrases in this section. Use the keywords/keyphrases or their synonyms throughout the page.
The difference between website design and how you write a sales page
Websites are designed to take people on a journey, to visit one page and then another. A sales page is designed to keep people scrolling through the content of tht one page. To differentiate, do not include your standard website header on your sales page.
In addition, remove the footer and only include a short section for the terms and conditions, and the copyright information. Another tip is to design the page so that it goes from top to bottom and you do not have multiple columns from left to right. You want the reader to keep scrolling down for all of the details.
The Sections to include when you write a sales page
First, introduce the offer, but don’t necessarily include the offer in its entirety.
Secondly, talk about what the reader is experiencing, their pain points, or their frustrations.
Third, explain what could be different for them, and how would their life or business change. You may have multiple ways your offer will help them. Separate them by using headers. In addition, use images throughout the sales page to break up the content.
When using images, remember that they are great for SEO. Include your keywords/keyphrases in the alt text and description. Be sure the size of the image is a maximum of 800 pixels by 800 pixels. In addition, show your face in the images so that readers can get to know you and connect with you emotionally. The more real your images are and the less they feel like stock photos the better. Lastly, use photos that represent your ideal clients.
Fourth, explain the transformation the reader will experience. When you write a sales page, you want the reader to have a vision of how their life or business will improve.
Fifth, introduce yourself and include a professional photo of yourself.
Sixth, the speed of the page matters. You always want a sales page to load quickly. People are there for a reason and if they don’t get what they are looking for in a timely manner they’ll assume the page is broken and click off. Speed also influences your domain ranking.
Seventh, include a video on the sales page. Video is super powerful. But instead of adding the video on your page and causing the page to load slowly, host the video on a different platform like Loom, Vimeo, or Youtube. You can then embed the video code in your sales page and be strategic about having it only play when someone clicks on it so as not to slow the site. To make the video look better, create a mock-up in Canva. Use a computer screen and put the video in the computer screen. It will look more professional.
Eighth, you need a call to action. Start with the call to action (CTA) button at the top for people who are ready to buy. Place a CTA button after every other section of your sales page. Use direct response marketing phrases on your CTA buttons. For example, I’m ready to buy, I’m ready for transformation, or I’m in. This will help the buttons stand out because the reader is already thinking about the thought you’ve included on the button. In addition, when creating CTA buttons, make them a specific brand color so that they stand out. You can even make the buttons bigger so that they stand out even more.
Ninth, use the sales page to warm up the reader. Let them get familiar with you before you provide the details of your offer. Use approximately the first half of the page to simply talk to the reader. Communicate what they’re thinking, what they want, and their desires, and then when you introduce the offer, make it feel really tangible.
Tenth, when you write a sales page, you can make it tangible by adding images of parts of the program into a mockup. For example put a photo of a PDF that accompanies your program into an iPad, phone, or computer screen that you can create in Canva.
Use this structure when you write a sales page
Introduce the pain points first.
Then, paint that picture of what it could look like if they experience transformation from your offer.
Get into the reader’s desires.
Show how your offer fits into their desires.
Introduce your offer.
Share what’s included in the offer. Tell the reader what’s in the program for them.
Point out the value of each item that is included in your offer. Then add the prices up and show them the value and savings.
Do the brain work for the reader so that they make their decision quickly? You don’t want them to leave the page because they may not return. In addition, you can price anchor your offer – compare it to another offer, for example, you get this group program with some 1:1 time for less than the price of my 1:1 program. And, this offer will never be this price again.
But always use integrity when sharing information about pricing and value.
Include testimonials – spread powerful testimonials throughout the page so that people see them as they scroll. Space them every two to three sections and after you’ve introduced your offer. In addition, be sure and include pictures of each person who gave the testimonial. If you have video testimonials, share them after sharing your offer. This will give them the confirmation they need to purchase.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs).
Offer a guarantee. A guarantee will help with conversions. An example of a guarantee is to say, I understand, I’m in business too, and making this type of investment feels scary. Therefore I’m going to give you a 2-year guarantee for this program. If for any reason, you don’t think this program worked for you, just email me and I’ll give you your money back.
About Lauren Wood
Lauren helps her clients stand out online with marketing + web design strategies. She is a funnel creation expert. Lauren helps her clients show up online, share what they do, establish credibility, and attract ideal clients by giving their websites the boost they need. In addition, she’s a former teacher who loves the bottomless pit of problem-solving related to website design.
When you start a podcast, you open the door for more opportunities to serve your audience and attract more soulmate clients.
Start a podcast to alleviate distractions, grow your audience, and convert more people to paying clients for an increase in earning potential and success.
Your calling becomes your life’s work. You were created and you have a direction for your life that God is trying to get you to follow but you don’t pursue the thing that you were created to do because you are distracted. And this is part of the reason people seek fulfillment from other things because you aren’t following God’s calling for your life.
Stefanie is passionate about using a podcast for a 1-to-many marketing strategy so that they can grow in way fewer hours in a week.
Clarity around your purpose for clear messaging
Robyn emphasized that clarity is important so that we can create messaging that is clear to our audience. We never want to confuse our audience because confused people do not buy.
Do you need to be on social media to build your business or should you start a podcast?
Stefanie and Robyn agree that it doesn’t make sense to build a business on platforms you do not own. Social media is best used for building relationships and trust and bringing people into your community, but it is not the best decision to try to build your business on it.
How can we step away from the chaos of social media to fulfill our God-led calling and build a meaningful business? Start a podcast.
When you listen to all of the influencers on social media telling you that you need to be there to build your business and you start to post content on all of the platforms, what happens? Does it work for you? Often times you spend hours on social media, but are you actually building trust? A like doesn’t equate to trust. You have only 2 to 3 seconds of the person’s attention and they are scrolling to numb out. Most of the time there is no conversion from a quick post interaction.
Another meaningful question to ask yourself is: What is the shelf life of a social media post? Unless you show up every single day multiple times a day you are dead to the platform.
The no social media test
After realizing how unhealthy social media was for her life and feeling a calling from God to step away from it, Stefanie decided to do a test. She went off of social media for 30 days. Her goal was to prove whether or not being on social media was a necessity for growth.
Stefanie said no more and God blessed her with so much more once she was off of social media. She no longer uses Instagram, they share podcast episodes, but that is it.
Robyn has experienced the same. And it is so freeing to not be dependent on social media. Satan uses social media to distract you and pull you away from what God is calling you to do.
Stefanie’s favorite equation: is trust equals impact and income.
Should you start a podcast? Is podcasting for you?
Time is more important than money and it should produce ROI. If you are on social media, is it giving you an ROI? Is it converting into dollar bills?
Podcasting is how Stefanie grew an audience. Think of an upside-down triangle, it’s the reverse funnel. The podcast increases the size of your following. If you really love social media and can have boundaries with social media, stick with it, but follow along with this philosophy.
Podcasting has SEO power. It works for you when you have keywords and key phrases. And creating a podcast reaches so many more people than a social media post.
Stefanie has a 1 to 2 percent conversion rate in recurring listeners. Pinterest marketing is 1-to-many marketing for your podcast.
If you start a podcast, who will listen to it?
Robyn believes that podcasting is about building relationships and trust with your listeners. You get to show your knowledge and share it by teaching. All of this builds trust.
Why does it matter who is listening to your podcast? If you remember that you are here to serve God and let him work through you, you will blow the minds of your listeners and they will be eager to subscribe and join your email list, etc.
Trust the process that it is okay not to put an identity on every single person that listens to your show. The important thing is that you are showing up and serving. After you’ve been podcasting, you will filter out the people that aren’t for you.
Trust the 1-to-many marketing plan.
If you have a Facebook Group or community, that is where you will learn the identity of your listeners. This is the place you deepen the relationships. The people that join your community are the people who are invested in learning from you. This is much more powerful than likes on Instagram.
Remove yourself from yourself. and get to the place of I am serving to give. I don’t know the outcome, but I am willing to let go of vanity metrics and serve. You can’t give too much away and show up to serve without it being blessed.
Robyn emphasized the need to be patient to let yourself grow and your podcast grow. God’s timing is perfect and limitless.
Podcast growth expectations
Ask yourself, how long have I been doing things that aren’t working? For example, if social media hasn’t been converting, get rid of it.
Stefanie suggested having one long-form content and 1 promo. Like Robyn, Stefanie uses the podcast as long-form content and Pinterest as her promotion platform.
Until you get clear on the one thing you do, the one person you serve, and the one problem you solve, You don’t start the clock evaluating your success until you have complete clarity. Finding clarity is the very first thing you must do.
Understand that your journey is different than other podcasters. You cannot compare your journey to someone else’s. God knows when you are ready to yield the floodgates.
The metric you look for is growth. If you grow by one download each month, you are growing. Look for a 1% conversion rate from those who listen consistently. You should have 1 to 2 sales come in each month from the podcast, this is growth.
The expectation is that you will show up and serve for 12 to 24 months before you look up. Don’t get distracted, and don’t give up. It is around the 18-month mark that there is a massive explosion in growth.
Dedicate your time and energy to one place where you are going to spend your time and share your value.
Both give you pennies on the download and are not worth it until you get past 1, 2, or 3 million downloads.
Coaching
You can monetize from episode 1 if you offer coaching sessions and tell your listeners about them. Even if you coach only 5 people you will get to know more about your audience and what they want and expect from you and the show.
E-course
You have to refine your own process before you put it into an E-course. E-courses get you between 80 and 90% profit margin. With 100 occurring listeners, you can make $500 to $1000 per month and that goes up as the number of recurring listeners goes up.
Stefanie Gass is a CEO, wife, boy mom, coffee lover, and #pjsallday enthusiast! Stef helps women get clear on their niche, start a podcast, and grow a successful online business, God’s way.
She is the host of a top .5% globally ranked podcast for Christian Entrepreneurs, The Stefanie Gass Show.
Stef believes it’s possible to partner with God to create impact and income without sacrificing or buying into the social media hustle.
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