Website/Business model advice

[Matt23]

So far, I'm feeling that I've got a decent amount of knowledge, experience, and some training that I can offer to people.  Reiki, two-year diploma in outdoor guiding, meditating since 2014 (many types), experimenting with a variety of different psychological and emotional therapies and techniques, reading, etc..

I'm feeling though that the most meaningful thing to do so far, with what I have to market, is bringing people into nature to help them feel that love, awe, and beauty and to help them reconnect with themselves etc..  I could combine this with also providing various forms of meditation during hikes.

My question, though, is what you guys think of just creating a website which is more general.  Almost like a "landing pad" where I can have the freedom to sell and give a variety of different products and services; coaching, meditation videos, pictures, articles and writings, etc..  

I'm starting to feel like I've fallen into the "infinite student syndrome" where people are great at learning, taking courses, reading, etc., but then never actually create anything of value or do anything with it.  I'm feeling like I just need to start doing shit and making stuff, and having some sort of platform where people can see what I offer and a place where I can easily just advertise my stuff, seems like such an asset to have.  So then I can just have the freedom to make various offers and then eventually learn what I really want to do.  Just like a general place to start producing at least a bit of revenue and results financially.   

Any advice or tips or thoughts on this? 

Stay specific or go general?

Ideas for marketing so people actually see my website?

What would you be looking for in a coach, meditation teacher, or guide that takes you out into nature?

Cheers

Edited August 5, 2021 by Matt23

[Leo Gura]

Way too general. You need to have a specific target to succeed in biz. The more specific the higher your chamces of success.

The other problem is, no one will visit your site. It will just sit there like an abandoned dog. You need a marketing strategy to drive traffic. Traffic does not drive itself. And traffic does not come for a random offering of loose services.

Marketing "going out to connect with nature" is extremely challenging because it is so intangible and doesn't present a clear ROI. You would need to find some crowd of New Agers to pitch it to, and you would have to appeal to their desires and pain points.

Start off by taking some marketing courses.

[Matt23]

38 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

no one will visit your site. It will just sit there like an adandoned dog

Ya.  That's kinda the issue I think I've been feeling but haven't realized till recently.  Like, this feeling of having all these ideas, but then kind of being like "ooookk.... now what?  There's no where for it to be sold/seen".  Kinda feels like a deflated bubble.  Motivation and drive kind of decline there.  Like just producing something tangible I get mindbloacked somehow.  Maybe cuz I don't know what people want.

Unlike recently I made my first sale for myself.  Sure, it was selling an old skateboard on craigslist.  But it still made me feel and see what it's like actually selling things and making money for myself.  It made it real.  That's the thing with platforms like craigslist, ebay, facebook marketplace; they provide great and easy to use marketing platforms where you can just put stuff up and they do all the advertising for you.  Whereas most of the time I feel like I've got this product/service in my hands but feel I have absolutely no place in how to sell it or make use of it.  

I guess this is like the whole deal with marketing.  Which, honestly, I'm seeing as almost more than half the battle in business and trying to sell stuff.  It almost seems like I could create a relatively sub-par product, but if I have good marketing, interpersonal, and salesmanship skills, I could sell more than a guy who's got a fantastic product but has no marketing or sales skills.  

38 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

Way too general.

I get what you're saying.  But also, there seems to be a middle ground in terms of the general--specific axis.  Like you're website has a decent amount of variety, both in the content and the mediums you use (blog, videos, courses, book lists, etc.).

I can imagine having several mediums through which I help people in a more specific way.  Like maybe the specific thing will be helping people heal through nature.  Then, I can produce videos, blog, guided outdoor trips, coaching, etc..  Maybe not too many things, but at least a few options.  Is this what you mean?  

 

Edited August 5, 2021 by Matt23

[Leo Gura]

2 hours ago, Matt23 said:

Ya.  That's kinda the issue I think I've been feeling but haven't realized till recently.  Like, this feeling of having all these ideas, but then kind of being like "ooookk.... now what?  There's no where for it to be sold/seen".  Kinda feels like a deflated bubble.  Motivation and drive kind of decline there.  Like just producing something tangible I get mindbloacked somehow.  Maybe cuz I don't know what people want.

Whereas most of the time I feel like I've got this product/service in my hands but feel I have absolutely no place in how to sell it or make use of it.  

The whole point of business is creating your own market. This means you have to work your ass off to invent a new market, you cannot just do business as usual if your goal is to advance mankind.

It's like you want to advance mankind but you don't want to do the work at the systems level. You expect someone else to do that work for you. Well, that's not how a businessman thinks. As a businessman you gotta take ownership of the problem. If a market doesn't exist, you brainstorm ways to create the market you want. Or find alternatives. You can't just do what everyone else is doing.

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I guess this is like the whole deal with marketing.  Which, honestly, I'm seeing as almost more than half the battle in business and trying to sell stuff.  It almost seems like I could create a relatively sub-par product, but if I have good marketing, interpersonal, and salesmanship skills, I could sell more than a guy who's got a fantastic product but has no marketing or sales skills.

There is no business without marketing.

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I get what you're saying.  But also, there seems to be a middle ground in terms of the general--specific axis.  Like you're website has a decent amount of variety, both in the content and the mediums you use (blog, videos, courses, book lists, etc.).

My website doesn't generate traffic. I drive traffic to the website from massive success elsewhere.

And don't compare yourself to me. I have the luxury to not specialize so much because I've figured out other areas of marketing and I am coasting on success from entirely different industries which have nothing to do with my current work. Actualized.org is not my first biz. I had to succeed in other kinds of biz before Actualized.org was possible.

Marketing high consciousness content is very challenging. It's much more challenging than an ordinary meat and potatoes business. The more conscious your material the harder it gets because your audience shrinks and they are harder to find.

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I can imagine having several mediums through which I help people in a more specific way.  Like maybe the specific thing will be helping people heal through nature.  Then, I can produce videos, blog, guided outdoor trips, coaching, etc..  Maybe not too many things, but at least a few options.  Is this what you mean? 

Start with 1 specific thing and do it well. Succeed with 1 thing before you branch out into other things. If you can't make 1 thing work, you will not be able to make 5 things work. You need to establish a core competency.

[Hello from Russia]

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platforms where you can just put stuff up and they do all the advertising for you

Careful with this attitude. They don't do any advertising for you, they just have a platform to post your ads. You're the one who is doing the advertising and these platforms are just 1 avenue for this. Don't give away your power\outsource it mentally!

[Matt23]

35 minutes ago, Hello from Russia said:

Careful with this attitude. They don't do any advertising for you, they just have a platform to post your ads. You're the one who is doing the advertising and these platforms are just 1 avenue for this. Don't give away your power\outsource it mentally!

I was mostly saying how much work they do for me and others in terms of marketing and providing a platform.  I wasn't saying it was the best way to do things.  It does provide a great digital market place and does do a lot for marketing.  All i had to do was take a few phots and write a short blurb.  I didnt have to create a website, get people looking at the site, etc.. 

[Avidya]

14 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

I am coasting on success from entirely different industries which have nothing to do with my current work. Actualized.org is not my first biz. I had to succeed in other kinds of biz before Actualized.org was possible.

Did you have any other business' besides online marketing and coaching? In the beginning actualized.org was like a boost for your coaching practice right?

[vindicated erudite]

The easiest method I know of marketing your business online is through podcasting.

Sit down and write a few interesting stories about yourself that you can share on a podcast and start emailing as many people in your niche as possible.

As more people learn about you and your brand they'll eventually check out your website and buy your courses.

I'm an email marketer that specialises in cold outreach. I can share some tips on email marketing and even an email template if you want to know more (for free of course).

[Avidya]

@vindicated erudite I would love to! 

[vindicated erudite]

10 hours ago, Avidya said:

@vindicated erudite I would love to! 

A few tips:

• Keep your emails below 250. Ideally write emails at around 50 words.
• Make the emails about the person you're speaking too and how you can help them.
• Use a lead magnet depending on the email type.
• Send personalised emails and send emails to a refined email list.

Edited August 6, 2021 by vindicated erudite

[Matt23]

@vindicated erudite Cheers

14 minutes ago, vindicated erudite said:

lead magnet

Also, what's this?  Do you mean a subject/heading?

[vindicated erudite]

6 hours ago, Matt23 said:

@vindicated erudite Cheers

Also, what's this?  Do you mean a subject/heading?

No. A lead magnet is something of value that you can offer in return for a favour. For example an audit or a PDF or a Video Sales Letter that provides some sort of value to the reader.

[Michael569]

On 05/08/2021 at 5:13 AM, Leo Gura said:

Marketing high consciousness content is very challenging. It's much more challenging than an ordinary meat and potatoes business. The more conscious your material the harder it gets because your audience shrinks and they are harder to find.

Leo, do you have a good resource to learn from about this? Like, speaking to a very niche market and how to find those people? 

[Sirius Orion]

@Leo Gura "Leo, do you have a good resource to learn from about this? Like, speaking to a very niche market and how to find those people? "  

[Mada_]

On 24/08/2021 at 2:04 AM, Michael569 said:

speaking to a very niche market and how to find those people?

A really simple first step would be asking the question 'where is my customer?';

Where are they physically, where are their social media profiles. 

Also what are their interests, likes dislikes etc. You want to create a profile to understand what problems they face and want to solve, and the things they want to achieve so that you can then adjust your pitch accordingly. 

[Michael569]

On 02/09/2021 at 0:44 AM, Mada_ said:

A really simple first step would be asking the question 'where is my customer?';

Where are they physically, where are their social media profiles. 

Also what are their interests, likes dislikes etc. You want to create a profile to understand what problems they face and want to solve, and the things they want to achieve so that you can then adjust your pitch accordingly. 

Thanks for the advice! You're right, get the idea of the perfect avatar of the client. That's what it comes down to. Thanks for the reminder!