It’s a total shame isn’t it?
To be so fantastic at what you do, and yet nobody knows about it. In a way, it’s almost tragic.
And yet for several hundreds of years, that was the story of Machu Picchu. If you’re not familiar, it’s the
ruins of an ancient estate built by the Incas back in the 1400’s. It is an archeological wonder.
The stone city, containing more than 170 buildings, thousands of steps, several temples, and sixteen fountains was built with impeccable craftsmanship. Experts say the precision of stone fitting in certain buildings “almost defies explanation.”
Today the ancient city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
It’s no wonder that hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world flock to Machu Picchu each year.
Why being spectacular doesn’t mean you’ll be popular
The Incas abandoned Machu Picchu in the late 1500’s. And although a few local farmers knew about the site, it wasn’t until one of those farmers and his son led a Yale researcher to it in the early 1900’s that it began to get attention.
That’s hundreds of years of obscurity for such a fascinating, mystical, and marvelous site.
The story of Machu Picchu is a magnificent one. A great city few people were aware even existed, was one day discovered. As a result, multitudes of raving fans from all over the world come to behold it.
But it’s also a cautionary tale. Being amazing at what you do isn’t enough to get the attention you deserve. You’ve got to be fantastic, and the right people need to know that you’re fantastic.
Here’s the great news for you.
You don’t have to exist in obscurity for years, waiting for someone to “discover” you.
You don’t have to bust your butt day in and day out, hoping that one day your ideal customers will start to pay attention to the strong work you do.
And you don’t have to invest tons of money trying win the highly competitive battle for attention.
There is a way for you to strategically position yourself to get pushed out into the forefront. To get your ideal clients to fight to work with you. To get recognized as the expert at what you do.
All you need are the right plan.
It’s time to put your business on a stage
A while back, I was roaming around Buenos Aires and came across this band playing in the streets.
There was a crowd of people lined up to watch the show.
There were people taking photos.
And during a brief break, I watched as onlookers waited to take pictures with the singer.
This wasn’t a famous group. Most of the people waiting to take the photos hadn’t even heard of this singer before waiting to capture a photo with her.
But the group was in front of the room (or the street), on a stage they created for themselves, right in the middle of the action where people could enjoy their music. The band had captured their attention and commanded an instant degree of respect and wonder.
As a result, they gained new fans, made new contacts, and sold some CDs.
You’ve got to do the same with your business.
You’ve got to put your business on a stage. A stage where your ideal customers are sure to see you. Then you’ll increase your prominence, your value, and your perceived level of authority.
And you create that stage for yourself when you consistently publish content that demonstrates your expertise by solving your ideal customers’ problems.
As a result, you will stand out. You will make connections. And you will get customers.
Here’s what Dorie Clark had to say about how putting her expertise on a stage with content helped transform her business.
How to use words that woo your customers
You have to communicate with the people you want to serve. Aside from direct contact, that includes your website copy, educational content, social media posts, presentations, and even brochures.
And your strategic use of the words you use can make the difference in having an abundance of clients or wallowing in obscurity.
That’s why 93% of business to business marketers and 76% of business to consumer organizations use various forms of content to win new customers.
They know that when they carefully craft their message and get it in the right places, their ideal clients will flock to them. You’ve got to do the same if you want to grow your business.
You’ve got to use words that demonstrate you understand the issues your customers are facing.
You’ve got to use words that showcase that you are uniquely suited to solve their problem like none other.
You’ve got to use words that get them to know, like, and trust you enough to get them to do business with you.
When you do it right over time, not only will you have a number raving fans, but you’ll have customers who won’t hesitate to pull out their credit cards when you offer something of value to help them.
Why finding the right words isn’t easy
Most people think they are able to communicate well. We do it every day when we speak to others, send emails, and write social media posts.
But studies show we often overestimate our abilities.
So although most people feel they do a-ok when it comes to expressing what they want to say, their messages aren’t always received the way they intend.
That’s why celebrities and brands are constantly having to apologize for the words they put out in the public domain.
That also helps to explain why poor communication (read: not using words effectively), has been the root cause of sixty-five percent of divorces. And that’s among people who’ve pledged their undying love for each other!
Imagine the impact the wrong words could have on people who you don’t yet have a strong bond with.
The words you use can make or break your business.
It’s not just as simple as sitting down and stringing together a few paragraphs about why you’re so amazing. The words you use can be a powerful tool for you to escape obscurity, and win new business.
But that will only happen if you use them the right way.
The myth of hit publish and prosper
Let’s get one thing clear first. Even with the right words, putting your expertise on a stage by publishing content is not a magic pill that you take one day, and wake up the next with customers beating down your door.
It doesn’t work that way. Most things don’t. It’s a longer-term strategy that builds over time. And as you start to gain momentum, you start to get known. Your ideal customers start to recognize your expertise. And soon enough, you become the one they have to work with.
And winning with content marketing doesn’t happen by just publishing a bunch of content at random either. To make it work for you, you’ve got to have a clear plan for how to use it to get you from where you are, to where you want to go.
Otherwise, you’ll be back where you started. You’ll work hard on a promising approach that’s worked for countless others, only to get frustrated when nobody cares. And that’s definitely no bueno.
You need a strategy for your content that will get you results.
Research from Content Marketing Institute and Marketing Profs shows that those with a documented content strategy consider themselves more effective with their content and social media channels.
But even though the data indicates that a content strategy is essential to reaching your goals, 70% of businesses lack a consistent or integrated content plan. And when you consider these numbers, it’s easy to understand why one study showed only 30% of marketers say their company is effective when it comes to content marketing.
I don’t want that to be your story. So I created just what you need to effectively put your expertise on the stage where it belongs.
The science of using words to win business
As much as communicating well seems like an art form, there’s a lot more science behind what makes it work.
There’s formulas, and psychology, and techniques that work together to induce action.
And if you’re not up to speed on the mechanics of how to assemble the right words together, your communications can fall flat. That’s no bueno.
I can help.
I’m Sonia Thompson, founder of TRY Business School, and I’ve been a student of how to use the right words in business for nearly fifteen years. First, I did it as a marketer and business strategist growing multi-million dollar healthcare brands around the world.
And for the past five years, I’ve been studying and doing it online. I’ve invested a ton of time, energy, and money sitting at the feet of giants learning how to write for results.
As a result, I’m a published author, host of a top-rated podcast in iTunes, and have written more than one hundred articles around the web, including on sites such as Inc., Huffington Post, Success, Black Enterprise, Addicted2Success, Copyblogger, and Smart Blogger.
These skills have also enabled me to conduct nearly 150 interviews with expert entrepreneurs, including high-profile ones such as Seth Godin, Pat Flynn, Tucker Max, and John Lee Dumas.
Immersing myself in how to communicate for business has also gotten me a few certifications as well:
And I’d love to use everything I’ve learned over the years to help you find the right words so you can get found online, earn your customers’ loyalty, and grow your business.
Introducing The Customer Magnet Method:
The system that takes you by the hand and walks you step-by-step through the process of using content to establish yourself as an expert and get the results you desire.
The methodology will show you how to create a simple plan that’s designed to help you achieve the specific results you desire in your business.
There’s no one size fits all templates here. The material will enable you to build a content marketing system that takes into account your goals, your customers, your business, and your unique traits.
I designed it that way, because after a few years of bouncing around trying to figure out how to make this work for my own business, I eventually was able to figure out what worked and what didn’t.
You name it, I’ve probably tried it. And through it all I learned. And I learned. And I learned all about what works and what doesn’t. I was able to see the big picture of the content marketing landscape.
And as I worked to discover how to get results for me and my clients, I figured out how to connect the dots so I could explain it to you in simple and easy to understand format.
As I started to put the pieces together, I applied it to my own strategy. Then I began publishing what I learned so others could benefit.
Experts in the field started to take notice of my philosophy as well.
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Sonia is brilliant when it comes to online marketing strategy
Jerod Morris, VP of Marketing at Rainmaker Digital -
Believe me – Sonia knows content. In fact, she’s one of the first people I think of whenever we need a post written for our blog about content strategy or a deep dive on the tactics for creating truly “epic” content. Her warm, approachable style – both in her writing and in person – makes potentially complex topics easy and enjoyable to learn.
Glen Long, Managing Editor at Smart Blogger -
Sonia’s Customer Magnet course is the perfect solution for anyone who needs to get a handle on exactly what they should be aiming to accomplish with their content marketing efforts. It’s very thorough and takes you from planning to implementation with solid information every step of the way.
Pamela Wilson, Founder at Big Brand System and author of Master Content Marketing -
Sonia has a keen understanding of what holds beginning entrepreneurs back, and helps them grow their business. Her personal stories, examples and diagrams make her material easy to digest and apply. She’s a great teacher.
Henneke, Founder at Enchanting Marketing -
Sonia is a smart content marketer. She’s invested serious time in the trenches learning both the strategy of what, when and why to do something, as well as how to execute it. Combine that to her ability to teach these concepts in her writing, and she’s an excellent person to learn from.
Jon Morrow, CEO at Smart Blogger
I invested all the time, effort, and resources figuring out how to use content marketing as a means to consistently acquire customers, and I’m delighted to share it with you so you don’t have to do it on your own.
And now I’ve taken everything I’ve learned about how to create a content plan that builds your business and put it into a simple to follow methodology you can use to accelerate your progress.
Now just in case you were wondering, content marketing can work for you:
- even if you’re not a writer
- even if you’re new to your industry
- even if you hate marketing
That’s because you can design a simple plan that works for you that is tailor made for your specific business needs, your situation, and your specific personality traits.
Here’s what other’s who walked through the methodology had to say about it:
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I am so glad I found Sonia and her Customer Magnet Method Done for you Services. I had been saying for months, “I soooo wish somebody would do all this (marketing strategy) crap and just tell me what to write and where to put it.” And voila, I got my wish. I had done all kinds of coaching and trainings for creating a content marketing strategy, understood what needed to be done but just couldn’t connect the dots to make it happen. Working with Sonia was the single best investment I’ve made on my business, SERIOUSLY. She truly is a content strategy expert. I suspected she would be fabulous because she has Copyblogger certification and I knew I didn’t want another coach. Then when we spoke I quickly saw how knowledgeable and enthusiastic she is about doing exactly what I didn’t want to do. She actually listens and pays painstaking attention to details. She does exactly what she says, and some. If you are considering working with Sonia she will save you time and hair (from being pulled out) so just stop shopping and do it.
Lisa Branscomb, Founder at LifeBliss
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Sonia is a great instructor and her conversational style makes it easy to follow along with the content in The Customer Magnet. I love how she brings in memorable, personal examples to illustrate her points. Look out for some really adorable family photos! This approach makes it so easy to retain the key points from the lessons and see how to apply these concepts in your own business. The supplemental worksheets, templates, and slides help you to visualize and carry out your next steps. You really get the sense that Sonia is your personal cheerleader, rooting for you to succeed—and she sets out a clear path for you to do so.
Melissa Suzuno, Copywriter, Editor, & Content Marketer at Melissa Suzuno
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The surefire way to waste time with content marketing is starting before you know what you are doing. You can spend months creating content, thinking you are doing the right thing only to later realize you had no strategy and therefore no results. That’s why Sonia’s course is so great. It teaches you what you need to know about content creation so you can start strategic content marketing from the start. There’s no reason to waste months creating, testing, and failing when you can use Sonia’s course to leapfrog over the guesswork and get right to the concepts that will help you achieve results.
Raubi Perilli, Founder at Simply Stated Media
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I just finished the course (and downloaded everything I could so I can make a binder) – it was FANTASTIC! You not just covered the basics, but definitely provided insight on the ‘WHY’s and the ‘HOW’s of content strategy – bucketed in a way that makes it easy to understand and easy to apply. I was wondering at the beginning how someone like me, with a business that has tangible goods that is not all about online content, could benefit. But, as I completed Module 3, I saw the real benefit of the delivery and distribution of content via targeted channels would be beneficial for any business trying to build relationships with a global customer base.
Christina Griffin, Founder at Splendorlust
3 Ways for You to Put The Customer Magnet Method to Work for Your Business
1. Customer Magnet Self-Study Course
The information you need is packaged together in an online course that you can walk through at your own pace. Go through it as many times as you like. Revisit relevant topics as needed.
Here’s what’s included in the course:
Module 1: Begin with the End in Mind
How to build a strategy designed to achieve your goals
Lesson 1: How to set the goals that guide all your efforts
Lesson 2: How to connect your vision to your content
Lesson 3: Where to focus your energy for quick impact
Module 2: Get to Know Your Business’s Soul Mate
How to figure out what to say, how to say it, and where to say it to get results for both your and your ideal customers
Lesson 1: Why you need to commit to “the one”
Lesson 2: How to find out what your ideal customer really wants
Lesson 3: How to strategically use what you know about your ideal customers in your content
Module 3: Identify Your Core Content Pillar
How to decide which type of content is best to position you as the expert
Lesson 1: Why you need a content pillar
Lesson 2: Types of content pillars
Lesson 3: Key considerations for choosing the ideal content pillar for you
Module 4: Design a Plan to Move Your Ideal Customers to Action
How to put all the pieces of the puzzle together to make your customer magnet run like a well-oiled machine
Lesson 1: The stages your ideal customer must go through to become your “actual” customer
Lesson 2: Types of content for each stage
Lesson 3: How to identify what content to use for each stage
Module 5: Additional Strategic Elements to Turbocharge Your Results
How to incorporate the small details that make a big difference to your efforts
Lesson 1: Why details make all the difference
Lesson 2: The details you need to consider for your content strategy
Lesson 3: How to identify which conversion elements are right for you
As a result of going through the materials and the exercises, you’ll be able to create a simple plan to guide your marketing efforts that will free you and your expertise from the small business ghetto, and help you take your rightful place as an in-demand expert in your field.
2. 3-Month Intensive 1:1 Mentorship Program
Even when you have all the information you need to take action, sometimes it is helpful to have someone there to guide you along, helping you strategize for your unique situation, and hold you accountable to doing the work every step of the way.
Here’s what’s covered in the intensive program:
Week 1:
Begin with the end in mind: setting goals
Week 2:
Define your business’s soul mate
Week 3:
Evaluate the competitive landscape
Week 4:
Develop your content strategy
Week 5:
Setting up, organizing, and optimizing your online foundation
Week 6:
Converting strangers into readers (or listeners, or viewers)
Week 7:
Converting readers into subscribers
Week 8:
Converting subscribers into fans
Week 9:
Converting fans into customers
Week 10:
Best practices for content creation & maintaining consistency
Week 11:
Best practices for launching and nailing your platform in your chosen medium
Week 12:
Leveling up for sustained success
We’ll meet once a week for 12 weeks. Each session will be recorded so you can refer to it as needed. You’ll have homework after each session. In between our calls, you’ll have email access to me so I can answer any questions you may have and review your homework.
3. Customer Magnet Method Done-for-You Services
Sometimes it’s easier (and faster) to have someone else do the heavy lifting for you. I get it. Most people go straight to the content creation, and skip building their essential strategic foundation.
Here are some core strategic elements I can create for you to set you on the path you need to execute your content plan.
Strategy Development
The biggest contributor to the failure of blogs and other types of content is randomness. Just because you publish something, doesn’t mean people will read it or take the action you want them to. You need a plan for how to get from where you are to where you want to go. I’ll work with you to create a personalized content strategy designed to get you results. It will be based upon your goals, strengths, personality, and your market. No one-size-fits-all templates here.
Ideal Customer Personas
If you don’t have a very detailed picture and profile of your ideal reader and customer, then you will have a very difficult time getting results with your content. It’ll be like trying to buy the perfect gift for someone you don’t know. I’ll research your business’ soul mate, and give you a profile that will help you know her as well as you know your best friend. It will include her dreams, desires, fears, and frustrations, as well as the words she uses when talking about them.
Ideal Content Profile
What if you could reverse engineer content that your ideal reader wants to read and share with everyone they know? Well, it’s totally possible. It requires some research and analysis, but once the work is done, you’ll have a clear profile of what type of content you need to create to reach your goals. This will include important details such as length, style, and format.
Content Calendar (6 or 12-months)
One of the hardest parts of publishing content is figuring out what you should write about. So I’ll do the heavy lifting for you, and hand you a list of all the content you need to create in the coming months to execute your plan. Oh, and this won’t be stuff that I just make up. It’ll all be based upon data. 🙂 I’ll even include when you need to publish a post, and three headlines for each. This robust calendar is sure to be a procrastination killer. All you’ll have to do is sit down and create.
Lifetime access to all the course modules
Video, audio, and written versions of the material
Worksheets to help you apply the material directly to your business
Everything in The Customer Magnet course
Customized strategic content elements that help you hit the ground running
Payment plan available
There’s no risk to you to get started
Get started with the methodology with the option that works best for you. And if for some reason you are unhappy with the value you are receiving within 30 days, I’ll give you a refund.
It’s time to put your expertise on a stage where it belongs
No need to sit and wait for the opportunities to come to you.
Start putting the Customer Magnet Method to work in your business. Create the stage that will showcase your expertise by adding value to the people who need it.
I’ll be waiting to walk you through everything you need to know. Step-by-step.