Stay up-to-date via RSS!

I’ve been on an accountability kick lately. Instead of focusing on the latest Twitter tool or list building technique, I’m going inside of myself to figure out exactly what might be missing from my marketing. There’s so many messages out there - ones telling me that the secret is using videos or having a Facebook Fan Page. But I knew it was something more, something internal that I had to face.

I just don’t believe in the latest and greatest. I’ll be the first to tell you that I don’t get excited about the iPhone or the new Mac operating system. Considering the field that I work in, it’s a pretty bold statement to make - ones where people might even lose respect for me (incredible what materialism does to us, huh?).

I guess it goes back to how I feel about food. Give me vegetables and fruits any day over the newest Fat Free, Low Carb, No Sugar Added fad. I choose what works - things that look simple and unassuming, sitting around without sexy labels. As a result, I’ve been able to lose 50 pounds without struggle.

With just some quiet time plus my journal, I pinpointed the source of what I felt was missing as a lack of personal accountability. I was in a place where it was ok if I didn’t write articles (even though I know how effective they are), if I didn’t update my blog (which I advocate for SEO purposes for other people), and if I didn’t keep my focus and develop systems (the key to any successful business).

The moment I noticed this, I put systems in place to stop this from happening again.

I want the same thing for you and your marketing.

I want you to choose what works, not what’s popular. I want to you get results, not overwhelmed.

That’s why I’ve created The Personal Accountability Oath - will you take it along with me?

Here goes…

Put your hand over your entrepreneurial heart and boldly proclaim the following…

I Will Stick To One Thing And Make It Work

I get into a lot of conversations about Entrepreneurial ADD - the mindset that entrepreneurs get in where they get excited about each new idea yet they only give a small amount of attention to the actual implementation and more importantly, the support to make that product a success. Often the most important things you have to do are the least glamorous and worth getting excited about.

Let’s take getting traffic to your website for example. Depending on how competitive your niche is, you might have to produce lots of articles, videos, blog posts, and participate on social media just to get noticed even a little bit. While this requires a lot of effort and work, these are all things you have to do every single day. It’s a never ending process. Yet, it’s not necessarily as thrilling as launching a new product, is it? This comes into play when you think of putting up website after website yet the first one you put up doesn’t get any traffic.

Stick to one thing and do everything it takes to make it a success.

I Will Have A System For Creating Content

In my last post, I talked about the importance of creating content. Just how important is it? Well, if you want to make a success of your online business, you have to create a calendar of what you’re going to write and when you’re going to write it. Yes, there are plenty of entrepreneurs who are able to live without this type of system. But they’re very much the minority. Not only do you have to have a system for this content, you’re going to have to give a bunch of it away for free too.

Having an editorial calendar in place will help you make the most of the one thing you’re doing. Again, it’s not glamorous or exciting but it does work.

I Will Watch What They Do, Not Buy What They Sell

While I agree that marketing teachers have a right to make a living, I often worry if it’s at the expense of creating false hope for their clients. Are they selling fluff or simple repeatable systems? It’s often hard to tell. As an entrepreneur, I want you to be a keen observer. Notice what’s going on, watch what your business role models are doing, and see if it’s something that would help your business.

You would often be surprised how simple what they’re doing is and how it’s simple for you to do too. Keep this up and you’ll save thousands of dollars and feelings of disappointment and disenchantment when they reveal what’s behind the curtain - and you realize it’s still not the thing that’s going to help your business be profitable.

This simple Personal Accountability Oath can save you from a lot of the mistakes you can make online. Now it’s up to you to implement it, think about it, journal about it, and make it a part of your life. Once you start using it, leave a comment below and let me know how it’s helping you.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 25th, 2009 at 1:49 pm and is filed under internet marketing for coaches. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.