build a blog-based business
TRANSCRIPT
Not Just a Blog(And Stand Out)
Build a Business
Mary Anne Shewwww.BuildBlogBiz.comBlogPaws 2014
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Help petsRun a blogMake a living
Your Dreams
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Subscriber list growing slowlyHard to earn income as a blogger
Problems
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The Solution
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The Business Recipe
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Produce a Profit
Answer 9 questions to:
Connect to
Customers
Activate Your
Assets
1. Activate Your Assets (Answer 3 questions)
2. Connect to Customers (Answer 3 questions)
3. Produce a Profit (Answer 3 questions)
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What we’ll cover
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But wait a minute…
How do I keep track of all this??
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The Business Model YOU
(BMY) Canvas
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That raises another question…
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What’s a business model?
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It’s a recipe for businessRunning a business is like making birthday cakes
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Biz recipe guides youActivate your Assets. Do key tasks:• Measuring, mixing• Fill pans, put in oven• Build cake, decorate
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Biz recipe guides youActivate your Assets. Use skills, resources:• Design, baking skills• Ingredients• Bowls, utensils,
oven
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Biz recipe guides youActivate your Assets. Get outside help:• Recipe sources• Baking class• Helpful friend
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Connect to Customers.Know who cake is for:• Age, gender• Their likes, dislikes• Allergies, special diet
Biz recipe guides you
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Connect to Customers.What is your relationship to recipient / requester:• Family, friend• Co-worker• Neighbor
Biz recipe guides you
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Connect to Customers.• How they know you
like to bake and are good at it.
• How to get cake to party.
Biz recipe guides you
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Produce your Profit. How you help:• A great cake• The guests’
pleasure• Adds to celebration
Biz recipe guides you
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Produce your Profit. What cake costs you:• Ingredients• Special equipment• Time: Thought,
planning, making
Biz recipe guides you
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Produce your Profit. What you got out of giving a cake:• Sense of pride• Appreciation• Compliments• Expressed your love
Biz recipe guides you
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Produce a Profit
Connect to
Customers
Activate Your
Assets
Use the BMY Recipe to
259 boxes
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MeasuringMixingFill pansPut in ovenConstruct cake
Recipe sources
Baking class
Helpful friend
Activate Your Assets
Design, decorating skillsBowls, utensilsIngredients Mixer, oven
Activate Your Assets 27
MeasuringMixingFill pansPut in ovenConstruct cake
Recipe sources
Baking class
Helpful friend Design,
decorating skillsBowls, utensilsIngredients Mixer, oven
Activate Your Assets 28
MeasuringMixingFill pansPut in ovenConstruct cake
Recipe sources
Baking class
Helpful friend Design,
decorating skillsBowls, utensilsIngredients Mixer, oven
29Connect to Customers
Who is cake for---
Kind of cake they
likeVolunteered to make? Or asked?
How to get it there
Relationship to recipient: parent, friend, etc.
Connect to Customers 30
Who is cake for---
Kind of cake they
likeVolunteered to make? Or asked?
How to get it there
Relationship to recipient: parent, friend, etc.
Connect to Customers 31
Who is cake for---
Kind of cake they
likeVolunteered to make? Or asked?
How to get it there
Relationship to recipient: parent, friend, etc.
32Produce a ProfitA great
cake---
Guests’ pleasure
---Adds to
celebration
Sense of pride, appreciation, compliments, expressed your love
Cost of ingredients, special equipTime to plan, make
Produce a Profit 33
A great cake---
Guests’ pleasure
---Adds to
celebration
Cost of ingredients, special equipTime to plan, make
Sense of pride, appreciation, compliments, expressed your love
Produce a Profit 34
A great cake---
Guests’ pleasure
---Adds to
celebration
Cost of ingredients, special equipTime to plan, make
Sense of pride, appreciation, compliments, expressed your love
3 Sets of 3 Boxes 35
Who is cake for---
Kind of cake they
like
MeasuringMixingFill pansPut in ovenConstruct cake
Design, decorating skillsBowls, utensilsIngredientsMixer, oven
Recipe sources
Baking class
Helpful friend
A great cake---
Guests’ pleasure
---Adds to
celebrationVolunteered to make? Or asked?
How to get it there
Relationship to recipient: parent, friend, etc.
Cost of ingredients, special equipTime to plan, make
Sense of pride, appreciation, compliments, expressed your love
369 Boxes = 9 Questions
Who is cake for---
Kind of cake they
like
MeasuringMixingFill pansPut in ovenConstruct cake
Recipe sources
Baking class
Helpful friend
A great cake---
Guests’ pleasure
---Adds to
celebration
Cost of ingredients, special equipTime to plan, make
Volunteered to make? Or asked?How many guestsHow to get it there
Relationship to recipient: parent, friend, etc.
Design, decorating skillsBowls, utensilsIngredientsMixer, oven
Sense of pride, appreciation, compliments, expressed your love
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What else is a model good for?
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Think through ideas
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Solve problems
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Answer “What if…?”
Cooking with the BMY Recipe
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Cooking tips for the BMY Recipe42
It’s easier to start by listing your Assets
One answer may change the others
The only “right” answers are the ones that work for you
Cooking tools for the BMY Recipe43
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• A printed copy of BMY blank form• A pen• 1.5” x 2” sticky notes• A camera
Cooking tools for the BMY Recipe
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BMY Recipe directions1. Write your answer to one of the 9
questions on a small sticky note using the pen—just a few words
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2. Stick the sticky in the appropriate box on the BMY form• Stickies make it easy to change
the recipe
BMY Recipe directions
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3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until you have answered all 9 questions and are happy with your answers
BMY Recipe directions
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4. Take a picture of your BMY for future reference
BMY Recipe directions
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5. Get feedback on your BMY from trusted associates, friends, family• Take a picture of each version
BMY Recipe directions
First Look:The 9 Questions
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Part 1Activate Your Assets
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Activate Your Assets First set of three questions:1. What you do2. Who you are (a) & what you
have (b)3. Who helps you
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Activate Your Assets 53
Part 2Connect to Customers
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Connect to CustomersSecond set of three questions:4. Whom you help5. How you interact6. How they know you (a) & how
you deliver (b)
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Connect to Customers
Produce a ProfitLast set of three questions:7. How you help8. What you give9. What you get
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Produce a Profit59
609 Boxes = 9 Questions
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A Closer Look:The 9 Questions
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Why go through all this?
Competing for Attention63
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BlogPaws members: 5/15/13: 2200 members 5/03/14: 3575 members
Competing for Attention 72M Wordpress blogs
184.5M Tumblr blogs: 93M posts/day
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Competing Against Others
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Successful bloggers, over time, adjusted the Recipe to fit them and their audience.
The vast majority of blogs aren’t run as a business.
Running your blog as a business makes you more competitive.
Competing Against Others
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Ready?Let’s Dive In
Part 1Activate Your Assets
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Activate Your Assets 69
Activate Your Assets
1. What You DoWhat are the physical and/or mental activities you perform on behalf of your Customers?
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Activate Your Assets
1. What You Do
SampleAnswers
Describe your:Interests: What excites youAbilities: Natural, easy talentsSkills: Learned/acquired talentsPersonality: Style of interaction with others
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Activate Your Assets
2a. Who You Are
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Activate Your Assets
2b. What You HaveDescribe your:Knowledge: Pet care, feedingExpertise: Your pet niche(s)Other personal resources: Subscribe to professional magazines, journals; contacts, etc.
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Activate Your Assets
2a+b. Are&Have
SampleAnswers
Who supports you in your role as a professional blogger?
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Activate Your Assets
3. Who Helps You
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SampleAnswers
Activate Your Assets
3. Who Helps You
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Part 1: Activate Your Assets: Summary
Part 2Connect to Customers
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Connect to Customers79
Connect to Customers
4. Whom You HelpWho pays you directly to receive a benefit?
Who receives a benefit at no cost and is subsidized by paying customers?
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Connect to Customers
4. Whom You Help81
SampleAnswers
Connect to Customers
5. How You Interact• Personal or face-to-face• Blog, email, social media, text• Single transaction or ongoing• Focus on more customers or
keeping the ones you have?
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Connect to Customers
5. How You Interact83
SampleAnswers
Connect to Customers
6a. How Know YouHow Prospects discover you, decide to buy, how they buy
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Connect to Customers
6b. How You DeliverHow you deliver, follow up after the sale
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Connect to Customers
6a+b. Know&Deliver86
SampleAnswers
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Connect to Customers: Summary
We’re in the home stretch…
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Produce a Profit90
Produce a Profit
7. How You Help91
What job(s) are Customers hiring you to perform?
What benefits do Customers gain as a result of that job?
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SampleAnswers
Produce a Profit
7. How You Help
Produce a Profit
8. What You Give• Your time, your energy• Your out-of-pocket expenses• Stress, disappointments• Long hours
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SampleAnswers
Produce a Profit
8. What You Give
Produce a Profit
9. What You Get• Fees, royalties, commissions• Free products to review• Satisfaction, recognition,
contribution
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SampleAnswers
Produce a Profit
9. What You Get
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Part 3: Produce a Profit: Summary
98Want Some
Blog Revenue Ideas?
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Darren Rowse• Blogger since 2002• Problogger.net (public site)• Problogger.com (member site)• Digital-photography-school.com“I have slowly built my blogging into an income source that has enabled me to dedicate more and more time to the medium to the point where I am currently a full time blogger – a ProBlogger.”
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http://www.problogger.net/moneymap/
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Final Summary:The 9 Questions
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Part 1: Activate Your Assets: Summary
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Part 2: Connect to Customers: Summary
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Part 3: Produce a Profit: Summary
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A Pet Blogger’s Recipe
