Tag Archive for: blogging

Marcus Sheridan, The Sales Lion

Episode 152: BEST OF BELLA: They Ask, You Answer with Marcus Sheridan

This episode is part of the “Best of Bella” series. Bella chose this episode with Marcus Sheridan as one of the best for many reasons. Marcus is one of her favorite human beings, they go on a deep dive of content marketing and his book “They Ask, You Answer”. She doesn’t want you to be making the mistake that she sees others doing when blogging, even if you’ve listened to this episode before you’ll want to give it another listen.

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Show Highlights

  • How did Bella and Marcus meet? [2:50]
  • Who is Marcus Sheridan? [3:55]
  • How did Marcus realize he needed to slow down and start answering questions? [8:45]
  • What are the five subjects that move the economy? [12:05]
  • What is “Ostrich Marketing”? [13:35]
  • How important is video to the marketing process? [15:20]
  • What is assignment selling? [20:05]
  • How are face-to-face sales changing? [23:20]

They Ask, You Answer

Original Show Notes

On this episode Bella speaks with Marcus Sheridan, a former pool guy turned digital sales and marketing expert. He is the President of The Sales Lion and a Partner at River Pools and Spas.

Bella and Marcus discuss:

  • The philosophy of “They ask, you answer”
  • Why business owners are afraid of just giving honest answers to potential customers
  • The five subjects that move the economy.
  • The dangers of “Ostrich marketing”
  • How important video is becoming to the marketing process
  • Assignment selling
  • Face-to-face sales appointments without you being there.

Marcus Sheridan’s book: They Ask You Answer: A Revolutionary Approach to Inbound Sales, Content Marketing, and Today’s Digital Consumer (available on Amazon)

You can find out more about Marcus at https://www.thesaleslion.com.

How Does Blogging Help Me Get Pet Sitting Clients?

How Does Blogging Help Me Get Pet Sitting Clients?

On more than one occasion I have gotten the question “How does blogging help me get pet sitting clients?” And while I have been blogging up a storm for years on how to do all of this, I realized I haven’t actually explained on a strategy level how blogging helps customers find you and how it converts them to pet sitting clients.

I have shown you Mark, a dog trainer, who ended up with so much business from blogging that he raised his prices.

I have brought you the story on my YouTube Channel and on my podcast Bella In Your Business, of a man on the brink of bankruptcy in 2008 who started blogging and not only saved his business, but became a worldwide leader in his industry, which then lead him to make over 2 million dollars speaking all over the world about exactly how he did it.

I also had the incredible Mike Alton on Bella In Your Business showing you how your local blogging can gain you credibility and expert status in your community.

I even showed you what you need to do post publishing to make sure the most amount of eyeballs get onto your blog. Post publishing is almost as important as writing the actual blog.

There have been numerous other instances… as I have over 200 videos, 500 blogs, and 130+ podcasts (at the time of publishing) but I have never actually directly answered “How does blogging get me clients” so let me explain.

We Google Everything.

When you have a question you don’t know the answer to, where do you go?

Google, right?

People ask Google (or Siri or Alexia, etc) for everything! We ask them on our phones. We ask them by typing in on our computers, and we even ask them by voice.

Search is something that has changed so much over the years and more and more questions are being asked, and less “search term + city” ENTER.

People are looking for answers to their questions. Will you be the one answering them? I guarantee most of your competition isn’t doing it.

There is a huge opportunity up for grabs. Will you take it?

Content Marketing in 2019 is Like the Gold Rush.

This is still an untapped strategy that many are too lazy to adopt. Or, they lack the planning to actually execute.

In many communities, YOU, my friend, can still stand out online. Imagine if you were trying to make a purchase and googling to learn more about the product or service. Typically people want to know the major questions:

How much does it cost (in the area)?

What are the problems with the product or service?

How does it compare with others?

What are other people saying about it?

People will figure out the answers to their questions somehow and why not it be from you? You can be the one responsible for bringing the information that the people want. For that, they will be grateful.

https://www.facebook.com/jumpconsulting/videos/2255916208012225/

When People are Grateful To A Brand It Leads to More Revenue

I want you to imagine the last time a company was super helpful to you. When they educated you or provide value in a way that you felt like you could trust and were unbiased.

A super example of this is Hubspot. They have endless blogs, downloads, and even free software that you can download now all so you can get comfortable with the knowledge of sales and tracking the things they provide the tools for. They basically let you test drive their brand before making the investment.

This ability that the consumer has to “kick the tires” is hugely powerful IF they can actually believe what the brand is saying. This will make the decision to reach into their pocket a lot easier and less stressful because they feel like they have gotten to know you.

Repurpose & Upcycling Your Blog

Blogs are super for repurposing, or what my friend Brian Fanzo calls “upcycling”. This is when you take the content and chop it up, we use it and spread it far and wide. We also talked about this on the Bella In Your Business Podcast.

get more pet sitting clients

Another advantage to repurposing is that different people frequent different channels. Some people might follow you more on one channel than another and by posting your content on more than one platform you can and will expand your reach.

But I warn you, master one platform before you add another or it can get overwhelming.

 

How Does Blogging Help Me Get Pet Sitting Clients?

Writing a Blog and Then Chopping it Up Will Help You Upcycle

For example, a simple 1000 word blog might be upcycled like this:

  1. Create graphics with your major points and share them on Facebook with a link back to your blog.
  2. Create an infographic and tease it on your Instagram feed. 
  3. Talk about it on your IG stories or FB stories and encourage people to go back and look at the article. (This is for your business and personal stories)
  4. Go live on your FB page talking about the article.
  5. Go live in your Facebook group talking about the article.
  6. Tweet about it.
  7. Post it on your business page on Linkedin.

In this day and age it isn’t about creating more and more content but using the content you do have and spreading it as far as you can.

Think about spreading out pizza dough. It is the same effect!

The Bottom Line:

At the end of the day, your customers will always have the same questions. They will get their answers, one way or the other.

It is all a part of the buying and decision-making process.

What if someone was looking for a veterinarian in the area and they came across your blog about the Top 5 Veterinarians in CITY?  That was just one touch you made with a potential customer.

What if someone was thinking about using your services, and when they went to search for things like “how much does dog walking cost in CITY?”

Your blog was the one that kept coming up. It would subconsciously show them that you are showing up online.

That you are a trusted local expert. That you care enough to make your marketing shine, must be a great indication of your work ethic. The very thing they are hiring you for!

Still Not Sure How To Get The Most Out Of Your Blog?

I get it. Many people fall into one of three categories:

  1. They hate marketing for numerous reasons.
  2. They love marketing and always intend on doing more but really don’t ever get to it often OR (most importantly) consistently.
  3. They love marketing and rock it on a daily basis.

If you are #1 or #2 then I have a solution for you. It is Better Marketing with Bella where we provide you over 25 marketing items each month for six months. We provide videos, content calendars, graphics, emails… It is a six-month program and we will be admitting those who apply and meet the criteria very soon. You can apply here.

september pet sitting blog ideas

4 September Pet Sitting Blog Or Video Ideas

Summer is coming to an end and we are quickly approaching the Fall season. But what does this mean for you as a business owner? Well, it means the kids are going back to school, Labor Day is coming up, and there are numerous opportunities for you get new clients. However, they will never know you exist unless you BLOG or VIDEO – it is a necessity! I know that coming up with blog/video topics is difficult, so I’ve compiled a list of intriguing September pet sitting blog ideas that will help your website shine on Google!

4 September Pet Sitting Blog Or Video Ideas

september pet sitting blog ideas

1. Holidays – Labor Day!

Labor Day can mean two good things for you as a business owner.

  • The kids are going back to school.
  • People will be taking trips

Many people in your area might be trying to figure out what they are going to do with their dogs now that their kids will be gone all day. Why not answer their question by writing a blog or making a video? Discuss different pet care options where you live and make your business shine by showing (not telling) why your service is #1.

Also, consider writing about Labor Day. Write a blog or make a video about different events going on around town or ways people can celebrate with their families. It may get your clients’ thinking about taking a trip if they weren’t already, and sure enough, they’ll need you to watch the dog – score!

 

2. Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall!

The weather is a great topic to blog or video about because it’s very broad and there are so many different directions you can go.

September can be pretty rainy, so why not blog or video about it? Ask and answer questions such as:

  • Is it safe to walk a dog in the rain?
  • Should dogs wear raincoats or rain boots when walking in the rain?
  • Can dogs get sick walking in the rain?

The questions are endless and will engage your audience to click and find out the answer.

 

3. Autumn Activities

Changing of the seasons allows pet owners and their pets alike to engage in activities they might not have been able to do the season before.

For instance, make a list of the top hiking trails in your area with the most scenic view? Summer is too hot for hiking, plus the changing of the leaves makes great scenery. Write about it and get your audience thinking!

Or maybe blog/video about some of the best games to play with your dog outside during Autumn. Other topics could include a list of the top dog parks in the area, dog-friendly restaurants, or other pet-friendly events that may be going on around you.

 

4. Educational Pet Themes Of The Month

Did you know that every month has a specially designated theme that has to do with pets and animals? September is:

  • Happy Healthy Cat Month
  • National Disaster Preparedness Month

Take these topics and run with them. Write about helpful tips cat owners can use to ensure their cat is both happy and healthy. Or take the second topic and describe how dog owners and their dogs can be prepared in case of an emergency.

Additionally, there are certain pet oriented days in September that you can write time-sensitive blogs/videos about such as:

  • National Hug Your Hound Day (2nd Sunday In September)
  • Responsible Dog Ownership Day (September 19th)
  • National Dog Week (Last full week in September)

 

I hope these September pet sitting blog ideas are helpful to you and are able to give you some inspiration. If you are a pet sitting business that DOESN’T have a blog – it’s never too late to start. If you’re still not convinced, check out these blogs I wrote on Why Should I Blog For My Pet Sitting Business and Why You Should Care About Your Holiday Cover Profiles And Blogging.

Lastly, if you choose to write about any of these topics – be sure to post a link to your blog in the comments section so I can read it. I want to see where your creative minds take these ideas!

For more content on blogging, be sure to take a look at:

Learn How Two Coaching Sessions Tripled This Pet Business’s Leads By Blogging!

Episode 2: Blogging To 1700 Hits In One Day And Delegating Your Business 

Here Are 5 Important Things To Do After You Publish A Blog Plus 3 Bonuses

Want More Of Me In Your Business? Subscribe To My YouTube Channel!

better marketing with bella