Everything else should be approached as a friendly suggestion.
You’ll hear me talk about creating a business that speaks to your soul, but what do I mean by this?
What I mean is this:
I don’t want you to create a business based on what everyone else is saying you should do. Build a business that satisfies nobody but you and in so doing, you will also create an authentic business that speaks to the people you’re here to help.
I’ve been on this train of thought for some time now, but since I started speaking out about it; I’ve gained greater clarity and a frenzy of confirmation.
I’m going to share a few examples (for those of you to whom this is all Techno-Geek, bear with me. I’ll highlight the jargon and explain it all as we go along.)
Here are some examples of the “rules” I’ve tried to follow that have done nothing more than hold me back and leave me struggling in business:
- People have short attention spans, so keep your blog posts short;
- Search Engine Optimization (“SEO”) is dead;
- You have to focus on SEO, it’s the only way you’ll ever be found by the search engines;
- Write your headline first;
- Your domain name should contain a keyword, and:
- Don’t talk about yourself. Your readers don’t care about you other than to the extent you solve their problems.
While none of these is inherently wrong and in fact all are valid in their own way, they are also rules that have at times hindered my business more than they’ve helped it.
This is why I say: “throw all this shit out and create a business that’s true to you.”
Stick with me, I’m about to explain.
No Rules #1: People have short attention spans, so keep your blog posts short
A blog post is what you’re reading right now. In off-line business, (i.e. magazines, newspapers, etc.) they’re “articles,” in online business, they’re blog posts.
Simple enough?
This “rule” is a Marketing Myth.
While in some cases it may be true that you need to keep your content short and to the point, in other cases, you are better served by taking the time to say what you have to say.
The key is to not overload your readers’ minds by sharing too many concepts in a single post.
Have you ever taken the time to actually read any of those 101 Reasons Why You Should (fill in the blank) posts?
Most likely not. While the headline may be compelling enough to have you click on it to have a read, it’s just too much information. Most of us get bored long before we make it to the final reason unless the writer is hella’ good at creating compelling content.
So while this rule has some validity, you’re better off saying what you have to say as concisely as possible (just the facts, ma’am) while ensuring that you get your point across. Sometimes you just can’t do that in 500 words or less.
Here are my Rules of Evidence (tongue-in-cheek reference to my legal days in Corporate America)
You can see for yourself…
Leonie Dawson wrote a very personal and vulnerable post about being “trolled online,“ that in her own words was her:
Most Viral Post Ever, ~Leonie Dawson, Leonie Dawson.com
This post clocks in at an astounding 2,549 words. By all accounts breaking the first Online Business Rule: “Keep Blog Posts at around 500 words” – about 5 times over.
Leonie Dawson is no slouch in the online business community. She’s created a luscious business with thousands of followers that generates tens of thousands of dollars for her each year; allowing her to not only revel in fulfilling her Soul Calling of helping people, but to work part-time hours while enjoying time with her family.
Sounds delicious, doesn’t it?
No Rules #1 (B): Jon Morrow
Jon Morrow is big stuff. I happen to love him. While he teaches the nuts and bolts of online business, he does it in a very open, authentic way.
Here’s what he has to say on the subject: