CutToTheChase Business, Marketing and Tech Hacks for Entrepreneurs and Digital Creators

If you've ever been a part of a Facebook group, you've probably seen someone post a Poll, usually asking questions like... Who should I host my podcast with? Polls are great if you really are looking for people to vote on the answers, and you want to be able to quickly know the results and find a winner, or a trend, at the end. And next to each of those choices is usually a checkbox, and you click on your choice, and move on. Unfortunately, neither Facebook or Twitter consider those check-box marking action as "engagement" - at least not enough to give your post any kind of a boost in the algorithm. Listen to the show at https://CutToTheChase.fm for the rest. Episode brought to you by https://S3MediaVault.com - Audio & Video Player for Amazon S3 & File Protector for Amazon S3 and CloudFront

I see a lot of new podcasters doing this: They have a website, and they're hosting it with a regular web host like Godaddy or Dreamhost or Hostgator etc. And their current web host is probably promising them unlimited bandwidth and tons of storage space. So they're like: "Why can't I just host my podcast audio files on my own web host, and use a plugin like PowerPress to create my podcast RSS feed? Why do I need to pay for a podcast host just to store my audio files?" On this episode, I explain why you shouldn't. Listen to the show for the rest at https://CutToTheChase.fm

I recently saw a post on twitter from @Matineegirl, in which she wrote: Read because you want to. Read whatever floats your boat. Read as quickly or as slowly as you do. Read books only with orange covers if you want to. Read 1 book or 500 books a year. There are no rules. Just read. That's so awesome! I loved that tweet. So I re-tweeted that by adding my own little twist for Digital Creators, because you know, I always have my own twist on everything. So here's my version... Listen to the show for the rest at https://CutToTheChase.fm

Like, if you're a company owner or an employee, and you get a call, you can pick up the phone and say, "Hi, How can I help you?" Or if you're working a helpdesk or frontdesk of a hotel or restaurant or agency, and someone calls you, or walks up to you, and you can say, hi, how can I help you? Except... that's probably the worst thing to say on social media to a stranger who has just accepted your friend request, and you're a complete stranger to them. Listen to the show for the rest at https://CutToTheChase.fm

Think about these 3 lines from that Wikipedia fund-raiser email: * "This is awkward to admit, but I have to be honest: 98% of our readers don't give" * "they simply look the other way." * "You are part of the 2% of readers who donated to support Wikipedia" Listen to the show for the rest. https://CutToTheChase.fm  

You know the saying: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"? That rings very true especially when it comes to mission critical systems like your website or computer software. And it is EVEN MORE true when it comes to making big changes - or even small changes - on a Friday. Listen to the show for the rest. https://CutToTheChase.fm

If you are a digital creator, it is absolutely critical that you Own Your Platform. Listen to the show for the rest. https://CutToTheChase.fm

I recently saw someone ask this in a Facebook group: Who will be the king of Podcast Streaming in the battle between Spotify vs Apple? So here's my answer... Listen to the show for the rest. https://CutToTheChase.fm

The saying goes that people judge a book by its cover. That is still true to some extent even today. But what's even more today in the age of endless stream of content and information and noise, is that your book is no longer being judged by just its cover, it is judged by its table of contents. So if someone were to look past the cover of your life, and look into the table of contents of the content you're putting out there into the world, what will they learn? What will I learn? Listen to the show for the rest. I've put together a page on my website with all of the greatest tools I use in my own online business. Check it out at https://SubscribeMe.fm/tools/ . And if you're listening to this as a Flash Briefing, then you only get to listen to the latest 5 episodes. And you're missing out on a treasure trove of older content. So to listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm. Or search for the word "cuttothechase.fm" as one word, in your favorite podcast app.

When selecting lighting for your home or office, other than just brightness, there's one other very important thing you need to consider: And that's the "temperature" of the light. Warm white lights are those that have a very warm, orangey or yellowey tinge. Also know as soft white. Cool lights are more bright, more white, and have a cool bluish tinge. Also known as bright white or daylight white. So where and how are these used? Listen to the show for the rest. https://CutToTheChase.fm

One of the best ways to overcome anxiety or nerves that you may have when recording a live video on Facebook or YouTube or Periscope, is not to not do a live video at all. No no, I don't mean don't publish live videos. I'm saying don't do it live. Confused? Listen to the show to see what I mean. And the crazies thing, is that the two biggest tools you need to true live video, or "fake-live video", as I call it, are both actually free! And these are the things I cover in my online course titled DOPE: Do Once, Publish Everywhere. You can check it out by going to https://SubscribeMe.fm/dope And to listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm

Keep the video short. I call this the micro-tip strategy. Create a short 30 second to 1 minute video with a short and sweet tip about your niche. So for example, in my niche, which is digital marketing, creating membership sites and online courses, one micro tip would be: "Hey, don't use YouTube for hosting your sales and promotional videos, because starting last September, YouTube made a major change to what shows up at the end of your videos that are embedded on your website." See what I did there? Obviously, that's not the whole tip, but you get the idea. In fact, I recently just created a full podcast episode titled "YouTube Suckes If You're Doing This", and you can listen to the full episode on my other show, at SubscribeMe.fm. Listen to the show for the rest. To listen to the full episode where I talked about why you shouldn't use YouTube to store your sales and promo videos, listen to my main show at SubscribeMe.fm, or search for "SubscribeMe.fm" as one word, in your favorite podcast app. And to listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm

Ryan has a YouTube channel called Ryan Toysreview , which has 18 million subscribers, and over 26 billion video views, and an article in Forbes, says "earning him $22 million in the 12 months leading up to June 1, 2018". That article, linked in the show-notes, goes on to say "Nearly all of his money, or about $21 million, comes from pre-roll advertising on his channels Ryan ToysReview and Ryan’s Family Review. Do you think this little kid started a channel with the intention of making money? Of course not. https://CutToTheChase.fm Links: Forbes article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2018/12/03/how-this-seven-year-old-made-22-million-playing-with-toys-2/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChGJGhZ9SOOHvBB0Y4DOO_w  

Have you watched the show Better Call Saul, where the main character Jimmy, is specializing in Elder Law, and befriends the residents of a senior citizen home and plays bingo with them, and turns them all into clients? Now, you could say he is being a bit manipulative there, or you could see the other side of it, that Jimmy is actually genuinely interested in the seniors, he cares for them, he wants to protect them and give them the best possible service, and make sure no one else rips them off, and he fights for them. Which is why he is well known, liked and trusted by the senior citizens there. So how is that relevant to what you and I are trying to do in our businesses? Listen to the show for the rest. And to listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm

Building influence, and earning the trust and respect of your audience is easier said, than done. There are so many different things you have to do, for an extended period of time, in order to earn those. I'll name a few things here... Listen to the show for the rest. And to listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm

Influence is not built simply by sharing cool or interesting or funny stuff online. We see this every single day on every single platform - people sharing really funny videos, heartwarming videos, heartbreaking videos, baby and cat and family videos, and crazy memes and breaking news. The funniest and most heartwarming and most heartbreaking and most awesome videos and the most impactful news, negative or positive, will get the most likes and comments. But you've got to ask yourself: So what? So what if you got a lot of likes or comments on that 3rd party content you shared? What does that really do for you? To listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm

During my recent launch of my online course, titled DOPE: Do Once, Publish Everywhere, I did something called a Dime Sale. A dime sale basically means the price goes up every so often. The original concept of the dime sale, was that it would go up by 10 cents every hour. And hence the name dime sale. So I decided to something similar. Listen to the show for the rest. And to listen to older episodes of this show, visit CutToTheChase.fm

This is so DOPE! And I don't mean just "this is cool". The name of my new course is literally: DOPE: Do Once, Publish Everywhere - How to Build Trust, Respect & Influence and Reach New Audiences Using Live Streaming, Video, Audio and Repurposing Content on Multiple Social Media Platforms And you can check it out at https://SubscribeMe.fm/dope/ So why is it important to publish your content on multiple platforms? The biggest issue facing every digital marketer and content creator today, is getting their message out in front of a targeted audience, ideally, the biggest possible targeted audience. So if you don't already have a massive email list, or you're not already a celebrity and don't have a huge following on Instagram, or followers on your Facebook page, then how do you build an audience from scratch? And how do you do it as quickly as possible, without having to wait endlessly for years and years? Creating more content is not the answer. You have to promote, as much, if not more, than you create.

The basic idea of the last episode was that I saw someone ask on Facebook: What's the law around having short clips from songs on a podcast - like a music podcast where we are discussing the songs? And on the last episode, I gave you 13 reasons why you should be very careful about using third-party clips, especially if they're from a single or music album from the music industry. So be sure to listen to that episode first, which is Ep 81, at CutToTheChase.fm So continuing that discussion.... Back when I was still living in India, my late father R.N. Jayagopal was the Vice-President of the (Asian) Indian version of ASCAP, called IPRS - Indian Performing Rights Society. I've seen up-close and personally, what a nasty hassle copyright issues can be, for both the creator and the user. Listen to the show for the rest. And to listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm

Someone recently asked on Facebook: What's the law around having short clips from songs on a podcast - like a music podcast where we are discussing the songs? I'm not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice. There is no black-and-white answer to this. Even with all of my thoughts I'm about to share with you, there's going to be a lot of "it depends", which only goes to show you how tricky this subject is. Listen to the episode for the rest. To learn more about creating an online business, and how to create, sell and deliver digital content, like audio, video, PDF and text, check out my full-length podcast at https://SubscribeMe.fm And to listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm

Dictionary.com defines marketing as, “the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising.” You can sell a lousy product with great marketing. Heck, you can sell a product that hasn't even been created yet, with great marketing. Marketing is critical even to raise funds for a non-profit. Or run a successful crowd-funding campaign for a good cause. Creating more content, is not content marketing. So if you've been around for a while, you already have created enough content. So stop creating, and start promoting. And to listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm

There are 3 basic pieces of content that you need today, in order to sell something online. 1. Your Sales Page 2. Your Sales Video 3. Your Ad Video And here's how you can save a lot of time, effort and headache, by creating one epic piece of content first, and then repurposing that into the 3 major pieces of content. And to listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm

You have probably heard of WIIFM - What's In It For Me. Now, normally empathy is a problem for most people, even me. Doesn't matter how much we talk about looking at something from someone's eyes, or walking in someone's shoes, or being in their shoes, all of that is great, it's not just the idea that matters, but how you position it matters. So every time you think of the buzzword WIIFM - What's In It For Me - the whole point is lost every time you say the word ME. Listen to the show for the rest at https://CutToTheChase.fm

Here's the problem with a lot of entrepreneurs and digital creators. They spend a lot of time creating an elaborate online course, or a video series, spend months working on the content, setting up the website, and the membership site, and they launch it to their list, and get... crickets. So instead, sell first, and then create later. It will save you a whole lot of time, money, effort and heartache down the line. Listen to the show for the rest at https://CutToTheChase.fm

Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny. Listen to the show for the rest at https://CutToTheChase.fm

Newsletters are different from direct response emails in the following ways: The goal of a Newsletter is not to get the reader to click on one link. In fact, there could be multiple links in a newsletter. The word "news" in newsletter means you're offering something that is newsworthy. Listen to the show for the rest. And to listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm

A direct response email is defined as something that is written to evoke an immediate response and compel the reader to take a very specific action - and usually, that is to click on a link in the email. There's just one goal for that email - just one call to action. To get them to click on a link. And that one single link is peppered throughout the email, usually once towards the very top, once in the middle, and once at the bottom. And sometimes, once even in the Post Script or PS section of the signature. Of course, all of them will have a different link text - each time having a different verb or call to action, but all of them are basically linking to the same link. But such emails are just one side of the email marketing coin. Listen to the show for the rest. https://CutToTheChase.fm

And it would be such a waste if you’re not keeping an archive of all this barrage of content you’re generating for your audience, fans, followers and customers. And that’s why, I recommend that you create a text file on your computer - I call it Social Posts.txt. And then, on a daily basis, every time you write any piece of content for any platform, just copy and paste into this file. And I always post the latest content at the top, just so you know. All combined, this archive basically gives me a near-infinite supply of content for my audience across all platforms. To listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm

And if you wish to be the face of your company, or build a personal brand, then you have to be able to create a ton of content. There are so many ravenous, insatiable platforms today that constantly need your attention. Content for: Your public blog, Your newsletter,  Your Autoresponder Series,  Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Medium,  Your Facebook page and personal profile And on and on. Listen to the show for the rest. https://CutToTheChase.fm

How to build an Audience? That is the million dollar question, isn't it? Probably the single biggest burning question today on every single entrepreneur and creator's mind. Building an audience from scratch is one of the hardest things to do, whether you have an existing business that's trying to enter a new market, or you're a brand new entrepreneur who's building a following for the very first time. That is why it is a lot easier to keep creating new products and services for your existing audience, than to keep going into new markets and trying to build an audience from scratch. https://CutToTheChase.fm

1. Spend Time 2. Spend Money 3. Spend a Bit of Both Time And Money And that's what I talk about on today's episode. Listen to the show for the rest. https://CutToTheChase.fm

So for promoting my book, I bought a book by a John Kremer, called "1001 Ways to Market Your Books". Back then, it had like a massive number of reviews, highly rated, lots of folks all over the web singing its praise. So naturally, I bought the book. Long story short, there's a reason why it has 1001 ways to promote a book, because it lists every dang method there is, however basic. Like, imagine if you bought a book today that claimed to give you 1001 ways to promote your web site. And it had things like,. Print a business card, Attend meetings and hand out your cards, Accept credit cards on your site, Register for a free account on Facebook.com 2) Friend as many people as you can. and so on. So if a list is showing you 1001 of ways of doing something, then that list is usually full of obvious things, and so watered down, that only 5% of it is actually going to be useful and impactful. And that's how I came up with my "Brilliant 5, Blah 95" strategy for creating epic content. And to listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm

So when you're first getting started, it's ok if you say "I don't care if I make money with this". It's ok to not care about monetizing your craft. But as we age, everything starts to change. Our likes, dislikes, wants, needs, priorities. So while it may have been ok to not care about making money with your craft when you're younger, at some point, the bills will come calling. So you will have to make a choice: Do you want to continue to what you love, and do you want to do it all the time? Or are you happy just doing it nights and weekends, while you go to a day job to pay your bills. And to listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm

You know that inspirational quote that goes, If a baby falls down a 100 times learning how to walk, then it doesn't care about failing. It is a quote that is meant to motivate people, to inspire them to not worry about failure. And to get right back up each time they fall, and get back on their feet again. As a fun sidebar, I was thinking about the other side of this quote. What happens if the baby has no help, no adult around? It must've sucked to be Tarzan, but it doesn't have to suck to be where you are in your business. Tarzan didn't have a choice when it came to what he was taught, but you certainly do have a choice. And to listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm

Yes, some things are really painful if you have to keep doing them month after month, year after year. And that's what happens when you sell one-time products, rather than recurring products. Listen to the show for the rest. Keep listening to this podcast at https://CutToTheChase.fm and my other podcast about membership sites and online courses at https://SubscribeMe.fm . And I'll make sure you stay focused on doing the right things, the right way, for your business.

Here's the first one, which is probably THE most famous one: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - attributed to Albert Einstein. But he never said it. Next... 'There's a sucker born every minute' — P.T. Barnum, American showman. According to MentalFloss.com, "It's far more likely that this was simply a well-known quip among 19th century gamblers. The saying even appears in a story about gambling published in a 1879 Chicago newspaper." Listen to the show for the rest. And to listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm

Normally, you would think that a 1-star rating is like the absolute worst right? Of course, 1 is the worst, and 5 is the best. So if you get a 1-star review on Amazon, it must mean it's the end of your content, because now no one else is going to buy or subscribe to your content because of that horrible rating right? Actually, 1-star ratings might not be as bad as you think they really are. Because in reality, 1-star ratings are usually the least useful, because they don't always reflect on the actual quality of the product. Like... "My headphones came in and they sent me the wrong color", or "My coffee mug was delivered and it was broken" or, "This author has no idea what's he's talking about". Listen to the rest at https://CutToTheChase.fm

I call it "Ravi's Hierarchy of Entrepreneurship" (aka "Pyramid Scheme" LOL!). I created it to explain the different levels of entrepreneurship. This pyramid I'm about to describe is easier to follow if you can see the actual image. Go to my Instagram account at https://CutToTheChase.fm/instagram and that should take you to my personal instagram account where you can see the colorful image. It has 6 levels. Listen to the rest at https://CutToTheChase.fm

So say "YES" to more things when you're younger. And if you have a younger one in your life, be sure to make them listen to this episode. And some day, you have go to say "NO" to more things, so that you can excel at the few things that you've already said "YES" to. Listen to the show for the rest. And to listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm And if you're not sure what to say yes to, and what to say no to, then I'm here to help. Check out my Royalties-based coaching & mentoring program where I will coach you for free, in exchange for royalties from future sales. Check out the details at https://SubscribeMe.fm/coaching/

What if you spent 3 days thinking ONLY about how to create a better lead magnet? And how about you give me an epic piece of knowledge, that I can use right away? Something that will just wow your subscribers? I call these "Epic Value Bombs". Listen to the show for the rest. And to listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm

However, a lot of websites I come across, don't publish an email signup for on their home page. Even if they do, it's probably buried somewhere towards the bottom of their page. And the form is probably just two simple form fields, one for the first name and one for the email. And the headline usually says something super dull and boring, like "Sign up for our newsletter". That has GOT to be the world's worst call to action: Sign up for my newsletter. Nothing there that says what your newsletter is about, what's in it for me, why should I sign up, what are the benefits, and so on. To check out all of the tools, software and apps I use to run my entire online business, go to https://SubscribeMe.fm/tools/ where I've listed every thing I use and recommend. And to listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm

Do you know what are some things that will NEVER EVER show YOU the money? Likes and Loves and Wows and Sad Faces on your posts, Comments, asking me to respond to your post with a GIF showing you how I feel, asking your followers to guess which one of the 10 concerts that you've never been to, asking me to post the 8th photo from my camera roll. If you publish any kind of audio on your website, in the member's area, or you have a podast, and want the best audio player and podcast player for your WordPress site, check out CoolCastPlayer.com , a pretty and powerful podcast player for WordPress. And to listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm

There are literally thousands upon thousands of quotes from accomplished people all over the world, who have talked about how they became an overnight success, and here are a few. Notice a pattern here? Yeah. Every "overnight success" story actually took many many years to create :-) I started selling online in 1997. That's 21 years ago. And I still don't feel like I have arrived. So don't compare your first baby step with someone else who has already walked a thousand miles, and get discouraged. Everyone has their own journey. To listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm

When you give a lot of value, and have been doing it for a long time, and you have a great offer, and a great value prop, and you have good positioning, and can clearly articulate the benefits of what you're selling, and how you can help people, and on top-of all of that, if you can also GUARANTEE results, you can get a huge win. To learn more about the coaching program that I mentioned earlier, the one that got me my biggest 3-day payday ever, visit https://SubscribeMe.fm/coaching/ Listen to the show for the rest at https://CutToTheChase.fm

I don't believe too much in all the woo-woo books and secrets and seminars that tell you all you need is to believe in yourself, and believe that great things will happen to you and stay positive and say all the affirmations with great convication and great things will magically start happening for you and you'll be able to manifest money out of thin air. I'm sure there's a time and place and person for which that kind of stuff might work, but that person ain't me! In my opinion, there are only 3 ways to make money: Listen to the show for the rest. To check out my "Guaranteed Results" Coaching Program, visit https://SubscribeMe.fm/coaching/

You might have seen questions being asked of experts, like: "If you were given 30 days and a starting budget of just $500, and you had to make $5000 dollars within those 30 days, what would you do? Oh, and you can't use your list or products So if you stripped away everything else, the two things you need that are of utmost importance, are: #1) A product that people want, and will pay for, and #2) A list of qualified people who know, like and trust you, that you can make this offer to. Listen to the show for the rest. To listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm

It is an old English saying that means, it is important to know that different people are suitable for different activities because everyone has different skills. So basically, what might be good for one situation, might not be good for another. You could say the same thing about being an entrepreneur: Not all methods of marketing, not all tools, techniques and strategies or platforms are applicable to every situation. Listen to the show for the rest. To listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm

Turns out, the right way to pronounce it is: Meme. And according to the dictionary, a meme is a humorous image, video, piece of text, etc., that is copied (often with slight variations) and spread rapidly by Internet users. And back in September 2018, the European Union passed a new Copyright Directive. And the directive's Article 13 has been called as a "meme-killer", and here's why... Listen to the show for the rest. To listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm

You cannot use an image that you found on a Google image search, or on somebody else's website, or some commercial stock photo website. You cannot use that photo or image in your articles, in your blog posts, or in your videos and so on. Same thing goes for Audio or Video. The general rule of thumb is, if you didn't create it, you can't use it. To listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm

So if you are a podcast hosting company or a video hosting company, you could give away say, a podcasters' studio kit, or a YouTuber's video kit, which includes microphones and stands and mixers, or just those items separately, without necessarily being a bundle. If you are in the photography niche, you could give away DSLR cameras or camera kits and accessories. Listen to the show for the rest. To listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm

Giveaways are great at quickly building a big list. But the list quality will not be too high, especially if you're not careful with the actual prizes you are giving away. Just because someone gives you an email in return for something free, doesn't mean they're the best prospect for your business. And for Giveaways to work, you have to give away something of really high perceived value. Something tangible. Simply giving away ebooks and reports and online courses are not going to cut it. To listen to older episodes of this show, visit https://CutToTheChase.fm