George Kao's Blog, page 35

Why I don't try to keep up with marketing trends

When you try to learn marketing, you’ll come across a lot of “tips and tricks” to get more visibility on social media, more traffic to your website, more ways to “grab” the audience’s attention, more software to automate your outreach. 

Sometimes you find a few marketing tricks that feel authentic to you -- if so, keep using them and keep trying things that intrigue you.

Most of the time, though, learning marketing means always feeling slightly (or very much) behind... there’s a constant pressu...

Why I don't lock down my courses nor copyright my content

I used to fear that people would share my paid courses forward, without their friends paying for it.

I would try to lock down my content, putting password protections on it, and making people feel badly if they even considered sharing my paid content.

One day, I realized that those protections were futile.

Most people are honest and honorable, and shouldn't be made to feel like suspects. And the very few who might share my paid content with people who didn't pay for it, are going to find clever...

Transforming the desperation energy in your marketing

What’s more important than trying to get more clients?

Getting great clients that truly respect youMaintaining your sense of integrity
Neither are accomplished by using marketing strategies that feel “off” to you.

Although some people will buy when we resort to hype and manipulation, it increases doubt about our integrity, in our buyer’s mind, and in ours. The best clients will be pushed away.

This is marketing from desperation energy.Unfortunately, many businesses are built this way. They have t...

Instead of Limiting Beliefs, look at your Limiting Structures.

We empower whatever we fight against⦠especially if the enemy is intangible, such as âlimiting beliefsâ, which can multiply based on our rich imagination, and our continued attention on âclearingâ them. 

Iâve written about this before: Donât worry about your limiting beliefs.

So, although I donât believe in limiting beliefs, I do see the evidence of limiting structures, i.e. the systems and processes of someoneâs life and behaviors.

You are in charge of the structures of your life. (Unless youâ...

Why I don't recommend automated posting on Social Media

Should you use a tool that automates your social media, such as Buffer, Hootsuite, etc?

Iâve tried Buffer and Hootsuite, and have seen them used by some clients and colleagues. I use none of them now, and caution my clients away from such tools, especially when posting to Facebook. 

Hereâs why:Algorithms Donât Like It

Iâve noticed that Facebook decreases the visibility of posts that use automated software such as Buffer, Hootsuite, PostPlanner, RecurPost, MeetEdgar, etc.

Why might that be? It see...

Month 6 in my new side business

I’ve now completed 6 months of working on my side business, just 2 hours per week, and my lesson of the month is how to deal with lack of feedback on an offer.

Have you also experienced this: You are excited about a product/service you’ve created. You share it with your audience… and then crickets. Nobody buys or inquires with you… 

Well, I’ve gotten a taste of that in my new business now. I’ll share the experience and what I’m doing about it.

First, the updates on 6 months into this project:
Sti...

True Productivity for Authentic Businesses

What are the most productive actions in your business?

Checking off more items on your to-do list? Working longer hours? Getting another certification? Trying to perfect your website?

These can feel productive… however, it is an illusion most of the time, as you spend another week / month / year  not  experiencing your true livelihood.

Besides having a "to do" list, you may want to define a TO-DROP list as well.

Otherwise you might be doing busy work that feels like movement, but isn't really helpi...

FAQs when Starting an Authentic Business

An authentic business is one in which you are able to make a sustainable living expressing your authentic self. 

Examples of products/services include: 1-1 work with clients such as coaching or mentoring; facilitating group programs based on a modality you believe in; selling online courses that you love to create. Other products can be developed based on your creativity!

To start an authentic business you may have certain questions such as:

Is the timing right?Do I have enough capital to invest...

The 3 Stages of Content

Here’s a mistake I see from many aspiring content creators. Maybe you have done this:

You have an idea or framework that inspires you, so you think it’ll also excite other people, too.

You put lots of time (and money) into packaging that idea into a book… or a course... or other product… or maybe you spend a lot of effort making an amazing video...

And then you share it on social media, maybe to your email list as well, and what happens?

You get far less response than you hoped for... 

You have fa...

Thoughts on "The Science of Getting Rich" (Book by Wallace Wattles)

The Science of Getting Rich, a book written in 1910 by Wallace Wattles, is one of the big influences for the Law of Attraction movement. It preceded Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich (1937), and was credited as one of the inspirations for Rhonda Byrne’s popular movie The Secret (2006).

Since the book is in the public domain, you can read the full book for free here or listen to the full audiobook on youtube here. 

This book has some very inspirational concepts (which I summarize below).  Howe...