The Amy Porterfield Show

The one thing nearly every entrepreneur I know, including myself, NEVER does is STOP. You’re in the fast lane practically all of the time because there’s so much to do!The problem is that because you’re going a million miles an hour, you often sacrifice important parts of the creative process of any endeavor or business: creating the space needed to slow down and imagine what could be for your business.So this week, I’m going to put aside all the talk about Facebook ads and webinar funnels to pause for a moment and answer a question that’s equally as important.How are you feeling about your business right now?Now, I know. You’re saying, “Jeez, Amy. I don’t have time to think about that. I’m too busy actually running my business.”I totally understand. I don’t check in with myself and answer that question nearly enough either. Today I’m giving myself permission to not only do that on this podcast episode but to also share my answers with you.As I go through and reveal where I am in my business right now, I want you to be thinking about or writing down where you are at the moment too. I’ve given you a freebie—a quick cheat sheet—to help you do just that.First, I’m going to do a gut-check on the four major categories that are (hopefully) driving your business forward.Then, you’re going to do something really fun—IMAGINE WHAT’S POSSIBLE.I’ll tell you about the big jump I’m making right now (and it’s definitely putting me outside of my comfort zone), as well as some of the smaller things I’m doing to keep things fresh.Lastly, I’ve got a SUPER important question I ask myself every single quarter (that I want YOU to start asking every three months).Don’t forget about the freebie; you’ll want it to take stock of how you are doing with six months to go in 2017.Gut check time. See you there.

I had to eat a big slice of humble pie recently when it came to reworking one of my courses. It was ALL worth it, because today I get to share with you the exact steps I used to rework my List Builder’s Lab (LBL) program.I love LBL, however I knew it was time for a change when I realized my students weren’t crossing the finish line like I wanted them to. So I had to swallow my pride and get to work.And I’m sharing the entire process with you today.This episode is all about figuring out when it’s time for a rework, how extensive it should be, and managing the process so you get it done and roll it out as efficiently as possible. By the end of it you’ll be able to answer: When is it time to re-work my course? Do I need to re-work or update my course? And what’s the difference? How do I start the process? (You’ll learn my 5-step process here.) What’s the timeline? How quickly can I get this done? What about my existing students? Do they get the latest version for free? As a preview, my first step is to survey my students. Listening to them is the most critical part of this whole process. To make it easier, I’m giving you the survey I used for reworking List Builder’s Lab.In addition to the questions I asked, I’ve added some extra commentary on why I asked those specific questions.Let’s go check out those 5 steps. 

There are a ton of moving parts in pulling off a successful webinar. The good news is, with so many variables, there’s a lot you can do to turn your webinar into a hit. You’ve just got to get really good at investigating what may have gone wrong.I’ve got you covered on how to do that in this week’s podcast. Even better is the freebie that goes along with it.If you’ve ever wished for a webinar checklist to keep you on track, consider it granted with Your Webinar Problem-Solving Toolkit, a series of checklists, organized by category, to help you zero in on trouble areas.Along with the deep dive I’m about to do on your toughest webinar challenges, I’m also talking about a strategy I’m using right now in my business. This is the first time I’ve shared it. You don’t want to miss this part because it basically shows you how to identify anything and everything that could go wrong in a webinar campaign or any other kind of marketing effort you’re doing.But before I get to that, I’m covering:Challenge #1: My Facebook ads aren’t getting traction! Get ready to hear a lot about targeting and retargeting.Challenge #2: My webinar registration page isn’t converting! You may need to refresh the look and feel with something simpler. Here’s an example of one of my reg pages that I talk about in the episode here.Challenge #3: My webinar isn’t converting! You don’t want to miss this part because this is where I share the thing I’ve never talked about before and it’s been a game-changer for my business.Here’s a bit of advice as you listen.  Do NOT try and implement all of the things I tell you to right away. Just focus on ONE. Whether it’s tweaking an image in a Facebook ad or redesigning your registration page, you’re taking baby steps.Don’t forget to download the freebie, either after you’ve listened or before.OK, let’s go troubleshoot. 

Nothing will grow your business faster than sharing your expertise through blogs, podcast episodes, Facebook Live broadcasts, freebies, and more. All of that is content gold that you give away for free.The key question here is how do you know where to draw the line between free and paid content? AND, is it possible to give away too much for free? I answer those questions and more in this episode of the podcast.By the end of the show, you’ll know: My three core differences between free and paid content The key principles I use for free vs. paid content Examples of how I do this in my business with my courses, using my podcast, and other kinds of content And if you are feeling like your creative pipeline is beginning to dry up, you’re really going to enjoy this week’s freebie. It’s my new and improved “10 Free Content Triggers” guide for developing cheat sheets, blueprints, checklists and more. I’ve reworked this into something that’s pretty hot and trust me, you don’t want to miss it.Ready to learn how to differentiate your free and paid content? Get all of the goods here.

Do you know who’s visited your website in the last 24 hours? What about who visited your most recent blog post but while visiting your site did not sign up to get your latest freebie? Do you know who’s watching just for the first few minutes of your latest Facebook video but then moving on to something else?Welcome to Facebook Pixel Optimization. Don’t be nervous! We’re going to ease into all you need to know with my Facebook ad guru Rick Mulready, who can break down the Power Editor like Stephen Hawking does the universe.These are the questions Rick and I tackle in this episode: What is the Facebook pixel? What does it do?  (Yes, a few fundamentals just in case you are new to this environment!) How do I set it up? When do I use it? What are event codes? How does it measure efficiency? Where can I see the data? What’s the difference between a Facebook account pixel and a conversion pixel? Why do I have to put the pixel on specific web pages when it’s already on my website? How is the pixel related to retargeting? Why do my Facebook conversion stats differ a lot from my LeadPages notifications for the same campaign? What are the essentials for running an effective retargeting ad campaign? How can I use retargeting for people who watch my Facebook Live videos? After someone views a blog post with the pixel, how long do I have to retarget them? Phew. That’s a lot, right? And that’s not all! Download Rick’s article, “The Complete Guide to the Facebook Ads Pixel,” and you will become a pixel master in no time.

As quickly as Facebook changes, there are some things that are as true today as they were a few years ago: Facebook cares more about its users vs. the marketers. Likes, comments, shares, views, and clicks are gold—the more, the better. The more personal you are and the more you do to generate real and valuable interaction, the more your fans will engage (by liking, sharing, etc.). Now, HOW you accomplish those three points has changed A LOT. Why? Well, there are few reasons.You’ve heard me talk about the infamous Facebook algorithm, and while I’m not going to nerd out on all of its particulars (there are hundreds), it does have everything to do with how many of your fans are actually seeing your posts.If you start to understand just a little bit about how it works, you can get smarter about the kind of content you’re creating. Feel me?I’m going to tell you how to do that by sharing my: Three truths about what’s working on Facebook TODAY (including why your post has to perform well from the minute it goes live) Five new rules of Facebook marketing (and the one thing you should STOP doing right now) Three words to live by as you experiment with and test these new ways of driving engagement (and they actually apply to all parts of your business!) Along the way, you’ll hear me talk about how I’m implementing some of these new rules in real time, like video. Creating more video is a HUGE priority for me this year (so much so that I’m even building a studio in my house—pics to come on Facebook and Instagram soon!).Starting this week I’m doing weekly Facebook Live videos (go to facebook.com/amyporterfield to find out when) where we’ll talk about some of the content on the podcast and more. And I’m going to be incorporating more video into my posts.You already know that video is huge with Facebook. What kind of video to create is also critical—and an important part of this episode—because the more you make viewers stop, watch and unmute your video, the more Facebook will reward you by pushing your videos out to larger segments of your community.For examples of what types of videos to model, make sure to download my 2017 Ultimate Guide to What’s Working Now on Facebook. It’s loaded with examples of video you can use to start reimagining your Facebook engagement strategy right NOW. 

If you think being an entrepreneur is tough, try being married to one.Just ask Hobie Porterfield (as I do in this episode).You’ve heard me talk about my hunky husband from time to time, and just how important he is to the success of my business. But I’ve never really talked about what that means exactly.In isolation, running a business and keeping a marriage together are tough. Together?It’s an entirely different beast. The fact is, entrepreneurship brings a very different dimension to a marriage.People with 9-to-5 jobs usually work in organizations that provide support, training and resources. Entrepreneurship can be isolating, which is one reason we often turn to our spouses or significant others for support.So today, Hobie and I are talking about what the road has been like for us.In this episode we reveal: Why Hobie thinks the significant other is 40% of your business success My recent ‘aha’ moment about what it means to REALLY spend time together How we give each other what we need, EVEN during the most stressful times The five most important things we do to make our marriage work We’re in a pretty awesome place now, but it wasn’t always that way, and we figure out something new every day, including us coming up with a trigger word (it’s a celebrity name - can you guess which one?) to bring me back to him when my iPhone has got me sucked in!This is every bit as important (probably more) as planning your next big launch or creating a new marketing funnel. You’ve got to nurture your personal relationships with the same care, intensity and passion as you do your business.Go listen here now, your main squeeze will thank you for it, I promise ;-)

Here’s the thing: businesses evolve and grow. Mine has (and so will yours). And what worked a few years ago for my website is no longer reflective of where I am today.If you know it’s time for a website revamp, let this serve as your roadmap of sorts. While you may make different decisions than I did, the overall message you should take away is the same: You need to be intentional and strategic about every part of your site.For example, deciding what to feature on the homepage will influence so many other things like navigation, the sitemap, overall user experience, and ultimately, conversions.(If you simply don’t have the bandwidth to take on this kind of project right now, listen to this episode as a resource you can use when you’re ready (make sure to download the freebie and save it to your computer!).Here’s how the episode breaks down:Part 1—Planning: Learn some of the questions you MUST have answers to before you even think about development.Part 2—The Map: Why you have to plot out every page (and I walk you through why my homepage is laid out the way it is).Part 3—The Miscues: My five biggest flops, like not including my team in the process. Yeah. Smooth move, Amy.Part 4—Your Decision: Find out the elements my designer, Jessica, says you must have for success.PLUS, don’t forget to download the 10 Essential Elements for Your Website freebie. It’ll save you some headaches, I promise!One last thing—if you can, go to my website’s homepage (amyporterfield.com) as you listen so you can see some of the elements I talk about during the episode. 

When you’re just starting out, you can manage everything on your own. And you probably have to—until you’re generating revenue. As soon as that happens, things change. Priorities shift. To-do lists grow. New ideas, projects and opportunities pop up every day, all of which are left for you to juggle with.What if you had the right support to help keep you and your business not only in check, but growing?Imagine that new email campaign copy you’ve avoided writing for days has been broken down, researched and organized in such a way that it almost feels like you’re just filling in the blanks.Imagine you’re no longer prioritizing and checking off each box of your to-do list, rather it’s a document that lives with someone else, somewhere else—far, far away from you.Imagine you’re no longer the gatekeeper of every new project, launch, contractor or task. Your project manager (or PM) is handling it all for you.On this podcast episode I start the conversation about why this role is (or will be) essential for your business.By the end of the episode you’ll know: What a PM could do for your business (immediately and long term) Where to find a PM When you’re ready for a PM (and how much one costs) Why “TEA time” with your PM is crucial for success Plus, I’m lifting the curtain to show you how I found, hired, trained and integrated my crazy awesome PM, Chloe, into my business.Do me one quick favor before you start listening: Download this week’s freebie, and get your Project Manager Hiring Toolkit. Job description? Check. New hire survey? Check. Even if you are not ready to hire just yet, GET IT NOW to have when you need it! 

You know how intense launches are from start to finish, right? You’ve heard me say here repeatedly that you’ve got to think through every part of it. And in so many ways, once that cart opens, you’ve got to double your efforts to save sales. Then once those carts close, you have to get scrappy to keep those new customers happy, and rescue any potential refunds.There are going to be so many people who just can’t make a decision about you. Even after you’ve given everything by building a superior course or program, with every bell and whistle an online student could wish for.However, the doubt surfaces because most folks are just looking for a way out (revisit Episode #156 with my good friend Russell Brunson later for more).Your job is to not let them find a way out, and the best, most effective way to do that is to meaningfully connect with your customers as much as possible. This episode is loaded with strategies on how to save potential sales during your next promo and ensure you don’t get a bunch of refunds, including: How to hone your refund policy. (Ever wondered why mine is so strict? I talk about it in this episode.) Why your webinar Q&As are critical to your promotion success. How you can empower and engage new students with your onboarding emails. Because I’m covering A LOT of ground with this episode, I want you to download the freebie so you have a handy list of the 5 Strategies to Save Your Sales and 7 Ways to Rescue Potential Refunds. I’m also giving you the exact phone script I used when I offered a 1-800 number during a launch. That’s TWO great reasons to download, so make sure you secure that freebie and put it in a safe place for your next launch.Also: Stay on until the end because I’m going through the pros and cons of whether you should drip the content in your program and how that decision can impact your refund rate.