3 Keys to Building Your Online Business in 2021

With content creation for businesses at an all-time high, and everyone asking how to build an online business, it’s never been more important to have a clear strategy that leads to actual sales. Join us for a deep dive into my 3 keys to building your business online in 2021. We will share what is working now, what will work in 2021, and how you can create content that converts into sales without spending a fortune on ads or hours wasting your time online. And if you are ready to put these shifts into action and see results at a rapid pace, apply for a GLAM Growth Acceleration Call.

The Social Triangle

We can look back on when AOL was first getting started in 1985. Did you have an AOL email? Mine was TappingLindy because I was a tap-dancing lindy-hopper. When I met Kelley, her email was an AOL email. YouTube came out in 2005, and Facebook came out in 2004. Then we moved into Twitter. Instagram came out in 2010. We’ve had a real journey of social media; figuring out ways to engage customers on social media, how to build social media content that converts, etc.!

This timeline doesn’t include Twitch or TikTok, but there are so many networks we all have had to pay attention to over the years. It’s rapidly changing, and there is so much to keep up with today. Knowing how to click “post” on your content can seem overwhelming. 

TThere was a study done recently (I got the results last week) that said there was a 20% drop in the ability to close sales via social media. 70% of buyers say they watch a video before they buy. If these two stats are true, and we know more people are creating content, this is where the problem is happening: There is more content than ever before and the consumer has so many options that they are being more careful before they choose to buy.

Show up- follow up

This last stat is the crux: 82% of customers say they want to be followed up with right away. When you’re putting out content, and they’re engaging with you, they want to be followed up on right away. If they’re not, they will move on to someone who will reply to them right away. Businesses are talking AT their customers, but they’re not listening… Talk WITH your customers. If you are spending your time to create content but not communicating with your community, what good is that? It's all about creating content that converts! The social triangle is twofold. One side is the way you actually show up online and the other is how you create the subject matter of your content.

If we just look at the platform itself, let’s say there’s a platform called Facebook, and you want to get sales from it. This means you have to show up on the platform! You can schedule content ahead of time or actually show up. You can’t expect this platform to give you anything back if you don’t show up. 

The Best Way to Engage Your Customers – Meaningful Conversations

If you are playing on a platform where your client doesn’t exist, that’s a problem. You’re putting your content out to nothingness in that case… So verify that your content is actually reaching your client. You can repurpose your content to where your client is. Make sure you actually engage with them, and that you do so quickly. It can be automated if you want it to be, but those automations do lead back to more human connections. Platforms are interested in your engaging with the client and the client engaging with your content. The more we give the platform what they want, the more the platform will give us what we want. 

In order to figure out platform demographics, you can start with the platform you love. Our main platforms are Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. We also use a tool called SmarterQueue that has great analytics, which we do pay for. On your Facebook Business Manager, you can go to your analytics and see Audience Insights. You can see the demographics of all the people who like your business page. You can also see demographic stats from other pages. For example, if you are serving musical theater moms, just search “musical theater moms” in Facebook’s search bar and click on Groups.

Resonate with Your Community – Engage with Your Clients

Repeat after me: “This is so easy!” Any time you notice any panic, it’s so easy. I spend time with my kids,  I go to bed at a normal hour, and I have systems to keep you in line. It’s not about more content; it’s about less content and more conversations, conversations that lead to conversions of becoming an actual lead or the conversion of a dollar. We’re talking about conversations that scale, such as Mr. Rogers. He always spoke to his audience one on one even though his broadcasts were distributed so widely. And he spoke to your heart, which is so key.

We did a video on how to “Avoid Getting Flagged for Engagement Bait” last year. (BLOG HERE) Check out these numbers. 561 likes, 1.2k comments, 81,000 views, and 150 shares. When someone shares our content, that means they are willing to put their name and reputation on our content. All of the nugget giveaways we do where people comment #nuggets are also longer conversations. This shows the platform that we are having real conversations.

What we have realized is when we have content that resonates with our community, when we repurpose and repost it, we see a 6x increase in engagement. When we are creating content, it’s not about that individual moment of the initial release; it’s about creating that lifelong library of content. Every video you create can be turned into so many pieces of content. With a strategy behind that repurposing, that content can turn into the product itself. We’re in the middle of a case study about this now. 

Spaghetti launch

Last week, we did three videos as part of a three-day challenge that led to over 115 sales and one new product. I have felt a lot of pressure from my friends and peers to do a big event. This time of year, we usually do an event at my home, which we’re not doing this year. I felt like it wasn’t what I wanted to do; I didn’t even want to try to recreate this in-person magic online. So I did this challenge and called it a spaghetti launch. On the first day of the challenge, I said to my team, “I’ve been wanting to create this repurposing program, but it didn’t fit in anywhere. We were promoting one of our favorite tools with this challenge. What if I do our sell it first system on Saturday and give people the chance to buy the recordings, which will force me to create the program I wanted to create?” I still haven’t created anything other than those three videos of juicy content, which is what I’m selling to people. It’s living proof of the social triangle at work.

My Social Media Journey to Building an Online Business

I have spoken at Social Media Week and Social Media Marketing World, as well as the opening keynote there for the past four years doing a fun musical networking spoof. I have also spoken there about how to speak on camera and how to create Messenger bots to boost your success. You may have seen me as the host of a show for ManyChat, and I also host a show for Be.Live called Camera Confidence Live. 

I’m also a cheesy musical theater head. While we were on the national tour for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, my now-husband John and I decided to pause our performing careers and have two kids. I was directing musicals and teaching vocal lessons and running a confidence program for the city of Alhambra, and I found I had a pile of busy balls. They seem fun at first, and then you’re drowning in a ball pit. I realized that wasn’t scalable. It got so bad at one point that I was halfway out the door to see the live taping of Newsies and I actually threw up out of exhaustion. 

The Switch

We switched everything, and I launched Camera Confidence. I taught business owners how to perform instead of teaching performers how to perform. Camera Confidence is the perfect example of the social triangle. Before it was created, it was $47, an empty group with a spreadsheet. I then followed today’s strategies, and we generated $50,000 in sales from one program. Others asked for private coaching from there. The price has gone up since, and the program has evolved since. 

We also have another program called GLAM ( I will talk MUCH MORE about this below). Camera Confidence teaches you about showing up on camera, whereas GLAM is a full coaching program that focuses on revenue, accountability, systems, and the impact that you’re making on the world. Some members have been with GLAM for three years, which makes me want to cry. 

We added in the magic of Messenger bots, and things got so fun for us. This is when things totally took off for us.

Content that Converts – Turn your Visibility into Sales

Want more on content that converts? Check out THIS post. 

I was once at Social Media Marketing World, and another speaker was walking up to us with a box. A friend of ours introduced us, and I was excited because he has huge numbers and does so much good in the world. My friend asked him how he was. He set the box down, and he said, “I’m awful. I honestly overdrafted paying to be able to send these books because I don’t have the $30 needed.” We were shocked. He couldn’t monetize his efforts. My heart broke into a million pieces because he’s a good person doing amazing work who couldn’t monetize his efforts.

When you make a sale, that’s when you make the biggest impact on your customers. They are able to participate in the exchange of energy and step into their potential to undergo the transformation you are providing.

Key #1: Decide to Decide

Little shout-out to my friend and GLAM member Andrew because he has this great gif of “When did you decide that?” 

There are so many beliefs you aren’t aware that you have. You are making decisions constantly. If you do not believe to the core of your being that this is happening, it’s going to be a lot harder to make it happen. You have to decide that this is happening. But don’t change your mind because then you didn’t actually decide. 

5 ways to deepen your belief

Let’s talk about five ways to deepen your belief. You know that quote, “Whether you believe you can or you can’t, you’re right?” That’s true. Let’s talk about these five ways:

• • Set a clear vision. Be clear exactly what it is you are trying to achieve. This helps you to make better decisions in terms of marketing your business.
  • Create goals based on your actions. If you want to have your first 10k or 100k month, that’s great. What are you doing to make that happen? We have a goal tracking spreadsheet where you track not just the sales you’re generating, but the actions you’re taking to make those sales happen.
  • Consistency leads to clarity and results. When you show up every day and put things into action, you will at least learn something that will bring you clarity, which will bring you closer to your goal. 
  • Surround yourself with the right people. I have some good friends who challenged me when I launched this business. I just deepened my belief and found people who were on the same page instead. Find people who will celebrate you and help you see what’s possible even when you can’t.
  • To find a solution, find the good in everything. When something goes wrong, you are so lucky because this gives you an opportunity to find the good and capitalize on it. Your results will happen at a more rapid rate if you focus on the good. 

Let me hold the faith for you

If you can’t see the possibility, let me hold the faith for you. At an event at my house last year, one of our GLAM members stood up and shared this story. I had messaged her about unleveling from Camera Confidence into GLAM, and she was nervous about making the financial commitment. I told her that “The whole reason I’m doing this is because I know that fear. You don’t need to have that faith yet. We will hold it for you.” She said she was trying to spread joy and decided to sign up anyway. Sometimes it’s enough to know that someone else in your life will hold that bar higher for you.

Key #2: Map Out Your Client Journey

When it comes to creating content, why do we need it in the first place? It brings in leads, power partners, speaking opportunities, market research, sales. So much goodness. What happens next is what most people miss.

We have the GLAM Client Journey, which is a circle. People may bounce around inside this journey. But you want to complete the circle so that it’s not a bucket where champagne is flooding all over the floor. You want the champagne glass to hold all the bubbles of your leads. But if you are missing one of these steps, you may have a broken glass.

Phases

• Awareness is the entry point. Content is where people may be brought in for the first time. 

• Then for the most part, people will move into the Consideration phase. This means you need some sort of lead capture tool, a lead capture opt-in form (see VideoContentPlan.com as an example), an opt-in thank you page, and an email/text/Messenger nurture sequence (people often bring in leads without talking to them again. Don’t make this mistake!). 

• From there, they should move into the Purchase phase with a sales page. So many people don’t even make offers. What are you doing? You have to make offers if you want to see anyone purchase from you. 

• The next phase is Retention. When someone buys from you, you need to have a thank you page. Then you should have some sort of welcome sequence, ask for referrals, and/or ask them to buy from you again.

• But most people focus on the entry point and/or just the sales point, which will stop you from getting sales. You could have someone come in through an entry point and immediately jump to the Purchase stage; it is possible, but not probable. So you want to have that whole client journey built out.

Map to Millions

We do this through the Map to Millions. Let’s break this down: We do a video once a week. You tell people what’s happening. Then you show up on the video and move them into your Facebook group, email list, or something like that. Last you can then build out a library of content, which can lead people back into the system. It creates an ecosystem that sustains itself. One live video a week can turn into 5+ types of content that you can use to start a conversation that leads to sales. Those 5+ types of content can ultimately multiply into 100+ pieces of content. Just one video! 

In order to create content that converts, you want to solve a problem with a solution that creates another problem, which opens up the opportunity to buy from you. You also want to think about the tree of beliefs, which allows people to go further and further up this tree of things they need to believe about you, the product you’re offering, themselves, and their current climate. Your content should speak to objections. If you know why people won’t buy, and you can create content that squishes those objections, it makes the offer so much easier. You also want to give your content some SHAPE. Our system ensures when you are putting content out there, you are speaking to the human connection, demonstrating that you are an authority in the space, creating engagement. Your strategy should be all-encompassing.

Key #3: Follow Up Consistently

Sometimes talking to people is the thing that freaks people out the most. But this is so easy. When you have a system, when your beliefs are on right, it’s so easy. 

Every GLAM member gets this laminated sheet with the daily STAR tasks. I’m going to share these now, and this is a big deal. Every day, you Set your intention; Talk to # people; Ask for # opportunities (how many offers are you making); refer # and ask for # referrals (a super easy way to do this is to ask people, “I’m looking to connect with XYZ.”); Share value or a personal story (if you’re consistent in giving something to the platform, you won’t see results). 

We have favorite tools and templates. Noting that even if you get these tools and templates all set up, you have to have everything else in place, such as a great offer, in order for this to work. 

Our favorite tools:

• • Friends lists
  • Google Calendar: Put it in your dang calendar. If you don’t have time in your calendar now, set aside time for when you do have it.
  • ChatBot and SMS. We use ManyChat. 
  • GroupTrackCRM: This allows us to add tags in terms of what stage in our process they are in, internal notes, and follow-up systems and templates for everyone on Facebook and Messenger. 
  • For email, we use ConvertKit. You can build landing pages, follow-up sequences, and more. It’s so easy and awesome.

In GLAM, we offer all of these templates that we have created for these processes. If you have a good understanding of marketing, you can create templates to systematize your business. 

You have to show up. None of this works if you don’t show up and actually do it. 

Organic Retargeting

This strategy starts on your personal Facebook account. In order to do those STAR tasks at a rapid pace, click on your Friend Lists on the left. If you don’t see it, click “See More,” and it will be down there. Your News Feed can get so crazy with negativity and things you don’t want to see. I have all these Friend Lists created, which most people don’t even know about. This has been around for a real long time.

We suggest a whole suite of Friend Lists. One is Power Partners. When you click on Power Partners, you have a whole News Feed filled with just those people on that list. I have another list of people called Elevate who I know I want to help elevate to the next level of their business. 

So in Power Partners, I can like a post about vision and say, “Yes, vision! We were just talking about vision.” When I comment on Rachel’s post, she will get the notification, and other people in her network will see that I am engaging with her. Also, when I am creating an event, I can invite people just from these lists. It’s a way to strategically network with people. 

How Will You Put This into Action?

Have you decided to decide? This decision could be that you are deciding to support this many people to change the world. I am going to sell this many things. I am going to commit wholeheartedly to building a multiple six-figure business, etc. 

Do you have the community and support? We have an awesome group inside Camera Confidence; GLAM is also an amazing community. Do you have communities like that? 

Look at your business. Are you guiding your potential clients down a path, or are you haphazardly throwing things at the wall? Is there a clear entry point(s)? Once they come in, do you have a way to follow up with them? 

Do you have the tools, templates, and direction? You can get those things from a lot of places, but if you don’t look at the client journey, you won’t know where the holes are, so you won’t know what to ask. 

If you answered yes to all of these questions, that’s awesome. Ask yourself what might stop you or where you might get stuck. When you answer that, ask for support, and then move into action! But if, like most people, you hesitated, said no to those questions, or you aren’t sure, you have to decide you want to get that stuff in place. You can hire someone to help you, such as a VA or a coach.

What is GLAMFam

GLAM stands for Go Live and Monetize, which is our full coaching program. 

As a member of GLAM, you:

• • Conquer confusion with your own specific, strategic marketing plan that is customized for your business.
  • Take massive action with clear step-by-step tactics you can easily follow and implement. 
  • Attract ideal clients using the five-pillar GLAM marketing approach. This goes back to the SHAPE framework from earlier. You’re attracting people by creating content using this five-pillar approach.
  • Get support and accountability through regular check-ins, progress tracking, and booty kicking. Remember, we track more than just sales; we track actions. 
  • Be catapulted forward by the daily inspiration, support, accountability, and an amazing community. The members of our community are truly there for each other, especially this year. 
  • Get and stay ahead with cutting edge tools and social media techniques so that you can stay ahead of others in your industry. I love the beta. By me jumping into things in beta mode, I will figure them out for you and teach you them in advance.
  • Plus the signature Prepared Performer contagious energy you won’t find anywhere else. That energy is not just me; it’s balanced by our full team of coaches and support, like Kelley (Director of Education), Beth, Jordan, Sara, and more.
  • Get tips and tricks and nitty gritty tactics on all the topics you need to know about how to grow your business faster and with less effort, covering everything from branding and social media foundations to scaling, systems, and sales. 

GLAM is delivered through:

• Support

• • Monthly private coaching calls (valued at $6,000)
  • Leads into Sales: Group trainings that fills out all the structures of your online business such as revenue, visibility, systems, and impact. These calls are every Tuesday at noon PST for two hours (valued at $5,000)
  • Coaching office hours for specific strategic support every Thursday at 2pm PST (valued at $4,800)
  • Awesome Action Accountability: Weekly implementation time to get it done. We’re all working together on silent mode on Zoom from 9am-12pm PST (valued at $2,400)
  • Tech and strategy support in a high-level mastermind five days a week inside the GLAM and private client Facebook group (valued at $1,200)
  • Monthly Mindset Call: recognize the gremlins and clear them (valued at $2,400)

• Materials

• • Access to all current courses: Camera Confidence ($997), Sell It First ($497), Messenger Automation ($497), Business Page Bootcamp ($97) and more. If you have already purchased one of these courses from us, you can apply that payment to a GLAM membership.
  • Two annual events: Recalibrate and take action to ensure your business is on track. We did a Delete and Delegate day where we went through that GLAM client journey to determine what you have, don’t have, needs to be cleaned up. That was a bonus event. (valued at $10,000)
  • Content to Clients system: This system makes creating content that converts easy, fun, and effective! It’s a content bible between you and us. (valued at $5,000) 
  • Map to Millions Content Syndication System: It’s a lead generation plan and exactly how to implement it with ease. This is how we take people from announcing the video is happening to doing the video to getting them into your community to syndicating the content. (valued at $2,000) 
  • Money Map Call: I walk you through this magical spreadsheet that allows you to see the proof that your ability to generate revenue at a higher level is possible. And you get to have a life at the same time.  

Are you ready!?

If you’re interested, you can apply for a GLAM Growth Acceleration Call. We’ll let you know if we think it's a good fit. Sometimes what we offer isn't for everyone, but even if we don't think it's the best fit we will still give you some content to engage your customer and point you in the right direction. If we do think you might be a good fit, we will hop on the call with you.

Obviously this program is not free. You will not pay $40,000, which is the value of the program. You won’t even pay $20k, and we have payment plans to make it super easy to get started.

I hope these 3 Keys to Building Your Business Online in 2021 were helpful, if not eye opening! When learning how to build an online business, it can be overwhelming to find the model that works best for you. We are here for YOU and your business and if you are ready to show up, take the next step in your journey and use your superpowers for good we are ready to step in and support you going to the next level!

You can also get more help from us by reading our blog. You'll learn things like how to use quiz funnels, how to use Facebook chatbots, where folders are on Facebook, how to build massive email lists, how to improve conversions and way more!

Additional Resources

• Apply for a GLAM Growth Acceleration Call
• SmarterQueue
• ManyChat
• Be.Live
• GroupTrackCRM
• ConvertKit