Destination Website – The Decision and now for the changes
After my last post (see here), I revisited www.publishmystoires.com and view it as a visitor. I want this website to be a destination website, and I feel that it’s more about me. About my skills at writing my memoirs, about what I do and the skills I have. It may not be about my potential clients and could be more of a lecture. The website is a sales tool that yells, look at me. As opposed to, so, you want to write your memoirs, well this is what you need to do. My blog www.forgetmenot.publishmystories.com is the place to tell people about me.
There is a theory that you should give away all your content for free as a good business. If people want to use your services, they will judge you on your knowledge. If you are giving your information away for free, you demonstrate you know your services. You are showing your clients that you are open and honest. My website is transparent, my prices are visible, and I tell my clients what I do.
However, I don’t think I give away much information to my clients for free. When speaking with me, clients tell me I can overload them with ideas and suggestions. My passion for their memoirs needs to slow down and get one or two tasks completed before moving on.
My clients tell me that my passion is infectious.
Publishing and helping people write their memoirs is a passion for me. It is so important that we don’t lose the life lessons. We should pass these lessons on to the next generation. The government also agrees with me. How often have you heard a politician say that ‘lessons have been learnt!’ this is all I am doing, helping people pass on lessons.
I know that sometimes my communication style is very middle class. Very 1950s, prim and proper. Please understand, I am not ashamed of being middle class because I am middle class and proud of it. Being middle class is not a dirty word. It is not an embarrassment. It just is. I want my communications to reflect my personality. I want my business to reflect my passion.
Family Feedback
I asked my brother to watch one video I created (day two). I thought I came off well and was open, friendly, and relaxed. My brother disagreed and thought I was stiff, reserved, and nervous. It’s so interesting that what you think you have said is not what other people hear or see. Paul (my brother) wants my personality to come across in the videos. He knows me well. He understands my passion and is very supportive of my www.publishmystories.com. I now need to revisit my video recordings style.
It’s not that straightforward
YouTube and matching my blog posts is all a learning curve for me. I know that at the beginning of my video monologues, I will make mistakes. There will be improvements, changes, and experiments. Having a destination website and YouTube channel is one of my marketing strategies. I need to get it right. I also know that what I write in the blog has to be similar to YouTube. These subtle changes are hard to balance, and I think I may overthink the situation.
Maybe I need to look at the camera as one of my clients, stay focused and discuss the post with suggestions. Added to this, I need to add keywords and phrases in the narrative so Google will find the post. The posts then must pass Yoast’s SEO rules and a few other tools that I use. Finally, the post URL is to be to several social media outlets.
What I learnt about writing my memoirs
- My videos are not showing my personality and passion for my clients
- Marketing is about the client and not my skills within the business. My expertise is a given. That is why I am in business
- Giving away free material is a valid marketing strategy. If a client works with you, they know and understand your expectations