Test-Launch Issue

for your email list that you never launch it. With The Essentials email lists, the quicker you get your ideas out there, the better. The best email lists allow their Complete the Plan Your Email List readers’ needs to inform their content—and you Worksheet to define your purpose, understand have to actually connect with people to make your value, and determine what to send. that happen. If you feel stuck, I encourage you to pick an idea Sign up for an email service provider (like and go with it. You are allowed to change your MailChimp or Campaign Monitor). mind later. What no one tells you in all those must-follow tips is that email marketing is mostly Create a list in your email service one big experiment. What made one person suc- provider’s program. cessful may have no effect on your own audience. You just have to keep sending out content, ask- Copy the signup form code and add it to your ing for feedback, and improving your work. Over website or “Coming Soon” page. If you don’t time, you’ll develop your own unique voice that have a website yet, create a landing page with stands out from all the noise out there, and your your email service provider, or try LeadPages. list will grow naturally. Set a start date for sending emails. I know that list-building can be a frustrating ac- tivity, and you’ll often wonder if you should be Launch your email list! Start sharing links for further along or why you aren’t getting the re- people to sign up on social media. sults you thought you would. So I’d like to leave you with a few reminders. Remember that most Start sending content to your new people don’t go from zero to 30,000 subscribers subscribers! overnight, and even those who do likely have a lot more to their story that you just aren’t see- For Bonus Points ing. You don’t have to have a massive list to get good results. And whether your list size is 100 Set up an autoresponder with your or 100,000, there is a person behind each email email service provider and ask new address who you can help, and you are making subscribers about their goals or strug- an impact whether you feel like you are or not. gles related to your industry—use their Ultimately, there isn’t one right way to build your answers as inspiration for future email list, so go with your gut—I know you can make it content. happen! Add an opt-in box to your sidebar.Your EmailList Launch Add an opt-in box after your blogChecklist posts. Create a page on your website for email signups for easy sharing. Create a “Thank You” page and give new subscribers a next step (like reading your top blog posts). Dig into the settings with your email 101 list provider and customize the copy for basic emails, like confirmations and unsubscribes.

Planning Your1. What do you hope to gain through having an email list?2. What do you want to be known for?3. What’s something you’ve always wanted to write about, but haven’t yet found a place for on your blog?4. Who are you writing for?5. What’s the biggest problem subscribers face in dealing with your topic of expertise? 102

Email List6. How can your emails help them solve that problem?7. Realistically, how often can you write for your email list right now?8. Get specific: What exactly are you delivering? Monthly behind-the-scenes emails? Weeklyprompts for action?9. How can you communicate that value to get people to subscribe? Share your story here, and don’tbe afraid to go into detail.10. Now, go over what you just wrote and pick out the phrases that really stand out. Use this for youropt-in copy or to tweet out links to sign up for your list. 103

How to Create aLegitimate Fan BaseThrough SocialMedia ContentBefore You Including aLaunch detailed 28-day launch plan Deidre Guillory is a Texas-born thirty-something wife, mom, and blog- ger who resides in Southern California. She is the owner and author of WifeMomSuperwoman.com, which averages upwards of 100,000 unique visitors per month. Originally launched as her “passion project,” Deidre quickly realized that her inspirational blog could earn an income through fun, easy, and most importantly, legitimate avenues, without compromis- ing her brand or turning off her readers. find me at: WifeMomSuperwoman.com Meet Deidre Guillory Instagram: @wifemomswoman Facebook: @WifeMomSuperwoman Twitter: @wifemomswoman104 Pinterest: @WifeMomSWoman

Creating a legitimate fan base through social (2) Adjust privacy settings so no onemedia is crucial for a successful blog. After all, can see these accounts during thisit will become the springboard for many of your set-up phase. We don’t want someonefuture product ideas and launches, a mostly freespace to snag new readers/buyers, and most im- to happen upon your account when it’s notportantly, an ideal place for you to truly connect finished!with your readership.While many people think they should launch their (3) Personalize each account. Set upsocial media after they’ve launched their blogand services, it’s actually ideal to launch these your name/handle, profile, cover photos,platforms before a blog post ever even goes live. and about section. See tips below.Think about it. You’ve spent months (and forsome, years) preparing this new space that is (4) Make sure you have a clear,packed with beautiful photos, catchy headers, defined, and consistent look acrossunique products, and most importantly, rich con- all platforms. Your text and photostent—and yet, there’s no real audience to takeadvantage of your “amazingness” from the jump. should match as closely as possible for aThat’s like Taylor Swift stepping out on stage fluid brand appearance.without a single soul in the audience. Can youimagine? That would just be shameful. A talent (5) Load your first posts. Go aheadlike that without people to enjoy and celebrateher hard work? and create a quick welcome post for each platform.No way. (6) Invite friends and family toSame goes for you, my friend. You deserve an join. Email/call/text friends and family in-audience. This is your moment in time to make abig, bold, beautiful first impression—and having viting them to support your journey.active, preexisting social media accounts is yoursure way to do it. (7) Begin your Social MediaAccording to WeAreSocial.net, nearly 40% of the Launch Plan—see calendar for details.world’s population is using the Internet with near-ly 30% of the world actively using social media. NAME/HANDLETranslation: You literally have access to billions of Make sure your account names are as identicalhuman beings worldwide. as possible for people to be able to search for your accounts easily. This is especially importantNo pressure. between Instagram and Twitter since many peo- ple tweet their Instagram photos directly fromWhile there are many platforms to connect with their Instagram app. If they happen to tag you,your blog/business, I believe that in today’s you’ll want your handle to match when the photoworld, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are es- shows up on said friend’s Twitter feed. Hello, newsential for bloggers—no matter what you’re sell- followers!ing or talking about.Before we forecast the first 28 days of your social PROFILE & COVER PHOTOSmedia campaign, let’s review a few basic insider An image really is worth a thousand words. In atips on setting up your new Facebook, Twitter, world where people are scrolling through theirand Instagram accounts. newsfeeds at a rapid pace, your image will likelyINITIAL STEPS WHEN SETTING UP YOUR be the thing that gets them to click over ontoSOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS: your page. In other words, your image will mat- ter even more than your name. Make it a priori- (1) Secure each platform. Sign up ty to perfect each image and consider investing in unique stock photos that match your brand. If and secure your Facebook, Twitter, and In- you are able to, investing in your own profession- stagram accounts using your business/blog al photos is even better. name. PROFILE I recommend using a branded profile photo with your logo clearly visible, if not the main part of 105

the image. Remember, this is the photo that peo- Days 1 - 7 // Setting up your social media ple will always see in their feeds. accounts and asking friends for help. HEADER After setting up your initial social media accounts, This is prime real estate, people. While your head- take some time to prepare a thoughtful, personal, er won’t show up unless someone is visiting your and personable email to your friends and family. actual profile page, your header space is literally Although it will take loads of time (that’s why I’m your largest opportunity to not only express your giving you a week to do to this exercise), I suggest brand, but it is also probably your best (free) space sending it individually through each social media for advertising. Take advantage and keep it clean, platform with a personal invitation to “like” and clear, and loud. “follow.” For example, if I wanted Aly Hines from HerSword.com to follow me on Instagram, I would ABOUT SECTION Direct Message her at @Her_Sword a logo photo While I believe your daily tweets/updates/posts will and write her a nice message asking her to follow communicate your overall mission the loudest, your me to support my new venture. This makes it much “About” sections are your formal way to disclose easier for people to quickly pop over to your ac- what you can do for people in a brief snapshot. count and connect with you. It is worth the initial Imagine that this sentence (e.g., Facebook’s “Short investment of your time—trust me. Description”) or paragraph (e.g., Facebook’s “Long Description”) is the only chance you’ll get to turn a DAY 7 Tip: Post a warm welcome message: stranger into a prospect. Each keystroke can make “If you see this pop up in your news feed that or break someone’s decision to hire you. Don’t fill means you’ve officially ‘liked’ our page, which also this space up with fluffy stuff; cut to the core of means you’re officially awesome. Stay tuned for what it is that you can do for this person, all the our first sneak peek next Monday, and have a fab- while using your blog “voice.” ulous weekend!” Example: Days 8 - 14 // Promoting your social media Don’t: My blog is all about daily inspiration! For accounts through sneak peeks, giveaways, and moms, wives, and every woman! fellow bloggers/brands. Do: I’m here to inspire you through every stage in This week will include short, sweet, and exciting life—the good, the bad, the ugly. You are here for content to attract your first social media followers. a reason. I’m just here to make sure you know it. This is a crucial week, as it will be the first time you will introduce yourself to the World Wide Web. Ev- PHOTOS ery couple of days, make sure to remind your au- You’ll want to post photos that will stand out in dience where you are in your two-week countdown someone’s news feed. Make sure they are all real- to the launch of your blog! ly beautiful, colorful, and professional. A few ideas might be: behind-the-scenes pics, vlog stills, blog Days 15 - 21 // Promoting your social media cover/title photos, and headshots of staff/blog contributors are all great ideas. Make sure you in- accounts through sneak peeks, giveaways, and clude a one to three sentence description of each, fellow bloggers/brands with more “likeable” tagging appropriate people who show up in the content to continue to drive social media en- gagement, and further solidify your social me- The 28-Day dia “voice.” Social Media Now that you’re on Week Two of sneak peeks, you’ll Launch Plan: need to keep mixing up your content to keep folks interested and engaged. I suggest a bigger give-106 away ($20-$50) and more dramatic blog excerpts or even shareable DIY how-tos and/or mouth-wa- tering recipes. Days 22 - 28 // Sharing actual blog content and website engagement. This week is all about converting your social media fan base into total blog pandemonium. The goal is to get these social media “likers” into blog “lov- ers” through rich content and direct invitations to comment and sign up on your actual website. Re- member, this is the ultimate goal of social media— to drive people to your blog!

photos. Remember, we live in an extremely vi- of your increase in followers? It’s not only a nicesual society and you’re competing with people’s break from the constant “Follow me!!” posts, butpersonal photos, viral videos, and major media it also communicates back to your audience thatoutlets who also pack your audience’s news feed. people totally dig you.Find unique ways to stand out! QUOTESBLOG EXCERPTS Everyone likes to be inspired. Sharing quotes isThis is one of the best ways to truly showcase one of the easiest ways to get people to “like”your writing talent, while communicating the your stuff. I suggest sharing a combination of pop-overall “voice” and theme of your blog. Select ular quotes that people never tire of, and morethese carefully—you don’t want to choose some- unique quotes that people may not have heardthing too niche that will turn others off. Share sto- but that are equally inspiring. Download apps likeries and excerpts of posts that will attract a wider Rhonna Designs and create your own branded im-audience. You can couple these with blog cover ages with these quotes. Select colors and fontsphotos, if you wish, for an added special touch. that are in tune with your blog’s brand to begin toGIVEAWAYS familiarize your audience with your whole pack-While giving away an iPad or a hefty Nordstrom age.gift certificate would make many of your readers FREEBIESswoon, you might not have this in your budget Creating the perfect opportunity to give your au-quite yet. Feel free to offer up $5-$20 Starbucks dience something highly shareable, a “freebie”and Amazon eCards through easy yet valuable such as a simple DIY or delicious recipe (coupledentries such as “liking” an Instragram or Face- with a photo) will surely get more shares and likes.book photo. You can even preface each post with, “Because IDisclaimer: Make sure you visit Facebook’s think you guys deserve a little somethin’ some-Page Guidelines before hosting any Giveaways thin’ for showing me so much love this week!”or Contests. For example, “friend connections” REST/RECOUP/REFLECTcan’t be used to administer promotions (ex: Take time to breathe and take a legitimate break“share on your Timeline to enter” or “share on from social media. Believe me, this process is ex-your friend’s Timeline to get additional entries”, citing and addictive, but you must take time forand “tag your friends in this post to enter” are yourself. It’s important to break away from some-not permitted). The last thing you want is your thing (anything, really) in order to come back andpage to be revoked! view it with less of an emotional attachment andFOLLOW FRIDAY: Bloggers love nothing more more of a balanced perspective. If you ever paythan fellow bloggers sharing the love. Connect attention to those Facebook flashbacks that popwith other bloggers and brands that you either up from time to time in your personal newsfeed,personally know, or personally love, and partner you know what I’m talking about. Half the timewith them to either: I think to myself, “I actually wrote that?!” or, “I1) Push each other’s social media accounts by actually posted that photo?!” Believe me. Takesuggesting to your followers to go “like” and a moment and get some perspective one day a“follow” each other’s accounts by re-posting con- week. You’ll regret a few less posts this way, andtent; hopefully come back with a renewed excitement2) Take over each other’s social media pages for and list of ideas to post the following week.the day to connect with each other’s audiences. Remember, there is a reasonable learning curveYou don’t have to give out your passwords either. when it comes to engaging with your new onlineSimply email each other ahead of time with per- community, especially when social media plat-sonalized tweets and photos and post away! forms are evolving almost daily. Continually com-THANK YOU mit to get to know your audience through thisPeople like to be acknowledged and appreci- one-on-one opportunity that social media affordsated. Why not genuinely thank them through a us as bloggers.short and sweet post, coupled with a screenshot 107

The 28-Day Social Media Launch Plan (Calendar)Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesdy Thursday Friday Saturday Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Rest Facebook Twitter Instagram Email/Call Email/Call First Post Recoup Set-Up Friends + Reflect Set-Up Set-Up Friends Follow Friday Quote Day 10 Day 8 Day 9 Sneak Peek 2 Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 14 Rest Sneak Peek 1 (13 days until Giveaway Sneak Peek 3 Sneak Peek 4 Quote Recoup (14 days until (11 days until (10 days until Reflect launch) Day 18 Day 21 launch) Giveaway launch) launch) + Quote Day 15 Day 17 Follow Friday Rest Day 16 Sneak Peek 6 + Day 19 Day 28 Sneak Peek 5 (6 days until Freebie Sneak Peek 7 Day 20 Quote Recoup (7 days until (4 days until Sneak Peek 8 Reflect launch) (3 days until launch) launch) + Day 22 Day 24 Thank You launch) + Rest Day 23 Email friends Follow Friday 1st & 2nd Blog Day 25 Day 26 Recoup & family + 3rd Blog Post 4th Blog Post Day 27 Reflect Post Thank You Giveaway + Follow Friday108

At the end of the day, it’s much more important to have a small legion of raving fans,customers, & prospects than millions of followers who couldn’t care less about what you do. Nailah Blades Wylie (pg. 90) 109

Office Q: If I already have my con-Hours tent written out and ready to go, how do I actually launchwith Regina Anaejionu my first course (to a small au- dience)? Is there like a check- list or specific set of things I need to do? A: Excellent question. When I launched my first course that was conducted entirely online, I had an email list of less than 200 people. I had absolutely zero idea what I was doing, so my efforts were not as orga- nized, smart, or attractive as they could have been. Tsohnisaclhecckhlisetc(kwlhiiscth is my actual, per- I use) pulls out the strengths of my first haphazard attempt and builds on the weaknesses of what I did so that you can generate ideas for your launch that will be organized, effective, and cohesive. There are two things to remember as you get into launching your first course:Regina is a sidekick to infopreneurs (freelancers, coaches, teachers). Any- 1. Your free content is your only proof rightone who wants to profit from their knowledge + passions in a purposeful now, so make it epic.and authentic way. Her belief is that you are legendary, so she creates arti- The only way for people to know how utterly wisecles, videos, workbooks, and classes that help you reveal your true creative and helpful you are right now is to consume yourepicness and develop your own meaningful products and services. She free content. When trying to sell your first course,wants your readers to love you, your new customers to go crazy over you, it might be a good idea to go back and beef upand your fans to create #hashtags in your honor. That is all. that old content. Add more images, more exam- ples, more worksheets, more substance. Website: byregina.com 2. There will probably never be a perfect time. Twitter: @byReginaTV Even though my first online course wasn’t as 110 Instagram: @byreginatv beautiful or organized as I would have liked, I’m so glad I just launched it. Not only did it help me transition to making a full-time income entirely online, but it (more importantly) let me know that I could create courses, that I did have solid infor- mation to share, and that taking risks was worth it. So, after you either create all your content (or simply outline your course because your sessions will happen live), it’s time to actually launch.

verify that your course name is not already a registered trademark, business name, or product namein your nichecreate a course-specific hashtag so you and others will be able to find references to it on Instagramand Twitterpick a date that sales open as well as the date the course starts (this can be the same date if you wish)spread out your promotional efforts (in this checklist and beyond) over a timeframe you select frombefore the course is available all the way through the day it startscreate your course brandingcreate worksheet and/or content designs then mock them up to use on your sales page and socialmedia imagesprint out a sample worksheet or piece of content to take pictures for Instagram and/or Facebookreserve a simple URL for your coursecreate a landing page or information page with images, text, mockups of your course materials, andvideo content (optional)create a free webinar/workshop that shares useful, actionable tips on your topic and leads peopletoward your coursecreate a free opt-in gift and email sequence that are truly informative and that will lead people to yourcourseoutline Periscope broadcasts you can use to relay actionable information and promote your free opt-in gift and/or email sequenceoutline Periscope broadcasts you can use to relay actionable information and promote your course,then spread them out over the few weeks before and after you launchoutline blog posts or podcast episodes that will share useful tips and promote your free opt-in giftand/or email sequenceoutline blog posts or podcast episodes that will help people and lead them to your coursecreate a clear link to the course from your site (menu, top notification bar, etc.)put the course in your sidebar or headerinclude a mention of your course in your general welcome emailinclude a mention of your course in the signature of all your emailsdraft and send a major email announcement to your listgive away the first lesson for free with a second announcement to your email listupload all the content to your course sitecreate a sales page on your course site (if different from your landing page)set up your payment systemscreate an email sequence that happens after people purchase your coursecreate an automation that sends students’ email addresses to a specific/tag list after they purchasecreate the course’s community platform (Facebook, Slack, etc.)invite a few trusted friends to join the course or community if you want it to be more fullconsider releasing the course materials to a few people ahead of time so they can test it and providetestimonials you can add to your sales page or social media postscreate a schedule and guidelines for the course communitycreate all social media images and thumbnail/promo images necessary for your coursedesign an email header for the coursedesign a lesson header for the course’s individual lessonsdesign any icons, section headers, or other visual elements for your courseplug in mentions of your course organically to old posts that are a good fitlaunchschedule and queue social media posts to promote your free opt-in gift to keep up interest and salesafter the official launch dateschedule and queue social media posts to promote your course even after the launch date 111

The Anatomy ofan AwesomeRelaunch Everything for your relaunch + a detailed checklist Jessica Johansen is a writer, coach, and digital marketing specialist based in gorgeous London. She’s passionate about thinking up creative new ways to help people find the time to make their dreams come true, and over on her blog, Jessica Says, she shares insights on how to live your very best life and blog like a boss—even when you’re short on time. find me at: JessicaSays.com Meet Jessica Johansen Instagram: @jessicasays__ Twitter: @jessicasays__112 Facebook: @jessicasaysxo

Having survived and thrived through not one, but Do you want to refresh your brand or two rebrands and relaunches of my blog, I think I rebrand completely? Depending on what am fairly well-equipped to say this: Guys, it’s not a walk in the park—but when you get it right, it you choose, the thought processes and work- feels good. After all, as dwellers of the online loads will obviously be very different. Refreshing business space, we all know that getting the your brand can be as easy as updating your logo branding right for your website or blog is crucial: or switching to a different website theme, while it helps attract your ideal audience, converting rebranding can involve changing online personas them from passersby into raving fans; it increases completely. traffic, engagement, and sales; and best of all, it makes your online space feel like home—an ac- Why do you want to rebrand? Answering curate representation of you and what you stand for. this will help you identify your biggest pain points, That’s why I’m totally for rebranding and re- which, in turn, will help you know where to focus launching if something doesn’t feel quite right your attention in this process. For instance, if your with the current iteration of your site. After all, website design makes your skin crawl, you’ll prob- why should you be held back by design or copy ably want to spend a little more time getting this that doesn’t serve your needs? (That’s right! You just right. (That was definitely the case in my tran- shouldn’t!) Here’s the hard part: the step between sition from “Fierce in the City” to “Jessica Says.” your awareness of the lack of synchronicity be- That pastel palette was most definitely not me!) tween you and your website to actually showing its new look off to the world can be a little daunt- Who is your ideal reader or customer? ing. Trust me, I know. The good news? Having been there and done that, I know my way around While a brand is a very personal thing, it is crucial a successful relaunch, and I have a four-part road- that you have your ideal reader in mind when re- map (with worksheets!) for you to follow. branding and relaunching your blog or website. We’ll be looking at how clarity, organization, Depending on their age, gender, pain points, or attention to detail, and promotion are the four needs, you may need to make adjustments in or- horsemen of an awesome relaunch. Let’s get der to attract and retain them. Similarly, the voice cracking, shall we? and style you use need to be geared toward this CLARITY audience (while remaining authentic and uniquely The single most crucial component of a suc- you, of course). cessful relaunch is clarity. Without clarity—that is to say, without a crystal-clear idea of what you want to achieve in this process and what you want your new brand to look and feel like—you are essentially flying blind, exposing yourself to epic time-wasting (best case scenario) or going way off track and having to start from square one (worst case scenario). Luckily, gaining clarity doesn’t have to be a pain- ful experience! All it takes is delving into the core of your brand and asking yourself some ques- tions.Let’s go!

What is your visual identity? It’s super im- launch? Nope—and I ended up having to work super long nights, stressed beyond belief to get portant to have a clear idea of what you want your it done! Choose a date in the future and work back- site to look like and which visual templates you wards from there, giving yourself ample time to need to put in place in order to create a cohesive complete each step of the process. ALWAYS over- experience for your visitors. Working with a design- estimate how long each step will take, especially if er to establish a core visual identity is an awesome you’re DIYing the design or technical parts. way to lay solid foundations for your brand, while creating templates for your featured images, so- Work smart. You don’t need to spend hours cial media visuals, and more will save you time and help you become instantly recognizable in your and hours and hours on your relaunch every day: niche. Score. by working with focus and intention, you’ll be able to move mountains without even noticing! How do you want your site to feel? Or Schedule your relaunch work rather, how do you want your audience to feel when sessions. Put them in your calendar and treat they visit your site? Do you want them to feel like they’re in the hands of a helpful, seasoned profes- them like any other appointment: they have sional who will answer all their burning questions? a beginning, they have an ending. Respect Do you want them to feel like they’re confiding to both those things and don’t let the sessions their best friend? Do you want them to feel guided, overflow! inspired, motivated? Answering these questions will be instrumental in creating the user experience Use time hacks like batching and your audience deserves. the Pomodoro technique. Batching sim- ORGANIZATION ilar tasks and blasting through work sessions Tempting though it may be to just play it by ear, with the aid of the Pomodoro technique will you’ll need a modicum of planning and time-hack- make mole hills out of mountains. ing if you want to rock your relaunch like a boss (without tearing your hair out). Your site deserves Minimize distractions. Close the door more than you just winging it, y’hear?! Don’t wor- ry: you don’t need to get bogged down in endless when you’re working. Turn your phone off. scheming—just follow these principles and you’ll Hang a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door be A-OK. knob. Whatever it takes to get you in that state of flow, use and abuse it, and watch your Plan your relaunch well. This goes without productivity soar. Don’t be afraid to enlist help! As bloggers and en- saying, I know, but did I do this for my first re- trepreneurs, this can be hard to hear, but guess114 what? There are people here to help you. People who’d be happy to take repetitive tasks that stunt your genius off your hands (hello, virtual assistants!). People who likely will do a better job at the techni- cal stuff than you (hello, person whom I should’ve hired to migrate servers!). As tough as it may feel to let go, delegating is one of the very best things you can do for your site—and your business. ATTENTION TO DETAIL When you’re working on something as big and as involved as a rebrand or relaunch, it can be easy to miss little errors and inconsistencies. While this isn’t tragic, it does dilute the final effect of your work and can be a total bummer when you’ve poured your heart and soul into the project. To avoid this, run through your awesome “Atten- tion to Detail Checklist” and report back for duty!

Attention to Detail ChecklistUser Experience Do the pages on your website flow in a coherent manner? Is there a clear call-to-action on every page? Do all the internal links (links to other blog posts or Have the backlinks to your website been updated where pages with on-site content) work? possible? If changing domain names and/or servers, have the Have you updated the links to your website in your social requisite 301/302 redirects been set up? media bios? Have all broken images/icons been fixed? Have you updated the links to your website and the Does the new website look good in all web browsers? graphics in your newsletter templates? Is your “Contact” page functional and easily accessible? Have the cover photos and profile photos of your socialGraphics, Styling, & Branding media handles been updated to fit your new branding (if applicable)? Have the images in your most popular/recent blog Has your logo been updated on and off-site (if applicable)? posts been updated to fit the requirements of your Have your print materials (business cards, stationery, etc.) new style guide? been updated to reflect the new brand identity (if applica- Are the images in your most popular/recent blog posts ble)? and on your website the right size for your new template (if applicable)? Explain how you defined your ideal Has your graphic signature been updated in your most audience. popular/recent blog posts and copy (if applicable)? Have you altered all your social media handles to fit Take your readers through the journey to your new brand name (if applicable)? finding your ideal color palette (remember: colors have meaning!) PROMOTION Promoting your newly minted website is every bit Reveal how you planned your relaunch from as important as each of the previous steps. After beginning to end (I love seeing other cre- all, you want to show off your hard work to your atives’ schedules—I’m a bit of a timetable fans! Having a multi-faceted promotional plan nerd). in place will enable you to hit various audiences from different angles, ensuring you get as much Talk about your new brand mission. of the right coverage (with the right people) as possible. Describe how your new website is different Here’s how you can devise a super awesome from the old one, including new services, plan to promote your super awesome launch: new angles, and more . . . Have a “Launch Week” on your blog with con- tent detailing your relaunch process. If there is Create a fabulous, FREE digital product 115 one thing I’ve learned from both of my rebrands to celebrate your relaunch. Freebies—es- and my years as a blogger, it’s that readers love a good, old-fashioned behind-the-scenes peek pecially super valuable, helpful freebies—are the at what made it all possible. Plan a week of ex- best way to draw attention to your new website. clusive content going deep into your rebranding process immediately after your launch. Here are some content ideas:

By putting together something your new audience When I rebranded, I was lucky enough to be in- would fall over themselves to get their hands on, terviewed by Regina (of byRegina.com) about my you position yourself as someone to take notice of entire rebranding and relaunching process. I went within your niche and you convert one-time read- into great detail about my motivations, my tech- ers into fans. When I rebranded for the first time, I niques, and my goals; I mentioned my freebie (hel- created a detailed guide I wish I’d had when I was lo, new audience!) and listed all the tools I used. going through the process. I went through every In short, while the interview was about me, I made potential technical, branding, or creative issue sure it wasn’t just about me—I provided a ton of someone might run into while undertaking their value, too. journey. I included advice that would’ve saved my behind, had I had it at the right time. Best practices for securing guest posts for your launch: In short, I created something insanely valuable for my audience and gave it away for free. I promoted Ask your blogger friends if they would be willing the wazoo out of it on social media, dedicated one to help you out by interviewing you or by giving of my “Launch Week” blog posts to it, and asked you space on their blogs to provide value to their my blogger friends to share the word, too. It was a great way to share my rebranding experience audience while promoting your launch (and thus, give back to my wonderful readers), get Target bloggers within your niche; build relation- my content in front of a new audience, and create ships with them during your pre-launch phase and some buzz around my launch. Winning. approach them (in a non-creepy way!), offering Make social media work for you. Social value to their audience When your guest post has been published, media can be one of the most effective weapons promote the wazoo out of it through your own in your arsenal if you make it work hard for you. Here are some ways you can use various platforms channels to spread the word about your relaunch: Rebranding and relaunching a website is hard work, Share sneaky, behind-the-scenes but it is also valuable work. While the process may snapshots to give your fans a taste of your seem daunting, once it’s broken down into the four components detailed in this article, I think you’ll new brand on Instagram (brand boards or fu- find it far more manageable. ture freebies work especially well here) And man, is it worth it: when your online space is aligned with your brand, it will feel like everything Join Twitter chats that are relevant to is falling into place. Your traffic will increase—as will your engagement and reader retention—and you’ll your niche and casually share the happy news likely gain more sales (if that’s your jam). But most (always being mindful of being of service to importantly, you’ll attract an audience that gets your fellow tweeters—don’t hog the limelight you—the real, authentic you—and there’s nothing without giving back) better than that! Even if you aren’t planning a total rebrand, there’s Similarly, join relevant Facebook great value in reassessing the different compo- groups and advertise your launch and/or the nents of your brand on a regular basis to make sure that they’re still working hard to help you achieve freebie you created (again, don’t be a creep your goals. The various steps outlined above will and join the groups solely for this purpose— definitely help you do that. the best strategy is to join a few weeks prior to your relaunch, provide value to the group, and only then mention your project) Schedule tweets, Facebook posts, pins, and so on to promote your launch and get your blogger/boss friends to share Guest post, guest post, guest post (or get interviewed)! Guest posts and interviews are an awesome way to advertise your relaunch while still providing value (to a new audience!), and establishing yourself as an expert in your field—all the while gaining valuable traffic and engagement!116

The single most important thing to understand about writing launch content is that it should convey your sincere understanding —you need to understand exactly what your readers arethinking and feeling and going through, and appeal to that in your copy. Jenna Arak (pg. 32) 117

How to Havea SuccessfulLaunch withoutthe Post-LaunchCrash Including a worksheet to 14 Ways to Avoid (or Recover from) Post-Launch Burnout help you personally avoid the crash Marianne Manthey is a mom, web designer, and blogger at Design- YourOwnBlog.com. She helps creative female solopreneurs DIY beau- tiful online appearances that match their unique work and personal- ities through supportive, friendly feedback and helpful step-by-step tutorials, guides, and courses. Her mission is to show people that things like blog design and CSS are not scary things and that anyone can build the business of their dreams that still allows them to support and raise fantastic families. find me at: DesignYourOwnBlog.com Meet Marianne Manthey Instagram: @marianney5 Facebook: @DesignYourOwnLovelyBlog Twitter: @marianney118 Pinterest: @marianney

I was over it. your passion out to the world. And maybe you’ve done all that and more and then wondered whyDone with the blog, done with writing, done with you didn’t feel this amazing sense of accomplish-social media. Done with my dreams of quitting ment when it was all over.my job and becoming an online entrepreneur. A DISAPPOINTING LAUNCHThe thought of opening up my computer and Or maybe you’ve had a launch that didn’t go aswriting another blog post made me want to well as you had expected. Everything that couldthrow up. All I wanted to do was sleep or catch go wrong seemed to go wrong or you had a dis-up on Downton Abbey. appointing turnout.Now if you know anything about me, it’s that I That’s what happened to Toni. Toni runs a pop-love blogging. My husband likes to joke that I ular blog and has grown a fairly large audience.love my blog more than him. To say I am ob- She launched a few eBooks that had gone oversessed is probably an understatement. well with her readers. So when she was ready to launch a new eCourse, So why did I suddenly feel she felt confident that the launch would be just like quitting my blog? as successful as the last. Here’s what happened… Let’s back up a bit. First, she didn’t have an outline, so she wasn’tAbout four months prior, I had begun the processof creating my first product, an eBook. I had cre- able to keep the project within scope. She be-ated a timeline for writing and editing 50 chap- gan writing. And writing. And writing . . . until theters. Over the next four months, I worked day and project became unmanageable with too muchnight to juggle my full-time job, a family, regular information.posts on the blog, and a self-imposed deadlineto get the book written, designed, and out the Second, Toni had also set the launch date toodoor before the end of the year.While I was busy writing, I created buzz for the early. She didn’t plan in the time to write guestbook by hosting a 14-day blog tour and offering posts, set up a proper landing page, and get ev-half price pre-sales on Cyber Monday. Then I de- erything formatted correctly.signed and published a beautiful landing page,set up a payment system with an affiliate pro- Third, her daughter got sick and couldn’t gogram, and sent multiple announcements to myemail list. I also social media’d the crap out of to school, so she lost a few full days of working.the eBook. Somehow she managed to get almost everythingWriting and preparing for the eBook’s launch had done just before the launch by cutting somebecome my sole focus for months and it worked things out of her final task list. But then it hap-because I ended up with a good turnout in sales. pened.After launch day, I took a planned break during The morning of the launch, her site crashed.the holidays in hopes to refresh. While Toni had been pulling an all-nighter to getBut when it came time to start writing again, everything on her site ready, she had somehowsomething was very wrong. I couldn’t stand the managed to screw something up. But as tired asthought of logging into my Facebook page, Twit- she was, she wasn’t able to figure out what wentter, or WordPress, let alone opening up my com- wrong.puter. My passion was suddenly gone. Eventually she got it all worked out, but it wasWhat happened? well into launch day before that happened. Traf- fic had been coming to her site all morning andPOST-LAUNCH BURNOUT HAD STRUCK ME. people were receiving an error page. At the endMaybe you’ve felt this way before, too. Maybe of the day, she had made three sales. Toni wasyou’ve neglected your friends or family, pulled devastated and burned out. She wanted to crawlall-nighters, and worked 12+ days straight to get into a hole and die. All the effort and sacrifices she had put in for months ended in disaster. 119

WHY BURNOUT HAPPENS going by staying slow and steady. Learn to manage . If you have a launch where everything seems to go your time. And don’t forget about downtime with wrong, your energy and confidence gets zappedNOTE your family for mental breaks. and you’re left with nothing but feelings of defeat NOTE and sometimes even embarrassment. Set boundaries. Only allow yourself to work On the other hand, if everything goes right, for months all of your focus was on that launch. By the between certain hours, not all hours of the night. time it’s over, then what? Everything comes to an This was my biggest mistake. Communicate those abrupt halt, you lose steam, and you’re left won- hours with your family in advance so everyone dering what’s next—and that’s scary. knows what to expect. HOW TO GET OVER POST-LAUNCH BURNOUT As you may imagine, neither Toni nor I actually quit Schedule small breaks at least once a blogging. After a couple of weeks, I was back and week. You should have at least one day a week ready to go. Toni got up, brushed herself off, and got back in the saddle a few weeks later. A small that you’re not working on your product or launch. break is usually just what our minds need before Going solid for 11 days straight doesn’t do anyone we start to miss the hustle again. But it is possible any favors. Trust me, I know. to continue without a break, by cutting back on the burnout. Exercise. It refreshes your mind and energizes Launching a blog or a product can be a lot of fun and it’s a necessary part of blogging as a business. you at the same time. Go to the gym, go for a walk, But going through burnout every time you have a jump in the water for a swim. Just do something launch will get old after a while, so here are some that moves you a few times a week. things you can do to avoid the post-launch burn- out. Go easy on yourself. Give yourself time to Remember the “Why” Why are you doing this chill after a big launch. Plan some downtime into your schedule or give yourself a break from blog- anyway? What’s your motivation? Is it authentic? ging and social media. As I learned the hard way, a vacation may not be the best solution since getting Have a goal for the outcome of your launch, but ready for a trip can be added stress that you don’t need. don’t become attached to it. Come back with a plan. After your break, Set realistic deadlines for yourself. As start thinking of new ways to market your new online entrepreneurs, we are constantly told to blog or product and get it in front of people. Sure, “Get stuff done. Launch something in 30 days, 21 launches are a good thing because they create days, one week!” But just because other people hype and buzz, but now you have a product to sell are telling you you can launch a product in 30 days, and you should keep plugging it. doesn’t mean you should. You have to assess your other life commitments and set realistic deadlines Try an auto-responder sequence for new sub- that work for you. scribers that leads up to an “ask” for the sale. Write new posts and guest posts that intro- Don’t forget to schedule in time for every- duce your product. Share it on social media. thing outside of the product creation. There Improve your landing page. are landing pages, guest posts, marketing, payment systems, and plenty of other things Create a seriously epic product. If all else that go into a launch. fails, you’ll know you at least have an epic product Do set a date though! Having a date is ab- or blog that will eventually pay off. If your launch fails for some reason, you can always do it again solutely necessary to get anything done, just be re- later in some other form. alistic when you set it and pad in extra time. I can guarantee you will need it. Don’t give up. Whatever you do, don’t give up. Pace yourself. Remember the story of the turtle Not all launches are successful and that just means you have to keep working. Learn from your mis-120 and the hare? Be the turtle. Keep the momentum takes and keep moving. Do a retroactive assessment. After the launch, make a list of what went well and what you would have done differently. This will help you to improve with each launch and you’ll hopefully avoid repeat- ing the same mistakes.

It’s ok to admit you’ve messed up.Here’s a secret: unless you’re releasing the newRyan Gosling movie, no one is REALLY out thereon the edge of their seats waiting for your launch.We all have busy lives and even though we maygenuinely be excited about what you have to of-fer, we aren’t thinking about it 24/7. Only you are.And guess what? The world won’t end if you Avoidingneed to reset your launch date. Be transparentand explain what happened. Tell your audience BPosut-rLanuonuchtthat you’d rather launch a quality product latethan a mediocre product on time. They will un- Pre- Launch Worksheetderstand.CONCLUSIONBurnout happens to the best of us. It’s how wehandle it that matters. If you feel yourself on theverge of burning out (or you’ve already reachedthat point), recognize that it is perfectly normaland that it’s a sign you need to slow down or dosomething differently.Most importantly, take a moment to look backon everything you’ve just accomplished. Beingburned out isn’t always a bad thing, it just meansyou’ve worked hard and now you have a newwebsite or a new product you can continue tomarket. You’ve come a long way, baby—revel init! Project Name:. What’s My “Why”? Use this section to describe why you’re do- ing this project. What’s your motivation? Is it authentic?Desired Results/Goals: What outcomes do youwant to see (be specific) —is it an increase in acertain number of email subscribers, a dollar figure of income, etc? 121

During Launch WorksheetMake a list of all the things you need to do to make this launch happen (e.g., write and design landing page, create email au-to-responder sequence, contact influencers, write guest posts, set up a payment system, create a webinar, promotions, etc.)DURATION:Based on your list, write your top 20 activities in the table below in order of priority, set a deadline, and define how long eachwill take. Remember to overestimate the time (so if you think a guest post will take you six hours to write, assign eight to ninehours to account for interruptions, etc.)Activity Deadline Time1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.11.12.13.14.15.16.17.18.19.20.

Post-Launch WorksheetTake the results you planned for pre-launch and list them in the table below. Then add the actual results in the next column soyou can clearly see what you achieved.DESIRED RESULTS ACTUAL RESULTSRETROACTIVE ASSESSMENT:Use the section below to assess your productivity, actions, behavior, and emotions during eachstage of launch.What went well (that I would repeat):In my preparation and planning: During the launch: After the launch:What went wrong (that I would avoid):In my preparation and planning: During the launch: After the launch:Launches are HARD WORK. We all need a breather! After your launch is done, write the date by which you’ll be back workingon your business full time.Date when you’re back to business as usual: _________________________________ 123

Worksheet/Resource Quick Find My Visual Content Prep Sheet 14 Simplified Image Specs for Social Media 15 Who is Your Ideal Community Member? Quiz 19 Idea Generation Worksheet 30 AIDA Questionairre 34 In-depth Target Audience 41 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Sending Out a Survey 51 Creative Tools for Videos and Podcasts 54 Writing and Outlining Your Video 58 Elements of an Effective Video 59 The “Launching Services That Sell” Worksheet 68 Launch Goal Assessment 76 Launch Planning Sheet 78 Your Podcast Editorial Calendar 85 Complete Podcast Planning Sheet 86 Ideal Client Avatar 93 Your Email List Launch Checklist 101 Planning Your Email List Worksheet 102 The 28-Day Launch Plan and Calendar 106 eCourse Launch Checklist 111 Attention to Detail Checklist 115 Avoiding Post-Launch Burnout Worksheet 121124

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