Checking Yourself for Change

I looked at one of my own web pages recently and thought “What were you thinking?” So much had changed in such a short space of time that I had forgotten to check what needed to be changed in my blogs and web site to reflect my new direction. There was a lot to be done.

 Change sneaks up on us. It can be so unobtrusive that we are suddenly someplace else and don’t know how we got there. And that’s great, unless you are advertising on the internet and telling people what you offer only to find that what you have written is no longer true.

I tweaked my niche. I went from coaching people in whatever aspect of their business they were in to focusing on helping people craft powerful information products that help them reach and teach their target community and that changed the demographics of my community and the purpose of my blogs. I had to redefine and rewrite everything.

 We constantly change. New opportunities show up that we either take or don’t take and that alters our direction. We learn new skills that enable us to add new elements to what we offer. That may tweak our intended destination. Like any trip, side trips can be rewarding, but have you gone done the side road too long? Is it time to get back on the super highway?

I’ve added something new to my business mix. My new Magnetic Content Development System contains a powerful decision-making technique for organizing your ideas into meaningful content. It can be used to help focus any unformulated idea you may have. So for every product I create or new service I decide to offer, I ask myself a series of questions that lets me determine where I am going and what results I want my readers to experience.  Having made that core decision I can then thoughtfully design the contents to make certain I reach my chosen destination. Build into your schedule a periodic check to see if you have organically changed your destination. Then go back and be sure your landing pages still point visitors in the right direction.

The problems of your target community will gradually change. You need to regularly re-examine their needs. What do they need now that you might provide? What have you been offering that is no longer needed or could be tweaked to give more value? Are you still willing to offer what you’ve been offering? You change just as others change. Be certain you are still serving your target community well and are having a good time doing it.

For instance, when the economy first did its downward dip I took a hard look at what I thought people were still willing to buy. I know that knowledge is always a good investment because it constantly increases in value. That prompted me to shift my business into helping people teach what they know through their own Success Library of Signature Information Products. Ebooks and telecourses and teaching videos have no start up costs, very few if any production costs and only take the investment of your time. And information products open up the opportunity for passive recurring income and increased expert status.

 I bet you’ve added some credentials and experience since the last time you posted your bio or wrote your “Work with Me” landing page. I recently learned to put my ebook on Kindle. That’s some training I can now pass on to my clients and that will add a benefit to my coaching page. Keep an eye out for new skills you have added that increase your value to your target community. It doesn’t have to be a major certification, but do keep a watch out for how you continue to be the best choice to deliver your products and services.

 I have created this really great system for organizing your ideas into powerful content. I created it as a teleclass. Now I’m going to translate it into a series of detailed ebook/workbooks. And of course it prompted the creation of a new blog site www.magneticsignatureproductsguild.com . All that happened in three months. No wonder I have to rewrite a lot of what I have up on my web site and “Work with Me Pages.”

I might plan to offer a new information product every quarter. That is not a heavy schedule. That would make creating the product fun and pressure-less to produce. And I would have something new to offer every three months. That keeps me from inundating my community with offers but continues to give them real value throughout the year. What do you plan to offer new to your target community” And when?

 Life is an adventure, there is always something new to explore and learn.  I want to craft some teaching videos around my Magnetic Content Development System. That means there are a few technical things I need to learn as well as content to create. Now that I have two blogs to support I will be writing more and I have my whole new ebook/workbook series to write. One step at a time works for me. What do you want to learn next? What do you want to produce next? Pick one project and make some decisions about what you want to do for your target community. Then produce one new product a quarter. At the end of each quarter, check to see if you have ended up where you meant to go and what you need to change in your promotional material to match where you are now. Keep checking yourself for change – and keep it documented on your web site.

© 2011 Cara Lumen