Marketing for Holistic Healers

Law of Action- stepping out

As a shamanic practitioner and soulcollage facilitator I know it’s hard for some to spread their wings, go out and be seen. This is the year to move into action and step out, one way is to through Meet-up. Last November I started using Meet-up to introduce women to the SoulCollage® process, committing myself to six monthly events locally, and this post on Marketing for Healers shares some tips and tricks.

The first Meet-up in November found me sitting alone at Panera Bread Company. When no one showed up my first reaction “oh my this isn’t going to work". **Sigh** Because of the holidays I decided to do the 2nd session as a Meet-up teleclass- ten women showed up for the call. ** yeah **

After a session Meet-up emails people who attend the session (RSVP) and asks them to rate the session and comment. I sense the positive feedback build’s momentum encouraging more to join in, so this month 10 wonderful women showed up. I had a blast presenting and everyone took to the SoulCollage® process like ducks to water. It’s so heart warming to see women jump in, start playing with the images and sharing their stories.

All the Meet-ups are held in the dining room at a Panera Bread Company (it’s very slow at this time of day, so they are grateful for the business). One thing I’d do differently- talk to the manager before hand to share with him what I am doing. I created space to teach by pulling four tables together, but one could sit at their own table and create. Snacks, coffee and drinks were readily available. I brought a basket of images. Each person received 2 blank cards, 2 blank sheets of 8 x 11 white card stock. As a work surface I used an oversized place mat size, 12 x 18, sheet of paper. This same sheet folded in half acted like a file folder to protect the work, take the images and cards home.

Self introductions and a short SoulCollage® presentation lasted 30 minutes, then we cut and pasted for 90 minutes. Two women are SoulCollagers- both were happy to find me and shared how they love working in the SoulCollage® process. We laughed and shared. Many asked for a longer session (Depending on the move, I am offering a one day workshop in late February, early March).

I like Meet-up because the system takes care of the details, announcing the meet-up, taking RSVP’s, allowing payments through PayPal and a message board; it’s a great forum for building community. From a marketing standpoint I am putting into action the concepts presented in Andrea Lee’s work. These SoulCollage Meet-ups like the little taster spoons one gets at an ice cream store. (Check out Andrea Lee’s work from Multiple Streams of Coaching Income). Come in, sample this and see if you want to stay. Check out the Meet-ups I created here:

South Florida SoulCollage for Locals
New Moon SoulCollage TeleClass Meet-up
To learn more about the SoulCollage process check out http://www.soulcollage.com

Creating a new path.

Cross Roads
Originally uploaded by Michele.

From the voting in the last post I am finding out that no one seems to know about the "standard marketing practices ".

Hmmm…I am a member of the Yahoo group that explores the SoulCollage process. One woman suggested I create a SoulCollage® around my post Payola, kickback or good e-business…what that posts evokes is stealth and lurking behavior- good idea since that energy been a recurring theme of healing in my life. **smile**

In the Crossroads

I am the One
who sits in the chaos and
creates a new path.

I feel grateful for the awareness
and the teachings…
Now I can make a choice.
A new road is revealed.

Payola, kickback or good e-business?

Currently on my blogs and web sites I am collaborating with Amazon.com, one Google Adsense ad and a couple of products I love by marketing coaches who provide me with an affiliate link code. Affiliate links are a standard practice within the coaching industry. My question is this payola, kickback or good e-business? This message dropped into my email this afternoon:

“To make 12x the normal “myproductxyz” affiliate commission*, just send the mail below to your list. It already contains your affiliate link.  Your job is to get people to attend my Feb 21st event. We'll close them on the products once they get there.
..and YOU get the commission : )”

"Only one thing counts in this life—get them to sign on the line which is dotted!" Blake admonishes them: "A-B-C. A—Always, B—Be, C—Closing. Always be closing." - Glengary Glen Ross

Yikes coach-man your email makes me feel like a character from the movie Glengary Glen Ross. Lately I am wondering what did I sign up for? Last month a marketing coach I worked with cross promoted content (affiliate linked? I don’t know) on her blog from another coach. She believed in the concept and broadcast it to her email list...unfortunately her blog post that morning mirrored the marketing info I developed in her process. Her post left me shouting “hey, hello over here I’m working with you !!”

While I know I have competition out there it leaves me wondering about the ethics of cross promoting, selling and questioning what is good e-business? Always be closing?

How am I going to collaborate with others? Lets say you write a book, hold a class or have a product to promote. You want access to my email list. I am an affiliate…so I’ll share with my readers an announcement of this great new product, book or teleclass from another coach (vendor).* If you sign up from my recommendation I’ll get paid too.

How does that sit with you as a reader, consumer? Do you mind me getting paid for this collaboration, my recommendation? Here’s where it gets sticky for me…

When I first read Keri Smith’s position about Ad-free blogs a year ago I thought- wow she’s over reacting. I went about adding the normal stuff to my blog recommending products I believed in and signing up for the affiliate codes. Everyone else is doing it..

I found out quickly that I didn’t like Google Adsense ads -the content that showed up on my blog looked tacky, so I dropped these type ads immediately. It wasn’t worth the hassle, was a distraction and cheapened my message. Bottom line for you Google Ad-sense people- don’t count on me to click through.*

These experiences leave me wondering…

In the music industry it’s called Payola.

In my former business life it’s called kickback.

As a young interior designer I worked part-time for a cabinet shop drafting the shop drawings for custom built furniture. One day walking through the shop I noticed some beautiful furniture- a large custom built headboard with integrated night stands and matching built-in dresser ready to be shipped out and installed.

“What client ordered the bedroom set?” I asked.

The shop owner smiled and replied, “In order to win the bid on the millwork contract for the Broward S&L job ($90,000), the interior designer insisted we make her a custom built-in bedroom suite for free ($15,000).”

I stood there shocked. Step into the client’s shoes for a moment, you’d be mad as hell if you paid an extra $15,000; because in good faith you negotiated a fair fee with your designer for doing the work. This interior designer, ranked nationally, was well paid for her design services- she got a flat fee for the design and a percentage of the cost of the goods sold. The S&L client did not know about The $15,000 custom built furniture. And here is my key point-not disclosing this silent relationship between parties is highly unethical. According to the American Society of Interior Designers:

Members shall fully disclose to a client all compensation which the Member shall receive in connection with the project and shall not accept any form of undisclosed compensation from any person or firm with whom the member deals in connection with the project.

I made an ethical decision that day, even though other’s were ‘doing it’ that all my professional fees would be disclosed. My books were open, it was a clean way of doing business, a win/win. Vendors loved me, clients trusted me and I went to the top of my field in interior design.

Now I stand at a different doorway, and the same principles apply. Right now I have affiliate links on the books I list from Amazon and the products I recommend from on my marketing links page. As I establish a stronger web presence, developing web sites, classes and creating products I have decisions to make.

There are opportunities for cross networking and promotion through setting up shopping carts, ad-sense and affiliate links- all the good stuff that web based e-businesses ascribe too.

You know the routine, when one marketing coach launches a book, a tele-summit, a product I may get as many as 5-7 emails from various coaches showcasing that person’s book because:

1. they are participating in the program through an affiliate code
2. they’re a friend of that coach
3. it’s a good book/process.

Now I see Artists following suit. What clearly isn’t being said is “hey I am making a few bucks here on my affiliate link.” This is leaving me with a sour taste in my mouth.

My interior design self just doesn’t feel right, it doesn’t feel authentic. I find myself negatively reacting each time a coach sends me a promotion and I see the affiliate link silently lurk in the background. Whether it’s $10 or $15,000, it’s still to me feels cloaked and silent.

You say you are a coach, but what you have become is a vendor of products, goods and services. It’s a storefront that looks like a blog or website.

Here’s one option- set up a storefront. I’ll list my Amazon Books with a tag line that says- support my blog/website. List other vendors, products and services– this labels them as such. I like that, because as a reader there is a value given and I am saying exactly where you are– in my store.

When I shared my insights with Dear Husband (who is a regional VP of sales and marketing in the financial industries) he responded “you are sabotaging yourself. It’s part of doing business.” DH got defensive….said it is a finder’s fee…it’s good business.

I reminded him “Remember the book you wanted to write ten years ago called the “$100,000 t-shirt”. Where a broker would sell your product if you brought him a logo t-shirt or a dozen golf balls?’ It’s all relative- be it golf balls, t-shirt, $10 or $15,000.”

In light of my experience I am questioning what do I stand for? Do I follow the pack? What’s my comfort zone? Another blogger, artist and writer Keri Smith takes the following stand:

1. That I am opposed to the use of corporate advertising on blogs.
2. That I feel the use of corporate advertising on blogs devalues the medium.
3. That I do not accept money in return for advertising space on my blog.

Based on what I have shared my question to you is… Is this a form of kickback, payola or just plain good e-commerce?

If your affiliate relationship between parties is not disclosed, kept silent, is that ethical?

When I re-read Keri’s post on ad-free blogs, her reasoning just makes my soul settle down. Her ad free position is starting to make more sense to me. I am working on the details, what makes sense for me…what makes sense for you?

Vote now and share a comment:

*SideNote for Marketing and Blogging Newbie’s: Bloggers insert a Google code, then ads appear called “Google Adsense Ads” on their blogs. Google pays the website/blogger for every click you make, it is a way for bloggers to generate income.

Affiliate Links: An e-commerce affiliate is a website which links back to an e-commerce site such as Amazon.com. When the readers of the website clicks on the link (i.e. Amazon.com), they are connected to the e-tailer and if they purchase something the affiliate receives a small payment (depending upon the e-commerce site policies), usually a percentage of the money the customer spends.

A coach develops a wonderful product and needs to get the word out. She contacts another coach who is willing to cross promote to her established subscriber list. You’ll get an email that states -Hey I think this is a great product to buy…what isn’t being said “I am getting paid if you buy this product, goods or services.” Most times the affiliate relationship between parties is not disclosed. As a subscriber I get an email saying “This product, this workshop is great…I recommend it to you, sign up now.” When I click the link I’ll see a brief affiliate code number (sometimes it disappears) when I reach the shopping cart. The coach has made a sale and the affiliate who recommended that product gets paid for the sale. Coaches are generating additional income by cross promoting that products and broadcasting to her client base.

Don't hire a blog designer while Mercury is retrograde.

Remember the joy of finger painting. Really making a mess and getting your hands dirty. Maybe it’s time to let your creative muse out and play. Create a blog today. Make a mess.

Last year I decided to spruce up The New Moon Journal as I converted it to a blog format. I played with a number of blog platforms (blog harbor and blogger) and then uploaded Movable Type (a blog publishing platform) to my server. Then I found MT was way too complicated for me. I made a big mess of the code and needed a blog designer.

Part 2- Polish up your blog- cost and style

COSTS:  How much is this blog design going to cost me, I have seen blog designers quote anywhere from $150 to $2,000 to design a blog.  If I am creating a product, marketing a book then my blog may be more complicated.

STYLE: Look around for blogs do you like? Compile a list by copying the links and saving them to a word.doc or pdf. Comment on style and color. Why do you like that blog design? What don’t you like? Then send that list to your blog designer.

As a client here are some questions to ask your blog designer:

• Ask, ask, ask. If the designer makes you feel stupid then find another person to work with.
• Have you ever set up a blog before? If not then how am I paying for your learning curve? Be aware of that aspect. I want someone who is used to blogging. Blogging is different than web design. It’s a different mentality.
• Ask what blogging platforms your designer works with. Is that what you are looking for?
• Where is this blog going to be hosted? On what server?
• Do a web search and visit the forums of that blogging platform. Are people friendly or snooty on the forum? Can you show up and ask a question on the forum and get an answer. Don’t leave everything in your designers hands.
• Try out a blog first so you know what you are looking for and what you are getting into. Post for a couple of weeks or months to get the hang of it. Then hire the designer.
• Make sure that you can update and tweak things on your own without too much trouble. What does it cost to add a plug-in or an add-on?
• How many plug-ins will my blog have for this fee? If I want to add more, how much will it cost me?

What’s a plug-in or add-on? These items are accessories for your blog- the bling. Think of getting dressed in an evening gown (blog), now add the shoes, the jewelry and the purse (plug-ins). The more plug-ins you add, the more time it takes a designer to configure your blog.

Is your blog going to integrate with an existing web design? That may drive the cost up, it may be an issue of a simple cut and paste.

One friend hired her web designer and he forgot to add the critical spam plug-in. Her blog got hit hard within a week by track-back spammers. I don’t believe a blog designer would not have made this mistake.

In TypePad they configure the important plug-ins for you, then I add my own in a typelist. Like the New Moon Journal’s Moon Phase graphic. I dropped the pre-configured code and plugged it into my typelist. A lot of really good plug-ins can be added through the Widget process.

TypePad Widgets are a new way to add features to your blog. We've partnered with dozens of companies to bring you great new features such as job searching, game playing, weather tracking, and photo sharing. Adding a widget to your TypePad blog is easy.

1. Browse the gallery and choose a widget
2. Configure it at the widget provider's site
3. Post it to your blog!

If you need help in configuring and building your Typepad blog start with the Build a Better Blog e-book. Then polish up your blog by hiring a blog designer.

I’ll share my own horror story of working with a blog designer in the next post. Stay tuned by subscribing to this blog. Feel free to ask questions or comment below. What's your story?

Part 1 Polishing up your blog- hire a designer