The 7 Deadly Digital Delusions Preventing You From Building Your Online Empire

Notes de l'éditeur

1. THE 7 DEADLY DIGITAL DELUSIONSPreventing You From Building Your Online Empire ByDoyle Buehler
2. THE 7 DEADLY DIGITAL DELUSIONSPreventing You From Building Your Online EmpireFirst published in Australia in 2014www.thedigitaldelusion.comdoyle@thedigitaldelusion.com© Doyle Robert Buehler 2014All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author or publisher.National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Author: Buehler, Doyle Robert, 1969- Title: The 7 Deadly Digital Delusions Preventing Your From Building Your Online Empire ISBN: 978-0-9874990-4-2  (Paperback – The 7 Deadly Digital Delusions) 978-0-9874990-5-9  (PDF -The 7 Deadly Digital Delusions) 978-0-9874990-6-6  (ePub The 7 Deadly Digital Delusions) 978-0-9874990-7-3  (mobi The 7 Deadly Digital Delusions) Subjects: Buehler, DoyleInternet Marketing, Social Media, Web sites – Design, Content Marketing, Business Strategy Dewey #: 658.872  
3. IntroductionThe recent times have been a huge adventure. I’ve been trying to understand exactly what is happening in the “Online” Industry. Why does success online seem so far and few? Where is the so-called “promised-land” of fame and fortune online. What was actually happening to Entrepreneurs online? I found that there were a lot of spinning wheels, with not a lot of traction or results happening for most businesses. Everything was inconsistent to what the “big boys”, in the big media agencies were saying. This got me to thinking that perhaps we didn’t even realise that there was a problem, or that there may have been a problem, but all that you need to do was “keep going in the same direction” or just throw more money at it. It seemed like a strategy that was doomed to fail from the start.This wasn’t working – businesses were still struggling to get sales, leads, engagement. It wasn’t a pretty picture at all. The problem was that the businesses could not believe nor understand why things were not working properly, or why they weren’t working as well as they were told. The only thing that the “big boys” would do, is spend more and more on advertising – something that I knew (and know) that a smaller business just could not do. This would not work for the rest of us.We needed to be smarter than just throwing more cash at it. I found that many businesses did not actually realise what pieces were missing, and how critical it was to understand what they needed to do, and how. And, most importantly, how an ad agency was designed just to make profits off of the client, without any substantial outputs.It really was about mass panic, confusion….What I saw was that many entrepreneurs were feeling the same things. They were not getting the traction that they needed, to create a working business. Their time was being wasted into “nothingness”, and “something” was not working. These were all part of what now is known as The Digital Delusions. We were being mislead and misinformed. They were really feeling STUCK.There is good news is that there is a “Diagnosis”. You are not going “mad” either, as everyone else is doing it as well. But then again, the unfortunate aspect is that many businesses simply don’t know what they don’t know. This is where this book will help.I’m not here to make it complex, or to tell you that I have the one and only magic pill. I’m going to tell you that by better understanding the problem, you will be able to overcome these Digital Delusions. I’m going to tell you that you can do this, but you need the right tools to get the job done.You need a framework that is complete and robust, that works under all conditions.And this us where we will go.Doyle Buehler
4. Table of Contents The 7 Deadly Digital Delusions #1: Guru-speak and buzz words gets results 14#2: Social Media and Facebook are strategies 18#3: Online works in isolation 22#4: Advertising is dead and ineffective online 26#5: I don’t need a “sales funnel” for ROI. Sales will come in time. 30#6: Online is “easy”. Just write about a good story. 34#7: Build it and they will come 38
5. What Exactly is Happening to Your Online Business? Many Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs experience a wide range of feelings and emotions when trying to grow their business online. It is what everyone faces, not just yourself. Circle the one that you feel is the most important one. Overwhelmed?Mislead?Misinformed?No Clarity?Confused?Losing Money?Stagnate?No Engagement?Dead Leads?Stalled Profits?Irrelevant? 
6. 7 Mistakes That Most Businesses Make OnlineWhile most businesses make a successful move online, there are a number of core mistakes most businesses make when working online: Not knowing what social channels to use and when. Not understanding how to use social media and the online market space.Forgetting to follow a specific process for moving online, or developing an online presence and influence.Thinking that their audience online actually cares about who they are or what they do, and will quickly engage and respond to what they have to say.Not having a proper step-by-step plan to telling people about themselves and their company online.Not knowing what tools are easily available to make the process substantially easier.Thinking that everyone already knows about their company and that their information is relevant.Being reactive and unable to provide a clear focus, strategy and direction to building their online influence. Which ‘Mistake’ is most relevant to you? 
7. There is a lot to consider, when building a profitable business online.  This includes:DashboardsMetrics and return on investment (ROI)AnalyticsSocial mediaMobileWebsitesSearch engine optimisation SEOSalesSales funnelEDM and emailsGifts and downloadsPaid search advertisingVideoVisuals and imagesStrategy planTrainingContent creationBranding   Confusion starts from the fact there are so many different elements of online, that you need to address. How can you manage everything?
8. What is the Essence of your business online? Business Leaders know that they need a combination of the 3 Digital Elements that are the foundation of a complete and effective digital strategy.KnowledgeStrategyAwareness and relevanceUse these to discover your online empire sweet spot
9. What Every Business Leader Needs To Know: How do I leverage my business effectively to overcome the clutter of online information, the overwhelming technology, and the social media hype, so that I can increase sales, promote loyalty and build a successful online presence with my business?What are you able to do to grow your business online?How exactly do you leverage what you have?
10. What exactly is The Digital Delusion? The over-riding belief that what you are doing is correct and working, and that if you just continue a little bit longer…The base of these problems is from the specific patterns of behaviours and knowledge that are incongruent with what is actually going on. The Digital Delusions highlight these challenges, attitudes, behaviours, pains and problems that we are all encountering as we try to grow our business online.How will you actually make a change, and move from being irrelevant, to the Leader in your industry? 
11. #1 Guru-speak and buzz words gets resultsThe Reality:You would be surprised about how much you know that actually affects what you do and can do online. Online strategies come down to the essence of your business, which can be conveyed better by the business leader. It needs to be a close part of what you do, everyday, and needs to be integrated into everything that you do. There is also a significant amount of misinformation that is being passed around, at any particular time.Overcoming The Delusion:Every business leader’s business is different. While there are principles of online work that are similar in structure, your business is unique, and the approach that you need to take in developing a strategy is quite unique. You need to be able to combine the essence of your business with an online methodology that takes into account your business. Simply telling someone what to do is really only half the solution. You wouldn’t necessarily buy half a car, or buy a house without opening the door and looking into it. While “gurus” and “experts” are important to helping you define the basic online activity side of your strategy, understanding how your business runs is something that can only happen with a proper understanding of it. This is how you can develop a strategy that works specifically with your business. What you can do, NOW:Become the expert in your own businessDevelop your own unique strategy that works for your businessCut out the clutter – reduce the number of feeds/emails that you subscribe to. Go on a digital detox to focus on your own businessBecome the expert. Know your own business first.   
12. 2Social Media and Facebook are strategiesThe Reality:Social media is a tool. Facebook is a tool. You need to be able to organise yourself appropriately, and use the tools and resources at your disposal. Everything needs to be combined together, with all of the other aspects of an online presence. Overcoming The Delusion:Think of social media as being part of your online business toolkit. You need a lot of different tools to actually build a house, correct? Online is no different. You need to know what tool to use and when. You don’t use a hammer for cutting boards to size, so likewise you should not use one tool to build your entire online business. There are so many different tools available, that you need to be able to understand which tools best fit with your business. Are you a B2B or a B2C? Do you deal with “fun” type of content, or do you work better with factual, engineering based information.What you can do, NOW:Research what channels fit best for your audienceProfile your perfect customer and action itTake a look at what other social channels will work best with your business Pick the correct tools for your own toolbox. 
13. 3Online works in isolationThe Reality:You need to combine all of the different online avenues and channels for you, together, such as advertising and social media and SEO. If you have an existing physical location, you also need to consider how to transition customers from your physical store or office locations, towards your online activities. Overcoming The Delusion:All of the components of good online best practices need to be utilised, together. Regardless of what type of business you are in, you need to have a sound strategy, a clear content plan, SEO that works, a sales or action funnel, social media, video, photographs, advertising. When planning and implementing, ensure that you follow a specific framework that allows you to capture all of the various steps and activities along the way.What you can do, NOW:Define all of the online elements of that you are currently using. Ensure that they are all working together.Identify what elements of the online industry wheel you are missing.Add the gaps to your strategy, and create a plan to implement them all, together. Integrate all of your online elements to dominate your digital domain. 
14. 4Advertising is dead and ineffective onlineThe Reality:Advertising is a sound strategy for creating brand awareness as well as sales/leads. Without advertising of some form, whether it is through Google adwords, mobile advertising, or social network ads/posts, it is a very effective way to increase your audience and sales. Online advertising needs to be done with specific criteria, however, and needs to be guided and managed properly, or it can definitely be quite pointless and expensive. Most small businesses need to allocate an appropriate amount to advertising to their business activities. That being said, not all forms of advertising are “equal”, especially from the perspective of aligning with your own business strategy.Overcoming The Delusion:Today you can develop and use highly targeted campaigns to your audience. Whether they are on Facebook or Linkedin, or just searching the web, you can usually find your audience. Develop campaigns that are highly focussed on your target market. Utilise additional incentives, such as contests and sweepstakes. You need to be smart however, and create a campaign that truly matches what you want your customers/audience to connect with. Test your campaigns and then adjust them as needed. There are also What you can do, NOW:What are your brand goals – traffic, sales or branding? Build out your strategy based on these specific criteria.Identify the process that visitors will go through, when they click on an ad. Will they easily get to where you want them to go? Are you ready for the follow-up?Identify all of the specific details and habits of your perfect customer, so you can target them specifically Advertise only with a clear structure, purpose and target audience. 
15. 5I don’t need a “sales funnel” for ROI. Sales will come in time.The Reality:Sales funnels do not necessarily imply only for a specific dollar value or “sales”. A sales funnel is necessary in order to guide your audience to a conclusion or specific “action”. This action can be as simple as a download of an ebook, or the completion of a form, but something needs to be in place. Sales cycles can be short or long, and it is critical that you capture your audience all throughout your specific sales or activity cycle.Overcoming The Delusion:If you operate a commerce based site, then obviously the final action is a purchase. If you are running something less tangible, you also still need to consider how to capture your audience. Even if your final action is just to inform, your site needs to be able to “capture” this step, with such things as a download, a gift, an email, entry into a contest, or something similar. When you are formulating your strategy, ensure that you understand this process and are able to add “goals” along the way.What you can do, NOW:Set up your analytics package to include specific goals and other actions.Always ensure that there is some takeaway with your audience, at some point in the sales cycle.Utilise links towards your ultimate goal, throughout all sales cycles, all channels, and all of your online and offline activities. Guide your customer along their adventure with you, to create engagement. 
16. 6Online is “easy”. Just write about a good story.The Reality:Online takes significant work and dedication, yet often times businesses do not apply all of the necessary resources that could be used to make it work. Your story is important, but it also is the implementation that makes the biggest difference. It also takes work and it takes resources that you need to either do it yourself, or assign the activities. It takes commitment as the business leaderOvercoming The Delusion:While you do need to tell your story, you also actually need to “do it”. Many businesses talk about blogging, yet never actually do it. You need to have a clear schedule that allows you to prioritise all of your content ideas and topics. Then you need to get down to business and actually do it. Consider activities such as blogging as core to your business - if you don’t do it, your business will fail. It is as important as having sales people on the floor of your traditional store. You also need to ensure that you complement all of your online activity together, including press releases, cross promoting your feeds, all with the ultimate goal of building your community online. Also consider the use of press releases - not just to get your story out there, but also to allow others to find and connect with you.What you can do, NOW:Promote yourself and your business on all of your channels. Don’t be afraid!Create relevance and consistency, by writing and talking about the important things about you and your business. Create a schedule that you stick to, for posts, blogs, videos, sharing, etc.Invest 25% of your time into building and advancing your online footprint – your entire digital domain.  Invest the time to become relevant to your audience. 
17. 7Customers will always be able to find me. Or, “Build it and they will come”The Reality:Instant traffic generators do not exist. While you can just “run some ads” to build traffic, you also have to have a very sound foundation to be able to manage and actually utilise the online advertising that you do use. Further, while Google and the other search engines will eventually find you, this will take some time and some effort on your part. Similar to online being “easy”, there is significant amount of involvement and engagement that must happen for you to build your audience and community. Building a website or putting together a Facebookfanpage will not generate traffic into your sales funnel unless you take an active role in it.Overcoming The Delusion:When you are planning, building and executing your website, ensure that you build into your framework a follow-on plan that allows you to engage on all levels. You also need to constantly supply your website and all of your social channels with progressive, engaging, interactive content on all levels. Look at your sales funnel and find out where the attraction points are - then isolate these with your specific content and channel strategies. Consider how you look at SEO from a holistic perspective - you do need to understand the basics of what is important here, and how these will actually be able to help your site.What you can do, NOW:Build out your digital domain with webinars, videos, visuals, seminars, free “gifts”, free downloads.Create excitement with product launches, new branding, weekly events and activities.Interact with your entire audience, not just a select few. Build, utilise and implement a sound framework that is about your business.  
18. Where do you stand withyour business?Take The Online Success Criteria QuizFinding Your Baseline Online Success CriteriaI have a detailed strategy that covers all business possibilitiesI know what I am going to talk about online, and when I am going to say it.I always have an engaged audience online I am always relevant with my audience My customers are always loyal to my business & my offersI have a consistent and continual source of quality leads and sales from my audienceMy audience and prospects can easily find me online, and before my competitors
19. How Awesome are you and your business? Are you still a bit “delusional”? We can all use a little bit of help now and again. What is your score? What can you do to improve? What do you need to do next? We can all use a little bit of help now and again. What is your score? What can you do to improve? What do you need to do next?
20. How CAN I Make Online Work for My Business?How do I become the Master of My Digital Domain, the Industry Leader, with my business?Understand the Digital Delusions so that you can overcome them. Follow the action plans listed for each Delusion.Utilise a clear framework or methodology that actually is systematic and allows you to decipher things in a clear, step by step manner.Build your business around a sound digital framework
21. The Digital Delusion Manifesto No one knows my business better than myself. I refuse to be mislead by the industry. I am taking charge of my own business, in my own industry. I will concentrate on what is important, and disregard the misinformation that is prevalent. I will become the leader in my industry. I will surpass my competitors.I will no longer be deluded by what others say and cause me to think. I will become the master of my own digital domain.I will build my online empire.I will take control of my own business online. 
22. What to do Next? How to Become Awesome Online with Your Business. 1. Join “The Digital Delusion” Full Book Launchwww.digitaldelusion.info2. Sign-up for the next Digital Delusion Free Webinarswww.TheDigitalDelusion.com/webinars3. Send an email to receive a free paperback copy of the full book - The Digital Delusiondoyle@thedigitaldelusion.com
23. What is The Digital Delusion?The Digital Delusion is an “anti” Agency. It is a way of doing business. It is a new way of thinking and implementing for businesses wanting to become Leaders in their industry. We are creating a new awareness and understanding of what is needed to succeed online. It is about mastering the digital domain and creating clarity and confidence online for your business. It is about helping Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders cut through the clutter and confusion of being online, to become remarkable. It is about time. www.TheDigitalDelusion.com
24. About the WriterDoyle Buehler (MBA), is the Chief Digital Delusion Destroyer. He is dedicated to getting rid of the clutter and complexity online, to get to the clarity. He is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker and business consultant. From several successful start-ups and franchise businesses, to helping other companies succeed with their ideas and strategies, he has spent over 10 years in the business world making things happen – both online and off. He is a Leading innovator in the online, ecommerce worlds. He’s helped businesses grow and achieve their goals through harnessing their entrepreneurial spirit. 1 300 681 911doyle@TheDigitalDelusion.comfacebook.com/TheDigitalDelusionlinkedin.com/in/doylebuehlerSkype: doyle_buehler
25. Get the book that the online business and digital media industries don’t want you to see.
26. Most entrepreneurs still have their heads in the sand when it comes to their online strategy; Doyle pulls no punches with this book as he offers a proven methodology for driving serious results online. Glen Carlson  Love the intimate and relaxed setting. Doyle speaks at a very personal level without using jargon, making it so easy to understand and to get involved with activities. Lin Wee, Melbourne  Doyle’s insight into a structured approach, has helped us re-evaluate our position and direction in a very positive way.Ed Mackay, Director of Sugar Free Solutions Pty Ltd  My confusion has largely gone and I can now see through the clutter and understand the importance of clearly defining my content/brand and then being able, selectively, to continue with my audience.Pat Brown