My voice trailed off and my body trembled as I finished the call. It was five years ago today, and I had been laid off.

Again.

It was the second time in two and a half years. The first time you could call a fluke. Something that could happen to anyone. But a second time? The self doubt creeps in.

I can guarantee you that there was no chance in my mind that I would be running my own business five years later. Not a thought that I could pull this off.

I want you to understand this. I doubted myself because I felt everyone else had it figured out. I believed them when they called themselves “gurus” and “experts” who perfected the path to prosperity.

I wish I knew then that many of those self-proclaimed experts were faking it. And even those who know what they’re doing have many moments every single day of self doubt.

No one snapped their fingers and created a business — their first business — without some embarrassing mistakes.

I’ve said over and over again that I really had no idea what I was doing in the beginning. I went months before making a penny from this website. And I was my worst enemy.

I feared mistakes. I feared failure. But you only fail if you don’t try.

In that spirit, it’s only fair that I share with you my five years of firsts. Some of this stuff is buried within these pages. Some of it is difficult — almost impossible — to find.

But it’s there. It’s funny. And I hope you find it inspiring!

Let’s take a close, painful and often hilarious look at my five years of firsts for this business…

The First JonLoomer.com

Looks pretty great, right? When I launched this website, I refused to invest a penny into it. It’s a free theme. I created that awful logo (more on that in a moment).

And guess what? It didn’t get any better from there for a while. In fact, it got worse. It wasn’t until April of 2012 that I finally discovered Genesis Framework, and I’ve been using it ever since.

My First Video

When I launched this website, I thought it would be a good idea to create an artsy video to go on the home page. Brace yourselves. It’s painful…

My First Blog Post

Now, keep in mind that when I launched this website on August 29, 2011, it wasn’t to provide information on advanced Facebook advertising. Instead, my main goal was to get a job.

So I wrote this post to declare my free agency to the world. Even my writing style has changed in five years.

My First Business Card

So, so bad…

I remember deciding I was going to a job fair, but I didn’t have a business card to hand out. I quickly had one made at OfficeMax, and you know what? I was really proud of it.

My First Logo

Oh, man. But you know what? It didn’t get much better. I updated it in November to match those awesome pea green business cards…

And then in February of 2012…

You probably wouldn’t be surprised that in each case, I created these monstrosities. I am not a designer. Always hire a designer, kids.

My First Facebook Page

Remember when Facebook pages looked like that? Gotta love the crappy logo at the top left. The sad thing is that I’m pretty sure this wasn’t the first version. It was worse.

I didn’t create my Facebook page until early November of 2011. The reason I hadn’t until then was pretty simple: I didn’t believe that I was actually starting a business.

Oh, and I had a welcome tab. Remember those? Here’s the beauty I created…

I even created a video about it. I’m sure you’d love to watch…

Two days later, I felt I had this Facebook page thing all figured out, so I wrote about The Anatomy of a Facebook Page.

My First Facebook Page Post

In case you’re wondering what my first post was from that page. Not all that exciting…

My First Ebook

That’s right. I wrote an ebook called “How to Run a Facebook Page that ROCKS!” I did that. All me.

Once again, this beautiful design was all mine. I didn’t even have it connected to a CRM. Honestly, I may have been just giving it away by direct link. I was a genius.

Oh, I’m positive you’d love to read that ebook. Read it here!

My First Facebook Ads

I ran Facebook ads prior to my business, but the first ones I ran for myself promoted my Facebook page and first ebook. Back then, you could do the whole, “Like my page to get this ebook” approach.

Now, this is what Facebook says the ads look like. Of course, the format was different then, I would have had a different profile photo and I certainly didn’t have that many Facebook fans…

I’m sure you’d love to know how these ads did. I don’t know because Facebook doesn’t provide results from 2011. But I can tell you that the total spent on these two ads was $1.99.

My First Podcast

I’m so happy I found this. I actually thought it was gone forever. I originally hosted podcasts locally here on the website, so when I moved to iTunes I didn’t migrate over the first episodes.

Well, I found the first episode and I just published it to iTunes. It originally aired on May 22, 2012, and it still has the same intro music.

Not a Pubcast yet. No beer. Bad audio. And I vividly remember being extremely nervous, having to re-record parts of it as a result.

My First Product

On October 11 of 2012 — more than a year after I was laid off! — I launched my first product: Facebook Page Strategic Review.

I promoted it as being “A Trained Eye for a Small Price.” In other words, I was offering way too much for not enough money. Here is how I described the service, complete with a handy video…

For $97 (Limited Time Price), I will do a comprehensive review of your Facebook Page activities. After you complete a questionnaire that will provide me background on your goals and priorities, I’ll provide a one-page report and video screen-share with step-by-step observations and suggestions.

Topics will include:

1. Naming Conventions
2. Description/Categorization/Optimization
3. Imagery (Cover, Profile, Tabs, Timeline)
4. Use of Facebook Tabs
5. Posting Best Practices
6. Diversity of Content
7. Engagement Strategies
8. Facebook Terms of Service
9. Strategic Suggestions

Once I receive payment, I’ll immediately send you a questionnaire to be completed to start the process. Within one week, you’ll receive a one-page report complete with a video review of your Facebook Page!

Don’t undervalue yourselves, kids…

My First Speaking Gig

Did I mention that I tend to have a fear of public speaking? It’s getting better, but I still remember shaking while introducing myself at the AllFacebook.com Marketing Conference in NYC in December of 2012.

But that was just a panel. My first true solo speaking gig was at Social Media Marketing World in 2014. While I was nervous there as well, it went great!

My First Video Blog

One of my New Years Resolutions for 2013 was to create more videos. Because as we saw above, that was going well!

So on January 4 of that year, I filmed my first video blog. Check out the sweet lighting by the end!

My First Webinar

I’ve overcome it a bit these days, but I have always been petrified of the stage. And believe it or not, this carries over to things like videos, podcasts and webinars.

I recorded my first solo webinar (not someone’s guest) in March of 2013. You can watch it below…

And since you can also access the replay notes and slides here, I was clearly really good at list building and protecting this type of content.

Your Turn

Now, I’m sure I could spend all day sharing embarrassing firsts. But this is all I’ve got for now.

Here’s the deal: I’m glad each of these firsts happened. I did things that made me uncomfortable — that I wasn’t good at — and I learned valuable lessons from them.

Are there any business firsts that you can share that are a bit funny or embarrassing now? Let me know in the comments below!

The post 5 Years of Business Firsts appeared first on Jon Loomer Digital.

One of the most common questions I get is concerning the tools I use. Whether it be for managing Facebook ads, CRM, podcasting, webinars or my website, people are curious about the software behind this business.

I’ve written on this topic before, but it’s been two years since the last time I’ve discussed the tools I use. I still use some of those tools, but some I don’t and I’m using several more now.

I’ve adjusted a lot over the years. In the first year of my “business,” I bragged about spending less than $3,000 annually to support it. I’ve learned, I’ve failed, I’ve tried and experimented with new things.

The truth is that I spend way more on these systems now than I did then. And when you invest that money wisely, you do need to spend money to make money.

While I typically focus on the subject of Facebook ads, today I’m going to branch out a bit more broadly. I use a lot of tools. Some aren’t listed below. But I want to focus primarily on those I use most.

So here is an overview of the 44 tools that make this business go…

[Tweet “Here are 44 marketing tools covering Facebook, website, CRM and more that make one business go…”]

Facebook Ads

Power Editor: You’d think I’d use a bunch of different tools to manage Facebook ads. I don’t. While there are certainly some good third party tools out there, I still stick with Power Editor to create my ads.

I know that the Ads Manager is better than it used to be. But it’s still not Power Editor. Not only is Power Editor better for bulk editing and ad creation, but there continue to be some features that are only available in Power Editor, and not Ads Manager.

An example? I’ve had a lot of fun recently creating Lead Ads. For now, they are only available in Power Editor.

DriftRock Flow: There are a couple of third party tools that I use for Facebook ads, but not to help me with ad creation. DriftRock is my tool of choice for management of Custom Audiences.

Email Custom Audiences allow advertisers to target people on their email list. But the problem with email Custom Audiences is that they are static. Your targeting and exclusions are based on the accuracy and recency of that list the last time you uploaded it to Facebook.

But DriftRock Flow solves this problem. Flow syncs with (as of writing this post) 21 different CRM options, including Infusionsoft, Constant Contact, Aweber, MailChimp and SalesForce.

DriftRock Lead Response: Lead ads are awesome. However, they come with a very major flaw: Facebook doesn’t provide a native solution to automatically sync with your CRM tool. As a result, you’re required to periodically export your leads and import into your CRM.

That makes for a potentially terrible user experience. People expect to get an immediate response in most cases. So in the end, lead ads without some sort of integration and automation are more hassle than they’re worth.

DriftRock Lead Response solves that problem. It currently integrates with Infusionsoft, Mailchimp and others. But even if it doesn’t integrate with your CRM, you can have Lead Response send an auto-responder from your email address upon opting in.

It’s a great tool that makes Lead Ads powerful. But it’s also not for everyone as it’s a bit on the pricey side. Since there is a need, other developers are quickly developing tools.

Website and Plugins

Genesis Framework: When I first launched this website more than four years ago (it’s been THAT LONG??), I started with a free theme. Then I purchased a premium theme, but it was a poor choice. For the past three and a half years, I’ve been using Genesis Framework.

Lots of big names either use or endorse Genesis Framework, including Darren Rowse, Chris Brogan and Jay Baer. You can add my name to that list.

I’ve rolled with three different child themes under Genesis, and I can’t imagine using anything else.

AppointmentCore: I started booking one-on-one calls about three years ago. I’ve used Appointy and vCita, and both were fine. But I couldn’t be happier with AppointmentCore.

AppointmentCore integrates with Stripe and Infusionsoft, but it also gives me more control. It works nicely with GoToMeeting, so when someone books a session a unique GTM is automatically set up (as opposed to messing with Skype handles, as I did previously). The host is also able to control whether customers are able to reschedule or cancel — which I definitely don’t want to allow (and I couldn’t control previously).

GoToMeeting: I use both GoToWebinar (which I’ll get to later) and GoToMeeting as part of the same package. I find that GoToMeeting is very stable, and I seriously have no issues with it at all. And the integration with Appointmentcore makes it ideal for me.

I also use GoToMeeting for team meetings. We’ll do face-to-face weekly calls, and GTM never fails us.

ShortStack: You’d expect this to fall under the Facebook category, but ShortStack has evolved over the years. I’ve been using ShortStack for nearly all of my four years, but previously it was to manage and host my Facebook tabs. That, however, is not why I love the tool these days.

While I still have the tabs, they aren’t a priority. In fact, don’t even look at them (I’m sure you won’t) as they are likely outdated. And really, the fact that no one looks at them is undoubtedly why ShortStack got out of that business.

Now this tool focuses on creating a “campaign” that can be embedded anywhere, whether it be on Facebook or your website. I use ShortStack to create my landing pages.

Before you go looking for the templates I use for my landing pages, also understand I have a really great designer who just happens to be ShortStack’s designer. Not only do I love the landing pages, but since they are done with this easy-to-use tool, I have no problems going in and making changes as I need them. That’s often not the case otherwise.

All of my landing pages are created with Shortstack.

Website Plugins…

Make no mistake, I use a ton of plugins. In fact, I’ll freely admit that I use too many and need to scale back. I will scale back as I know it hurts the performance of my site.

But there are a few plugins that I can’t do without. Here they are…

AdRotate Professional: I use AdRotate to manage the ad units on my site. Granted, I don’t sell ad units, but I still use it for promoting my own products.

Lots of flexibility with this tool. You can have it rotate several ads through the same spot, even favoring one ad more than the other. You get short codes, widgets and metrics.

Auto Terms of Service and Privacy Policy: Every site needs a Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I haven’t always had one, mainly because I’m ignorant about what needs to go into it. Also, it’s required to run Lead Ads and do remarketing. In other words, you need to get on this.

It’s really simple. Answer a few questions, and the plugin spits out the page for you.

Click To Tweet: I use it on every blog post. I tend to put it near the top with a quote you can click to tweet to your audience.

Custom Audiences Enhancer: Let me be clear that I’m still experimenting with this one. It’s not currently on my site. But it has a ton of promise and could be very important to my business.

But it is brand new, and I was the guinea pig when I tried it out initially. Unfortunately, it was still buggy and caused some issues with my site (my mistake, I should have started with a test site).

I was excited to use this plugin for a reason. It can do many of the things I was trying to do with this post. You can create Website Custom Audiences based on frequency of visits to your site, time on site, scrolling and more. The possibilities are freaking amazing.

Try it at your own risk right now. But this plugin is made by the same guys who made Tracking Code Manager, so they do know what they’re doing.

Disqus Comment System: I’ve used Disqus pretty much from the jump. People often ask me why I don’t use Facebook comments since I’m a Facebook guy. Or I’ll get someone screaming about how great some other comment system is.

I’m perfectly happy with Disqus. It’s easy to use, and it’s popular, so commenters are used to it. Great tool.

Mashshare Share Buttons: I’ve used several social sharing plugins over the years, but Mashshare is the first I’ve paid for. And it’s freaking worth it.

Mashshare either is or mimics what you see on a lot of big tech sites these days, like Mashable. That floating bar at the bottom of my site is Mashshare. I could put that at the top if I want. Lots of flexibility, and it works brilliantly.

OptinMonster: I resisted pop-ups for the longest time. They can be intrusive and annoying. But holy crap, they are freaking effective for list building.

OptinMonster makes it easy. Lots of different templates and control over when, where and how the pop-up appears. Also integration with your CRM tool of choice, which is critical.

Pinterest Pin It Button For Images: See an image that you want to share to Pinterest? Just hover over it and an option will come up. Easy!

Pretty Link Lite: Every blog post has a long URL that includes the year, month and key words. If I want to tell someone to go read a post (like on a podcast or webinar), that’s close to impossible. Sometimes it’s also nice to have a short (and readable) URL to share in an email.

I’m not talking about bit.ly. Those aren’t trustworthy — or don’t always appear so. You have no idea where they’re going. I’m talking about a shorter version of the URL to a post on my domain.

When I publish this blog post, I will generate a Pretty Link for https://www.jonloomer.com/tools. Nice and easy — and pretty!

Smart Podcast Player: Whenever I record an audio version of a blog post, I’ll embed it at the top using Smart Podcast Player. It was developed by the amazing Pat Flynn, so you know it has to be great!

I love that I can customize the color, look and feel to fit my brand. You can also see a fuller version of it on my podcast page.

Tracking Code Manager: If you’re going to run Facebook ads, you sure better be installing pixels on your website. This is required for conversion optimization as well as creating Website Custom Audiences. The Tracking Code Manager makes this process easy!

E-Commerce and Analytics

Paid Memberships Pro: One mistake I made in the past was having my membership site on of a domain I didn’t own and control. I have since moved it to https://members.jonloomer.com utilizing the Paid Memberships Pro plugin.

PMP allows me to create various membership levels for annual and month-to-month members and control what people can and can’t see depending on their membership. I love it because I’m able to manage the membership site just as I do this one — so the look and feel remains the same, and it’s easy for me to use.

PMP integrates with Stripe for payments and offers analytics as well as discount coupons (and a whole lot of other features, most of which I don’t currently use).

Stripe: I love Stripe for collecting payments. I really, really do.

When I first started out with Infusionsoft, all payments ran through PowerPay and Authorize.NET. I hate PowerPay and Authorize.NET. I really, really do.

Stripe is easy to use. Easy to set up. Easy to manage. Great website and reporting. Stripe streamlines and simplifies e-commerce for any online business, big or small.

ChartMogul: This is a new addition, but I can tell I’m going to love it. As my business has grown, I’ve quickly realized that I have a shrinking grasp of how things are going. There is simply too much happening at once.

ChartMogul integrates with Stripe and provides endless charts and reports to help me understand the state of my business, where it’s trending and if there’s anything I need to be concerned about.

Google Analytics: Of course I use Google Analytics. Every serious online business person does. I use it for the surface stuff (number of visitors, page views, where they came from, time on site), but also for the deeper campaign information using UTM tags. One of my favorite features is the realtime stats to watch what people are doing on the site at this very moment.

CRM and Automation

Infusionsoft: I freely admit that I have long held an intense love and hate relationship with Infusionsoft. It’s so important and powerful, yet it can also be so confusing (hence the nickname “Confusionsoft”) and the source of problems.

While during the past year I’ve been slowly pulling away from Infusionsoft, I also know that the biggest problem was that I simply wasn’t smart enough to use it properly. I have some new help that I hope will help me realize the potential of this powerful tool.

I currently use Infusionsoft for email campaigns, tagging and deep reporting.

MailChimp: I’ve gotta tell you that there are so many things about Infusionsoft that I wish were more like Mailchimp. While I use Infusionsoft for this business, I use MailChimp for one of my pet projects. And it’s so easy to use.

Of course, it’s not the tool that Infusionsoft is, either. But if you don’t need something complicated, Mailchimp is a great starter option.

Zapier: I often promote workshops and webinars with an opt-in. So how, you wonder, do I simultaneously add people to my email list in Infusionsoft, tag them and register them in GoToWebinar? I use Zapier!

The funny thing is that I’m just scratching the surface with this tool. There are dozens (hundreds? Thousands?) of use cases for automation using Zapier that can make your life easier. And really, I’m sure there are many ways I should be using it but am not.

Photo and Video Editing, Podcasting and Webinars

Photoshop: For the longest time, I used a free image editing tool. And I guess those tools are mostly fine. But eventually, I was tired of using workarounds trying to do things that I could otherwise do easily with Photoshop.

For the most part, though, I use this tool for editing and creating all of the images and screen grabs on my site.

ScreenFlow: I initially purchased this software close to four years ago to do screenshare videos. But you can use it for much more, and I’ve become very comfortable with it.

Whenever I record a webinar, I record it with Screenflow for a couple of reasons. First, I can select my Blue Yeti microphone for the audio. Second, it’s good to have backup video in case I forget to hit record in GoToWebinar or their recording fails.

But I also use Screenflow for recording my Pubcasts. I’m sure that’s not why it was created and I need to convert the video files to audio, but I find it’s easy to use this tool for all audio and video recording and editing.

Total Video Converter Lite: So when I record those podcasts, I need to convert the video file to an audio file. That’s what TVC Lite does quickly and easily. I can even have it automatically save to a DropBox folder so that my podcast editor has access to the files.

Libsyn: I use Libsyn to host and distribute my podcast to iTunes and Stitcher. It really isn’t particularly fancy, but it does precisely what I need it to do.

Blue Yeti Microphone: I’ve had this microphone from the beginning of my podcast. Love it!

Vimeo: Sure, I could use YouTube. But my use of video these days is largely for my private community, so I want more control of branding and private embedding. Vimeo is awesome for that purpose.

GoToWebinar: I know there are plenty of cheaper options for hosting webinars, but there are several reasons why I stick with GoToWebinar. It includes GoToMeeting, which I also use. It’s very stable, and I have no technical issues with it. It integrates with Zapier. And it’s popular, so attendees know how to use it.

Community Management, Customer Service and Internal Communication

AgoraPulse: I have a long, friendly relationship with Agorapulse and Emeric Ernoult, the founder. There was a time when I primarily used it for Facebook analytics and even contests, but these days I find it’s irreplaceable for community management.

This tool has a long list of capabilities that I’m not even yet taking advantage of, but I use it for a pretty simple purpose. Facebook page management gets out of control once your audience gets to a certain size. Agorapulse solves that.

My team and I all use it, so comments, private messages and posts to my wall all go to Agorapulse, and they can be distributed to different team members. Most importantly, I can isolate specific types of content — in my case, the comments. Private and wall messages go to ZenDesk as customer service requests, so we can use Agorapulse to focus on the comments.

I know it would seem reasonable to simply use Facebook’s admin panel. It just doesn’t work. It’s too noisy, and Agorapulse gives me a nice dashboard to work through what needs to be done (and it disappears when I’m finished!).

But the biggest advantage of this tool is that my package includes unpublished post management. Yes, this is probably the biggest need for Facebook advertisers. Managing comments on ads is so difficult that they often go unanswered. But that’s no longer an issue for me, thanks to this tool.

TweetDeck: You may not know this about me, but I’m on Twitter a lot. I use the web version of TweetDeck to manage my various streams and stay on top of what is happening in the world.

ZenDesk: There comes a time in every online business when you can no longer wing your customer service. I hit that time this year (and probably a year too late).

With ZenDesk, I have private messages and wall posts from Facebook come in here to be managed as they are typically some level of customer service issue. I also have all questions sent via contact forms on my site or in response to my email campaigns come to this central location. Finally, notifications like new members, cancelled members or payment failures all go to ZenDesk.

This creates a trail by generating a ticket, and we can then assign to team members based on the issue. It’s made management of customer service far easier. More important, however, is that we no longer have to dig through email to find what was previously said to a customer. The history is there.

Trello: I don’t use Trello a lot, but I do use it to manage the design projects. It’s visual and easy to use by generating “cards” based on the project, allowing me to easily communicate what I want done by my designer.

Slack: I’m going to play ignorant on this one because we just started using Slack. My team members love it. It’s the rage right now. It’s for internal communications, but supposedly easier to use than Basecamp.

Basecamp: Up until now, we’ve been using Basecamp as a central place to communicate, store documents and share plans.

Content Consumption, Sharing and Storage

DropBox: Audio and video files can be freaking huge. Emailing such files can be impossible. I have someone who edits my podcast, and DropBox is an easy way for me to get him the raw files he needs to do his work.

Evernote: I try to be organized, and Evernote is the best way for me to keep notes and write down plans. What’s nice is that it syncs between my desktop, iPad and iPhone, so I have access to the same notes in all three locations.

Feedly: I use Feedly to stay on top of what is happening in the world. It’s old school, but I’m subscribed to about 50 RSS feeds, and this is how I keep up with what’s happening in Facebook marketing.

Hootsuite Hootlet: Every time I read a new article that I like and want to share with my audience, I click the Hootsuite Hootlet to automatically schedule it for me.

Buffer: I also use Buffer, though not as often as I once did. I use both the Hootlet and Buffer because I’ll use each one for different types of content, allowing them to be distributed together (instead of one after the other is done).

What Tools Do You Use?

So this is a simplified list of the 44 tools (I know, SIMPLIFIED) that help me run my business. Any other tools you can’t live without?

Let me know in the comments below!

The post 44 Powerful Marketing Tools for Facebook Ads, Websites, CRM and More appeared first on Jon Loomer Digital.

A year ago today, I was making my final plans to announce my new membership: The Power Hitters Club.

This was new territory for me. Up until this point, monetizing progressed as follows:

1. AdSense on the site
2. Website sponsors
3. Facebook page review services
4. One-on-one services
5. Training courses

Training courses were by far my biggest money maker at that point, but they also presented challenges. The content took many hours to create, only to be quickly outdated.

A membership would focus on real-time content. I offered a weekly webinar and eventually a weekly blog post. The community itself was also central to the value provided. Content would not be outdated, so maintenance was minimal.

While I launched it as little more than an experiment a year ago, membership is now the primary focus of my business. Here are several lessons I’ve learned during the past year…

[Tweet “Here are 13 lessons learned during a full year of running a membership site…”]

1. Control Where It’s Hosted

When I launched the Power Hitters Club, I was admittedly unsure where to host it. I was still getting to know Infusionsoft, and I was using their Customer Hub product to host my courses. So it was natural to also host the members content there, too.

In hindsight, this was a mistake. In fact, it was a mistake to host my courses on Customer Hub as well. I’ve never liked the product, and I hate not having full creative control. I also hate not getting the actual traffic — and we know that’s important!

So beginning this year, I started using a membership plugin called Paid Memberships Pro. It’s not perfect, but it allows me to create membership content the same way I do content on my site. I decided to create a separate members site that I control.

I now know how much traffic I get. I now can create Website Custom Audiences based on where my members go. And I can now create content with ease for my members site.

2. Simplify the Software

Over time, the software used for my membership has gotten increasingly complicated.

• Paid Memberships Pro: Host members-only content
• Click Funnels: Host non-members workshops
• GoToWebinar: Host weekly webinars and workshops
• Infusionsoft: Tagging of users based on membership
• Zapier: Webinar registration automation for PHC and workshops
• Stripe: Payment gateway

This creates a lot of moving parts, and a lot of opportunities for bugs and mistakes.

We’re in the process of creating a single plugin to aggregate much of this activity to streamline this.

3. Don’t Offer Free or $1 Trials

When I first announced the Power Hitters Club, my email list was probably somewhere around 25-30,000 people (it’s over 75,000 now). While a decent size, I lacked the confidence that I’d be able to quickly create an active community.

And that was a major concern because if I launched a community and only five people showed up, it wouldn’t be a community at all! So I launched it with a $1 trial.

This was a big mistake. While I certainly received a massive influx of members, many weren’t quality members. Many had no intention to renew. And some even spammed the group.

I’ve often been asked if there’s a free trial option for those who aren’t sure, and my answer is a very clear “no” now. It’s just not worth it.

Your price attracts a certain type of member. If you offer $1 trials, you will attract $1 members.

Granted, things cleared up after a month, but damage was done that first month. It gave the wrong impression to those who actually wanted to be in the group since the $1 members were diluting the quality of the community.

4. Choose One: Quality or Quantity

That leads us here…

I know the argument is that we want both quantity and quality, but I don’t know that this is necessarily true. This is a balance. You can actually have too many members, lowering the quality of the group.

After some research, I settled on a $97 monthly membership price point. I didn’t want to be too cheap. I didn’t want to attract advertisers who spent very little every month. I wanted to attract “advanced” advertisers who invested thousands per month in their advertising.

A $97 monthly membership for someone who spends thousands per month on ads is nothing. These people get their money back instantly with the content they consume in the group.

I’m often asked if I have special prices for small businesses, non-profits or students. My answer is that if the $97 monthly price is a problem, this group is not right for them.

It may sound cruel, but it’s true. This is for advanced marketers already invested in their advertising. If you are spending very little or close to nothing on ads and you think that $97 is too much, it will likely be a waste of money for you.

I’m eventually going to run into a bit of a challenge. We’re trending towards having approximately 1,000 members by the end of the year. Is that too many? Will it be too noisy? Will I need to create a special community for some?

Nothing has been decided here yet, but plenty to consider.

5. Make the Community Accessible

When the Power Hitters Club was launched, I included a Facebook group community. It was easy to set it up that way, and even natural since I knew that my members would regularly be on Facebook.

But just as I wanted control of where the content was hosted, I quickly started wondering whether it made sense to control where the community was hosted as well. I could significantly increase the traffic and time on site on my domain with this simple move.

I polled my members, and they overwhelmingly wanted to keep the community on Facebook. And really, it just made sense.

As much as I want my members on my website, they will spend much of their day on Facebook. Such a group would be more accessible. Had I moved the community to my domain, it undoubtedly would have resulted in a drop in participation — and ultimately membership.

I guess you could say that this isn’t true for all memberships, but I’d counter that no matter what your community, your members are most likely to spend time on Facebook. And since many are already members of Facebook groups, the learning curve will be minimal.

While it may make sense if you have a huge community or your platform is already very social to host this on your site, the bottom line is that your focus shouldn’t be on selfish reasons. Make sure that it’s right for your members.

6. Get Feedback from Members

Your members are a treasure trove of information. Use them!

Instead of guessing about whether a change makes sense, ask them what they want. That is how I kept the community within Facebook, but it’s just one of many examples.

I also poll my community for ideas on products and content. These people are the most engaged, most loyal and most willing to help!

7. Be Prepared for Payment Failures

I was not prepared for this. I had no idea what a headache payment failures would be.

This can happen for any number of reasons. Their credit card may have expired. They may have gone over their spending limit. Or their card was suspended.

You can have automated processes in place, emailing members who have had credit card failures and removing members who don’t respond. But I’ve found this to be largely ineffective.

I dedicate one person to stay on top of payment failures to make sure that they get the problem corrected. This can otherwise be a major drain on membership.

8. Manage Member Accounts With a Spreadsheet

Do this from the start. Trust me.

When someone registers for the Power Hitters Club, the following process occurs:

• They are tagged in Infusionsoft
• They are emailed an invitation to join the Facebook group
• They are granted access to content on the membership site
• They are registered to the weekly webinar
• They request access to and are accepted into the Facebook group

That may seem simple, but what happens when someone cancels?

What email address was used to register for the webinars? They need to be removed.

What name was used to join the Facebook group? They need to be removed.

Do they still have access to the membership site? They need to be removed.

Do they still have Infusionsoft tags indicating they are a member and will be emailed as such? Those need to be removed.

Without a spreadsheet keeping track of these things (and more, including membership level, renewal date and credit card expiration), you’re going to end up with chaos.

9. Perform a Regular Audit

That leads us here. I experienced that moment of chaos, and I learned from it.

For the first six months or so, I simply assumed everything was running smoothly with the membership site. People who registered were granted proper access. People who canceled were removed. People whose cards failed also were removed.

But after stumbling on a couple of accounts where this was not the case, I dug a little deeper. And then deeper.

Hours upon hours later, I had uncovered some major problems. There were approximately 50 users who were getting membership while no longer paying.

This was the start of not only moving to a membership site that I controlled but building the members account spreadsheet. It was a major hassle, but one that taught valuable lessons.

We now audit every couple of months — in addition to our daily management of the spreadsheet — to be sure that those who are supposed to have access do and those who aren’t supposed to have access don’t.

10. Feed Them Value

In the beginning, membership provided the following:

• Weekly 30-minute webinars
• Access to the Facebook group
• Members-only discounts on products

Since then, I have shifted away from training courses, so the discounts are now different. They are for my workshops and they are actually much more substantial.

I’ve also added on a weekly blog post, only for members. With these posts, I’ll dig a little deeper or share something that may be relevant only to a small group.

The important thing is providing enough value to make membership worthwhile.

11. Provide a Warm Welcome

Upon becoming a member, you will receive a welcome email letting you know what’s next.

You’ll also receive a welcome from the Facebook group’s community manager, inviting you to share more about yourself.

And I am in the process of creating a personal welcome email and video that I’ll send to each new member.

12. Recognize Long Time Members

Recognizing long time members is important to show appreciation and to reinforce a personal connection. And it can also be important to help retain annual members.

As we hit the one-year anniversary, I want to acknowledge and appreciate my long-time members. So I have created a personal video and email thanking them, asking for any feedback on how we can improve the group.

As the group grows, it’s easy to step back and let the community run on its own. But I can’t forget that this is my community, and adding a personal touch is important.

13. Minimize Cancellations

We want to minimize cancellations and maximize retention. How do we do that?

One approach is applying the two things mentioned above to provide a personal touch. We can’t just step away and assume they are going to figure out the community and enjoy themselves. We need to welcome and appreciate them.

Follow-up is also important. We’re currently working in a process where we’ll follow up with members three weeks after joining. This way we can make sure they are participating in everything that gives the group value, and answer any questions they have prior to their first renewal.

We are also applying something more technical (but simple) that should help us prevent cancelations going forward. Previously, it was very easy — too easy — to cancel. Just click a link and you’re out of the group.

Now we have a cancellation form. You submit that you want to cancel and why, and it goes to a team member. That team member than works with the canceling member to learn more about why they want to cancel and see if there’s anything we can do to prevent it.

Join Me in the PHC!

To celebrate the one year anniversary of the Power Hitters Club, I am offering membership at the same monthly price that it was offered at a year ago: $77 (which is $20 off). Go here to sign up and use promo code PHC2015 to get your discount!

Your Turn

Do you have a private membership, or have you thought about starting one? What would you add to this list?

Let me know in the comments below!

The post Lessons Learned One Year After Starting a Private Membership Site appeared first on Jon Loomer Digital.

Two years ago today, I received the most important call of my career.

I always dreamed of starting my own business. But there were far too many reasons not to do it. I had three kids and the security of a job. A wife who didn’t bring in an income. Far too much risk.

But on August 18, 2011, the first step was taken that would lead me here: The security of a job was taken away from me.

I was laid off.

It would be fun to tell you that I immediately started a new business that day. That I incorporated, put together a business plan and got rolling.

But I was far from confident in starting my own business. As a result, I didn’t. I focused instead on finding another job.

That job search was sabotaged from the beginning. I did not want another “job.” I did not want to fight traffic. I did not want to lose the flexibility to coach my sons’ teams.

It was fighting through this lack of confidence and scores of irrational fears that eventually let me to where I am today.

But it absolutely didn’t happen overnight. It was a process of experiments, failures and doing uncomfortable things that I had never done before.

Throughout this post, I want to map out the stages of my business to help you understand where I’ve been during the past two years. I also want to provide a few important tips along the way to help you avoid some of the pitfalls I encountered.

The hope is that, if you’re facing a similar climb, you’ll find some inspiration or learn from the mistakes I’ve made along the way.

The Stages of My Business

Looking back on the past two years, this business has pretty clearly fallen into six different stages:

Aug 18 – Dec 19, 2011: “I Have No Freaking Clue What I’m Doing”

This is the stage that caused my wife the greatest worry. I shielded myself by not paying the bills. My wife saw just how scary it was.

When I was laid off, one of the first things I did was bought a domain. This domain.

I then started JonLoomer.com on August 29, 2011 with this post.

Reading that post is somewhat painful now. I even had a different writing style then, focusing on longer paragraphs.

I know now that short paragraphs are better!

As you can see from that post, my focus then was on getting hired. I started this website as a virtual résumé to showcase what I could do and have done in the past.

In the meantime, I sent countless applications that either went ignored or were rejected. I went to job fairs and met with recruiters.

Nothing.

However, like I said, I feel like I had a lot to do with where I was going. I really didn’t want any of these jobs. So I did the bare minimum to apply.

On September 7, 2011, I started a contest to #GetLoomerAJob. Seriously. I wouldn’t say it worked.

I wrote when I was inspired. I lacked a strategy. And I saw a huge spike in traffic when I wrote about a Facebook hoax. As a result, this would lead me to chasing traffic by writing about that topic for a while.

I was a mess, and this site lacked direction. The only money I made was as a result of consulting, and those gigs were few and far between.

Dec 20, 2011 – Feb 28, 2012: “Figuring it Out”

Maybe it was the urgency of having been four months since my layoff. Maybe it was my wife breathing down my neck as bills needed to be paid.

Or, more likely, maybe it was the realization that I wanted to do something on my own. Beginning December 20, 2011, this website took on far more focus.

It was on that day in December that I launched my first eBook.

It was called “How to Run a Facebook Page that Rocks.” Painful, I know. I designed the cover myself. And I released it as a PDF.

I couldn’t tell you how many people requested it. I didn’t even have it connected to list building strategies. But the point is that I was going outside of my comfort zone and experimenting.

The New Year brought a clean slate. And writing Out With the Old, In With the Awesome was therapeutic for me.

I started writing. A lot. Nearly every day. Focused on marketing topics, generally, and more and more about Facebook marketing, specifically.

On February 2, 2012, I finally started my newsletter. I really had no clue what I was doing, but that didn’t matter.

Once again, I was doing something that made me uncomfortable. I was trying something new. And I was pushing forward.

At this point, I had yet to make a dime from my website itself. But the building blocks were falling into place.

Feb 29, 2012 – Sep 19, 2012: “Building Authority”

February 29, 2012 was a big day for me. It was the day Facebook Timeline for Pages was announced, and the day I started obsessively writing about Facebook marketing.

It was also around the time I started investing in building my brand.

On March 23, 2012, I announced a new logo (with your help). It’s the same logo that graces these pages today.

On March 27, 2012, I moved to the new Timeline. I had swapped services with a photographer, getting a professionally done headshot and cover photo in the deal. I was finally “looking legit.”

And to be clear, I didn’t look legit before this. While I had gone through one website redesign by then, my Facebook Page looked as amateur as it could get. Everything was done with my own hands, which was not a good thing.

On April 26, 2012, I launched a redesign of JonLoomer.com. With a new logo and a solid theme, I was finally putting on the face of someone who was serious.

This was certainly a period of experimentation and doing new things. On May 16, I wrote a post asking for questions for my first ever podcast (inspired by Marcus Sheridan).

I have no idea how many people would listen to my podcast in those early days. But again, it didn’t matter so much. The most important part was the experimentation.

On May 18, 2012, I launched my second eBook, The 6 Secrets to Facebook Marketing Success. This edition would be offered in exchange for an email address (I learned from my earlier mistakes).

There was a much clearer strategy and focus. As of June 19, 2012, I had reached the 500,000 page view milestone, which seems so minuscule now (currently approaching 3 Million)!

This was also the stage when I started to get noticed. Big guns like Mari Smith and Amy Porterfield began referencing me. There is possibly no bigger development than this in terms of broader acceptance.

On August 9, 2012, I wrote an introspective post that was a lot like this one. I reflected on the past year and my vision for the future began to come together.

Still no money flowing through these pages, though my consulting business was doing better. However, I knew that I didn’t want consulting to be my main source of revenue.

Sep 20, 2012 – Jan 27, 2013: First Stage of Monetization

I spent more than a year building traffic to this website. It wasn’t until September 20, 2012, when I opened up the sidebar to advertisers, that I truly started to monetize.

It was easier than I had expected. And it brought a nice, dependable flow of revenue. It was the first time that I could add something of substance to my consulting.

I would work with a couple of those early sponsors (first AgoraPulse and then ShortStack) on partnerships around Facebook contests in November and December.

Possibly the most important development, however, was when I launched my first online product, Facebook Page Strategic Review.

It was a primitive product. It didn’t scale. But it was the first time I’d sell anything on these pages, and it would do better than I had expected.

It was also another prime example of why you should stop stressing over details and just “do it.”

Of course, this would lead me to a Facebook Ad Review product that completely flopped. But the experience was worthwhile.

Up until this critical stage, it still wasn’t clear what was going to become of my career. I was still hemorrhaging money, having plowed through savings and dipping into credit card debt.

But now — finally — it appeared that what I was doing was going to bring a steady income that could potentially equal what I was making over a year prior.

This stage was littered with experimentation, and there was no better example of that than the start of my video blog.

Here is my first episode:

Just eight months later, it’s completely different. I’ve purchased two new cameras and an entire studio. But I needed to start somewhere in order to determine my direction.

Jan 28, 2013 – July 14, 2013: Recognition and Acceptance

This was when I knew there was no turning back. I had made this work.

The crowning moment was the morning of January 28, 2013, when I discovered that I was named to the Social Media Examiner Top 10 Social Media Blogs of 2013 list.

After more than a year after my last eBook, I’d partner with ShortStack on How the Pros Use Facebook Advertising in July.

I took another step towards monetization when I launched the FB Insights Exclusive Workshop. This was a small group experiment that I learned a lot from.

The main thing that I learned is that I wanted to create a training product that scaled. Instead of a workshop, I needed to create a self-serve product that any number of customers could buy and learn on their own time.

This was also when I hosted my first solo webinar. Repeatedly slowed by doing something I had never done before and the technical requirements to get something like this done, it was an accomplishment to pull it off.

July 15, 2013 – NOW: Level 2 Monetization

For months I had talked about redesigning my website. I liked the old design, but the biggest problem was that it was not mobile responsive.

So on July 15, I took care of that with another redesign.

But the biggest development in this stage — and possibly of my entire two years running my own business — was the day that I launched my first online training program.

I had talked about doing this for months. But if it wasn’t one thing slowing me down, it was another. Fears, discomfort doing things I had never done before, the enormity of the project and a whole lot more were preventing me from a launch.

Finally, I decided it didn’t have to be perfect. In fact, it didn’t have to exist.

On July 23, I pre-launched FB Marketing Advanced University: Power Editor.

Not a lesson had been created. Only a landing page, some videos and a method for making payment.

I did this to get an idea of the interest before I invested time and money into creating the program. And boy was there interest!

This is the start of something big. Once the Power Editor program is complete, others will follow.

For the first time, my online revenue now exceeds my consulting revenue. And it’s not even close.

What I’ve Learned Along the Way

I’ve made so many mistakes. But that is nothing to be ashamed of.

Following are some of the key lessons I’ve learned along the way:

1. Just Create Something. The two examples that come to mind are my Power Editor Training Course and Facebook Page Strategic Review. I stopped obsessing over the details, and I just created something. And they worked!

2. Don’t Let Fear Paralyze You. It’s not going to be perfect. You’re going to screw something up. It’s okay. Accept it. Don’t let that fear stop you from doing.

3. Invest Early and Often. One reason I didn’t make a dime with this site early is because I barely spent a dime. It’s easier said than done, but I wish I had invested in the best systems from the start. Instead, I’m constantly upgrading.

4. Get Help. I’m not a designer. I’m not a photographer. I’m not a programmer. I’ve gotten help in all three places. I’m also getting help now with my podcast and hope to get help in more areas going forward. It’s the only way to grow!

5. Have a System. I know that I have to have a day-to-day routine since it’s a way to hold myself accountable for what I know needs to be done. Without a routine, there are no expectations for myself.

6. Get Uncomfortable. One big fear I’ve had to overcome is public speaking. I was nervous recording my first podcast. And my first video blogs. And I was a wreck preparing for my first webinar. But all have been successful, and fighting through that discomfort has been critical to my growth.

7. Try New Things. You can’t just do what you know how to do and expect to succeed. I’m constantly experimenting and trying new things. Some of them fail. Some don’t. But you’ll never know if something will or won’t work without trying it.

8. Network. The people I have met have been critical to my development. They’ve taught me new things. They’ve been important allies and partners. And they’ve helped me reach a whole new audience.

My Next 2 Years

What is awesome is that I now have the confidence to say that there will be a “next two years.”

My first year was touch and go. At around a year and a half, I began gaining confidence. And now, I know. This is my life. This is my future.

And it’s going to be awesome!

Thanks so much for being along for the ride. And I hope you’ll stick with me into the future!

The post 2 Years Later: From Laid Off to Successfully Doing Uncomfortable Things appeared first on Jon Loomer Digital.

This is the final of a series of posts that I have been writing every Thursday during the month of August about my continuing journey to start a profitable online business. Read Part 1 here as well as my 7 Lessons Learned on Facebook.

Oh, if I only new then what I know now…

On August 29, 2011, JonLoomer.com was started as a virtual résumé to highlight my skills and experiences. One year later, it’s a highly trafficked resource focused on making a difference with Facebook marketing.

We’ve come a long way, baby!

The first six months, in particular, were littered with ups and downs, uncertainty and doubt. I lacked a true focus, purpose or routine.

I found my way in 2012, and really hit my stride beginning in March. I received fewer than 4,000 page views in both October and November, but now this site gets more than 4,000 page views during a typical day.

How? I’ve learned several very important lessons. I hope that, armed with these lessons, you won’t need to go through the same struggles. See it as a short cut.

Want to rock your blog? Do these seven things…

1. Don’t Skimp: Invest in a Rockin’ Theme

What was I thinking?

When I started this website, I went with a free theme. I didn’t see the value in a premium theme. Didn’t think it was necessary. I thought my money could be better spent elsewhere.

So, so stupid.

I was eventually talked into buying a premium theme. But even then, my research was misguided. I focused far too much on looking for an out-of-the-box theme that looked how I wanted my website to look. I ended up purchasing a theme that, while it was a vast improvement, was slow, had security holes and didn’t fit my brand.

But I was learning. I researched. I listened. I paid attention to what the respected bloggers were using. I quickly realized that my next step had to be the Genesis Framework. In April, I made the change.

It was the smartest move I’ve made with this website and my business. The change was made on April 26. Traffic went up in May, June and July. I now consistently get more than 100,000 page views per month.

Is that all because of Genesis? Of course not. But it’s a big reason why new readers come here and stay. Genesis is fast, powerful, sleek and search engine optimized.

I only build websites on Genesis. I only recommend Genesis.

Don’t make the same mistakes I did. Your website’s theme may possibly be the most important decision you make for your online business. Please… choose wisely!

2. Find a Niche: Develop Pinpoint Focus

But then, at the end of February, Facebook Timeline for Pages happened. Everything clicked…

I started writing like a freaking madman. Every day, I was writing a tutorial about Facebook Timeline for Pages (sometimes two or three) until I finally ran out of tutorials. But even then, my niche was clear: I was focusing on Facebook marketing.

Having pinpoint focus was important for me. I knew what I was going to write about. I exhausted the heck out of the topic. And since I immersed myself in it, I truly became an expert on the topic.

Having pinpoint focus was also important for you, the reader. You knew what to expect.

Having pinpoint focus was also important for Google. You think search engines dig it when you exhaust a single topic? Heck yeah, they do. If I wrote a blog post about baseball today, do you know what Google would do? Ignore me. I haven’t established on this website that I’m an authority on that subject. But any topic on Facebook marketing? Google loves me.

So make sure that you pick a niche and stick to it. Trust me, it makes blogging easier. It makes reading your blogs easier. And when you exhaust that topic, Google is going to become a referral machine for you.

3. Create a Routine: No Excuses for Slacking

• September – 24
• October – 8
• November – 26
• December – 13

From day-to-day, you had no idea whether I was going to write or what I was going to write about. Hell, I had no idea either!

Beginning in January, I started publishing Monday through Friday (and sometimes more often). It wasn’t until the past three months that I had a true structure:

• Monday: Facebook Marketing
• Tuesday: Facebook Marketing (and Newsletter)
• Wednesday: Podcast
• Thursday: Blogging and SEO (and Newsletter)
• Friday: Facebook Marketing
• Saturday: Infographics
• Sunday: Someone Else’s Content as Conversation Starter

There are a few exceptions with days off, but I’ve stuck to this pretty strictly. I’m sure you appreciate it, but it also makes it a whole lot easier for me as a writer.

When there is no structure or routine, it’s easy to slack. There’s little motivation to feel like I have to write today. But when that routine is there, it is my responsibility.

Do yourself a favor and establish a routine. Set aside a couple of hours of every day when you know that you’ll write. And feel free to schedule that content so that it’s published at the same time every day.

4. Have Purpose: Establish a Clear Value Proposition

I avoided this forever. Even after my second redesign, I left it unfinished.

The first step was adding the tagline Social Media That Makes a Difference. It’s a small thing, but it truly does “make a difference.”

The next change was a major restructuring of my home page. I created a “me statement” (thanks to Marcus Sheridan of TheSalesLion for this tip) and a conversion funnel.

Now when you come to my home page, you see this below my top navigation…

In big, bold letters, I tell you what my website and I are all about:

Use Facebook Marketing to Make a Difference.
Build Trust. Build a Business. Build Your Brand.

Underneath, I created a funnel to direct you to one of the three actions I want you to take: 1. Subscribe to my newsletter, 2. Contact me about working together or 3. Download my eBook.

It was a change that took some time, thought and effort, but it is paying off with results. I strongly encourage you to do something similar from the start. Let visitors know who you are, what you’re about and what you want them to do!

5. Encourage Loyalty: Build an Email List Early

If you want inconsistent traffic that is reliant on search engines and viral content, then don’t start an email list. You’ll get a sometimes steady stream of one-time visitors. And when search engines don’t love you and you aren’t writing viral content…

Crickets.

That’s why an email list is so important. It helps you establish a base of loyal readers who will always be checking out your latest content. And the emails will help you stay engaged with readers who may otherwise forget about you (it happens!).

After a long period of deliberation, research and consulting with others in the industry, I decided to go with AWeber. It’s an absolutely awesome, powerful email product that scales no matter how big you are. You can read my review of AWeber here.

My first newsletter didn’t go out until February. That’s right, more than five months had passed before I finally started it. Stupid.

Let me show you an example of how my traffic looked from January 1 through March 11:

I go through March 11 because I was still in the very early stages of building my list. This is some extremely inconsistent traffic. I rode a viral post that got me 25,000 page views over a two-day period in the beginning of January, but by January 21 that traffic was down to almost 300 page views in a day.

Even after a resurgence in which I received 4,000 page views on February 2, I dropped back down to a paltry 136 on February 23.

Now let’s look at March 12 through August 22:

You see that? That, my friends, is what you call consistency. That’s the power of AWeber. You can set your watch to it. I haven’t had a day under 2,000 page views since mid-May. I know every week that my best days will be Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I know that Saturday and Sunday will be a challenge.

Every. Single. Week.

What’s crazy is that it’s so consistent that you can’t see the upward slope. It’s there, but it’s slow and steady.

A big, big reason for this is my email correspondence. I moved my newsletter from once a week to twice per week. But I also offer an option to subscribe to a daily email whenever I update my blog — and this is now more prominent on the site.

The results speak for themselves. If you haven’t started building your email list yet, do it now!

6. Be Consistent: Your Brand is Your Livelihood

I’m still finding my stride here, but I’m much, much more consistent in these areas than I once was. With the old site, I had multiple shades of orange that clashed terribly. I paid no attention to font. My logo was awful. And there was no consistency between my site and my social networks.

But now, everything blends together. My logo is on everything I produce. I use the same profile photo across social networks. When I develop a graphic to be shared on Facebook, I use the shades of orange and gray that are in my logo. I also use the font (Euro-Stile) that is in my Cover Photo.

You want to be consistent so that when your readers see your stuff out of your element, they immediately recognize it as your work. Previously, that never would have been the case.

If you haven’t yet, create a style guide. I know, you’re not a designer — neither am I! It doesn’t need to be perfect. Just establish what dimensions your graphics will be, what colors you’ll use, when you’ll use various fonts and how you’ll use your logo.

7. Expand a Strategy: Your Blog is Not an Island

You cannot put your website on an island and expect to succeed. It needs to be part of an interconnected network where you’re constantly driving people back to it. Your website is your hub.

Facebook and email are the two main tools I use to drive traffic to my website. But I also create infographics to cater to Pinterest. I established authorship and connected my content to Google+ so that my profile photo shows up on anything I have written that appears in Google. And I share my content to about 40 relevant groups on LinkedIn.

I also use numerous tools to share to Twitter. Every day when I publish a new blog post, I auto-schedule it with the Hootsuite Hootlet. I also create three other entries that are queued up in Timely. The Tweet Old Post plugin also randomly shares my old content to Twitter throughout the day. And as I read content I love by others, I queue it up on Buffer.

It sounds like a lot. But I’m now a well-oiled machine. The vast majority of my time is spent on Facebook and my website. The others take up very little of my time. I know that I could be much more successful on Google+, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn if I dedicated more time to networking in those communities. But I also know where my time is best spent.

So determine your sweet spot. Rock the heck out of a two or three point network. Make your presence known on the others, but don’t spread yourself too thin.

Always More to Learn

I encourage you to take the same approach. No matter how much we know about a subject, it’s constantly changing. And that’s especially the truth with technology.

My advice is to use this blog post as a guide. Establish structure, focus and consistency. Read, experiment and innovate.

Want to keep up with the evolution of my strategy? Make sure to subscribe to my newsletter below!

The post A Personal Look Back: 7 Lessons Learned on Blogging [Part 3] appeared first on Jon Loomer Digital.

This is part of a series of posts that I will be writing every Thursday during the month of August about my continuing journey to start a profitable online business. It will include lessons learned, mistakes made, milestones hit and advice I can give along the way.

August 18, 2011.

It’s a day that changed everything for me and my family. It’s a day not all that different for many people during a down economy. It was the day I received that fateful call.

I had been laid off.

It wasn’t particularly shocking news. I was VP of Strategic Marketing for a non-profit, a position that was created largely as an experiment to move from a long history of traditional fundraising to online efforts. The down stock market hurt companies, hurt families and ultimately limited donations. I made it through one layoff, but I doubted I’d make it through another.

Of course, this change didn’t affect only me. If it had, I may have seen it as an extended vacation. I’m the father of three boys, and my wife spends countless hours running the Loomer ship and helping in school. She does not get paid. She should.

The pressure was on.

I should have been a pretty marketable guy. Beyond the two and a half years spent with this non-profit, my history is filled with digital exposure dating back to 2005. I worked for the NBA from 2005 to 2008, being part of a team that led the league into the world of social. I helped create and manage the first ever Facebook group for them, before there were Pages.

So I didn’t expect to be unemployed long. I felt sorry for myself for a couple of days and then got straight to work.

JonLoomer.com Was Born

On August 29, I launched JonLoomer.com and wrote a blog post about Entering the Free Agent Market. My site behaved as an interactive résumé, highlighting my experiences.

It had video, recommendations and details of prior job responsibilities. I interviewed my son to gain perspective on pure career aspirations. It was simple. It was quaint. I expected it to be effective.

I applied. I waited. And waited. And waited…

Crickets.

Pressure began increasing. In late October, I decided to start shifting my focus. My site had begun as a hodgepodge of posts about social media and my job search. I was not committed. That changed with my first redesign.

I became a consultant.

When I took my first consulting gig, I knew that I needed to adjust my website accordingly. I wanted to get other similar opportunities. I wanted to establish myself as an authority. It would need to go beyond JonLoomer.com.

On November 4, it was time to start my own Facebook Page. By making this move, it became official that I was committing to starting my own business.

I rededicated myself to blogging. I wrote 26 blog posts in November, though no one read them. I received a grand total of fewer than 4,000 page views that month (I’ll get more than that today). But I stuck with it.

The frustration got to me in December. I slowed my blogging. But then, on December 20, I wrote my first eBook about Facebook marketing.

A week later, a blog post I wrote about a Facebook hoax went viral. It actually piggy-backed off of the temporary popularity of a similar post I wrote in September.

I knew this wasn’t what I wanted to do. I didn’t want to chase traffic. I didn’t want to focus on personal use of Facebook. But I figured out the magic formula, and I pounded it into the ground.

I would soon receive the two biggest traffic days in the history of this site, driving 25,000 page views. But that traffic was empty, and it didn’t last. By the third week of January, things settled back down. But I then began writing more and more about Facebook marketing.

The Turning Point

The turning point of this site was on February 29. The site was in a traffic lull. I was keeping to a consistent blogging schedule, but I was losing motivation. Then, a beautiful thing happened…

Facebook Timeline For Pages was announced.

I became a content publishing machine, focused on a single topic. I wrote five blog posts alone on February 29. I wrote 42 more during March.

Finally, the results followed. My second biggest traffic month was in March (to that point), and it was content I was proud to write. It was on a topic that could lead to business.

I flipped the switch to the new Timeline by the end of March. You helped me pick a new logo and I redesigned my site again by the end of April.

A look at the rise and fall and rise again in traffic for JonLoomer.com

I was focused. I was obsessed. Traffic increased in May, June and July, hitting more than 100,000 page views in each of those three months. On January 30, Alexa ranked JonLoomer.com number 431,838 globally (yes, this is on my white board); by mid-July, that ranking was inside the top 25,000.

Jon Loomer Digital on Facebook continued to grow, and is now approaching 5,000 Likes. I started a podcast. I started affiliate relationships featuring tools I use by brands I trust. My email list has continued to grow, now exceeding 2,500 subscribers.

Moving Forward

Have I figured it out? Have I reached the top? Absolutely not. But I can taste it. It took one year, but I can finally taste it.

Make no mistake, I’m still struggling to pay the bills. I still have a family of five to feed. But the vision for how I am going to reach the point where I can finally breathe comfortably is coming into focus.

One year from now, I expect to make more revenue in online products and advertising than I do in consulting. I will be making speaking appearances to help squeeze out consulting altogether. I will have an assistant and a designer. I’ll be working with partners on developing an amazing new product.

I can see it…

There’s a reason it is all coming together. The experiences I had prior to August 18, 2011 certainly contribute. That time built a foundation. But there is no experience more valuable than one out of desperation.

I have failed. I have learned. I have adjusted. I have succeeded. I have celebrated.

It’s been an eventful year. I’ve learned more during this past year than I learned during the first 36.

I’m still learning. I’ll still fail. But the successes are coming faster as a result.

I don’t get personal in my blog posts all that often. Some have told me not to get personal at all, that no one cares about me. That’s fine. But I’m convinced that my experiences can help you.

Let me help you learn from what I have done and am doing. You do not have the time to go through the endless, obsessive minutes, hours, days and weeks of ups and downs and changes and mistakes. Let me guide you to get to the point I am at now.

Together, we’ll go the rest of the way.

The post A Personal Look Back: The Day It All Changed [Part 1] appeared first on Jon Loomer Digital.

It’s easy to get lost in a sea of invoices, bills, statistics, emails and to-do-lists. I know that I’m back-logged right now. But Father’s Day has been a good reminder to focus on what is important. For me, it’s these three little dudes…

They are why I work so hard. They are why building a business from home is so important. They are why all of the stress and tight budgets are worth it. And they are why living each breath is so much fun.

They are also why I am going off of my strict Monday through Friday blogging schedule this week. Instead of dedicating the time I usually do to breaking down the latest strategies on Facebook marketing, I have spent the entire day with them. And my final moments of the night will be spent camping in the back yard with them.

So I encourage you to remember why it is you do what you do. Refocus and re-engergize. If you can’t find the source of your inspiration, then you should find something else to do!

I end today’s tangent with a fun video from Jimmy Fallon, The Evolution of Dad Dancing. I must say that he never saw me dance. He’s missing the backspin!

The post Business Tip: Remember What is Important appeared first on Jon Loomer Digital.

I tend to fill these pages with tutorials and breaking news about Facebook. I tell you how to build an audience with social media and drive traffic to your website. Today, I’ve decided to take a temporary and necessary turn.

This is Michael!

I need to devise a social media strategy like nothing I’ve had to before. It’s one thing when it’s for a client or your own business. It’s an entirely different story when it’s this personal…

Michael’s Story

We have three boys now, but he was our only child at the time. Our baby. If you’re a parent, I’m sure you remember how protective you are of your first child. We were no different.

My wife Lisa was pregnant with our second when Michael was diagnosed. I distinctly remember every horrible detail of that day when our lives were changed. I picture where I was at work when Lisa called me, barely able to talk, as she sat in an ambulance with Michael. His breathing was poor and an x-ray showed a mass in his chest. I remember standing in the exam room when our doctor entered, clearly uneasy about the news she was about to break. I remember Lisa clutching her baby in agony, Michael wondering what’s wrong.

Sounds awful, I know. It’s an experience that my wife and I will never forget. Luckily, Michael remembers very little. All he has are some scars that he can show off to friends and a couple of very vague memories.

But he is one of the lucky ones. Michael will soon be celebrating his 11th birthday, and another year free of cancer. Eleven years that didn’t seem so certain a little over eight years ago.

I know that we parents get emotional when our kids do anything special. We’re definitely the same way. Whether it’s winning the spelling bee (again!), making a great play on his Little League team that I coach, being a thoughtful big brother or simply doing any of the typical things that kids do, the simplest accomplishments make me smile so hard that I have to choke back a tear.

So birthdays are a little different around here. To celebrate Michael’s 11th, as he has done with our support for seven consecutive years, he’ll be holding a lemonade stand to benefit Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and childhood cancer research.

This is where the story gets long, but I’ll try to provide the short version…

Alex Scott founded Alex’s Lemonade Stand as a little girl who wanted to help kids with cancer. Alex, though, also had cancer. And she had neuroblastoma, that same cancer that Michael had.

But it wasn’t the same. I actually feel guilty for ever comparing the two. Alex’s was much more advanced and difficult to control. Michael’s was removed entirely through surgery.

I still remember seeing Alex and her family on the Today Show to tell her story. She told of how she wanted to hold lemonade stands to raise $1 Million to help rid of this terrible disease.

She was weak, but strong. She inspired us and she inspired a movement. Not long after that appearance, she would succumb to the disease, but her message is louder than ever. Kids and families from across the country will again be holding lemonade stands in her name.

So as the summer rolls around, we know that it’s time to shift our focus to baseball and Michael’s upcoming lemonade stand. Michael sets a goal, and we do all we can to help him accomplish it — and then some.

We always announce the stand to our friends on Facebook and we contact local newspapers and news stations. We tend to get a decent amount of coverage, and the generous people around us always help Michael reach that goal.

But I always feel like we can — and should — be doing so much more.

I don’t want any parent to have to experience what we went through. And it breaks my heart thinking of those families that dealt with much worse.

What Would You Do?

How You Can Help

Just reading this means that you’re helping. Thank you! But there are several other things that you can do.

First, like Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation on Facebook or follow @AlexsLemonade on Twitter. It’s an amazing organization run by an amazing family and group of people. They deserve our support!

You can donate to ALSF directly or you can donate to Michael’s stand. Now, I don’t expect you to attend. But if you’re in the Colorado area on June 8, you’re more than welcome to stop by!

You can also donate online by going to Michael’s page, or you can text “LEMONADE E83187” to 85944 to make a $10 donation directly to Michael’s stand.

Technology’s awesome, right?

Finally, I close with the video “What Do You Stand For?” that Alex’s Lemonade Stand recently put out. Michael opens it up…

If you watch closely, you’ll also see him appear later with each of his little brothers!

What do you stand for? I know I stand for Michael and the thousands of kids and families who deal with childhood cancer.

This has been a bit of a diversion from what I typically write about, but this was a post that I had to write. Thank you so much for taking the time to read our story!

The post Our Story: A Challenge Hits Close to Home appeared first on Jon Loomer Digital.

From our family to yours, Happy New Year!

I don’t typically get too personal on this blog, but I wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on a year of challenges, and thank you for being a big part of why it was still great. It’s been quite a year in the Loomer house. Life-changing.

It was a year of beginnings, ends, rebirth and redefinition. 2011 was a year defined by change, challenge and opportunity.

I was laid off in August, but four months later I still see that moment as an opportunity to put my life on the path towards full professional fulfillment. My wife might argue that it was the moment we put all financial decisions on hold, but that’s the way the CFO (and CEO) of Loomer, Inc. is supposed to be thinking. Even after having had amazing opportunities with the NBA and American Cancer Society, it was time to grow.

It was the year our oldest son marked his eighth year being cancer free; the year he played his first season of player-pitch baseball and emerged as his coach’s (and dad’s and biggest fan’s) ace pitcher; the year he won the spelling bee for the second straight year; and the year I accepted that none of his accomplishments going forward would occur without bringing a tear to my eye.

It was the year our seven-year-old emerged as a student-athlete double-threat. It was the year our three-year-old discovered baseball and the Milwaukee Brewers, making his viral video debut that still makes me smile.

It was the year my passion project, PastKast, developed into something great. I completed the first full year, retelling an historic season in real time. And we retold two.

It was the year I finally decided to stop dreaming about being my own boss, and it was the year I decided to start doing. This website was born in September, initially as an an interactive résumé and then slowly transforming into a consulting site. The transformation wasn’t immediate as it took me time to build up the courage to commit.

After two months, it finally became painfully obvious that my new “business” needed a Facebook page, and it was born in November. I’ve used it to show that I can apply what I know and practice what I preach.

It was the year that I stopped talking about writing a book and finally wrote one (okay, an eBook — but it’s a start!).

Today, I’m optimistic and excited for what’s in store in 2012. I don’t know what exactly is in store, but I have a vision of what might be, and it’s awesome. You may be family or a friend or someone who simply found me as someone who can help solve a problem. I’m happy to have you along for the ride and humbled that you read this site and support me personally and professionally.

From our family to yours, may it be a great one for all of us. Happy New Year!

The post Out With the Old, In With the Awesome appeared first on Jon Loomer Digital.