Healthy Sustainable Business Growth Future Focus

There's no doubt about it, this past year in business and our personal lives has been rough for many reasons. The past year was brutal, there is no sugar-coating it, but if you are reading this it means that you survived it. Even though the changing of the year might seem arbitrary, it can give a sense of renewed hope to entrepreneurs, founders, marketers, and business owners. And while we do have a lot to hope for now, to be honest, it doesn't matter that much to me what happens. 

Why? Well, you see most people hope for normalcy in the business market. They hope that the WORLD will change for them. But entrepreneurs like us don't just hope for a different world. We accept the world the way it is, and find ways to work around it. 

In fact, without big local and global problems, entrepreneurs don't exist. The reality is that you cannot CONTROL what will happen in the world in the next year. BUT, there is one lever that you CAN pull that is the biggest growth factor. That is to adapt, evolve, and take care of yourself.

Although I would love to promote our services here and tell you about our new secret SEO strategies, the products we have cooking up, and the tricks we are about to reveal that it is not that today. It is something much more powerful. The biggest growth factor is YOU. You see, for me, and I imagine for most people, was riddled with anxiety. Anxiety about the coronavirus, what is going to happen to the businesses, employees, the political climate, etc. Focusing on a lot of stuff that I can't actually control. It is easy to put the weight of the world on your shoulders and forget the basics... Forgetting about working on the one thing you can control, like YOU. 

So, I am writing this to you to encourage you to be a little bit selfish in the new year. In an emergency situation, you are supposed to put your oxygen mask on first before helping others. You must take care of YOU first, and it doesn't have to be complex. The basics are the levers that will allow you to 10X everything else. 

You probably already know this to be true - I am just here to remind you, because that is what you really need. A reminder to do what you already know. Are you giving yourself enough time to sleep and recover? Are you giving your body enough nutritious foods to produce energy? Are you giving yourself enough exercise? Are you connecting with people that love you? Are you filling your mind with positive messages? Or are you letting the news dictate your mood? It sounds obvious, but I would bet that some of these basics went out the window this year with everything that happened. It is no wonder why the volatile expensive economy is so hard to handle. 

We don't know what's going to happen, but you can control what happens with you. If you can get yourself right, you'll have the strength to make the right moves. In the book "The Hard Thing About Hard Things," Ben Horowitz writes: "Whenever I meet a successful CEO, I ask them how they did it. Mediocre CEOs point to their brilliant strategic moves or their intuitive business sense or a variety of other self-congratulatory explanations. The great CEOs tend to be remarkably consistent in their answers. They all say, “I didn’t quit.” If you don't quit, you can't fail.

Here's to another year above ground, and the unstoppable, unshakable, YOU. We at Lean Startup Life are here to help!

Content Marketing Changes In The New Economy

Anyone reading industry news lately knows that a lot of publishers are struggling to monetize right now. The old rules just don’t seem to apply anymore. That being said, publishers and content creators with diversified monetization strategies are doing much better on average. Across the industry, we are seeing more and more publishers experimenting with new campaign types and revenue streams, and there are few signs that this trend will slow down anytime soon. 

The State Of Publishing In A Coronavirus Economy

In recent "State Of Publishing" surveys, we’re seeing that a whopping 70% of respondents are experimenting with new sources of revenue. One area that is having a “moment” is lead generation campaigns. I have written before about the strength of newsletter campaigns. Right now, we’re seeing some fascinating and successful applications for lead generation campaigns. Let’s dive in. An Innovative Ad Format First, a bit of background. Among Facebook’s many ad formats is the Facebook Lead Ad, which allows an advertiser to capture a lead within a user’s news feed. 

A couple of years ago, we developed an innovative ad format that makes the user experience of a Lead Ad much better. The user gets a tease of article content and is prompted to sign up for access to the rest of the article. Once they sign up, they get directed to the article. We call this product “Content-to-Capture, ” and this is what it looks like in the feed: We see conversion rates on this ad format are on average 30% higher than a regular Lead Ad. 

C2C & CPC

Most of our customers use Content-to-Capture (C2C) as a way to drive newsletter subscription sign-ups. In general, the majority of publishers currently running these programs are news publishers who care about ongoing content engagement and traffic numbers. With that being said, we’ve seen some unique new approaches and strategies around this. I want to highlight a couple of those approaches. Lead Ads for Ad Revenue There are plenty of publishers who run campaigns that optimize for ad revenue. The primary goal of these campaigns is to get the lowest CPC (cost per click) possible and maximize post-click engagement. 

Here’s where things get interesting. Generally speaking, CPCs vary between ad formats. There are, of course, a large number of factors that determine the CPC of a particular ad, from spend caps, to post text, to targeting, and so on. The interesting factor here is that we’re seeing CPCs for Content-to-Capture campaigns at record lows at the moment. Here, for example, are the CPCs of a publisher that recently launched a C2C campaign and how they compare to their ongoing traffic CPCs: As you can see, the CPCs are dramatically lower on the C2C campaign. In this case literally 1/4 of the cost. Of course, not everyone converts once they click the ad, but we’re seeing cases where the cost per lead is only marginally higher than the CPCs for regular traffic campaigns. 

Another caveat here is that results can depend on the type of content that is being promoted. So while we can’t guarantee a parity between the numbers, overall, we’re looking at record lows for email acquisition. These prices have given publishers optimizing for revenue a whole new strategy to explore. While they can still monetize the first click immediately when the user reaches the article, they now truly own that audience and can reach them via email, bring them back to the site, and monetize further. It’s a win-win-win. 

Lead Generation For Brand And Affiliate Campaigns 

Not all email capture campaigns need to lead to a newsletter sign-up. Yes, that’s the most common use case for publishers, but it’s certainly not the only one. As publishers look to diversify, they’re taking branded content and affiliate content to a whole new level by actively generating leads. 

On the branded content side, for example, a publisher can create a compelling article about Car Company X, capture the email of users that are interested, and then pass those on so the car company can reach out and schedule test drives. On the affiliate side, there’s also a lot of potential. Insurance companies, mortgage lenders, B2B Software as a Service companies, and so on are constantly on the hunt for new lead generation opportunities, and often enter into affiliate deals where they commit to buying X number of leads for a certain price. Publishers are cutting these deals more and more often, showcasing informative how-to articles (for example, "5 Tips to Save Money on Your Car Insurance") and using that engagement and interest to generate a lead and then sell it to a relevant company. 

Of course, that’s not all. Here are a few other interesting uses we’re seeing for lead capture by content publishers: 

- Petition signatures 
- Donation solicitation 
- Mid-funnel outreach to drive paid subscription sign-ups 

It's Time To Own Your Audience 

Things are certainly crazy right now for content creators, publishers, and online advertisers. If there is one thing that can help publishers and content marketers weather this storm, it is to take steps now to own their audiences and diversify their revenue mixes. When you have got a user’s email address, you can engage with them in any way you see fit without relying on paid platforms to do so. Whether you want them to see a banner ad, buy a pair of shoes, or simply engage with your content, email continues to be the most effective way to communicate with your loyal users. So if you are not doing email acquisition yet, now’s the perfect time to try. 

This week I have been reading about how publishers are finding creative ways to drive dollars through virtual events. Group Nine recently teamed up with sponsor Swanson to host a live bingo-meets-cooking-class called Dinner Party Bingo Bash on PopSugar’s Facebook Live page. The Atlantic, on the other hand, hopes that moving its flagship festival online will boost attendance exponentially. Rather than bringing 3,000 readers together in a single location, the publisher now aims to amass a whopping 1 million virtual attendees over the course over four days in September. Atlas Obscura’s event partnership with Airbnb has moved online, too. In lieu of outdoor adventures, the travel publisher is now producing virtual events that include a mind control course taught by a mentalist and mind reader. 

According to Warren Webster, CEO of Atlas Obscura, the margins for custom online events are higher than their in-person counterparts. However, sponsorship revenue is down to about half of what it would be if they took place face-to-face instead. Other publishers are looking at virtual event programming as a way to add value to their paid subscription products. LGBT+ publisher Pink News recently launched its membership offering, My Pink News, which gives subscribers access to video meetings with its editorial team and other high-profile people in the LGBT+ community. And along with many other perks, Cosmopolitan promises early access to insider events to those who sign up for the “unlock it *all*” tier of its new membership product, Cosmo Unlocked.

Coronavirus Content Conclusion

How has the new normal impacted your content marketing or online advertising strategy? If you are considering new revenue streams or want to test email acquisition, contact us today. Together we will improve the state of content marketing in a shaky economy.

Why Companies Can't Find New Workers To Hire And Startup Solutions

More than 8 million job opportunities remain open in the United States, yet millions of people remain unemployed. Currently, there is a higher demand for workers to increase productivity and hopefully revive the U.S economy than at any time in recent memory. Yet surprisingly, the unemployed population is not attempting to fill the open opportunities. The trend is finally starting to change, but it's still a glaring problem for the American economy for now and future months.

For various reasons, adults in this group, skilled and unskilled, are hesitant to return to work or look for new jobs. Because of this, many companies are finding it difficult to find new workers to fill their job openings. The question many of us are asking is why are new employees tough to find and what can be done about the hiring shortage? 

Reasons Why It Is Difficult To Find New Hires 

These are the reasons why it's harder to hire right now despite a high number of people still out of the workforce.

1. Government Unemployed Benefits 

One of the most commonly cited reasons for our current underemployed issues is government aid. Unemployed benefit payments are suspected to be contributing to an unwillingness among unemployed persons to find new jobs. The federal benefits are funds offered to unemployed persons in the United States to help them afford basic requirements. This benefit policy has been helpful, especially to workers who are fired, laid off, or retired during the pandemic. Without the unemployment benefits, many families would be struggling to provide basic needs. 

However, the increase in unemployment benefits has made work less appealing to those at the bottom of the income bracket. Why go to work, and potentially be exposed to a deadly virus, when you can make as much or more staying safe at home? But unemployment extras and other financial protection benefits have ended or are ending soon, which will soon cause more people to re-enter the workforce out of necessity.

2. Fear Of Getting Infected With Covid-19 

Many businesses were forced to lay off employees while others closed down due to the pandemic. Fortunately, the infection rates went down, and many states opened up businesses by lifting restrictions. However, despite the mass Covid-19 vaccination in the United States, people are still fearful of contracting Covid-19. The pandemic has claimed many lives, and the emergence of Covid-19 variants has renewed that fear in many. Even with vaccine rollouts and decreased infections, many potential workers are hesitant to return to the traditional workplace. Thus, it is still challenging for businesses to hire qualified people since they may want to stay home and stay safe. 

3. Lack Of Child Care 

Closed daycare centers and the school also contribute to an unwillingness among people to take new jobs. Since they were closed, or due to financial strife, parents were forced to stay back at home and look after their children instead of working. Even after they opened, a significant number of parents and guardians insist on taking care of their children to ensure they stay safe from Covid-19 infection. As a result, companies seeking to employ more people and adequately supply the demanding market remain with fewer options. It is anticipated the struggle to get interested hires will continue to affect businesses until the pandemic ends and all daycares and schools reopen. 

4. Desire To Get Better Jobs 

Debatably, unemployed individuals are unwilling to engage in the currently open job opportunities hoping they will get better jobs with higher income and better working conditions if they wait. A higher percentage of the jobs currently available are paying low income, and work conditions are not favorable. Individuals with savings or stimulus checks to rely on and survive have no desire to rejoin the labor force only to earn insufficient incomes. Others have come up with various means of generating income without being fully employed. Therefore, they feel dissuaded to take the open jobs until an opportunity they are interested in comes along. 

How To Find New Hire Prospects 

Companies need to strategize on how to get the required qualified workers to increase production and stabilize the U.S economy. It is more manageable to find new hires when you coherently understand why you were previously not finding workers. 

Defensibly, the Government needs to review the federal benefits policy so that some beneficiaries can be excluded to encourage them to go back to work. Furthermore, the business owners seeking new hires should allow workers to work from home or make the workplace safer from catching Covid-19. Additionally, companies should offer better incomes, employee benefits, and favorable work conditions to attract and persuade workers. 

Importantly, companies should note that looking for new prospects from a willing multitude will make their search effective and more manageable. Waiting for potential workers to approach you and interviews can be time-consuming. Luckily, recruiter marketplaces have made it easier to find quality workers effortlessly. In a recruiter marketplace (ex. high5hire.com), you streamline your business using various approaches and select the best candidates. The recruiter marketplace connects quality workers to open jobs. People searching for jobs from digital platforms can find your company easily in a recruiter marketplace. 

Hiring Help

Federal and state governments along with private companies have played a significant role in the lack of new hires in the United States. Therefore, the Government needs to review federal benefits to allow more people to take open jobs willingly. On the other hand, companies should increase wages, employee benefits and be aggressive in using recruiter marketplaces to find new prospects. A sufficient supply of employees will lead to increased production and a better economy.

State Of The Content Publishing Industry

About a month ago, we asked Lean Startup Life readers to complete a survey so we could take the temperature of the publishing industry in this strange and surreal period we’re living through. You answered, we analyzed, and it’s made me incredibly optimistic. That’s what I want to talk about this week, so let’s dive into the current state of the publishing industry for content publishers and advertisers. 

Talking Turkey & Taking A Hit

We’ve all read the news over the last few months of publishers cutting newsrooms and other staff in order to weather the storm. With all of that doom and gloom, I was expecting to see this reflected in publisher marketing teams as well, and I was surprised to discover that the situation was actually pretty positive. 

Over half of the respondents (54%) reported that there had been no staffing changes at all, 13% reported salary reductions, and 13% reported they were actively hiring. All told, this means that 80% of marketing teams have remained intact. I think this bodes well for the future. 

Marketing budgets are another place I tend to look to get the pulse, and there, 52% of respondents reported that their budgets have either remained the same or increased, while only 9% reported that they have been cut completely. In a nutshell - 91% of publishers are still investing in paid media to some extent. 

Agility Is Key For Publishers

I’ve spoken here multiple times about how some revenue streams have suffered since The Great Upheaval have taken a hit, but are recovering (branded content and ad revenue) while others are seeing unprecedented growth (eCommerce, newsletters and paid subscriptions). It’s clear from the survey that publishers are working hard to diversify their revenue streams in order to achieve long term stability. 

A whopping 73% of respondents are either actively testing or planning on testing new revenue streams. At LeanStartupLife.com we’re certainly seeing more of our customers testing out affiliate, newsletters, and paid subscription models. It’s encouraging to see that the industry as a whole is doing the same. 

Opportunities For Growth 

I want to point out an incredibly interesting statistic. 84% of publishers reported to have a newsletter program, but 75% of publishers who have one, are not monetizing them. Newsletters are prime real-estate that can be leveraged for sponsored takeovers, featured content, promotion of products and paid tiers, and so much more. Newsletters are, of course, about giving value to your subscribers. But that doesn’t mean you can’t draw value from them. Opportunities here are endless and publishers would be wise to embrace those. 

Of course there are countless other opportunities for publishers to test. Q4 this year is expected to be mammoth, so the time to start experimenting is here and now, while CPCs are still relatively low and the landscape overall is quiet. 

Optimism Abounds 

At the end of the day, my takeaway here is that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for content marketers, publishers, and advertisers. We’re living through an incredible moment in history, and publishers are at the apex of this moment. The source of information, comfort, and distraction as billions of people around the world are in isolation and seeking out those things more than ever.  

Publisher Power

With numerous publishers reporting their annual or quarterly earnings in recent days, it’s become more evident than ever that digital subscription revenue will play a critical role for countless news publishers moving forward. In its full-year results for fiscal 2020, The Wall Street Journal announced a 23% bump in digital-only subscriptions, which now number nearly three million and account for 75% of the outlet’s overall subscriptions. And in its Q2 earnings announced last week, Gannett reported that its number of paying digital subscribers has increased 31% year-over-year. 

Perhaps the most telling headline from this week — and indicative of where the industry is headed — comes from The New York Times, which revealed that digital revenue now exceeds that of its print publication for the first time in the history of the company. It’s not surprising then, that with a goal of 10 million paying subscribers by 2025, The Grey Lady is actively exploring additional revenue-generating subscription opportunities. 

Another big subscription-related trend? Bundling. Earlier this month, Bloomberg Media and The Athletic teamed up for a joint subscription offering. And looking beyond just publishing, it appears as though Apple is gearing up to launch a comprehensive subscription product spanning its various monthly pay-to-play products. 

Google's Goodbye To The 3rd Party Cookie

Earlier this year, Google announced that its Chrome browser would kill the third-party cookie come 2022. And while there’s been no shortage of predictions about how this change will impact the publishing industry, practical advice seems to be in short supply. It’s time for publishers to stop relying on data and audiences that aren’t truly theirs. They need to take ownership of their audiences before it’s too late. 

Engaging Readers At Home

As this very unusual summer is starting to wind down, digital attention and only marketing copy shows no signs of slowing. As people continue to spend larger amounts of time at home, publishers are working hard to vie for their attention. To that end, publishers are turning to video and virtual events to build long-term relationships with their readers, as well as to drive ad dollars. 

Group Nine is taking niche content directly to where it matters most - family - with two of their brands, The Dodo and NowThis. The Dodo’s “DodoWell” digital expansion is all about caring for your pets, where NowThis Kids brings in a 13-year-old host to teach kids about social responsibility. Both of these initiatives come with big sponsorship deals - Petco for the former, and Cheerios for the latter. 

And they’re not the only ones driving branded dollars with video content aimed at young people. Bleacher Report has partnered with Audi to create a digital series featuring young athletes and their efforts to become Major League Soccer players. 

Of course, video doesn’t have to be niche, as some publishers are covering broader ground. AARP The Magazine is launching a new live video series called “AARP The Magazine Presents.” The series will cover a wide range of topics for the senior sect, from health and finance to celebrity interviews. 

On the virtual events front, the Financial times have taken a lifestyle event that is usually held in the confines of a London estate virtual, giving them the opportunity to connect with a more global audience. 

Conde Nast has gone all-in on virtual events, hosting the first-ever virtual event upfront, showcasing over 200 events across their properties that they hope will help drive advertising dollars. 

There’s no question that publishers are adapting to the current moment, and driving interesting, creative endeavors that truly bring value to everyone.

Publishing Power: Content Comeback

The industry took a hit. But we’re fighting back. We’re becoming more agile. We’re embracing new opportunities at an unprecedented rate. We’re in fighting shape and going strong. That gives me a lot of hope for the future for content publishers and advertisers alike.

Publishing And Paid Acquisition In A Pandemic

If you’ve dealt with any paid acquisition over your career before the pandemic, you probably know that there are a few basics to make it work. You add a pixel to your site and set up targeting, you decide on a business goal and track how many users complete it, and you optimize based on that. The thing is, there’s a whole world of possibilities when it comes to setting up a campaign that goes way beyond the basics. A lot of publishers are taking tracking and targeting to the next level and driving amazing success as a result. That’s what I want to talk about today, so let’s dive in. 

The Tip of the Iceberg Confession time: Up until recently, my knowledge of targeting and tracking basically ended with audience interests and demographics, a confirmation page, or a button click. I was surprised to discover the wealth of opportunities that the right kind of targeting can bring. More specifically, it never occurred to me that you can use your on-site audience behavior as a targeting strategy to drive high-value business goals. I’ll try to illustrate the point in generic terms: Let’s say you’re an online fashion store, and you have a surplus inventory of red high-heeled shoes. You can target women who have bought red shoes before, but that would probably be too narrow of an audience. 

You can target people who have visited your site in the past, but that would probably be too broad and inefficient. So instead, you target women who have browsed your high-heeled shoe section over the last 90 days. That can give you a true indication of interest and affinity while keeping it broad enough to achieve scale. Of course, publishers don’t usually sell shoes. For publishers, using first-party behavioral data can help identify people who are already familiar with the brand, and then hone in on behaviors that indicate affinity, and finally target those behaviors to drive ROI. 

So let’s take a look at how a few of them are putting this into practice. A Tale of 3 Publishers First let’s look at a tactic that I’ve discussed here before: subscription retention campaigns. Publisher A is an international brand whose primary revenue stream is paid subscriptions. The cost of their subscription is relatively high compared to the rest of the market, so it’s critical for that publisher to consistently show value to their subscribers. To that end, they’ve identified behavior patterns that indicate a risk for churn. 

If a particular user’s visits or pageviews are decreasing at a pre-defined pace, Publisher A identifies them and targets them with a re-engagement campaign. Of course, understanding the key behaviors and targeting accordingly requires some A/B testing to find the “sweet spot” between reach and overall cost. But the return on investment is clear, with the user’s lifetime value increasing significantly. At the end of the day, paying a few cents to retain a user that is potentially worth hundreds of dollars is very much worth it. 

While tracking behavior for subscription acquisition is a relatively common technique, there are publishers with other revenue streams that are making great use of this ability as well. Publisher B is a well known national paper with a niche audience. They recently revamped their app and were looking to get new users to install it. At first, they used a combination of lookalike and interest targeting. It was working fairly well compared to past campaigns, but there was definitely more scale potential. 

About a month into the campaign, they switched the targeting. They used their on-site tracking to identify and target users who had read two articles on their website within the past 60 days. This behavior was clearly an indication of familiarity with the brand and interest, and the results from adjusting the targeting strategy were dramatic: Over time, the cost per acquisition shrank by about 50% compared to other targeting methods, and the overall reach was on par. Not all campaigns lead to an acquisition, but behavioral targeting can still play a huge role in ROI. 

There are a few challenges associated with ad revenue campaigns — from finding the right balance between quality and scale, to the learning curve that happens when you launch — but adding behavioral data into that mix can make a huge difference. Publisher C was struggling to see a profit from their campaigns, and after an in-depth analysis of on-site user behavior, they started to see an interesting pattern. Basically, they achieved profitability from any user who scrolled through over 30% of their article content. 

So they decided to test this out further. They launched campaigns that were lookalikes of users that exhibited that behavior, and they also started targeting those high-value users specifically. The strategy proved to be incredibly effective: The right targeting combined with a consistent optimization strategy and effective campaign creatives brought publisher C into the green quickly, while also allowing them to scale. They’re continuing to test and analyze to see what else they can learn and what other targeting opportunities can arise from user behavior. 

The TL:DR Facebook campaigns offer what seem to be an infinite number of options when it comes to targeting and optimization. At the end of the day, publishers have one clear advantage: by nature, users spend a lot of time on their sites, giving clear cues and leaving a trail of insights in their wake. By using their own on-site behavioral data, publishers can drive incredibly effective results and with time, meet and exceed their goals. Have you been using on-site behavioral data to optimize your campaigns during the Covid-19 pandemic? We’d love to hear more about your content marketing, advertising, and revenue generation strategies in the Coronavirus economy.

By now, you’ve likely caught wind of The New York Times’ plan to buy the production company behind the hit podcast Serial, but that wasn’t the only exciting news coming from the world of podcasts this week. Despite listenership dipping by 10% during March and April, podcast downloads are now back up and higher than they were before the downswing earlier this year. And although lower than previous predictions, a recent IAB/PwC report projects that the podcast advertising market will still grow by 15% in 2020, likely driven in large part by direct-to-consumer brand advertising. Speaking of the IAB: this September, the organization will hold its annual Podcast Upfront event virtually for the first time. Given that iHeartMedia is among the more than twenty presenters set to preview their podcast programming during the event, there’s a good chance that advertisers will get a glimpse of the five new comedy podcasts that the company recently announced from its joint venture with comedian Will Ferrell. 

While the lines between media and technology have been blurring for a while, like many other aspects of work and home life, the events of this year seem to have sped up the rate of change for this trend as well. Apple recently launched a daily news podcast, and the biggest story in the space last week was SiriusXM’s acquisition of Stitcher for $350 million — the largest podcast deal to date.

How Coronavirus Is Impacting Small Businesses

During the global pandemic the world’s job market has rapidly changed. While many businesses were forced to temporarily close their day-to-day operations, the vast majority adapted their model and now telecommuting due to Coronavirus is a reality for many. It's a new normal for businesses worldwide. Organizing and securing your remote workspace seems convenient but equally challenging. 

As Global Workplace Analytics states: "25-30% of the workforce will be working-from-home multiple days a week by the end of 2021." While many organizations begin to realize that maintaining remote workflow is cost effective, it has created many new opportunities for scammers and in fact might cause serious financial damage. 

The bad guys know that the best moment to strike is whenever the potential victim is distracted. If you happen to read this blog post from the comfort of your home office, many potential dangers may occur. Some of them are old "tricks" brought back to life and others are new scams that take advantage of our newly developed vulnerabilities. 

1. Phishing - Criminals send an email that appears to be from a public institution or other reputable organization. Usually we get promised benefits as an exchange for our personal data. See how easy it was for my team to scam a Dr Oz employee: phishing simulation.

2. Unemployment fraud -  Even retired or even deceased people can become a victim of unemployment fraud. And when this happens, victims may be responsible for paying taxes on the financial compensation the criminal receives! Unemployment website and payment delays further fuel this pesky problem.

3. Now hiring - Millions of displaced employees are actively seeking a new job online. Feeling stressed and seeing a good offer that’s really a scam is relatively easy. Scammers prey on job seekers. The goal is to get personal data during the recruitment process. Unfortunately it's all too easy to take advantage of people desperately seeking to rejoin the workforce.

There's a lot to keep in mind when keeping your workplace safe and secure, even if it's just your home office.

The COVID19 pandemic has changed the way many of us do business - and our focus! Undoubtedly, you are not alone! Perhaps it is time to transition and transform? Maybe focus on other aspects of our business and pivot where necessary? Since 2016, I have been on the road – planes, trains, and automobiles - traveling the world 8-9 months out of the year to give keynote speeches and attend events. It’s the part of my work that I find most enjoyable! And, unfortunately, the part of my business that the pandemic has rendered impossible. With the necessary curbing of travel, I had to focus my time and efforts elsewhere while still growing my business. Can you relate? In-person networking and conferences have been my growth strategy for YEARS. So, what now? 

These days, I focus my time online. I’m using LinkedIn and social media more than ever to connect with people and opportunities. I’m also using more digital communication tools than EVER. I’ll use whatever tech the person wants - Facebook Messenger? Telegram? Whatsapp? Zoom? Skype? WeChat? SMS? Slack? I’m there! Whatever is best for the partner or client works for me. The tech industry has been using these tools for years, but for many, email and face-to-face meetings were the norm. 

So, I have focused my marketing and time on finding the best way to communicate. It can be hard to keep up! It feels like new communication channels pop up every day! The pandemic is changing the way we communicate and how we do business. You know what they say: Adapt or die! 

Since I work mostly with startups, I’ve changed my business strategy from public speaking and events to online business development and finding new resources to scale and expand into new revenue channels. 

Networking online certainly isn’t the same! I do a lot more phone calls and video chats and focus on getting quality time with people in new ways. How is your business adapting? How have you changed the way you generate leads? More than my business has evolved during the last few months! Thank you for being part of my network and keep an eye out over the next few weeks - I have BIG THINGS coming!