And it’s a story of getting bogged down.

I think we’ve all felt bogged down at some point, but there is always a way out.

Over the years, I’ve always encouraged online business owners to get help with their businesses. We even talked about it in this newsletter a few weeks back. It’s important to be the CEO of your business, so you can focus on the big picture and GROWING your business, rather than micromanaging and getting bogged down in the day-to-day details.

I know this to be true because I’ve lived it. I learned the importance of outsourcing early on when I realized I felt chained to the computer. I actually *thought* I couldn’t be disconnected for any large amount of time or everything would just go to pieces. When this realization hit that I was working myself into a stress frenzy, I hired a virtual assistant. Eventually, I hired a programmer, some writers and other key players for my business. This was before we opened our doors at All Custom Content.

Well, after I did this hiring, wonderful things started happening. I was able to focus on marketing my business and making it flourish…and flourish it did. I didn’t have to worry about putting out fires and tending to the minute, but necessary, tasks of the business. My mind was free, my schedule was clear and things were going very well.

But what’s funny is that every once in a while, I start to get this bogged down feeling. I feel like I’m too busy and because of all the things I have to do, I’m just not sure what to do next. I’m sure you’ve felt this before. There’s SO much to do, it’s almost easier to do nothing. It’s self-sabotage at its finest.

Whenever I get this feeling, I have to do a reality check and see what’s really going on. When I do that, I see that I’ve been slowly starting to pick up more of the little tasks that others used to do for me. Because no matter how hard we try, we can’t keep the same people working for us forever. I’m fortunate to have a few people on my team that have been with me for years, but for the most part, people come and go. It’s a fact of doing business.

So that’s when I have to refocus, make sure my training materials are up to date and add more people to my team. Of course, hiring people isn’t always easy either, but realize that if you can train someone to do something once and they do it for you over and over again, that initial time spent returns value to you.

Still, hiring is not a fun process and that’s why I’m personally so grateful for our team at All Custom Content. You see, I have writers at my fingertips anytime I want them. All I do is send some instructions to our project manager, Melody, and she makes sure the writers create the content, that an editor edits it and then she gives the polished product back to me.

But I’m not the only one who has access to this wonderful opportunity…

…you have access too. You don’t need to hire writers or worry about proofreading. All you need to do is hire us and send stuff to our project manager. You don’t need to worry if a writer isn’t comfortable with a certain subject area…we find the writer that is. You don’t need to be concerned if a writer just disappears before completing a project…because our project manager ensures your project gets done. Period.

If you haven’t checked out our monthly savings program that allows you to take advantage of this invaluable resource, I encourage you to do so right here.

Whether you need a lot of content or just a little, we’re here to make sure it gets done. No need to worry about the little details or scramble when things don’t go just right. We’ll take care of it, so you can continue to be the CEO of your business.

It’d be great to work with you. If you have any questions or concerns, we’re happy to talk to you about them as well. Reach us here anytime.

The post Do You Ever Get Bogged Down? appeared first on Contentrix - Content Marketing.

I was joined by Wanda Baader and Samantha Pointer…thank you ladies!

Watch or listen to find out the 3 important things to keep in mind when it comes to managing our content. Plus, get tips to ensure you maximize the content you do have, keep it up to date and most of all, ensure you showcase your best stuff. You can find the recording on Google+.

Go here to watch or listen…you can also request an invite to the next Hangout at that link. We’d love to have you join us! I’d also love your suggestions on how we can make our upcoming redesign and reorganization work best for you.

The post May 21, 2013 Hangout: Content Clean Up appeared first on Contentrix - Content Marketing.

Details: This plugin provides you with guidance and design elements to create opt-in pages to build your list and sales pages to build your product. You have full control over colors, order buttons, opt-in boxes, attractive bullet points. You can create pages within your current theme or make designs independent of your theme.

Some of the features include:

Page shadow options: Choose from “glow”, “page curl” and “side shadow”. Glow is shown below:

Background Color: You can specify the background color of your pages.

Page Width: You can control how wide your page goes across the page.

Headline Options: Choose the headline alignment, color and more.

Create Boxes: Create boxes for testimonials, guarantees or other information you want to stand out. Select from a variety of styles and colors.

Choose Button Styles: You can do the same for buttons to create just the look you need.

Attractive Lists: Choose from a hand drawn arrow or hand drawn start to make a sharp-looking bulleted list. By the way, if you need more bullet style options, you can also download our Styling Content Plugin.

Opt-in Box Design: Design your opt-in box and include a headline, privacy statement and more. Choose from different colors for background and submit button. You can see a sample opt-in box below.

Opt-in Sample

Many people charge for a plugin similar to this, but not us…

Get the Effortless Landing Pages Plugin for Free

It’s for members only…but don’t worry if you’re not a member yet. You can create your membership for free.

Back to main plugins page

The post Plugin: Effortless Landing Pages appeared first on Contentrix - Content Marketing.

Unfortunately, sometimes it happens and your writer will screw up. If you receive a project you’re not happy with, there’s no need to panic. Everything is salvageable and it’s going to take a little work to get there.

Here are some tips to help you:

1. Ask for revisions. Most writers include a round of revisions in their work for hire agreement or as part of their services. Not because they expect trouble but sometimes there are miscommunications or mistakes and it’s easier to address them with an upfront policy.

2. Address the revision request in two parts:

• What works? Let the writer know what you did like about the content and what you want to keep.

• What doesn’t? Once you’ve touched on the elements you want to keep, then let the writer know what needs to be revised, why you need it revised and how you want it to be revised. Be specific. The more details you can provide, the better.

3. Assess your systems and communication process: Often content mistakes are made because of a miscommunication. The writer didn’t understand what you wanted. Common issues include:

• Not enough information was provided

• Too tight of a deadline and the writer was rushed

• Not a good match for your content needs or industry. Most writers specialize, make sure they have experience in your niche or with the content format you need written.

4. Ask for questions: Make sure your writer understands what you need written and what your goals are. Make it easy for them to ask questions by being available and organized.

5. Decide whether to try again: It can take a little time to iron out the kinks with a new writer. If they’re responsive to your revision needs and you think there’s a future together then consider trying again. If your writer still doesn’t produce what you need after revisions, it might time to consider moving on.

The key thing to remember is that even professional ghostwriters need training so they can work most effectively with your business and to your specifications. Once you have a well trained writer on your team, they’re an invaluable asset you don’t want to lose.

Remember, we’re always available to help you with your writing. With our monthly savings program, you get to work directly with our project manager who specializes in communicating with our writers and making sure you get exactly what you want. Check us out here.

The post What to Do When Your Ghostwriter Screws Up appeared first on Contentrix - Content Marketing.

Go here to watch or listen…you can also request an invite to the next Hangout at that link. We’d love to have you join us!

The post May 14, 2013 Hangout: Results from Your LIst appeared first on Contentrix - Content Marketing.