Ray Edwards Show
Ray Edwards is a sought-after Copywriter, Author, Speaker, and Communications Strategist. His clients include Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield, Jeff Walker, Robert Allen, and more. On this show, Ray helps you start, run, and grow their Internet-based businesses. The show includes interviews with well-known experts like Michael Hyatt, Jeff Goins, Dan Miller, Cliff Ravenscraft, Michael Stelzner, Amy Porterfield, Don Miller, and many others.

Have you ever written a blog post, one you thought was going to be brilliant, only to read it afterward and realize it falls flat? Have you ever gone back through your library of past posts, and occasionally wondered, “How did I write something this boring?

If so, don't despair. I think all of us who write experience this phenomenon. The good news is you can resurrect “dead” blog posts. In this episode, I will describe 5 quick ways you can jumpstart  a dead blog post.

Tip Of the Week

The Grommet. Grommets are products with purpose invented by people with stories. Find something thoughtful, inspiring, innovative, or useful.

the-grommett

NOTE: Next week, we start releasing free material as we get ready to open up our copywriting course! To get on the VIP Early Bird Notification list, so you don't miss anything, click here.

Spiritual Foundations

The Reckless, Dangerous, and Rebellious Prosperity Gospel

I'm always a little amused when I hear a criticism leveled and those of us who believe God intended man to prosper and be in good health, especially when it sounds like this: “Oh, so you believe in the prosperity gospel?”

The term itself is used with derision. Another form of this question is, “Don't tell me you're one of those ‘health and wealth gospel' believers?”

I always want to reply, “Would you prefer a sickness and poverty gospel? Do you think Jesus came not to give us life, and life more abundantly, but rather sickness, and death more quickly?”

Of course, I don't reply this way because I do understand that most people who say these things are speaking out of true conviction. They believe their criticism of the so-called “prosperity gospel” is valid, that the “prosperity gospel” distorts the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I do agree that the gospel of prosperity and health is reckless, dangerous, and even rebellious.

It represents the reckless love of God for us as humans and his children.

It is dangerous to the spirit of religion, the same spirit that led the Jewish leaders of Christ's day to nail him to a cross.

It is rebellious, in the same way the Romans felt this rabble-rouser Jesus was rebellious. The gospel of prosperity, of health, of wealth, and peace for all mankind is dangerous and rebellious … against the system of the world.

And that is exactly why we must embrace it. That is why the Apostle John wrote, “I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. ” (3 John 1:1)

One of the most damning criticisms of the prosperity gospel is: what are we to make of people who live in Third World countries, who have no real chance of prosperity? If God really wants everyone to prosper, how could he allow such conditions to exist? I suspect that His response would be, “How can you? I left you in charge.”

Ultimately, when the full Kingdom is consummated on the earth, every injustice will be set right, every person who is lost anything will be repaid seven times what they lost, and all of us will be made whole, well, and will lack nothing. That Kingdom reality is already here, but not in its fullness, and our current assignment is to bring more of that Kingdom reality to all those around us, and to every place we go.

It doesn't matter that it makes us uncomfortable, it is still our assignment.

Jesus modeled for us the behavior of a person in full relationship with the Father, and with the Holy Spirit. He healed every person who came to him for healing. He paid his bills-for the first part of his life by working at a trade and having a business, in the years of his ministry he paid his taxes by finding money in the mouth of a fish. If I suggested that you pay your taxes in a similar way, because you have faith in God, I would be branded as some sort of heretical “prosperity preacher”. So be it.

Here's what I know: Scripture says that we are to be in good health, and to prosper in all things, even as our soul prospers. I believe it all starts with “soul prosperity”; with our mind, will, and emotions being in perfect alignment with those of the Lord. This is only possible through the indwelling life of the Holy Spirit. The more we can experience that reality, the more the reality of material wealth, and physical health, will be ours.

So don't be discouraged by criticisms about the “prosperity gospel”. And don't be discouraged by the fact that you don't see everything you want to see in this regard-yet. Know that God's promises are true, he never lies, he is never late, he never fails to deliver.

You are blessed immeasurably by the Creator of the universe. You are promised there will come a day when you will live in your perfected body the way it was intended to be originally, that you will suffer no illness, that you will not weep any longer, and there will be no lack of money, food, love, safety, or anything else you need. If that isn't true health and wealth, and I don't know what is.

Feature Presentation: 5 Ways To Jumpstart Your Dead Blog Posts

You've written a blog post, and it feels to you is though it has fallen flat. Or perhaps you're looking through your back catalog and found some old posts that really did fall flat. They got no engagement, very few if any comments, and you just feel overall it could've been better. Is there an easy and simple way to jumpstart these “dead” blog posts-shock them with the paddles, so to speak, and get their heart beating again? Absolutely! Here are 5 ways you can jumpstart a dead blog post…

  1. Headlines. Exchange that old, plain-Jane, boring headline for one that invokes emotion, uses power words, is controversial, cutting, inflammatory, or creates great hope. Go crazy and brainstorm many different headlines for your old, dead blog post. Sometimes all a post needs to bring it back to life is for someone to actually read it.
  2. The Lead.  Just like a good novel or movie, a blog post needs to start in the middle of the action. It needs to capture the imagination of the reader right away. If you've written a piece that just doesn't seem to have life in it, after you've readjusted the headline, consider rewriting the “lead” (the first few sentences or paragraphs) that set up the rest of the post. Instead of relating dry facts or a boring thesis statement, perhaps you could tell story, share a personal experience,  or ask some penetrating and thought-provoking questions. Simply ask yourself, “How can I make the beginning of this post more outrageous, more imaginative, more inspiring, or even into something that would evoke more skepticism?”
  3. Subheads.  Often, long blog posts die a quick death because people simply cannot wade through the wall of text that confronts them. This is why we break up our writing online into shorter paragraphs; it makes it easier for people to scan, and it looks as though it will be easier to read. One of my favorite devices for keeping people reading a post is to use mini-headlines or “Subheads” to string the main part of the story together throughout the text.
  4. Images.  I'm talking about pictures here. Actual pictures. If you can find a photo that perfectly illustrates the point you're trying to make, or one that is representative of the idea you're trying to convey, then by all means use it. Make sure you use a photo that you have the rights to use (either by the photo through a stock photo service, one you have otherwise obtained a clear license for, or a photo you took yourself). Do be careful not to use cliché photos: if you're writing about how to negotiate, for heaven's sake please don't show photo of two men in business suits shaking hands! You can be more creative than that. One great source of unusual but creative photos for this purpose is a stock photo website called Unsplash. Many thanks to my friend Mike Kim for pointing this resource out to me.
  5. Enhanced Content.  Offer an enhanced version of the content in your blog post. This might mean creating an audio file to accompany it, making a short tutorial video to go along with the blog post, or creating a checklist, infographic, or cheat sheet that can be downloaded. This enhanced content should add to the value of the post by making it readily implementable. Amy Porterfield does a great job of this on her blog. Not only is this something that is fairly easy for you to do, it can definitely increase the size of your email list if you use the approach that Amy uses, asking for an email exchange for the download.

Using any one of these five jumpstart tactics should infuse your blog post with new life; using all of them is almost guaranteed to “resurrect the dead”. Your assignment: put one or more of these tactics to work and apply them on your blog. This is something you could do today and begin to see the results immediately. Will you?

Which of these 5 “jumpstart tactics” will you  put to work on your blog today? Post a link!

May I Ask A Favor?

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

We are also BACK on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript.Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

 

Direct download: REP163.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 4:00am PDT

On March 27, my friend Michael Hyatt started a firestorm with a blog post entitled, How Much Business Is Your Profanity Costing You? 

cussing-costing-you-cash

One of the most heated debates I've witnessed online ensued. Many people offered the rationale that their profanity was either a way of bonding with their audience, or of using an NLP technique known as a “pattern interrupt” (allegedly getting immediate attention and thus making communication more effective). I think most of the discussion missed Michael's most important point.

I'm amazed that almost all of the hundreds of people who vented their opinion completely failed to see the most powerful business-based argument Michael put on the table. In today's show, I'll be Captain Obvious and show what you may have missed – plus I'll give you 5 reasons why your cussing isn't making you cool, it's costing you cash.

Tip Of the Week

Grammarly. Grammarly makes you a better writer by finding and correcting up to 10× more mistakes than your word processor.

get-grammarly

Get VIP Early-Bird Access To The Copywriting Formulaâ„¢!

Our long-awaited Copywriting Course, The Copywriting Formulaâ„¢, will be released in a very short time – in fact, you'll have access to some great freebies from the course itself in just a couple of weeks. To get on the Early Bird Notification list, click here now.

Spiritual Foundations

Think (and Speak) On These Things

What does the Scripture say about cussing? Well, first let's dispel a myth: the commandment that says we should not “take the Lord's name in vain” is not about cussing! However, that doesn't mean the Bible has nothing to say on this subject.

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)

Then there is this instruction from the Apostle Paul:

“Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.” (Ephesians 5:4)

And this verse is particularly instructive:

“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” (Ephesians 4:29)

 

Feature Presentation: 5 Reasons Cussing Is Costing You Cash

On March 27, my friend Michael Hyatt started a firestorm with a blog post entitled, How Much Business Is Your Profanity Costing You? One of the most heated debates I've witnessed online ensued. Many people offered the rationale that their profanity was either a way of bonding with their audience, or of using an NLP technique known as a “pattern interrupt” (allegedly getting immediate attention and thus making communication more effective). I think most of the discussion missed Michael's most important point. In his post, Michael gave these 3 reasons to cut the cussing:

  1. Profanity alienates people.
  2. Profanity hurts your brand.
  3. Profanity doesn't work.

But the most obvious potential loss, which most people who read the article missed, was this sentence: “I don’t always feel comfortable directing my audience to do the same. It’s just not worth offending them.” In other words, your profanity might prevent Michael from recommending you to his 525,057 readers.

Another friend, Joel Comm, wrote a splendid article on this subject some time ago, about professional speakers cursing from the stage. Joel said, “If you are disrespectful of your audience, the impact of your message is going to be diminished.”

I was so pleased that Michael started this public discourse on what I feel is an important subject. I was inspired to add my own thoughts. Here are my “5 Reasons Cussing Is Costing You Cash”. None of them are “moralizing” – I covered that already in Spiritual Foundations – all are pragmatic.

  1. Cussing costs you promotional opportunities from major influencers.
  2. Cussing costs you personal recommendations from many more individuals. They may not be major influencers like Michael Hyatt, John Maxwell, Dave Ramsey, or Joel Comm… but if each person influences a circle of 250 people, and you have thousands in your audience… what is that costing you?
  3. Constant, dramatic cussing erodes trust with most people. It's a simple logical equation for most: if you're willing to say such vile things in your professional life, what are you like on a personal basis? When the spotlight is not on you? When you're not being watched?
  4. Cussing distracts people from the value of what you bring to the world. Instead of considering the purchase of your book, seminar, or training materials. the discussion becomes one about why you use the F-word so much. Is that really the kind of “pattern interrupt” you want to perform?
  5. Cussing will cause some people to actively oppose the purchase or use of your books, live events, and materials. You may never know how deep this particular iceberg goes under the surface of the water.

If you are still determined that your use of profanity is “strategic” or “therapeutic” or “effective” for your audience, I urge you to consider this question: if you stopped using profanity, would anyone complain?

Do you think profanity adds anything positive to your message?

May I Ask A Favor?

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

We are also BACK on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

 

Direct download: REP162.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 4:00am PDT

We often hear success stories of people who go from “rags to riches”. We usually hear about the struggles they had when they started. What is uncommon is to hear about the struggles they still endure, and how they are overcoming them in the present moment.

I'm very excited about today's show, which is mostly a recording of a conversation between me and my friend Cliff Ravenscraft, also known as The Podcast AnswerMan. During this totally unscripted, off-the-cuff interview, you'll discover:

  • How the TV show Lost helped Cliff become a leading voice in the world of podcasting.
  • How investing in one specific training program changed the entire vector of Cliff's life, and career.
  • Why success on the outside may not be an indicator of success on the inside (Cliff opens up and tells of his most recent struggle, and the incredible way he is gaining victory.)
  • The story of a prayer that brought a miraculous answer in the most unexpected place, and literally transformed Cliff's life in the moment.
  • How “selfies” can actually be selfless.
  • Two books you absolutely must read if you want to change your physical health once and for all (and chances are you've never heard of either of them).
  • Plus, a whole lot more wisdom from the man who helps so many take their lives “to the Next Level.”

Tip Of the Week

Periscope. A competitor to the similar app Meerkat, Periscope turns your mobile phone into a TV broadcast studio – in your pocket. I've been playing with this ever since I was at Social Media Marketing World. I really think this is a revolutionary technology and we have only begun to see the ramifications it carries for the future. Jump in and play, the water is fine.

Spiritual Foundations

The Secret of How to Lack Nothing

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” Psalm 23

I'm learning the deep lesson that if we believe God's Word is true, it literally means we lack nothing in this present moment. That is sometimes hard to accept, especially if we are sick, in pain, experiencing a broken relationship or home, have lost our job, or any of the myriad of hurtful challenges we deal with in day-to-day life.

Yet God's word says that we “lack nothing”. How can this be?

God sees things from a different perspective than we do. He sees the whole picture. What may look like lack to us, he knows to be a temporary situation. God knows that He will ultimately tip the scales of justice in our favor, and that anything we feel we have lost will be restored to us.

God is good, all the time, no matter what. Ground your faith in the bedrock of that confession. Know that God is your friend. Believe it or not, that is the message of the book of Job.

How do we practice this idea that we lack nothing, especially when our circumstances tell us that we may lack everything? I believe the key is gratitude.

You Can't Pay The Bills With Gratitude… Or Can You?

When Jesus fed the 5,000 with only a little bread and a little fish, he prayed. But he did not ask for a miracle, groaning and pleading with his Father in Heaven. Scripture says he “gave thanks” and then had the disciples distribute the bread to the thousands of people present.

I don't think it's an accident that we're told he “gave thanks”. He expressed gratitude for what he had and he stepped into an aspect of the Kingdom that allowed miraculous provision to flow from a seemingly insufficient supply.

That's how the Kingdom works.

Your level of prosperity will equal exactly the level of your gratitude. So give thanks for what you do have, and give no attention to what you feel might be lacking in this moment. Because you, my friend, lack nothing.

Feature Presentation: How Cliff Ravenscraft Transformed His Life

I actually had a page full of questions I was going to ask Cliff during our interview. I did ask the first question, but from there, the interview took on a life of its own. And I'm so glad it did. You will enjoy and be blessed by Cliff's story, as I was.

Have you ever experience a miraculous answer to prayer like Cliff did? I hope you'll share that story.

May I Ask A Favor?

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

We are also BACK on Stitcher.com, so if you prefer Stitcher, please subscribe there.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

 

Direct download: REP161.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 4:00am PDT

You're smart. You never believed the people who said “there's no money in Social Media”. You thought the people who said Social was all about “pictures of what people had for lunch” or “videos about cats” were missing the point. Yes, those things are popular on Social Media… and it's also true that Social Media is a vital marketing medium that can bring big rewards, monetary and otherwise when done right. Just ask Taylor Swift, Oreo, the folks behind the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, or even President Barack Obama.

Just knowing Social Media Marketing is important, however, is not enough. You must know how to do it right – or at least how to not do it wrong. Today's episode will address what I consider to be the 5 Social Media Marketing Mistakes you are most likely making right now… and how to fix them.

Tip Of the Week

I have not one, but three tips for you this week!

Tip #1: Smart Podcast Player

First, I'm very excited about the new podcast player we are using on our website. You know, that little “play” button you click to hear audio on the web, such as listening to podcast episode? Up until now we were using a very primitive podcast player. But we just switched the Pat Flynn's Smart Podcast Player. Pat created the player for his own enormously popular podcast. Here's what he says about it:2015-04-07_14-50-42

I created this custom player with my team because I wanted a better listening experience for my audience. They deserve the best. After sharing the player with my audience, I received hundreds of requests from other podcasters who wanted to use the player too, and so the Smart Podcast Player was born. You put an immense amount of time and care into creating your podcast; the player you use should reflect that. My team and I have put the same attention and care into building the Smart Podcast Player. I know that you (and your listeners) will love it.

Some of the features and benefits:

  • Works with any feed, from any host, anywhere.
  • Looks amazing the design is clean and modern, and you can customize it to match your site perfectly.
  • Lets your listeners explore, discover, and share.
  • The Smart Podcast Player has an interactive library that allows your listeners to explore past episodes in your backlist without interrupting the episode that’s playing.
  • The player also empowers your listeners to search your backlist by tag, download their favorite episodes in MP3 format, and share episodes with their friends.
  • Your library of episodes updates automatically anytime you publish a new episode to your feed. All metadata is available, episode description included.
  • Your listeners can control the speed of the currently playing episode just like they enjoy doing when they use today’s latest podcast mobile apps.

It's also got rave reviews from podcasters like John Lee Dumas, Michael Hyatt, and Jaime Tardy of the Eventual Millionaire podcast.

And this one is a big deal that I think doesn't get enough emphasis: there's a direct “Subscribe In iTunes” button on the player. The number of subscribers plays a big role in how your show ranks on iTunes. And now your podcast player can encourage those subscriptions, as in the picture you see below (you can actually click that picture and subscribe to this podcast… go ahead… I'll wait…)

2015-04-07_09-11-14

You can see the entire library of The Ray Edwards Show in the Smart Podcast Player, so you can see it in action, by clicking here.

And once you've decided you can't live without the player, check it out at SmartPodcastPlayer.com

Tip #2: Twitter Power 3.0

You may know Joel Comm as a New York Times Best-Selling author, and as a top social media influencer. I know him as the guy who convinced me to write and publish my first book, Writing RichesMuch of my success is tied to that book. It was published because of Joel's encouragement and advice. We have been good friends for many years now.

I don't know Dave Taylor, but I have benefitted from his work at AskDaveTaylor.com many, many times (just as millions of others have).TP3

Joel and Dave just launched their co-authored book, Twitter Power 3.0, and I recommend you click here and buy your copy now.

Twitter Power (the previous version) is already the world’s top-selling book on the subject of Twitter. It was endorsed by Tony Robbins (who, by the way, has 2.58 million followers on Twitter).

This newly updated super-guide, Twitter Power 3.0 will show smart businesses and entrepreneurs how to use Twitter to massively grow their reach. And this new, improved, cutting-edge book is endorsed by none other than Guy Kawasaki, who says, “This book will give you a big head start toward mastering Twitter from two people who already have.”

The book is also endorsed and praised by Robert Scoble, Mari Smith, Chris Brogan, Jay Baer, John Lee Dumas, Michael Stelzner, Kim Garst, and other top social media influencers.

Look, you don't need anyone's expensive “Twitter Course” or “coaching” – you can dominate your market on Twitter simply following the advice in this book.

Inside Twitter Power 3.0, you'll discover how to:

  • Grow your number of followers PLUS increase your engagement on Twitter
  • Make your content to go viral (you’ll be shocked at what works and what doesn’t!)
  • Measure the Twitter metrics that matter most and fine-tune your strategy to maximize your results

In celebration of the launch of Twitter Power 3.0, Joel and Dave are offering some generous bonuses when you order your copy of the book today. The bonuses you get include a brand new eBook called Social Poetry 2 (which features the top marketers/influencers online… even I make a brief appearance in the book).

So, to get more followers and influence on Twitter, start by ordering your copy of Twitter Power 3.0. And, of course, claim all the free bonuses that come with your purchase.

I don't make a single penny for recommending this book to you. The links in this post are not affiliate links. I just happen to think this is an excellent book, and I think you need to read it (if you want to be successful with Twitter).

Tip #3: Social Media Marketing World 2015 Session Recordings

Was traveling to San Diego for Social Media Marketing World 2015 just not an option for you this year? If so, you missed the marketing event of the year.

I had the privilege of leading one of the tracks at the event, and I soaked up a ton of great knowledge from the other sessions. Below is a picture of me with my personal Mastermind Group, the Green Room Mastermind. In the photo is Pat Flynn, Cliff Ravenscraft, Mike Stelzner, Mark Mason, and Leslie Samuel. This is the first time we have all been in the same physical space at one time!

(L-R) Mark Mason, Mike Stelzner, Pat Flynn, Ray Edwards, Cliff Ravenscraft, Leslie Samuel(L-R) Mark Mason, Mike Stelzner, Pat Flynn, Cliff Ravenscraft, Leslie Samuel

I know, I know, you're feeling left out. What if you could catch ALL the conference sessions at your convenience without any travel expenses or the need to replicate yourself? The good news is now you can!

All you need is the Virtual Ticket to Social Media Marketing World 2015!

For a fraction of the cost of a regular ticket, you’ll get full access to the recording of EVERY session. Yes, every keynote, all the panels and each great session–the ones people travel thousands of miles to see–will be at your fingertips.

With your Virtual Ticket, you’ll have access to 100+ online recordings of everything. You can watch playbacks from your computer, tablet or smartphone at your leisure.

You’ll also be able to interact with your peers via our private LinkedIn networking group.

Click here to get your virtual ticket now.

There's no risk, either – you can try the first two days once the recordings are posted and still cancel for a full refund if you decide it's not for you!

Spiritual Foundations

Satan Is No Longer Allowed To Accuse You Of Anything

Recently a friend expressed worry that his troubles were because of Satan. My friend said to me, “I just know this problem is happening because Satan is the ‘accuser of the brethren', making sure God is aware of my every sin.” He was referring to a passage from Revelation 12:10:

“Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.” (NKJV)

Many people believe that this is still going on, and that the “casting down” comes at the end of time. But that is not true. A careful reading of Revelation in the context of the rest of the New Testament shows that this “casting down” of the “accuser of the brothers” has already happened.

“Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.”
Romans 8:33

In book of Job, Satan is in God's presence and us griping about Job (see Job 1:6-12). Now here's the question I have about this scene: what the heck is Satan doing at God's throne? That's God's most holy place. How can Satan be allowed there?

It's pretty simple: we gave him our pass to the throne room of heaven. Adam bowed to the will of Satan in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3, and that means's Satan was able to take Adam's place and could come before God. Satan became “the accuser of the brothers” – he did nothing but bend God's ear with lies about us.

Then something amazing happened. The “last Adam”, Jesus Christ, gave his own blood and cleansed the things of Heaven (Hebrews 9:22-24). The work Jesus did, which he called “finished”, redeemed the place where Satan stood before God.

There's no place in heaven for Satan. He cannot come before God and accuse you or me. Those days are over. The next bit of good news is who is in God's presence today – and that would be JEsus. He is there on our behalf (Hebrews 9:24). And so now who can condemn or accuse us?

“Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”
Romans 8:34

Listen, as I read the book of Job I see it contains many theological knots. I can't untie half of them. I do know that much of it is bad theology, presented as just that. God himself says that Job's friends spoke wrongly about Him, invalidating much of the text as theology.

Job wanted someone to plead on his behalf. (Job 9:33)

We actually have what Job desired – we have Jesus as our representative, and he is interceding for us (1 Timothy 2:5).

So… what does Satan do now? The only thing he can do: he comes to you and me, here on earth, and accuses us through our conscience. His only weapon is lies. His weapon is only effective if we believe the lies. He has no power. (Colossians 2:15)

So if you find yourself thinking that God's will is for you to be sick, or hurting, or hungry… or that God is punishing you for your sins… don't buy into that garbage!

Don't listen to Satan's lies. God justifies you, and nobody, not even the devil himself, has the power to come before God and accuse you.

You, just like Jesus, have free and total access to God's throne of grace to “obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need”. (Hebrews 4:16)

Revel in your righteousness, and know that all your sin-debt has been paid, you are free, and there's no one left to accuse you.

Imagine yourself in the place of the woman caught in the act of adultery. Here accusers dragged her to Jesus, accusing her. He turned the accusers away and…

When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

She said, “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
John 8:10-11

That's what he's saying to you and me today: “Neither do I condemn you.”

Feature Presentation: Are You Making These 5 Social Media Marketing Mistakes?

Social Marketing is more important now than ever. If you don't believe that, or don't understand why its true, hasten thyself over to Social Media Examiner and get the  Sixth Annual Social Media Marketing Industry Report.

It is 50 pages, and over 80 charts worth of data from 2,800 organized into an important and comprehensive report. It will open your eyes to just how important Social Media Marketing is to you and your business. Based on that report, Mike Stelzner gave a fantastic keynote at Social Media Marketing World 2015, where he outlined the 8 major trends all marketers must know about in 2015.

After spending two and a half days at the conference last week, attending sessions, taking notes like a madman, listening to the podcasts and reading several books by presenters at the conference, plus reading a pile of articles on Social Media Examiner, I decided to create this Social Media-focused show. So here are the 5 Social Media Marketing Mistakes you are most likely making… and how to fix them. Pronto.

Social Media Marketing Mistake #1

Failure to have a Strategic Social Media Marketing System. “Strategic” means: the identification of long-term or overall aims and interests and the means of achieving them. “System” means: a set of principles or procedures according to which something is done; an organized scheme or method. Thus, a Strategic Social Media Marketing System is: A set of principles and procedures of using Social Media with the overall aim of increasing the profitability of the enterprise.

Do you have such a system? Is it written down? Does the document clearly define the intent of the system? Does it define, step-by-step, how to activities are to be conducted to achieve the Strategic Objective? Could anyone on your staff or team execute the instructions based solely on the written procedure? If not, you don't have a system.

How To Fix Mistake #1: Develop a written document that spells out the principles and procedures of using Social Media with the overall aim of increasing the profitability of the enterprise.


Social Media Marketing Mistake #2

Failure to have a consistent branding presence across Social Media Platforms. Your images, logos, and profile pages look different across all the different services, including your own blog. Your logo, colors, and design scheme are just a hodgepodge of what you used at the time you signed up for any given network.

How To Fix Mistake #2: Get a professional logo design and headshot made, if you don't already have them. Know what your design color palette is and use it. Then, change your images, logos, and profile pages should look alike across all the different services, including your own blog. Your logo, colors, and design scheme should always match. And if you have a personal brand, use the same headshot on all the services… and make sure it looks like you!


Social Media Marketing Mistake #3

Failure to understand the different Social Media services. The rules – both written and unwritten – differ from service to service. the proper way to be a valued member of each community is to understand its culture and behave accordingly. Proper behavior looks different on LinkedIn than on Google+ or Facebook, and Facebook profile etiquette is different from the etiquette for Facebook pages. And Twitter is different from all the rest. Unfortunately, many (most) marketers have never taken the time to really learn the culture of the networks they are part of. These same marketers then don't understand why their “social” marketing “doesn't work.” Here's a clue: If everywhere you go, you smell body odor, you might be the one who needs a shower.

How To Fix Mistake #3: Study the most popular users of each service. Watch their behavior and interaction. Read a guide on the networks you want to be part of. You can find definitive guides and up-to-the-minute tips at Social Media Examiner for free. One powerful and important insight: spend most of your time on Social Networks being social. Interact. Respond. And don't make the mistake of being self-promotional all the time. My rule of thumb is to try to be 90% sharing and helpful, and to use only 10% of my Social Media activity to directly promote. Now go out on the playground… and play nice!


Social Media Marketing Mistake #4

Failure to have a presence on the most important Social Media sites. Many marketers sign up for ever Social Media network, don't dig deep into any of them, and so have a lackluster presence everywhere. Yuck. Don't  do this. It just makes you appear to be one of the mediocre masses. You shouldn't – and can't – have a presence on all Social Media networks.

How To Fix Mistake #4: I know I will get arguments on this, but in my opinion, here are the networks you should focus on, in the order of priority, from most important to least (but I think they are all important).

  1. Facebook
  2. Twitter
  3. LinkedIn
  4. Instagram
  5. Pinterest
  6. Google+

As I said, I know some will want to argue with be about this list, but I think it's right on target. Feel free to differ with me in the comments… or on Social Media!


 

Social Media Marketing Mistake #5

Failure to use strong visual content in your Social Media Marketing. Most Social Media Marketers are focused on words. As a copywriter, I understand. But copywriting and writing in general isn't really about the medium – it's about the message. If you're focused only on the text, you're missing out on huge momentum and potential profit. More and more, people are consuming visual content.

How To Fix Mistake #5: Get visual – especially video-visual! One of the hottest trends, according to the data from the Social Media Marketing Industry Report (and Mike Stelzner's keynote), is video. In particular, native video. Meaning video that is posted and hosted on the network distributing it. The networks seem to be giving preference to video that is uploaded via their own network interface. So use Facebook to upload your video to Facebook, instead of uploading it to YouTube and linking to it on Facebook. The same is true of other networks as well. And for goodness sakes, don't forget pictures and those “quote memes” that seem so popular. You can make your own using Canva or Wordswag. And finally, there are infographics. If you want to capture complex ideas in a simple way people love, use infographics. There are a lot of great tools to make them yourself, among them Canva, PikToChart,  and Visual.ly.

Which of these 5 Social Media Marketing Mistakes are you making, and what will you do this week to fix them?

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Direct download: REP160.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 4:47pm PDT

Cash is the oxygen that lets your business breathe. And just like oxygen, when there is none available it's all you can think about because you need it to survive.

Sometimes your business just needs a fast infusion of cash, and today I'll show you 3 ways to get cash quick. Best of all, they are legal, moral, and ethical!

Tip Of the Week

I have a new friend, and I love him. His name is Edgar. Let me explain.

Most of our social media updates go to waste. They’re only seen by a fraction of our total audience, falling victim to things like time of day, mysterious algorithms and other factors that are beyond our control.

Fewer and fewer people see our social media updates. To keep up, we’re forced to publish more frequently, just to stay engaged with our audiences. This can make social media marketing a real burden, one that grows heavier each day… and one that offers diminishing returns.

Edgar to the rescue! No longer do you publish your updates just once and then watch them sink beneath the waves of obscurity, missed by most and forgotten by all (even you) within hours of publication.

Edgar catalogs your social updates into a library that grows over time. You curate the library, and Edgar republishes those updates on a schedule you set. He publishes only what you want, and only when you want it done.

What happens once Edgar publishes all of the updates in a category (like “My Blog Posts,” for instance)? He just pulls more updates from your library.

You can handcraft each update and even write several fresh updates that point to the same resource, blog post or podcast episode.

Your social media posts don’t go to waste. Your “old” posts can become new again. And you have time to catch up on the latest episodes of The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones.

You can read a whole stack of 44 cool Social Media Marketing tips like this in this article at Social Media Examiner.

Spiritual Foundations

The Bible says that where sin abounds, grace abounds much more. (Romans 5:20)

But grace is about more than the forgiveness of sins. Check this out:

“And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.” Luke 2:40

Jesus did not sin. (2 Corinthians 5:21) So why and how was God’s grace was upon Jesus? There must be some way a human can abound in God’s grace even when he has not sinned.

The word “grace” is first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 6:8, which says that “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord”. Noah’s name means “rest”. So the verse is literally saying that rest found grace.

Grace was upon Jesus because He lived a life of rest, and trust in His Father. He said, “The Son can do nothing of Himself. He can do only what He sees His Father doing.” (John 5:19)

Grace comes upon us when we rest and trust God.

But what if nothing happens?

Honestly, if after you have given the matter to Jesus and nothing happens, what can you do? If Jesus Himself can’t do anything about it, do you think you can? But here's the truth: once the problem is handed over to Jesus, He can and will do a perfect work of taking care of it for you!

So live a life of rest. Have this attitude and tell the Lord, “I just rest in You Lord and I trust You.”

Feature Presentation: The Fastest Path to Cash

Sometimes your business just needs a fast infusion of cash, and today I'll show you 3 ways to get cash quick. Best of all, they are legal, moral, and ethical!

  1. Provide a service.
  2. Consult.
  3. Do a combination for more leverage.

Where do you find these customers?

  1. Your employer or past employers.
  2. Your customers or past customers.
  3. People you know, or people they know.

Question: Which path to fast cash could you take this week – and will you?

How You Can Help

Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review.

Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show.

If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.”

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

 

Direct download: REP159.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:41am PDT