How a Few Pages Can Make or Break Your Website

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A prospect unequivocally disagreed with a recommendation I made recently.

I told him a few pages of content could make a significant impact on his site. Even when presented with hard numbers backing up my assertions, he still balked. My ego started gnawing: would a painter tell a mathematician how to do trigonometry?

Unlike art, content marketing and SEO aren’t subjective. The quality of the words you write can be quantified, and they can generate a return for your business.

Most of your content won't do anything

In order to have this conversation, we really need to deal with this fact.

Most content created lives deep on page 7 of Google, ranking for an obscure keyword completely unrelated to your brand. A lack of scientific (objective math) process is to blame. But more on that later.

Case in point: Brafton used to employ a volume play with regard to content strategy. Volume = keyword rankings. It was spray-and-pray, and it worked.

Looking back on current performance for old articles, we find that the top 100 pages of our site (1.2% of all indexed pages) drive 68% of all organic traffic.

Further, 94.5% of all indexed pages drive five clicks or less from search every three months.

So what gives?

Here’s what has changed: easy content is a thing of the past. Writing content and “using keywords” is a plan destined for a lonely death on page 7 of the search results. The process for creating content needs to be rigorous and heavily supported by data. It needs to start with keyword research.

1. Keyword research:

Select content topics from keywords that are regularly being searched. Search volume implies interest, which guarantees what you are writing about is of interest to your target audience. The keywords you choose also need to be reasonable. Using organic difficulty metrics from Moz or SEMrush will help you determine if you stand a realistic chance of ranking somewhere meaningful.

2. SEO content writing:

Your goal is to get the page you’re writing to rank for the keyword you’re targeting. The days of using a keyword in blog posts and linking to a product landing page are over. One page, one keyword. Therefore, if you want your page to rank for the chosen keyword, that page must be the very best piece of content on the web for that keyword. It needs to be in-depth, covering a wide swath of related topics.

How to project results

Build out your initial list of keyword targets. Filter the list down to the keywords with the optimal combination of search volume, organic difficulty, SERP crowding, and searcher intent. You can use this template as a guide — just make a copy and you're set.

Get the keyword target template

Once you’ve narrowed down your list to top contenders, tally up the total search volume potential — this is the total number of searches that are made on a monthly basis for all your keyword targets. You will not capture this total number of searches. A good rule of thumb is that if you rank, on average, at the bottom of page 1 and top of page 2 for all keywords, your estimated CTR will be a maximum of 2%. The mid-bottom of page 1 will be around 4%. The top-to-middle of page 1 will be 6%.

In the instance above, if we were to rank poorly, with a 2% CTR for 20 pages, we would drive an additional 42–89 targeted, commercial-intent visitors per month.

The website in question drives an average of 343 organic visitors per month, via a random assortment of keywords from 7,850 indexed pages in Google. At the very worst, 20 pages, or .3% of all pages, would drive 10.9% of all traffic. At best (if the client followed the steps above to a T), the .3% additional pages would drive 43.7% of all traffic!

Whoa.

That’s .3% of a site’s indexed pages driving an additional 77.6% of traffic every. single. month.

How a few pages can make a difference

Up until now, everything we’ve discussed has been hypothetical keyword potential. Fortunately, we have tested this method with 37 core landing pages on our site (.5% of all indexed pages). The result of deploying the method above was 24 of our targeted keywords ranking on page 1, driving an estimated 716 high-intent visitors per month.

That amounts to .5% of all pages driving 7.7% of all traffic. At an average CPC of $12.05 per keyword, the total cost of paying for these keywords would be $8,628 per month.

Our 37 pages (.5% of all pages), which were a one-time investment, drive 7.7% of all traffic at an estimated value of $103,533 yearly.

Can a few pages make or break your website? You bet your butt.

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These 5 Mindful Habits Will Keep You From Burning Out

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Say no, except to playing. Always say yes to play time.

June 10, 2018

4 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Humans are easily distracted. Smartphones, gossip, social media, substance abuse, endless email, mindless web browsing, too much TV, video games, unnecessary meetings, bargain hunting. When done in excess, these activities zap you of energy, productivity, a willingness to serve and ultimately, fulfillment.

Related: How to Deal With Distractions Stealing Time Away From Your To-Do List

It doesn’t have to be that way. Here are five ways to rig your environment for greater success and happiness: 

1. Avoid passive screen time. 

Many, if not most, of us use computer screens to get work done. I’d call those active screens, in which we’re contributing, rather than taking from, the world. On the other hand, passive screen time reinforces the idea of “letting things and life happen to me,” as opposed to activating seeking out an doing things that that are important to you and your family. For maximum success and fulfillment, avoid passive screen time unless it’s something that truly excites you -- like a blockbuster movie, high-stakes competition or niche medium that gets your heart racing.

2. Keep a journal. 

Research shows that doing so increases gratitude, and that alone can make you happier. But keeping a journal also lets you know yourself better, which in turn will help you make better choices in the future. Since keeping a journal several times a month, I’ve been able to turbocharge my decision-making and learn from mistakes faster than I used to.

Related: What These 50 Successful Entrepreneurs Do Every Morning

3. Say “no” to invites that don’t resonate with you. 

More specifically, that could be declining things that don’t interest, excite or speak to you individually. Obviously this could be a bad thing for people with fear and confidence issues or those who don’t already volunteer their time to help those in need. That group should probably say yes more to opportunities. But for everyone else, saying no more usually means saying yes to yourself more, which results in greater success and more oxygen to improve and maintain your own health so you can better help others. Moral of the story: be strategic with your availability.

4. Declutter your mindshare. 

I am a devoted minimalist for several reasons -- thrift, better speed and less Murphy’s Law chief among them. On top of that, however, being a minimalist creates an environment were you literally have less to think and worry about -- fewer thoughts to distract you. That’s a powerful thing to both our productivity and mental well-being. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t reward yourself or splurge on things you love. You totally should. But only do so when you truly love something, as opposed to merely liking it or feeling peer pressure to love or like something that society suggests you should.

5. Play more. 

Unstructured play time is as healthy for adults as it is children. The act of play lets our mind wander, which activates it in new and sometimes innovative ways. Of course, more play doesn't always lead to greater inspiration, but more work certainly doesn’t either. In fact, too much work has been linked to burnout and stale thinking, both of which can frustrate our productivity, efficacy and contributions to the world. Although it sounds counter-intuitive, more play results in greater success and fulfillment.

Related: Team Burnout Is Real and You Might Be the Cause

If you’ve read this far, chances are you’re already hoping to change, improve or inspire your current trajectory for the better. For that, I commend you. But I also leave you with one of my favorite quotes on finding the courage to change. It’s been attributed to a variety of modern leaders and is a superb mechanism to instill self-mastery. “If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you’ve always got.”

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You Grew Your Startup, Now Build Your Advisory Board

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No company is complete without an advisory board. Here's how to build one.

June 10, 2018

7 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

No startup founder reaches success alone. Even when an entrepreneur has grown a kernel of an idea into a full-fledged, successful company, he or she should rely on outside expertise to keep the organization flourishing. It’s time for an advisory board.

Advisory boards provide valuable insight for startups -- assuming you listen. For years, Facebook and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, ignored its safety advisory board's warnings that user data could be seriously compromised, according to the Silicon Valley Business Journal. The result? Information about 87 million Facebook users may have been improperly given to political consulting group Cambridge Analytica during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

The Business Journal highlights ex-advisors for Zuckerberg who said this could've been avoided had he heeded the board's warnings. One said she regularly raised concerns about the lack of user data protection.

"I don't want this to look like finger-pointing, but I think profits matter to Mark [Zuckerberg] too much, and at some point, you need to recognize that you need to rely on experts in their fields," said the former advisor. "When you serve for free on an advisory board, you expect somebody's going to listen to you."

Respect and embrace your advisory board -- it's there to guide you in your overall mission and quest for success. To ignore good advice -- from a team you hand-selected -- is counterproductive.

When do you need an advisory board?

Two schools of thought exist about when to start an advisory board. The first recommends putting in the initial work to have a solid business before reaching out for advice. This group prioritizes having revenue and a team to reference when asking the board questions.

Related: 8 Steps to Creating an Effective Advisory Board

The second school of thought recommends having an advisory board on Day 0. For many entrepreneurs, this route makes sense. The list of questions to answer before even starting a business is endless: Is there a market for this? What’s the best way to test the market? How should the business be structured? Bouncing ideas off a board early on helps an entrepreneur make sense of these questions.

So when should you start an advisory board? It depends on the entrepreneur in question. Bear in mind that advisory boards are meant to be fluid -- as a startup grows, its needs will change, so the makeup of the advisory board will change with it. But how should you build a board?

Experts on Toptal suggest it’s time for an advisory board when a particular goal is above the abilities of the company’s resources, when an organization needs some positive buzz, when management needs some more skills, or when the team is stuck in a rut. Here are four steps to ensure a board's success:

1. Identify your deficiencies.

When you’re looking for members to fill your advisory board’s ranks, find those who can bridge your skill gaps. If you (or your team) aren’t great with finance, find someone who is. If regulations in a certain area are unclear, find someone with experience navigating that particular legal headache. Young startup leaders who haven’t hired or fired before should find a seasoned HR professional

Adweek recently announced the installation of its first-ever advisory board. Why? It needed help. In a letter to its readers, Adweek addresses a desire to change its value proposition to keep up with the times, readers' needs and overall market intelligence.

A portion of the publication's letter reads: "While we have already started down this path, it became very clear that we can’t go it alone and that we would need a much tighter bond with the people reshaping the brand marketing ecosystem. ... In short, we realized we need help beyond our newsroom to deliver on this vision and set out to form Adweek’s first Advisory Board."

Use your board to fill your knowledge or skill gaps. Even the biggest names have to do it.

2. Tap into your network -- but dare to go outside of it, too.

Finding high-level expertise might be easier than some entrepreneurs think. Start with your immediate network: Ask professional connections, mentors and loved ones for recommendations on advisors. They might know the right person for the job, and by asking that individual to help through a trusted connection, there’s less of a barrier to connect. These connections are also likely to be local, making it easier to meet in person.

But don't discount the power of working with big names and influencers. Sometimes you're lucky enough to find people who are particularly passionate about your business and its mission.

Related: The Power of the Personal Advisory Board

Questlove, drummer for The Roots, voluntarily joined the advisory board for Edible Schoolyard NYC -- a nonprofit seeking to eradicate food insecurity by teaching gardening and cooking in the classroom -- because he recalled learning years ago (through Magic Johnson) that a TGI Fridays in Harlem was the only place to order fresh salad for blocks. Frustrated, Questlove joined the board to make a difference, and the nonprofit was immediately found elevated success.

“He’s the real deal," said Kate Brashares, Edible Schoolyard's executive director. "He’s opened doors to us we never could have opened without him.” It pays to know the right people. So search locally for members in your network, but don't hesitate to reach for the stars.

Our company, too, recently looked past our own network: When my team first formed our fiduciary board of directors, our meetings were wildly unstructured -- we would often cover just one topic over a few hours. We needed guidance. The best option turned out to be someone none of us knew personally: a local serial entrepreneur with deep experience in helping companies transition through growth stages. While it took time to reach out and convince him to join us, his guidance remains invaluable.

3. Give your board structure and clarity of purpose.

For board members to give useful guidance, do the same for them. Have an objective in mind and be clear about how they can help your company grow. Provide specifics about advice your team is seeking and be open to receiving their feedback. If their meaning is unclear, ask for clarification. Provide all the details: good, bad and ugly. Clarify what type of input is needed, what the goal of the team is and how their advice will be utilized. Give details on meeting cadence and duration.

Related: 5 Tips for Forming an Advisory Board

Every three or four years, our team meets with the advisory board for two to four weeks, reviews the state of business, and offers suggestions to enhance company strategy. The board conducts a deep dive into financials; looks at trends since our last meeting and examines deal size; and segments growth, new logos and efficiency.

Many entrepreneurs will want an advisory board to be long-lasting. As a business becomes more established, it might be best to use the board as a shorter-term, more specific group. The board may take on a role similar to paid consultants. No matter the size of the advisory board or the capacity in which it is used, remember: It’s about diversity in wisdom.

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The Insane Amounts of Data We're Using Every Minute (Infographic)

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More than 470,000 tweets, 2.1 million snaps and 50,000 Instagram photos are posted every 60 seconds.

June 10, 2018

2 min read

With all the tweets, iMessages, streamed songs and Amazon prime orders, did you ever wonder just how much data is actually being generated every minute? To find out, cloud-based operating system Domo analyzed data usage over the past year, and shared the results in its sixth Data Never Sleeps report. It dives into online consumer behavior, examining the amount of data being generated every minute across popular apps and platforms including Google, Instagram, Amazon, Netflix, Spotify and more.

Related: How Data Science Can Help You Grow Your Business Faster

By the looks of the research, things are only getting bigger. In 2012, there were approximately 2.2 billion active internet users. In 2017, active internet users reached 3.8 billion people -- nearly 48 percent of the world’s population.

When it comes to social media, data usage is unsurprisingly high. Since last year, Snapchat alone saw a 294 percent increase in the amount of images shared per minute. Nearly 2.1 million snaps are shared every 60 seconds. On average, there are 473,400 tweets posted every minute, 49,380 Instagrams photos and 79,740 Tumblr posts.

Related: Here's How to Download and Delete Your Facebook Data

So who’s behind all this social media madness? Americans upped their internet usage by 18 percent since 2017, however it’s not all going to Snapchat and Twitter. Much of it is going to video-streaming services such as Netflix and YouTube. Since last year, Netflix saw a whopping 40 percent increase in streaming hours, going from 69,444 hours to 97,222. And YouTube videos have reached 4.3 million views per minute. Even the peer-to-peer transactions app Venmo saw a major data jump, with 32 percent more transactions processed every minute compared to last year. Overall, Americans use 3.1 million GB of data every minute.

To learn more about our data usage of 2018, check out the infographic below.

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6 Reasons Moms Make the Best Entrepreneurs

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Motherhood and entrepreneurship have a lot in common, meaning raising kids can do wonders in preparing you to run a business.

June 10, 2018

5 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

To all women who have raised kids, if you are new to entrepreneurship, switching career gears or possibly jumping back into the work force after having kids you are in the right place. As a mother myself of three older step-children and a 5-year-old, I'm here to say, you couldn't be any better prepared for being an entrepreneur than being a mom and raising children.

We've all heard that motherhood is a thankless, underpaid job, right? Turns out, so is entrepreneurship. You aren't going to start your own business if you are looking for pats on the back and a huge salary. None the less, like motherhood, this shouldn't stop you from jumping head first into the most amazing experience of your life.

Here are six reasons why moms make the best entrepreneurs.

1. No drama mama.

Moms are used to things not always going their way. From middle of the night diaper blow-outs to middle of the store tantrums, life as a mom is messy.

As mothers we've learned how to keep our composure to get through these unwelcome situations with a little more grace than our single selves could have. We know that while one minute we're up to our elbows in poo, the next moment can bring pure bliss from a simple gesture like child's smile. Suddenly, we are reminded that all our hard work and effort is well worth it.

Related: 15 Ways to Find Something to Smile About Every Day

Entrepreneurs live a similar existence, finding themselves in many icky and uncomfortable situations. One day they feel like their business is a failure, but then, with a small win, they're reminded of why they went into business in the first place.

2. Don't sweat the little stuff.

If we moms dramatized every time our kids erred, we wouldn't have any time to enjoy all the good stuff that's happening around us. We quickly clean up a mess, bandage a boo-boo or side-step piles of dirty clothes to get to what really matters: Quality time spent with our kiddos.

As an entrepreneur the ability to stay focused on the big picture will be advantageous to success. This leaves them with more quality time to spend developing relationships and a long-term growth business.

3. Time flies when you're having fun.

Juggling a full schedule of children's play dates, practices, nap times, homework, dinner menus or whatever, truly sets mothers up with superior time management skills. Moms easily wade through daily to-do's distinguishing urgent tasks from long-term goals, making us very efficient at our job.

Related: The 80/20 Rule of Time Management: Stop Wasting Your Time

Sometimes an entrepreneurial effort will be focused on making it through to the next day. Other times it's about developing a strategy that will ensure the future of the company. Knowing when and where to invest time is a huge part of running ones own business with high level efficiency.

4. Hats look good on you.

Moms are used to wearing many hats. We become short-order cooks, doctors, therapists, teachers and chauffeurs. While we may possess some applicable skills already, for others we'll just jump on YouTube for help from experts.

Most entrepreneurs possess a variety of skills that are applicable to starting their particular business. But as they really get into running a company, they'll be forced to learn all sorts of new skills and gain knowledge in areas of expertise they didn't even know existed.

5. It's not you.

This ones for all the new moms who's baby chooses daddy to hold them over you and to moms of teenagers who one day decides they don't want your hug in front of their friends. We have poured our heart and soul into our children, and when we get rejected, it's hard not to take it personally. But mothers keep an eye on the prize. We continue giving of ourselves because we know unwavering dedication makes all the difference in raising a good human.

Related: Don't Take Rejection Personally

The same sensitivity applies to the way entrepreneurs experience rejection. Whether it is the failure of their initial company idea or repeated passes from financial investors, it's hard not to take those rejections personally, when it's about something you created.

Regardless of how many times or by whom an entrepreneur is turned down, they will choose to keep going. Why? Because they believe they can truly make a difference, and because they believe in themselves.

6. Money doesn't grow on trees.

As moms we are more likely to be the one that budgets spending and makes the majority of the purchases for our household, from school necessities to family vacations. Making smart and savvy decisions is a high-pressure gig. Knowing where to save and where to splurge can make all the difference in a family's survival.

The large majority of startups are initially funded by the founders own personal savings. That makes every spend a big decision. An entrepreneur must decide between fees that are imperative to manage and grow their business versus those that just sound nice.

It seems like I am constantly applying a skill I've acquired from being a mother that I now apply to my new role as entrepreneur.

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Trump Says He'll "Probably" Back New Marijuana Bill

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The STATES act is one of the rare bills with bipartisan support, but it it good for entrepreneurs?

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The marijuana industry got a major canna-boost with the introduction of a new bipartisan bill and it's probable endorsement by President Trump.

Last Thursday, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren (D) and Colorado Senator Cory Gardner (R) teamed up to announce the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States Act (STATES). According to Gardner, the bill will "ensure that each state has the right to determine for itself the best approach to marijuana within its borders. The bill also extends these protections to Washington, D.C, U.S. territories, and federally recognized tribes, and contains common-sense guardrails to ensure that states, territories and tribes regulating marijuana do so safely."

President Trump appears to be all in on the bill. Before jetting off to the G-7 summit in Canada, he told reporters," I support Senator Gardner. I know exactly what he's doing. We're looking at it. But I probably will end up supporting that, yes."

Related: Trump Basically Says Obama-Era Marijuana Policies Aren't Going to Change

Just how big is all this? The Marijuana Policy Project, a legalization advocacy group, called the bill “the most significant piece of marijuana-related legislation ever introduced in Congress.”

Here's what the bill does and doesn't do. 

It Allows Legal Cannabis Businesses to Access Banks

Earlier this year, the Justice Department ruled that they could bring trafficking charges against banks who work with marijuana businesses. Fear of running afoul with the law has caused many banks to stop working with the industry, and it's forced cannabis entrepreneurs to figure out what to do with billions of dollars in cash. “That’s bad for business and bad for safety,” said Warren.

Gardner agreed. "Billions of dollars in cash are floating around Colorado and other states that have a legalized industry, and they can't bank it," he said. "It's time that we take this industry out of the shadows, bring these dollars out of the shadows and make sure we hold these people accountable for an industry that states are moving forward with regardless of the pace of business in Washington, D.C."

The STATES bill seeks to remedy this cash-only problem by saying that legal bank transactions under state law “shall not constitute trafficking” or “the basis for forfeiture of property.” In other words, banks don't have to worry about getting in trouble for working with legal cannabis companies. 

Related: What Every Cannabis Entrepreneur Needs to Understand About the Cole Memo

It Does Not Allow Marijuana to be Federally Legal

The STATES bill says nothing about legalizing marijuana. Under federal law, it's still classified as a schedule 1 drug, meaning it's illegal and thought to have no medical value and a high potential for abuse.

“This is not a legalization bill — I think that’s very important,” Gardner said.  “If a state like Oklahoma or Kansas or Nebraska chooses not to do this, they do not have to. The federal law remains the same. Nothing changes for them.”

It Protects Legal Marijuana Businesses

If you operate your business in a state where marijuana is legal and complies with "a few basic protections," the STATES act seeks to ensure that companies and individuals who abide by their state’s rules can’t be targeted by the federal government.

The bill does this by amending the Controlled Substances Act, which outlaws marijuana, by saying that its provisions no longer apply to anyone who is complying with state or tribal laws on the “manufacture, production, possession, distribution, dispensation, administration, or delivery of marijuana."

Says Warren, "The science is clear: Medical marijuana treatments are effective. There is absolutely no reason patients should be prevented from seeking scientifically approved care."

Related: What Is Schedule I and Why Is Marijuana on the List, Anyway?

But It Doesn't Offer Full Protection

The bill still leaves in place parts of the Controlled Substances Act, including prohibiting the distribution of cannabis at rest areas and truck stops and setting the legal age to buy the drug at 21, except for medical purposes.

It Makes Hemp Legal

Good news potentially for those in the hemp business. The STATES bill changes the definition of “marijuana” under the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp.

While hemp contains tiny traces of THC, the chemical compound in cannabis that produces psychoactive effects, it can also be used for things like paper, cotton, silk, rayon, linen, and wool. Hemp oil has been used as an ingredient in many cosmetics such as body lotions, soaps, and shampoos.

Related: Hemp Is the Multibillion-Dollar Cannabis Opportunity Few Have Heard About

 

 

 

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How My Cannabis Poem Landed on 8 Billboard Charts

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A pitch letter to Lin-Manuel Miranda ends up on a hip hop record.

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

If you look at many of the top tracks and on the Billboard charts, you’ll notice most of the subject matter deals with love, partying, or inhabiting Chris Brown's body. So, I could not help but be completely surprised, dazed, almost confused, when I found out that an album featuring my scolding rap on cannabis legalization had hit not one, but eight different Billboard Charts, including the numero uno (#1) on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, #9 on Rap Charts, and #11 on Independent Charts.

The album, The Whoodlum Ball, was produced by Smith & Hay, DJ Whoo Kid, and Ranna Royce. It features big-name rappers, cool up-and-comers and O.G.’s like Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA and Inspectah Deck, Twista, Lil Windex, Riff Raff, and Parliament-Funkadelic’s Jerome “Bigfoot” Brailey.

So, how did I, a humble cannabis writer, get on this chart-topping record?

 

The Backstory

It all started in my shower. 

I had recently seen famed playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda deliver a spot-on performance explaining Puerto Rico's debt crisis on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and thought: This guy would make for a great interview and could definitely add value to my book on cannabis business for Entrepreneur, which I was writing at the time.

I knew it would be hard to get him to talk about cannabis, even from a medical perspective. So I tried to get creative with my pitch. Over a longer-than-usual shower, I came up with a poem, a rendition of one of Lin-Manuel’s own, to send him:

Yo, Lin. Allow me to use your “ritmo,”

To talk cannabis legalization.

Let me tell you about the Washingtons that could fund education.

We could create a lot of wealth for every state in our great Nation,

A multiple billion-dollar basis of new taxation.

After about 15 minutes I had an entire song. I wrote it all down as soon as I got out of the shower.

Then I sent the whole, 300-word poem to Lin-Manuel’s team. Let's just say the response was not what I hoped:

“Regrettably, due to his work schedule, he is unavailable for an interview at this time.  I’ll be in touch should his schedule change.”

Related: 4 Actions to Help You Recover From a Crushed Dream

Disappointed? Yes, but I still cherished the poem. It was fun writing it. I even laughed to myself thinking of some parts – like “The great debate over morals has to wait / That’s Bubba telling Forest about shrimp on Judgment Day.”

 

The Record Deal

Fast forward to early April of 2018 – almost a year after that long shower. I’m in Pittsburgh at the World Medical Cannabis Conference and Expo, presenting my book with Entrepreneur: Start Your Own Cannabis Business: Your Step-By-Step Guide to the Marijuana Industry.

I decide to show the rap to a Senator friend--who will remain nameless. He suggests I perform it at a dinner cruise in front of 300 people later that night. At first hesitant and a bit embarrassed, I do it anyway.

A few days later, music producer Jonathan Hay sees a video of my performance and gives me a call. “Hey dude just saw your spoken-word,” he says. “I want to put it, as is, live, on an album I’m doing with DJ Whoo Kid, Ranna Royce, Twista, RZA and a bunch of other cool artists including some from Eminem’s posse.”

I told him I was in.

The album debuted a few weeks ago and quickly hit several Billboard Charts.

Lesson learned: Good friends will help you get heard. Authentic relationships will help you achieve your goals.

Related: Relationships Are Currency

 

The Final Cut

In case you're wondering, here are the full lyrics to my track "Stop the Madness."

 

Yo, peers. Allow me to drop some “ritmo,”

Talk cannabis legalization.

Let me tell you about the Washingtons that could fund education.

We could create a lot of wealth for every state in our great Nation,

A multiple billion-dollar basis of new taxation.

 

Hoping to God Jeff Sessions’ tragic misinformation

Does not confuse the Congress, which needs to pass legislation,

Ending with fratricidal tax burdens on medication.

I care about the stoners, but this is really about the patients.

 

This is a topic we refuse to ignore,

The opioid epidemic hitting home is real hardcore.

 

We got here at the cost of a million tombstones,

Leaving cartels to business, while damming the good souls.

 

They’ve locked up yours? They’ve locked up mine.

But somewhere down the line

We decided: if you’re white, you’ll get off with a simple fine.

 

The great debate over morals has to wait.

That’s Bubba telling Forest about shrimp on Judgment Day.

We need to be pragmatic and focus on what matters.

We’ve got Veterans, kids and mothers, patients going down the gutters

What about taxes? And what about the jobs?

We need to make weed legal, it is time to cut the loss.

 

To recap: 3.2 hundred million

American civilians are missing out on billions.

Booze, tobacco, pharma and prisons are leading this grand shakeout,

There’s nothing left to say or do. We’re done. We want a bill out!

 

It’s time to close the fracture, weed is not the malefactor.

We can’t just let it play out.

For some, death is less that a year out.

 

It’s non-partisan.

The hard part is in convincing Congress legalization matters

So their hearts get in the fight.

Not to get high.

But for relief.

A belief that there’s a leaf that can help millions ease their grief.

 

Sean Spicer, I’ll agree with your alternative “facts,”

I’ll play board-games with the Kushners, I’ll wear a Trump campaign hat.

 

Our citizens are suffering. Stop the Madness, it’s just pot.

Help our patients, all that’s needed is ONE law.

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How to Take Your Job Anywhere in the World

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It's time to pack your bags and go.

June 9, 2018

7 min read

This story originally appeared on Personal Branding Blog

The world feels small when you stay in the same place for too long. What if you could travel the world and work on your terms whenever you wanted?

That’s usually the question that raises a big red flag and makes you walk out on the latest webinar or workshop scam you fell for. You likely know the term “digital nomad,” but think that it’s reserved for top YouTube stars or bloggers with a secret inheritance funding it all. Digital nomads are an ambitious bunch who love to travel and work hard to make that lifestyle possible by conducting their work online.

Related: 6 Tips for Doing International Business

Intermixing travel and work at affordable rates while enjoying yourself and leading an independent life isn’t a pyramid scheme -- it’s you taking your life back in a realistic way. People of all ages see this lifestyle as a viable choice that you don’t want until retirement to enjoy. From remote jobs and freelance life to entrepreneurship, here’s how to take your job anywhere in the world.

Remote jobs

The internet is now accessible in most areas of the world and allows workers to clock in from anywhere. More companies hire an online workforce to work from home and complete their shifts. Not all employees work well in cubicles, but when given the opportunity to choose their workspace, they still prove themselves as team assets.

Various companies hire call center staff, engineers, coders, nurses, teachers, writers, designers and more to work remotely. Some positions require a space hardwired to the internet and a set shift with training in person for the first few weeks, but many more only require a reliable internet connection and a smartphone. As long as the quality product is in on time, you’re free to manage your work-life balance as you see fit.

Many job search sites also advertise these types of jobs. Just type “remote” or “work from home” in the location section. Look on the websites of major corporations for remote options on their “work for us” section. Dare to pitch your employer to let you work from home -- offer to do it on a trial flex-time basis to build trust.

The freelance lifestyle

Often referred to as the “gig economy,” the freelance lifestyle could encompass 50 percent of the workforce by 2027, and it’s multiplying. Many who lead the digital nomad life are freelancers and among the self-employed, using their talents in UI/UX design, graphic design, writing, sales and more to make a living.

Related: 6 Hobbies That Can Make You Money on the Side

To go freelance, you pick a niche and specialty that you have a passion for and provide a list of services. You should have a portfolio to demonstrate your skills and work history. Check with old business contacts and those inside your network to gain new clients. Reach out to related businesses to combine forces and increase your chances of winning clients.

The more you pitch your services, the better at it you will get. You may need to start at lower rates than you would like to as you build your portfolio, but don’t underestimate your skills. Account for costs in your fees, so you don’t end up in the negative. If pitching services as a freelance writer, you should demonstrate your knowledge on the subject, provide a brief outline of your well-thought-out idea and why it fits the audience. Follow editors on social media because they’ll sometimes post a call for submissions on a hot topic.

Soon, you’ll travel to a destination and see twenty potential stories while sitting in a coffee shop. When your work takes you to a foreign country, use a company for asset management, such as managing your property, so you don’t have obligations weighing you down and impeding your business and travel goals. You can also pitch businesses for reviews and interviews in exchange for staying at a hotel or experiencing their services — remain ethical at all costs. Your reputation and livelihood depend on it.

Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurial nomads do what’s called “bootstrapping” and base their companies in areas such as Colombia, Thailand or Chiang Mai. They pick an affordable commercial building and have more time and money to allocate to their venture.

Entrepreneurs create new apps and online business. They might sustain traveling by mixing up their trades and freelancing part-time. One of the fastest ways to generate a lucrative business idea is to think of something that bugs you and offer a solution. Do you have a way to provide another solution faster or improve upon it? Obtain feedback from existing customers and research what’s out there. Develop a business plan and get started.

Tips for making the move

Whether you decide on remote work, freelancing or entrepreneurial endeavors, you also need to strategize for taking your work on the road. You can pick up and go, letting it all unfold with trust in the business and prosperity gods, but the more realistic option for success is planning before you make a move. Here are a few tips to get started.

1. Set a buffer time

Give yourself a buffer time to adjust to your new lifestyle and make the necessary plans. You’ll need a just-right amount of clients to pay for things back home, your taxes and travels.

Having a buffer time allows you to catch mishaps in advance before they happen while you’re away and have a more difficult time addressing issues from afar.

2. Save up money

Start setting aside money now to work toward your goals. Include mini goals, such as getting your passport, but also add a bigger goal of having a safety net in case you get stuck in a foreign country with a buck to your name.

4. Secure your working base

Will you buy, rent or sit in a space to get your work done? Renting a space through a monthly or annual membership is now an option at many coworking initiatives.

Related: 5 Habits Millennial Workers Should Start Right Now

You share a space with other entrepreneurs and freelancers and have access to software and small business resources you might not be able to afford on your own, especially if you only need them on a short-term business. Collaborate to build your network and list of clients.

You can also set up at internet cafes or coffee shops but watch your expenses. Two lattes easily become four, and your take-home pay suffers.

5. Do it

Once you have your new work life and travel destination arranged, it’s time to bite the bullet and do it. Pack your bags and go.

Take your job across the world

You’re about to embark on an unforgettable digital nomad lifestyle where you choose your schedule and lead a better work-life balance. Taking your job with you across the world will lead to a more fulfilling life filled with work you care about and powerful experiences.

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Maximizing Your YouTube Videos – Part 1

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YouTube.com is amazing to promote your blog and content. It has been used by millions to generate niche relevant traffic to their blog and even generate money. YouTube.com does pay when views hit a certain threshold, however, the EXACT value is known to me. What I can tell you is YouTube.com can be amazing to drive traffic and maximize your results. For those of you new to YouTube, you should take some time and learn what’s important, however, it doesn’t take much because of the resources available to you. If you are serious about blogging and building a brand, videos are definitely important. I believe they are the best to engage readers while building brand awareness because they resonate with everyone all over the world.

I’ve created this two part series to explore how YouTube can be used to maximize your potential, but it’s important you have some of the fundamentals down.

Let’s explore the following:

• Views


• Description


• Comments

Views

This is something that is very true and should not be avoided. Becoming popular on YouTube is distinguished by views and they have to be legitimate. YouTube will rank your videos depending on the amount of views you are getting because it gives them a good idea of the quality. The longer the audience watches your video, the more value it must be providing…right? However, it’s important not to invest any money in buying views because they are NOT relevant and the likelihood of them watching for a long period of time is very slim.

To achieve this without any issues, I encourage all of you to take the time and create something special from the start. There is no substitute for quality, even if you publish after 2 months.

Description

Just like when doing SEO on your content pages, it’s important to optimize your videos, too, because this will help you rank within YouTube. They provide you with a description area, which will allow you to put a couple of hundred words together and it’s important you make them as targeted as possible. You want to make sure you include your target keywords within your title and description. YouTube also allows you to link out from this section to any URL and I would encourage you to link to your website.

The good news is, you have several resources available to you to do the right type of research. For example, keyword research is the most important and you can use tools like Keyword Planner to perform research. However, I recommend you pay close attention to your competitors because you can learn a lot from them. They have been in the industry for a while and have done all the research, so you can collect a lot of data from them.

Comments or Votes

Comments have been huge for bloggers because they provide a lot of information. You can get feedback or even content ideas from what others have to say. However, YouTube uses them as a ranking factor by understanding that votes and comments mean value. The more value your video provides, the higher the votes and interaction among users, which are all good signs.

What can you do on your part?

Make sure you reply to comments just like you would on your personal blogs. This will help people understand what your video is about if they have trouble. This will also encourage people to vote up, which is very important to maximize your video and increase rankings. However,

Never ask people for votes because YouTube will catch on to this and ban your video or account from their platform. There is NO substitute for value.

In part 2, we’ll be going over some other elements that are important to build and maximize your videos.

Click Here To Download John Chow’s New eBook, The Ultimate Online Profit Model!

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How to Keep Your Teams Synchronized Across Different Time Zones

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It's no easy task to coordinate teams across the country or around the world, but a handful of simple preparations can prevent your phone from ringing at 4 a.m.

June 9, 2018

5 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The world has become increasingly globalized over the last several decades; with the continuous development and advancement of modern technology, our international connectedness has become stronger than ever. To keep up with the expanding global marketplace, businesses have begun to sprinkle their offices across the world. Some corporations have a few international offices, while others need only manage teams on opposite coasts of the US.

No matter which category your company falls into, conducting business across time zones can be especially tricky. By implementing the following practices, companies can maintain a solid handle on their international communication to keep things flowing.

Set up ground rules.

According to Murphy’s Law, anything that can go wrong will go wrong. While things may be “business as usual” right now, it’s still important to prepare for the worst. If an office overseas has a daytime problem in the middle of your night, whom should the team contact? Outline your business’s chain of command and make it accessible to everyone in every office. If someone can’t get a product order out on-time, but their contact person across the pond is asleep during the emergency, the employee should know who else will be awake and ready to help.

Related: Is Your Business Prepared to Handle an Unexpected Emergency?

Setting up a “home base” time zone -- one that everyone knows to synch to -- can be a useful strategy for some businesses. For example, if an update is happening on the company intranet, you can easily specify in your email notice that it will occur at 4 p.m. HQT. Staff can then quickly determine what that means for their office, and keep things moving without hiccups.

Know when to video chat -- and when not to.

It’s easy for people to stop paying attention during conference calls early in the morning or late at night. Video chatting allows for more personal communication, and makes focusing on meeting content more natural for the involved parties. Plus, it’s helpful for employees to be able to put a name to a face, especially when their partners work halfway across the country or even around the globe.

Related: 7 Tips for Managing Offshore Teams

While video chatting is a fantastic tool, it is also important to consider when video chatting is not a good idea. If you make a mistake on your project, but need help from an office with a seven-hour time difference from your own, try to avoid visual conferences. Someone who has just been woken by a 5 a.m. work call probably doesn’t want you to have a visual of his or her bedhead. This may also be true for regularly scheduled meetings and calls; those who handle these events from home may appreciate not having to finish their morning routine before the call. Set some rules about video chatting with which your team members feel comfortable.

Schedule, schedule, schedule.

According to Harvard Business Review, consistent meetings are much more important for global teams than for co-located groups. “Consistent meetings where people can connect in both formal and informal ways is critical for fostering team cohesion.”

While you can tell your desk-neighbor about your baby-on-the-way or your sister’s engagement, cross-country coworkers may be missing out on these critical moments. Informal connections ensure that international coworkers view each other as humans, not as robotic emails on a screen. These meetings also allow for formal check-in’s regarding projects, problems and other office developments. Just because a company’s offices are separated geographically doesn’t mean they should be separated mentally.

Related: Our Ability to Work Remotely Keeps Growing, So Why Hasn't Productivity?

With some strategic planning, groups can schedule online meetings that work for offices in a variety of time zones. Such meetings don’t need to occur every day (matching up all of those schedules can be tough), but every week or two will keep everyone on the same page.

Meet in person.

One of the best ways to shrink the gap between two offices is to cross it. If you can, have some of your employees meet in person once in awhile, especially if their positions regularly rely on each other from afar. If workers from one office visited you last month, talk to your supervisor about visiting their office. This won’t work for every office or team, but meeting in real life can be useful when dealing with larger, more crucial projects, and decreases the risk of miscommunication via email, phone, or message.

Be supportive.

Just like a co-located team, a cross-country or international team needs to provide support for one another. During your routine check-in meetings, make sure everyone is managing their workload without too much stress. If there seems to be an imbalance of projects, how can you adjust it to make things simpler? This may be a good time to send some employees abroad and provide some extra helping hands.

Find the right tools.

Video chatting is just one way for your team to remain connected. Invest in a project management software program (Basecamp, Jirra), chat tools such as Slack, and whatever else you can find to manage communication and projects. After all, if communication breaks down, your team can’t get things done.

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Networking Rule #1: 'Take Off the Bib and Put on the Apron!'

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Everyone knows networking is crucial but nearly nobody is teaching anybody how to do it well.

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7 Visualization Techniques to Calm Your Anxious Mind (Infographic)

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These simple tricks can help you relax and live a stress-free life.

June 9, 2018

2 min read

Whether you’re juggling multiple jobs or taking care of toddlers, all that running around can often come with a side of anxiety. Instead of letting these nerves get the best of you, it’s important to figure out a way to manage them. One helpful strategy is through visualization.

Related: Mastering Your Emotions and Using Your Most Valuable Asset

It’s empowering to know that you have the ability to control your mind and your emotions. With the help of some visualization techniques, you’ll not only be able to do that but you’ll likely see an improvement in your overall job performance. Not sure where to start? Here are some examples.

If you’ve had a long day at work and all you want to do is crawl into bed but your mind begins racing once you're in bed, think of a bunch of people talking loudly outside an open window. Instead of shouting at them, imagine yourself closing the window. This is a way to silence those people, which is really silencing your racing thoughts.

Related: Kills! 5 Ways to Keep Your Stress Levels Low.

Another scenario might be, when you make a mistake at work and all you do is beat yourself up about it. Combat these unwanted thoughts with the “stop sign” technique, where you literally picture a big red stop sign on an empty street in the middle of a clear day, and repeat to yourself: “Stop.”

In the case that you’re having trouble unwinding at the end of a busy day, the “ball of yarn” technique can help. Simply picture a ball of yarn as something holding all of your tension from the day. Then pretend to hold the tip of the yarn, and let it unravel as if your tension is unraveling as well.

Related: Workplace Stress Is at a Record High. Here's What's Causing It.

While these tricks might seem elementary, reducing stress and calming your mind is easier than you think. If you want to learn more, check out Net Credit’s infographic below.

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3 Ways to Raise Your Self-Worth

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If you do not feel worthy of great success, you will never achieve it.

June 8, 2018

6 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Whether in business or your personal life, feelings of unworthiness can hamper your ability to shine. When we don't perceive ourselves as worthy, we tend to self-sabotage and avoid going for (or asking for) what we deserve.

Related: These Artists, Authors and Leaders Battled Self-Doubt Before They Made History

My good friend, entrepreneur Ed Mylett, shared an idea with me that I thought was extremely powerful. He described different things in our lives that have a thermostat: our financial success, weight and especially our self-worth.

The premise is simple. Even if your self-worth increases or decreases a few degrees, or you experience a tremendous change over time, you will eventually revert back to whatever your internal success thermostat is set at. This begs the question: "What can I do to raise my internal thermostat?"

1. Provide value and feel valuable.

The first and best way to improve your feelings of worthiness is simply to provide value to others; be kind to others as well as to your future self. Be of service, which means providing value with no expectations of receiving anything in return. It contains the requirement that you give unconditionally. Giving with expectation, as my friend Bob Proctor says, is trading and not real giving.

It's essential to have both focus and intention on what we want, in order to get it. And it's difficult to manifest what you want without being of service to others. Providing value by being of service creates a void that the universe will fill for you.

Giving not only makes you feel good, but this altruistic act is contagious. Giving makes you happy, makes the person who receives happy, and even those who witness giving become happier.

A study tracking 2,000 people over a five-year period, found that those who described themselves as "very happy" were the ones who volunteered 5.8 hours per month, on average. Providing value for others made those individuals feel valuable themselves.

Related: How to Act Self-Confident

2. Keep your promises.

Part of being of service is keeping promises that you make to yourself, as well as what you promise to others. Living up to your promises builds trust from others, and confidence in yourself, which leads to a better perspective of your worth. When you set achievable goals and put plans in place to meet them, you'll experience a higher rate of success and simultaneously turn up your worthiness thermostat. You need goal setting (and promise keeping) to be a consistent, persistent behavior, which will then allow you to enjoy the pursuit of your potential by creating objectives and meeting them.

One of my favorite examples to demonstrate this idea involves working out. Many people try to go "all in" immediately on new exercise regimes. I take an alternative approach. I set the bar very low at the start.

The first day that I started working out, I made a promise to myself that I'd put on my workout shoes. That was it. But, that first day, not only did I put all my gear on, but I actually ended up doing 30 minutes of cardio and stretching; I felt great afterward.

The next day, I wanted to increase my progress. I set a goal to put on all my workout clothes. But, once again, I made it to the gym and overachieved even more.

By keeping simple promises like these, and then going above and beyond, you not only build confidence in yourself but also your ability to follow through. You feel good that you are an achiever, and you feel worthy and capable of even greater achievements.

Related: 10 Things You Can Do to Boost Self-Confidence

3. Accountability means knowing you're worthy.

Living with accountability is yet another way to improve your feelings of self-worth. Accountability gives you the power or control over everything in your life. Accountability means that you don't live in a world of blame, shame or justification. Rather, you take on all challenges as an opportunity to learn and grow.

People who are accountable ask themselves two questions when those challenges arise:

• What did I do to attract it to myself?
• What am I supposed to learn from it?

The tendency of people to go "below the line" stems from the impulse to defend their ego. But, in reality, they're just avoiding accountability. Going below the line is a guaranteed way to lower your thermostat.

Whenever you can, invite others to help keep you accountable. Whether it's a spouse, a coworker or a coach, ask them to make sure that you stay on track with achieving your goals.

If you cannot find a group or someone you trust to help keep you accountable, keep track of your words and actions yourself. Journaling is an effective way to do this. Just make sure to be honest with your evaluation of your performance.

Related: 5 Ways to Train Your Brain and Boost Your Self-Esteem

Raise your thermostat.

If you want to make a lasting improvement to your self-image and raise your thermostat of worthiness, embrace the principles of service, keep promises you make to yourself (as well as to others), set realistic goals that you can achieve, but keep raising the bar. Finally, take charge of your life by being accountable and living above the line of blame, shame and justification.

These strategies are well worth your time if you want to build your self-worth, feel like you are deserving, and consistently, persistently, rapidly attract the great things that are coming your way.

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Does Your Retirement Plan Pass the 3-Point Check-Up?

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Consider these factors to bolster tour financial self-sufficiency.

June 8, 2018

5 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Retirement plan fees, taxes and healthcare costs are among the biggest threats to Americans’ financial security. Many workers aren’t just financially unprepared for retirement -- they haven’t done the basic calculations to determine how much money they will need.

Related: This Innocuous Sounding Phrase Is Actually a Mortal Threat to Your Retirement Planning

That’s one of the findings of the 28th annual Retirement Confidence Survey just released by the nonprofit Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and the research firm Greenwald & Associates.

The annual survey, conducted in January among 1,002 workers and 1,040 retirees, found that only about half of workers 55 and older had calculated their cost of living and how much money they would need to have saved to pay their bills.

And despite healthcare costs in retirement that Fidelity now estimates to be $280,000 per couple (not including long-term care costs), only 1 in 5 workers and 4 in 10 retirees have calculated how much money they will need to cover these expenses in particular in retirement.

That's why EBRI’s survey is full of warning signs about how unprepared Americans really are for retirement. For instance, the survey found that (applying its scientific findings broadly):

• 43 percent of workers 55 and older have less than $100,000 in savings and investments; only 38 percent have $250,000 or more.
• Most workers expect to work until age 65, but the actual median age of retirement is 62.
• While only 1 in 10 workers think they will retire before age 60, 35 percent actually do -- often because of layoffs or health problems.
• Eight in 10 workers expect to rely on defined contribution plans such as 401(k)s for retirement income, but only about half of retirees report such workplace savings plans are a source of income.
• The shift from company-sponsored pension plans to 401(k) plans, IRAs and other government-sponsored retirement plans has been disastrous for Americans’ financial security.
• Not surprisingly, EBRI finds that 8 in 10 workers are interested in redirecting their money to “a financial product that would guarantee them monthly income for life.”

Related: Just Listen: The IRS Is Telling You How to Have a Tax-Free Retirement

Most workers started retirement accounts such as 401(k)s or IRAs years ago because their employers offered them, and it was considered the wise thing to do. But despite balances that may have swollen with recent gains in the stock market, people are uneasy about their long-term financial security ... and they should be!

Retirees and pre-retirees who have a big portion of their assets in stocks face the risk that the market will tank as they are withdrawing money from their accounts -- with a devastating impact on their retirement lifestyle. A market crash at that stage of your life can force you to either draw down your retirement savings much faster, or to live on much less money.

This is why conventional retirement plans such as 401(k)s and IRAs are sometimes referred to as “hope and pray” plans. They offer no guarantees, so you cannot possibly know what your account value will be at any given point in time. That may have been acceptable to you early in your career when you had plenty of time to accumulate retirement assets, but does it make sense for you today?

Your financial goals and objectives, as well as your tolerance for risk and surprises, have likely changed dramatically since you started your career. And that fact makes this is a good time to put your retirement plan through a three-point checkup to see if it still makes sense for you at this stage of your life.

Here are the three key issues to examine: 

1. The predictability of the growth in your plan. How important is it to you to know the minimum value of your plan and how much income will it provide when you want to tap into it? If the market tanks by 50 percent or more (as it has twice since the year 2000) and that occurs just before or after you retire, will the loss significantly affect your retirement lifestyle?

2. Liquidity and access to your money. 401(k)s and IRAs have many restrictions on how and when you can access your savings. You'll have to pay taxes plus a 10 percent penalty if you withdraw money before 59½. And, to do that, you'll have to sell investments that you were counting on for growth. If it's a bad time to sell, you're out of luck.

If your 401(k) plan permits borrowing (IRAs do not), there are strict limits on how much you can borrow, how long you can borrow it for and how you must pay it back. Because of this, you really have to consider the money in your retirement account as a non-liquid asset you won't touch until age 59½.

3. Taxation of the income you take from your plan. People like the idea that they can contribute to a 401(k) or IRA with before-tax dollars. Over the years, they tend to forget that they have only deferred their tax liability and are sitting on a tax time bomb, which they'll discover once the IRS starts taking 25 to 50 percent of the value of their retirement savings.

It's a little-known fact that, if tax rates stay the same, it doesn't make any difference if you pay your taxes before you put money aside, or when you take withdrawals. Ask yourself this very important question: What direction do you think tax rates are going over the long term?

Related: The Retirement Plan Strategy Small-Business Owners Need to Know About

Does your retirement account pass the three-point test? If not, this is the time to look into alternatives that can help you best meet your current financial goals and objectives.

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Influencer Marketing Isn't Just for Fashion, Beauty and Food Anymore.

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No wonder financial brands want in: Influencer marketing experienced a 198 percent increase last year alone.

June 8, 2018

5 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Influencer marketing has seen substantial growth in the past year, experiencing a 198 percent increase last year alone, according to a study by Klear. But this growing social media marketing tactic isn't limited to just consumer brands anymore. As influencer marketing matures, brands outside of fashion, beauty and food are catching up on its use.

Related: The Road Ahead for Influencer Marketing: 2018 and Beyond

The healthcare industry, for example, has witnessed an onset of influencers among its brands. And now even financial companies-- from banks to insurance companies to personal finance apps -- are recogining the benefit influencer marketing can pose for their brand awareness.

Indeed, financial brands have a number of unique opportunities and considerations when it comes to partnering with influencers.

Influencers can humanize financial brands.

Let's face it: Topics relating to finances -- savings accounts, retirement, loans -- can be confusing, intimidating and, yes, boring. More than that, financial institutions, particularly post-the 2008 financial crisis, have long had a reputation that doesn't put them on the list of consumers' favorite brands.

Here, Influencers are uniquely positioned to connect a brand to a personal story in a way that's superior to what a traditional print or digital ad could do. Connecting a brand and its products to a personal life journey - whether that be saving for a wedding or financing a renovation -- is all about bringing a friendly brand connotation, relatability and authenticity to these financial brands.

Prudential Insurance, for instance, connected with consumers' feelings of love and loss through its #MasterpieceofLove short film series highlighting people who'd experienced extreme loss and how it affected them emotionally or financially, plus how these people overcame the trauma.

On the flip side, financial planning brands are emphasizing how to save for focal life moments by partnering with influencers during major life events like a wedding or around-the-world trip. Savings app Qapital partnered with @girlwithnojob throughout her wedding planning to showcase the different functions the platform offered her. American Express worked with influencers who were undergoing moves or home renovations to help showcase that use of its #PayItPlanIt feature.

Related: 11 Common Mistakes You're Making With Influencer Marketing

Even if you're not working with huge financial brands but are an entrepreneur working with a smaller financial planning or savings app, hiring influencers is a smart strategy: It not only communicates your company's values but also shares what may be complicated information in a way that's understandable and approachable.

Influencers can highlight philanthropic efforts.

We have found that many financial brands already support a number of philanthropic causes but find it difficult to really portray these efforts in a relevant way. The reason: Heavily promoting your brand's good deeds can seem disingenuous. To remedy this Catch-22, financial brands can partner with influencers to both drive support for as well as publicize their philanthropic initiatives.

When, deciding on the right influencer, It's important for a brand to partner with one that has a personal connection or passion for a cause in order to ensure the partnership is not only authentic, but also drives a deeper community engagement.

In our recent research, we found that programs that give back also drive stronger brand recall. When asked about their favorite fashion and beauty social media and influencer marketing campaigns, nearly 50 percent of micro-influencers we surveyed chose (unprompted) one with a social responsibility message. Further, 70 percent of millennials polled said that they would spend more on brands supporting causes they care about (AMA).

One cause that's attracted particular attrention is women business owners: JPMorgan Chase continues to highlight this segment of owners through its #ChaseSMB series. Ellevest, a financial platform for women, has an ongoing series, "Five Minutes With," where it shares interviews with female entrepreneurs

For small brands, even startups, that are hosting philanthropic events or spearheading seasonal campaigns that have a charitable aspect, adding an influencer to the mix can be a helpful tool to share the company's philanthropic efforts with its target audience and encourage participation, via donations or event attendance.

Financial brands need to avoid problems with the FTC ... and FINRA.

Unlike consumer brands, financial brands must abide by regulations set forth by not only the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) but also the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA.) Specifically, financial companies need to be careful that their own content, as well as that posted by influencers, doesn't recommend any particular product or investment strategy.

For example, even a retweet in support of a particular company stock or investment idea could trigger FINRA's suitability rule, and be deemed a "recommendation."

Like any brand working with influencers, financial brands must also be privy to the usual FTC regulations that relate to disclosure. Because there is typically no clear product placement occurring in a post about a financial brand, marketers must be especially diligent in providing and requiring clear disclosure around an influencer's paid post.

Savvy marketers know that influencer marketing is no longer just about product placement, but rather an opportunity to share their unique offerings and brand values with target audiences. Of the products and services those marketers promote, financial brands' values are rooted in personal life experiences, and influencers are uniquely positioned to drive personal stories around products (whether tangible or not).

Related: What I've Learned From Spending $10 Million on Influencer Marketing

As such, it's extremely wise for financial companies -- whether they be corporations or startups -- to incorporate influencer strategy into their overall marketing mix ,if they haven't done so already.

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7 Rules for Shipping Internationally

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Win over customers with an affordable and predictable buying experience.

June 8, 2018

6 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

If you haven't already started selling internationally, it is time to start! According to Statistica, from 2014 to 2021 worldwide ecommerce sales will grow almost 246 percent, from $1.3 trillion to $4.5 trillion. The global competition for customers is increasing, with a significantly growing number of shoppers buying from sellers across international borders, including 83 percent of shoppers in Canada, 81 percent in Brazil and 78 percent in Mexico, according to the global UPS Pulse on the Online Shopper study. In the U.S., nearly half (47 percent) of shoppers purchased from merchants outside the U.S.

Related: 7 Tips for Reducing Your Shipping Costs

Smaller ecommerce companies often turn to marketplaces like Amazon and eBay to support selling internationally. Marketplaces like these allow customers to make international purchases in a safe, familiar environment. According to a 2017 International Post Corporation (IPC) survey of 29,000 International customers in 30 countries, 53 percent of all consumer international ecommerce purchases go through just three marketplaces: Amazon, eBay and Alibaba. Marketplaces can help solve currency conversion issues and provide international exposure to a large number of customers to create potentially tremendous new business opportunities.

While this rapid international growth is exciting, meeting customer expectations for predictable international transactions remains a challenge. The IPC survey also found that 62 percent of international buyers, for example, still expect to receive free shipping when shipping internationally despite the higher costs and unpredictable cross-border issues. Meeting high expectations and staying profitable is difficult, given the additional challenges of international shipments.

Here are seven tips to help small online merchants take advantage of the growing opportunities of selling internationally while remaining profitable and creating a predictable shipping experience for their customers. Sellers need to:

1. Know the international demand for your product and how your target countries regulate it.

Decide how to fulfill orders to different countries by answering basic questions. What is the demand for your product? Is your item taxable in this country and at what value or quantity? What customs regulations impact your product? What is the country's de minimis level (the minimum threshold value for duties)? Are there methods to quickly locate a de minimis level for a given product so you can make the right decisions for your business model?

For example, if a company is selling expensive leather jackets into a country with a $100 threshold that triggers a per-item tax, your customers could be charged a customs fee equal to the value of the product. This might make your product too expensive for the target market. In a case like this, it might be much cheaper to put a load of jackets on a ship headed to a warehouse in Germany, and fulfill the jackets locally rather than shipping them individually using an international parcel service. Remember: Use your parcel carrier's knowledge. It has customs brokers available who can help you figure out what duties apply to your products, in which countries. It can help with customs problems and suggest the most efficient shipping methods for your situation.

Related: 5 Ways to Get Your Small Business Booming in New International Markets

2. Control your shipping costs by using a parcel consolidator.

Most consumer ecommerce international packages weigh in at 20 pounds or less. The IPC survey also found that more than two-thirds of all international consumer ecommerce purchases are sent via parcel post. However, unlike U.S. First-Class Mail, handling parcels one at a time internationally doesn't make much sense. First-Class Mail International can get expensive, making selling low-cost items a challenge because of transportation costs. And rapidly increasing volumes from China and other countries has created a strain on last-mile delivery speeds and reliability.

The challenges with international post have created a new breed of parcel service called the parcel consolidator. Upon shipment, using one of these services, packages are routed to a U.S. shipping center by the vendor, where they are consolidated on a pallet or large box by country and receive postage for the destination country. When packages arrive in the destination country, they go through customs in bulk and are dropped into the local post. This process lowers both shipping and cross-border costs and increases shipping speed. The packages are distributed worldwide to the customer's doorstep.

Related: 6 Secret Tricks to Decrease Your Shipping Costs

3. Create a more predictable international buying and fulfillment experience using shipping automation software.

Express couriers can charge for delivery re-attempts, address correction fees and return fees. Sellers need to provide valid and accurate contact and address information from customers. Shipping automation software eliminates input errors by allowing users to automatically import orders from marketplaces, such as eBay, Amazon and others. Sellers can also purchase discounted postage, accurately and automatically print labels, and quickly locate orders and track shipments from a centralized dashboard. This is invaluable for immediately dealing with customs issues. Many products also allow you to create customized shipping automation rules to further streamline your fulfillment operations.

4. Use technology-based rate shopping to more accurately estimate shipping and control total delivery costs.

Different international shipping carriers and parcel consolidators serve different countries and customers better depending on their needs. Using shipping software with a side-by-side rate shopping feature allows shippers to search all of the international options available and see complete shipping estimates. According to the IPC survey, 93 percent of international shoppers won't make a purchase unless they know the full cost -- including delivery and duties -- before they buy.

Related: On-Demand Shipping VS the Post Office: What's Different (Infographic)

5. Deliver packages Deliver Duty Paid (DDP) rather than Deliver Duty Unpaid (DDU) by accurately estimating the full cost of a shipment, including duties, taxes and fees.

This decreases the chance that the package will be held up in customs and reduces unpleasant surprises for your customers ("$50 due to receive my package?"). Advanced shipping automation solutions simplify the process by allowing sellers to search premium customs content as part of their international shipping options, and see total landed cost estimates including duties.

6. Look for an online shipping solution that offers Electronic Trade Documentation and paperless invoices.

Electronic Trade Documentation is a real time-saver. Many countries require five printed copies of each invoice attached to the outside of the shipping container package. By submitting customs documentation electronically, you no longer need to print multiple copies. Always include a single printed copy of the invoice inside the package in case the label is damaged in transit.

7. Never misrepresent or under-declare the value of your items.

Shipping internationally is serious business. Do not try to game the system. Customs can confiscate or delay your shipment if they suspect it's more valuable than you claim. Play by the rules, and incorporate tariffs and other product bans into the international ecommerce equation.

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