Marisa Murgatroyd, Author at Live Your Message

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Always remember: Your business is about more than just what you do, it’s about how and why you do it.

People choose to work with YOU because of the how and why, not the what.

Let’s face it. There are other people out there who can do what you do. But not necessarily in the way that you do it.

And it’s that secret sauce, that magic, that je ne sais quoi that makes all the difference between a yes and a no.

So, how do you go about branding a business?

These 7 branding guidelines will get you started powerfully:

1. Get inspired. Start by identifying 5 businesses or brands that you admire and want to be like. Which elements or emotions do you want to incorporate into your brand?

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The Top 2 Business Questions to Ask

August 15, 2012 by Marisa Murgatroyd

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Have you ever asked yourself, why can’t I do this? Or how can I succeed when there are so many people out there who do what I do? Or, even, what’s wrong with me?

…only to find that the question led to an onslaught of negativity, anxiety and self-doubt?

The problem isn’t that you’re not good enough, smart enough, young enough, or [insert your biggest fear or doubt here]…

The problem is that you’re asking the wrong questions. Let me explain.

Tony Robbins says: “Change your questions, change your life.” Because our questions determine our focus, and our focus directly determines our results.

So, what questions should you be asking yourself every day to open possibilities rather than problems? What questions should you be asking yourself if you want massive success in your business?

I can tell you it’s not the usual questions like, “what email marketing service should I use?”

The two most powerful questions in business are really quite simple…

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Why Your Personal Brand Matters (regardless of what business you’re in)

July 26, 2012 by Marisa Murgatroyd

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While your topic or what you do will change and evolve as you continue in business and the needs of the marketplace shift, who you are at your core stays constant. You are through line of your work.

Many people make the mistake of building their company brand without taking the time to define themselves and build rich personal relationships with their audience. The problem is, if your reputation is dependent on a particular business and you decide to change your industry, topic or area of expertise later, it becomes more difficult to take your audience with you and you may find yourself pigeonholed or stuck in a niche.

But if you take the time now to build deep relationships based on your personal values, story and personality, your audience will follow you wherever you want to go – giving you the freedom to consciously craft your career – as long as you maintain a consistent personal brand.

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The Secret to Business Freedom (and a life you love)

July 4, 2012 by Marisa Murgatroyd

A person silhouetted against a sunset splashes in ocean waves with arms outstretched, creating water arcs. The horizon is visible in the background, and the scene exudes a joyful, carefree atmosphere.

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If you focus every day on your to do list – the never-ending activities that stack up in the life of any entrepreneur – you’ll always be overwhelmed and you’ll never be free. Because work expands like a gas to fill the time that you have. It’s kind of like Whac-A-Mole, as soon as you check one task, another one rears its ugly head.

Now add your inbox to the equation and forget about it. Your fate is sealed. You mind as well go back to your day job where you could at least turn off the computer and check out for the night at 5 or 6 pm.

A great life can’t be lived between tasks and emails. Somewhere along the line you’ll lose touch with your humanity, the emotional fuel that allows you to find fulfillment in the everyday and to connect with everyone along the way.

I learned this the hard way when I set off at the end of May for a month-long workation in Europe…

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The Ugly Truth About Info Products: 5 Essential Criteria for Success

June 19, 2012 by Marisa Murgatroyd

A wooden crate holds twelve empty glass bottles, each topped with a black cap. The scene is dimly lit, emphasizing the vintage feel of the aged wood and glassware.

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True story: I was walking home from Starbucks and found an information product perched against a fence. It looked like it was time warped from the 80s – cassette tapes and all!

And it was called – get this – “The Secrets of Power Negotiation: You Can Get Anything You Want.”

I’m kind of ashamed to admit it – it was a good headline – got me hook, line and sinker.

Out of all the people who could have found this blunt relic of 1980s marketing, it had to be me.

Was this a practical joke?

While peering around carefully for hidden cameras, I quickly bent down, picked it up, dusted it off and brought it home with me.

And here’s what I found when I got home and listened to the tape.

The secret is not what a voice from the 80s would have you to believe – power negotiating – the secret is a lot simpler…

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Video Marketing for the Camera Shy

May 21, 2012 by Marisa Murgatroyd

A person wearing a hat holds a vintage Fujica camera towards the viewer, with a blurred natural background. The focus is on the camera, emphasizing its lens and details.

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Video marketing is the best way to show the world who you really are. Simply adding a video to your sales page can increase sales up to 80%.

The problem is most people don’t do it because they’re scared. Who isn’t camera shy? Really.

I used to be a documentary filmmaker so I know first-hand how much that click of a button can change people — instantly transforming the most accomplished speaker into a tongue-tied teenager.

Unfortunately, there’s only one way to get over your video phobia. Just do it.

And the best way I know how is to start a video journal.

Here’s the exercise…

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Get More Fans: How to Customize Your Facebook Page for Timeline

May 17, 2012 by Marisa Murgatroyd

A large pile of blue and white thumbs-up icons representing likes, overlapping each other, creates a chaotic and dense visual pattern.

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If your business is not on Facebook, you might as well roll over and die. Seriously. What else are you doing with your time?

There’s no denying that Facebook is the most popular social network in the US and the most important network for business use. With over 850 million active users, there are more people on Facebook than in the US.

In this post, I’m going to show you exactly how to adapt your Page design to the new Timeline format and what the best options are to skyrocket your fanbase.

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How to Find Great Blog Photos Free

May 10, 2012 by Marisa Murgatroyd

A vibrant collage of various nature and landscape photos, featuring animals, flowers, sunsets, mountains, and oceans in a mosaic layout. The images are colorful and diverse, capturing the beauty of the natural world.

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Have you ever done a Google search and landed on a really ugly blog?

Even if the content was great, you probably bounced off that blog as quickly as you landed, because there was nothing to draw you in.

The right blog photo can make the difference between someone sticking around to read your post (maybe even signing up for your newsletter or buying from you) or getting out of dodge.

In this video I show you how to find all the blog photos you could ever need completely free of charge using a little-known advanced search feature in Flickr.

In just a couple minutes, you’ll find amazing photos and illustrations that don’t look like the fake images you get off the big stock photo websites. The best part is, they won’t cost you a dime.

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Pimp Your Web Presence: How to Create and Customize Your YouTube Channel

April 30, 2012 by Marisa Murgatroyd

A cluttered pile of overlapping YouTube logos, each featuring the word Tube in white on a red play button icon next to You in black text. The logos are stacked chaotically in various orientations.

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There’s been a lot of buzz around Facebook’s new Timeline layout, but the YouTube Channel design also got a facelift.

YouTube has taken a lot of the customization options out for non-partners, so you can no longer change the colors of links or use a transparent player. Luckily, they still allow you to add a custom background to your channel.

Here’s how you customize your YouTube Channel…