Dre Beltrami, Author at The Branded Solopreneur

11 List Building Strategies That Actually Work

July 13, 2015 By Dre Beltrami 62 Comments

Do you have email list shame? Come on, fess up! We all have at some point.

Are your subscriber numbers well below 4 or 5 figures?

If you shook your head yes to either question, secretly or not, you’re about to be badassified.

First, a little tough love…

STOP wasting time increasing your social media followers and START implementing list building strategies!

Building a list is a must because:

➽It’s an asset YOU own.
➽It’s gives you access to someone’s personal space, their inbox, which is a lot less distracting than social media.
➽It’s the cheapest and most authentic way to court people, deliver valuable content on a consistent basis, and build trust and rapport with them.
➽It’s an easy way to spoil action takers with extra goodies that aren’t available to anyone else. Incentive, baby.
➽It’s where the money is!

Look, I’m not saying social media doesn’t have its purpose or that you shouldn’t bother with it. What I’m saying is social media is simply another pipeline to the real ocean of opportunities: your list!

I mean let’s get real, would you rather frolic in a small stream or a vast ocean in terms of possibilities?

Social media is secondary to an email list because:

➽You don’t own your social profiles, the social networks do, so they can close your account anytime they want…no questions asked.
➽If your social accounts get hacked, which isn’t nearly as unheard of as you’d like to believe, you’re going to have no choice but to close them down.
➽There are a lot more distractions that you have to compete with to get people to notice you on social media.
➽Social networks are fickle and may decide to make you pay to play in the not too distant future …Facebook ringing any bells?

To get you off and running towards that ocean oasis of opportunity I reached out to 10 of the best list builders I know and asked them… [Read more…]

Shares 1.46K

How To Get Past The Sh*t That Holds You Back

June 30, 2015 By Dre Beltrami 23 Comments

Do you ever struggle with debilitating fears, paralyzing self doubt, crippling depression, sabotaging procrastination or terrifying anxiety attacks?

As a creative solopreneur I’d wager my treasure chest of gold {ok, more like a small savings account} you’re raising your hand right now. If you’re not, I’m calling bullshit!

You’re probably sitting there right now struggling with something in silence. Afraid to acknowledge it, too frightened of being judged to tell anyone, feeling completely alone and like no one would understand.

I promise you you’re not alone!

A lot of peeps don’t get what it is to be a creative entrepreneur. They don’t understand how incredibly intertwined your life is with your business. How hard it is to deal with all the personal struggles and how lonely it can feel when those struggles creep in. They don’t understand the true plight of a successful solopreneur!

A couple weeks ago a thread in the private Badass Solopreneur Society support group about the success blocks we creatives struggle with turned into a soul baring diary of inspiration. Many of us shared some very raw experiences we’ve had and confessed some very personal struggles.

So it got me thinking. [Read more…]

Shares 1.04K

3 Step Process For Creating Visual Writing Using Metaphors

June 1, 2015 By Dre Beltrami 18 Comments

This is a guest post by Thomas E. Hanna from BlogPhoto.tv

In 1963, Andy Warhol shocked the world.

The pale, slender artist from Pennsylvania had made his name among painters through portrayals of benign, commercialized objects and pop culture icons. Just one year prior, he had released his most famous among these: a 32-canvas collection showing nothing more than Campbell’s soup cans.

Now, he was painting black protestors being set upon by fire hoses and police dogs, overlaid with the red, white, and blue of United States patriotism.

The painting, entitled Race Riot, was as brilliant as it was provocative. As Warhol would later explain in an interview with Gene Swenson, he wanted to demonstrate the way violent imagery affects us. No matter how sick and disturbing the images in media may be, we have become so conditioned to it that it barely registers.

So in 1963, Andy Warhol presented the same media violence to the world in a shockingly new way, challenging our perceptions as he did so.

This is the legacy of brilliant painters. Their paintings do not simply portray images. They tell stories. The best paintings are almost always metaphors.

You, too, are a painter. You, too, are a storyteller. It is simply the tools that differ. [Read more…]

Shares 838

5 Ways To Make Your Content Stand Out From The Crowd

May 26, 2015 By Dre Beltrami 48 Comments

This is a Guest Post by Sue Ann Dunlevie From Successful Blogging

Let me set the scene…

You’ve been blogging for a while now. Maybe it’s been 3 months, maybe it’s closer to 3 years.

You read The Branded Solopreneur religiously…

…because you know how important it is to make your blog stand out by distinguishing your website from everyone else’s.

After following Dre’s badassery, you are creating incredible blog images that are branded with your brand’s color palette and font theme.

But you are probably still wondering:

How do I differentiate my content from all the other blogs out there?

Here’s the deal:

The days of simply publishing articles and being done are long gone.

These days if you want your blog to out shine the rest and get noticed, you need to do more than just publish a plain text blog post.

What you need is some different content flavors! [Read more…]

Shares 716

{Mini Course} How To Create A Logo You Love

May 19, 2015 By Dre Beltrami 19 Comments

Want to learn how to create a logo you love?

First things first, stop thinking about your logo as an ‘end all be all’ stand alone type of thing, and start basking in its true boom juice.

A logo is a brand insignia that’s rooted in meaning and visually embodies the essence of your brand.

There are 5 attributes of a badass logo:

➽ That it entice exploration from new customers
➽ That it evokes positive emotions
➽ That it lends itself to the nature of your business
➽ That it’s unique and iconic enough to be instantly recognizable
➽ That it establishes the foundation of your brand identity

Quite a tall order, but by no means impossible! It’s simply another piece of the visual side of your branding. It’s the proverbial root where everything else branches off from. It’s visual branding step #1 in the Creation Phase.

I know creating a logo can be daunting and seem unattainable but once you understand the purpose, fundamentals and best practices of logo design you too can be off creating a iconic logo of your own.

Which is exactly what I’m tackling in this mini course! [Read more…]

Shares 11.74K