I've unearthed some surprising bits of wisdom for new wahms by listening to Johnny Cash lately. I thought I would share some of these tidbits from the Rockabilly legend.
1) Understand Your Man ...er, target market!
That's right. Do you understand your target market? Are you aware of her needs, desires and driving ambitions? Does your website speak to your target audience? If not, perhaps you should make some changes or your website visitor or customer will be "as gone as a wild goose in winter" too!
2) A Boy Named Sue
Life ain't easy for a boy named Sue...and life ain't easy for a wahm either. In your business you will have those confidence killers, dream stealers, fun suckers...whatever you want to call them. You will have people who try to tell you that you can't achieve your goals, that what you try won't work. Don't let them get you down!
Sue's father told him, "This world is rough, and if you're gonna make it, you've gotta be tough."
How can you get tough in your business?
3) Man In Black- or Branding 101
J.R. Cash didn't don the all black suit because he didn't have anything else to wear. It was his trademark. He wore all black for a reason.
What about you? Are you working on your brand? In a world full of Elvis Presleys and Jerry Lee Lewises, how will you stand apart? And remember, your target market doesn't have to be just like you- Johnny Cash wrote Folsom Prison Blues and connected with inmates when he had never yet step foot in jail!
4) The Legend of John Henry's Hammer
This song has two bits of wisdom:
a) Learn your business and you will succeed
John Henry's Daddy told him to: "Learn to a turn a jack, learn to lay a track, learn to pick and shovel too." Are you learning all you can about Internet Marketing so that you can succeed in your business? Do you reinvest in ebooks, coaching and mentoring, and software like John Henry's hammer?
b) Technology has its place but it can't take the place of humans.
When the steam engine threatened to take the place of men, Johnny proved that in the end, humans are more valuable. Learn to use technology (like autoresponders) but remember that your website visitor is a human and inject some of yourself into your marketing efforts.
5) One Piece at a Time
This ballad is about a man who decides to build a Cadillac. He steals one piece at a time from the assembly line "and it didn't cost him a dime". But in the end, it didn't work out exactly like he planned!
Does your website look like a pieced together jalopy? Are you unwilling to spend any money on your own domain and hosting, content with a free site cluttered up with ads?
6) In The Jailhouse Now
Please don't throw away your hard work by doing one of the following things:
Spamming
Copying other people's articles or content
Stealing graphics
Clicking on your Adsense ads
Not keeping records and neglecting to pay taxes
It just isn't worth it, and you may find yourself in the jailhouse. Much better to Walk the Line so you can sleep at night.
7) Ring of Fire
Maybe you've made a bad choice... entered into a shotgun romance with a business that's not right for you. Don't be afraid to realize this, chuck everything and start over! Don't beat your head against the wall if, after working hard on a project, you decide it's just not profitable. Better to find your match and pour your energies into that.
In this song, June Carter Cash chronicles her growing attraction to John. Though they were both involved with other people, they were obviously soul mates and ended up making music and growing old together for the next 40 years.
May you make beautiful music with your business!
