Author: Micheal O'Neill

The best book I’ve ever read on persuasion and influence

Micheal O'Neill

The best book I’ve ever read on persuasion and influence

Here's what we have for you today

This is, without a doubt, the best book I’ve ever read on persuasion and influence.

If you have an online business, your job is motivating people to make change.

Even if making a change is in someone’s best interest, no one likes change.

So, we have to master the skill of influence. 

Now, there are lots of books about persuasion and influence.

And I’ve read most of them.

But my #1 book is – Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B Cialdini

Here are some of the key persuasion principles:

Reciprocation:

People feel obligated to give back to others who have given to them first. By doing favors and providing value to others, you can increase the likelihood that they will reciprocate.

Commitment and Consistency:

Once people make a decision, they will feel internal pressure to behave consistently with that commitment. If you can get a micro-commitment first, people will be more likely to say yes to a follow on “bigger ask”.

Social Proof:

People look to the actions of others to determine their own, especially when uncertain. This deep evolutionary shortcut stems back to a feeling of safety in the herd. The more people doing something, the more correct it seems. 

Liking:

People prefer to say yes to people that they like. Factors that increase liking include attractiveness, similarity, compliments, familiarity, and cooperation. Stories are one of the best ways you can trigger this in your online business.

Authority:

People feel compelled to follow authority and tend to obey official-looking people, titles, and clothes. As an online business owner, you can trigger this by sharing your wins or, even more powerfully, sharing the wins you have helped others achieve.

Scarcity:

Scarcity drives desirability. When there is less of something available, people want it more. If you only have 10 spots available in your coaching program, highlight them in your promotional material. It will make the program even more desirable.

This book is a great read and a fascinating dive into human psychology.

I can’t recommend this book enough if you are involved in marketing.

If you are at all interested in persuasion and influence, I can’t recommend this book enough. 

Have you read it? What do you think?

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The R.O.O.T. (Rapid Online Offer Testing) Model: How I test digital offers and funnels before I launch them

Micheal O'Neill

The R.O.O.T. (Rapid Online Offer Testing) Model: How I test digital offers and funnels before I launch them

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It’s gut-wrenching when it happens. And it happens all too often.

We pour our heart and soul into building a new funnel or creating a digital product.

And, when we launch it…….CRICKETS.

I learned the hard way, wasting months of blood, sweat, tears, and hard-earned cash.

Over the years, I have developed the R.O.O.T. (Rapid Online Offer Testing) Model to test funnels and offers before I build them.

These steps have saved me and my clients hundreds of thousands of $$$’s and years of lost time.

Let’s dive in:

Step 1 – Create Your Meta Lead Form For Facebook and Instagram

Meta lead forms are an excellent way to quickly test your funnel and offer concepts.

Lead forms let you collect people’s contact details without them ever having to leave Facebook or Instagram. Using lead forms means you don’t need to worry about landing pages, complex funnels, or sales pages. Meta also pre-loads the person’s details into the form, making it easy for them to opt in.

While friction is valuable for qualifying leads when testing, we want the least amount of when testing friction possible, and that’s why I love Meta lead forms.

Step 2 – Launch Your Ad On Facebook and Instagram

Once you create your lead form, we can move to the ad.

Remember, we’re testing concepts, not optimizing for low-cost leads or sales. For the ad copy, simply use the headline, primary promise, or hook of your lead magnet or offer. This will give you instant feedback on whether your offering is of interest to your audience.

Using this strategy, you can get a high volume of feedback quickly.

Step 3 – Create Your Follow-Up Sequence

Some people will opt-in or show interest in your lead magnet or offer.

The best approach is to be honest. Drop your leads into a follow-up sequence, telling them you are in beta testing. They’ll be the first to know when you launch your funnel or offer. Send them something of value, and then enter them into an engagement sequence.

Remember, our goal wasn’t to collect leads; it was to test our concept. But still, there’s no point in wasting an email address you’ve collected.

Spending a couple hundred dollars to get feedback on your ideas is far better than wasting thousands of dollars building something no one wants.

The best feedback you can get is from a cold audience.

If the results are positive, you have a green light to build.

If you get the thumbs down, go back to the drawing board and start again.

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The battle of the GPT’s – GPT-4 v GPT-4o – 3 head-to-head tests and what it means for marketers and online business owners

Micheal O'Neill

The battle of the GPT’s – GPT-4 v GPT-4o – 3 head-to-head tests and what it means for marketers and online business owners

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I got access to OpenAI’s new “smarter and faster” GPT-4o late yesterday afternoon.

And boy, does this feel like a massive upgrade.

Throughout 2024, I’ve mainly been using Claude and Gemini.

I had become allergic to the voice and tone of GPT-4 content.

And, annoyed at how it could no longer perform specific tasks it once could.

But I have a feeling I will be using GPT-4o more and more:

Here are 3 head to head tests I gave GPT-4 and GPT-4o.

Test 1 – Analysis of 878 responses to a multi-question survey

Client feedback is a goldmine for copywriting and offer creation.

GPT-4, even when using Advanced Data Analysis, always struggled with analyzing large volumes of data. It also provided feedback that was inconsistent with the data or based on a small sample. GPT-4o was the clear winner in this head-to-head test, providing precise, accurate, and comprehensive feedback on the data.

1-0 to GPT-4o. On to the next test.

Test 2 – Create content similar to previous content

I uploaded my last 15 posts into GPT-4 and GPT-4o and asked them both to draft a new post on drafting Facebook Ad Headlines.

GPT-4 responded with its usual verbose and over-hyped language style. GPT-4o, on the other hand, sounded natural, followed my language style, and even mirrored my approach to copywriting from some of my earlier posts.

This was a big win for GPT-4o. With the score at 2-0, we move on to the last test.

Test 3 – Draft a Facebook ad based on a framework

For this test, I provided minimum instructions or guardrails in the prompts.

I loaded up the landing page copy and asked them both to draft ads to maximise outbound clickthrough rate and on page conversion rate. This was the most interesting test. GPT-4o possibly had a slight edge but it was very close.

It is worth noting that outputs from both models were flagged as 100% AI created in my detection tool.

ChatGPT-4o is a big leap forward, possibly even bigger than the leap from 3.5 to 4.

Based on my tests, it looks like the more information you give GPT-4o, the better it will perform.

And this makes it the perfect language model to use for your CustomGPT.

Load up all your previous content, marketing copy, client feedback and even scripts from your course and membership videos into a CustomGPT.

Then get, your CustomGPT to create new content using GPT-4o as the base model.

I think you’ll be surprised at the results.

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My top 5 must-have elements of a high-converting online course or membership sales page to increase your sales and profitability

Micheal O'Neill

My top 5 must-have elements of a high-converting online course or membership sales page to increase your sales and profitability

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One page on your website will make or break your business.

I’ve run nearly 100 digital product launches and studied hundreds of online funnels.

I’ve seen online businesses mushroom overnight and die a slow and painful death.

In all cases, it comes down to the success or failure of just one page.

That’s the sales page. 

And, here are my top 5 must-have elements of a high-converting sales page:

#1 Transformational Headline

The headline is the most important part of your sales page. 

It should speak directly to how your perfect-fit clients’ lives will transform when they buy. Paint a vivid and detailed picture of their life after achieving their dream outcome. The more specific and detailed you are, the higher your conversion rate.

#2 Connection

No one cares about you or your digital product. 

Make the sales page about your perfect-fit client. Immediately after the hero section, include a section that shows them you understand them, their challenges, fears, and ambtions. Let them know they are in the right place and you understand them.

#3 Framework

People don’t want more information. 

They can get that for free on YouTube. What your perfect-fit clients want are shortcuts and guaranteed success. Spend time developing a framework that demonstrates you have a repeatable model that will get them results.

#4 Bonuses

No sales page is complete without bonuses. 

Your bonuses should either overcome objections to buying or help your perfect-fit client get the result they want faster. Never underestimate the power of a bonus. I’ve had people join my programs just to get a bonus. 

#5 Guarantee

Always offer a guarantee. 

Yes, you may end up refunding a tiny percentage of sales, but for every sale you refund, know you picked up many more sales because you included a refund in your offer. Risk is one of the biggest barriers to making sales. A guarantee reverses the risk and makes people feel like they are getting a free shot.

I’ve never landed on a sales page (including my own!) that was either missing or could have done better in one or more of these sections.

My TRANSFORM Framework for high-converting sales pages has 9 sections in total.

If you want a copy, including my sales page template, drop me a comment below, and I’ll get it to you straight away.

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3 simple rules to create an irresistible lead magnet your audience would feel stupid to turn down so you can profitably grow your online business

Micheal O'Neill

3 simple rules to create an irresistible lead magnet your audience would feel stupid to turn down so you can profitably grow your online business

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For years, I struggled with lead generation.

My opt-in rates were low, ad costs were high, and my email list growth was slow and painful.

I was certain ads just couldn’t work for my business.

That was until I discovered it wasn’t the funnel or the ads that were the issue.

The problem was the lead magnets I was using.

Once I started implementing these 3 simple rules, everything changed.

RULE 1 – It must solve a #1 top-of-mind pain point

A great lead magnet answers the question – What keeps my customer awake at night?

People have a limited attention bandwidth. They only focus on their top 1 or 2 problems or pain points; they ignore everything else. An irresistible lead magnet promises to solve and remove a major pain point from their lives.

If your lead magnet doesn’t solve a major pain point, create one that does.

RULE 2 – It must promise a specific tangible outcome

A great lead magnet promises a concrete and specific outcome.

Remember, you aren’t solving all their problems. You are only solving one problem. One of the most common traits of irresistible lead magnets is they are hyper-specific about what will happen once they help the reader solve the problem.

Answer questions like how much? and by when?

RULE 3 – It must promise an immediate result

A great lead magnet promises an immediate payoff.

To promise an immediate payoff, you need to limit the scope of your lead magnet. Remember, you are not solving all their problems. Your goal is to get them to take just one step forward.

One step taken is infinitely more valuable and desirable than 1,000 steps promised.

Your lead magnet will make or break the profitability of your funnel and, ultimately, your online business.

Remember, you are not your avatar.

Invest time living their life. Walk in their shoes and feel their pain.

The longer you spend in their world, the more irresistible a lead magnet you’ll create.

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The #1 Facebook Ad Targeting Mistake 95% of Course Creators and Membership Owners Make (And How to Fix It For Higher ROAS)

Micheal O'Neill

The #1 Facebook Ad Targeting Mistake 95% of Course Creators and Membership Owners Make (And How to Fix It For Higher ROAS)

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There’s an old joke: Why did the accountant cross the road?

Because they looked in the accounts, and that’s what they did last year….

I get to review lots of Meta ad accounts every week.

When it comes to targeting, there’s one big mistake I see course creators and membership site owners make again and again.

And it’s not their fault. It was best practice just a couple of years ago.

But in the world of meta ads, you can’t just keep doing what you did last year and expect it to work still.

The #1 mistake I’m talking about is being too prescriptive and narrow with their audience definitions.

And here’s how to fix it….

Go Big

Target an audience size of at least 10-15 million.

The larger the audience, the lower your CPM and cost per conversion. I battled with the Meta algorithm for years, but in the end, I learned that I can’t outsmart it. I get much better results when I put the Meta algorithm to work for me.

Remember AI isn’t new to Meta. They have been honing their models for years.

Go Broad

Meta has 72,000 data points per user.

Always test a broad audience, which you define by age, location, and, if important, gender. I know this sounds crazy, but when I look across all my ad accounts, my best-performing audience always ends up being a broad audience. In the near future, Meta will remove audience targeting altogether.

Meta’s understanding of their audience goes way beyond a single action they have taken. Let them use this data for your benefit.

Go Home…..Lookalike

Lookalike audiences used to be an advertiser’s secret weapon.

Today, lookalike audiences are irrelevant. Not because the lookalike concept doesn’t work but because Meta automatically leverages it in their broad targeting. Meta knows more about a user than the user knows about themselves.

This is why it’s so important to give them large audiences to work with.

It’s hard to give over control of our ad spend to Meta.

Using specific, detailed targeting gave us the feeling we were in charge.

But it’s clear AI can do some things way better than we can. And I’m ok with that.

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The #1 mistake people make when selling their course, membership, or service online

Micheal O'Neill

The #1 mistake people make when selling their course, membership, or service online

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Your buyers go through a 3 step process when making a purchase.

Skip any step or put them in order wrong, and your offer will flop.

I’ve reviewed thousands of offers for online courses, memberships, and services.

The #1 mistake I see people make is jumping directly to step 3.

And it kills their sales and online business growth.

Here is the 3 step process you need to take your buyers through for profitable online offers.

Step 1 – Identify the problem

If buyers are not clear on the specific problem you solve, they won’t buy.

You’re in the business of solving problems, and the more painful the problem, the more attention it will attract. The more specific you are about the problem you solve, the more your buyers will feel you understand them. Feeling understood is essential for them to even consider buying.

Skip this step, and your offer is doomed before you ever make it.

Step 2 – Identify the solution

People need to buy into “the” solution before they consider “your” solution.

The most successful offers get the buyer to commit to mastery of the solution before asking them to buy. The solution is the journey your buyer must take to achieve their desired outcome. Your goal is to get them excited about the journey and the destination.

If they commit to the solution, selling “your” solution will be easy.

Step 3 – Link your offer to the solution

Most offers jump straight to step 3, and that’s why they don’t sell.

Position your solution as the vehicle your buyer will use to go from where they are today to where they want to be. But it isn’t just any vehicle; it’s the one that will get them to their desired destination faster, easier, and with the least effort. As they have already committed to the outcome, this will feel like the icing on the cake.

If you’ve done your job in Step 1 and Step 2, getting the sale in Step 3 is easy.

Apply these 3 steps the next time you craft an offer and watch the sales roll in.

Trying to fight against human nature is a fool’s game. There

But when we understand human nature and harness it, things get exciting.

3 Principles To Profitably Grow Your Business in 202

3 Principles To Profitably Grow Your Business in 2024 (without stress, overwhelm, or FOMO)

Micheal O'Neill

3 Principles To Profitably Grow Your Business in 2024 (without stress, overwhelm, or FOMO)

Discover the top 3 principles to grow your business profitably in 2024 without stress, overwhelm, or FOMO. Learn how to reduce customer acquisition costs, maximize customer lifetime value, and dedicate time to AI and tech exploration. Simplify your business growth strategy and achieve remarkable progress.
3 Principles To Profitably Grow Your Business in 202

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If you run your own business, you’ve probably been feeling a little uneasy lately.

It seems like every day, there is a big AI announcement that’s going to revolutionize your business.

You’re suffering new technology and methodology FOMO like never before. Afraid your competitors will leave you behind.

Meanwhile, your business costs are through the roof.

Your staff costs are out of control (if you can find people to hire).

And your cost to acquire new customers is climbing.

I’ve been in business for over 20 years and built multi-million dollar businesses along the way, but I’ve never seen anything like the rate change we’re experiencing today.

So, if you’ve been feeling uneasy, it’s understandable, and you are definitely not alone.

While tactics and strategies may change, the good news is principles remain the same.

Here are my top 3 principles for profitably growing your business today (and tomorrow) without stress, overwhelm, or FOMO.

Reduce (And Eliminate) Your Customer Acquisition Costs

Without new leads, your business will die.

With advertising costs rising across all platforms, the old lead generation models are broken.

And let’s face it, no one wants more leads.

You want more paying clients.

A front-end mini product solves this problem.

Create an attractive mini-product you offer to all leads immediately upon entering your world.

The goal of this mini product is to cover your advertising costs and pre-sell buyers for your main product or service.

Maximise Customer Lifetime Value

For too long, the focus has been on acquiring new customers and clients.

Where many people fall down is they try to sell the same thing to the same people again and again.

Your customers are on a journey. Always have a next step for them to take.

I call this a Value Ascension Roadmap.

For every 100 people who buy a product or service, 20% would spend 5 times more.

Layer in ascending levels of offers to give your customers who want to spend more money with you the opportunity to do so.

Ideally, you want these offers to be subscriptions, which will stabilize your cash flow with recurring revenue.

Whether you’re a service, SAAS, eComm, retail, or product-based business, subscription-based digital products will give you an unfair advantage over your competitors.

Give Yourself Dedicated AI & Tech Exploration Time

As a business owner, set aside at least 1 hour a week to explore and use AI and other technologies.

We are approaching a tipping point in AI and technology development.

We are about to go exponential.

The truth is you will never be able to keep up.

The good news is you don’t have to keep up with everything.

You need only focus on the small corner of the AI and technology world that impacts you and your business.

The fact is AI is overhyped in the short term.

But sadly, it is underhyped in the long term.

AI will be the biggest driver of efficiency and cost-saving in your business.

If you dedicate just 1 hour a week to playing with new tools now, you will be ahead of 99% of business owners.

And when the time comes, you will be ideally positioned to take full advantage of AI.

Your business has thousands of moving parts.

But if you focus on these three principles, you can simplify everything down to:

  1. Build a dependable, scaleable lead generation process that produces free clients from paid traffic.
  2. Retain those clients for as long as possible and always have a next step offer for them.
  3. Reduce the costs of running your business by leveraging AI and technology.

And remember, it’s a process. You’re not behind. You are exactly where you should be.

Focus on these three principles for six months, and you’ll be amazed at your progress.

How to stop inbox overwhelm as online business owner

How to stop inbox overwhelm as online business owner

Micheal O'Neill

How to stop inbox overwhelm as online business owner

Tired of drowning in your inbox? Discover how to conquer inbox overwhelm with SaneBox. Learn how to declutter your inbox and prioritize essential emails with @SaneLater, @SaneTomorrow, and @SaneNoReplies features. As an online business owner, reclaim your time and boost productivity with this invaluable tool. Say goodbye to email distractions and hello to efficient email management.
How to stop inbox overwhelm as online business owner

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I don’t know about you, but I can’t resist a good lead magnet.

 

Whether it’s 3 Simple Steps or the 5 Biggest Mistakes, you better believe I’m opting in.

 

However, over time, this wreaks havoc on your inbox.

 

It becomes impossible to tell the difference between essential business emails and marketing emails.

 

Of course, I could unsubscribe, but what if I miss out on something?

 

Well, here’s my secret weapon to cure my inbox overwhelm.

 

I’ve been using this tool for over 8 years, and I don’t know how I’d run my business without it.

 

It’s called SaneBox, and it is genius.

 

Here are the top 3 features I love:

 

@SaneLater

 

Setting up SaneBox is easy. You connect your email service, and you are off to the races.

 

The first thing it will do is set up a @SaneLater inbox as a subfolder in your inbox.

 

I use the @SaneLater inbox for emails I don’t want to unsubscribe from, but I don’t want to be distracted by during focused work time.

 

You train SaneBox by dragging emails from your inbox into a subfolder.

 

Once you train SaneBox on a sender, all emails from that person will automatically go to that folder in the future.

 

Leaving you with an inbox cleaner than an intern on their first day.

 

@SaneTomorrow / @SaneNextWeek

It’s happened to us all. 

 

You’re rushing between calls and see an important email on your phone.

 

Curiosity gets the better of you, and you read the email.

 

Nothing urgent, so you say to yourself. “I’ll reply when I’m finished with my calls”. 

 

3 hours and 3 calls later, you’re fried, so you shut down for the day.

 

The next morning, you look through your unread emails but forget all about the opened email.

 

Well, no more. 

 

Simply drag an email into the @SaneTomorrow folder, and it will be resent to you at 7 am the following day, so it’s at the top of your pile.

 

A little less urgent, you can even set it to deliver at 7 am on Monday morning with @SaneNextWeek.

@SaneNoReplies

This is a super simple way to see all the emails you’ve sent to people who haven’t responded to you yet.

 

You shouldn’t run your business out of your inbox but this is an awesome way to see who hasn’t responded to you yet.



As online business owners, our most valuable resource is time.

 

We need every help we can get to defend against distractions and protect our time.

 

SaneBox does all this and more.

 

I’m not connected to or an affiliate for SaneBox, but as you can probably tell I’m a massive fan.

 

This tool has saved me hundreds of hours, if not thousands, over the years.

 

It’s cheap as chips and so easy to set up.

 

Check it out.

3 Ways A Digital Product Will Help You Grow Your Business

3 Ways A Digital Product Will Help You Grow Your Business

Micheal O'Neill

3 Ways A Digital Product Will Help You Grow Your Business

Unlock the power of digital products to accelerate your business growth in 2024. Explore three proven strategies to leverage digital products, such as ebooks, online courses, and memberships, to boost revenue and profitability. Discover how digital products can multiply lifetime value, cover lead generation costs, and create recurring income streams for your business. Don't miss out on this opportunity to stay ahead of the competition and drive exponential growth in the digital era.
3 Ways A Digital Product Will Help You Grow Your Business

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Want to grow your service, SAAS, eComm, retail, or product-based business in 2024?

Sure, you could do more of what you’re already doing.

But if that was going to get you exponential results, you’d already have the growth you want.

Instead of fighting against rising costs, talent shortages, and market changes…

…why not embrace change and let it fuel your business growth?

Digital products like ebooks, online courses, and, my favorite, memberships are taking over.

Digital product sales will cross $500 Billion in 2024 and are on track to hit $1 Trillion by 2027.

But it isn’t just online business owners that are benefiting.

I started designing, building, and selling digital products in 2012.

Since then, I’ve sold over $10 million in digital products.

All the way from 30-minute courses and ebooks for $29 to $20,000 coaching programs.

Here are 3 ways you can use digital products to shortcut your business growth in 2024, no matter your business type.

Multiply Lifetime Value and Revenue Per Customer

You already have a captive audience.

As a customer, they have demonstrated an interest in the “problem you solve”.

Creating a community, membership, or digital product around “the problem” will open up a new untapped revenue stream.

All without cannibalizing your existing product/service range or killing profitability with heavy discounts.

As you’ve already invested in your Customer Acquisition Costs. 

Your digital product will act as a profit multiplier.

Cover The Costs of Lead Generation & Customer Acquisition

A digital product has almost 0 cost of incremental delivery.

This makes it the perfect low-cost lead generation and customer acquisition tool.

As long as you align your digital product with your primary offer, you’re getting paid to bring purchase-ready leads into your world.

Give Your Business The Gift of Recurring, Compounding Income

There is no better feeling in business than selling once and getting paid again and again.

Digital products give every business the opportunity to create a recurring revenue stream.

While knowing what $$$’s will be landing in your account in 6 months or 12 months time is sweet.

Seeing that revenue compound month after month as more and more subscribers join is even sweeter.

Subscriptions are the new normal. 

Netflix, Spotify, Disney, Adobe, and Microsoft led the charge.

It’s time for SMEs to catch up.

And, digital products are your fastest, highest-return, least-effort way to increase revenue and profitability in 2024.