In this episode of the DNQ interview series, I interview Ines McNeil, who is a digital marketing strategist and business owner. She ran her own dog training business and created The Modern Dog Trainer to teach others how to start their own dog training business as well. Ines reached out to me a while ago about an interview, so I’m quite happy about speaking with her again after our conversation over 1-2 years ago! In the interview, Ines talks about how to build a business and course that generates passive income.
Ines had really good tips and advice for anyone who’s interested in building an authority site and/or course. Two of the biggest takeaways I received from the interview was about investing in your business as well as including limited time offers to get users to convert. There are so many components to building a business, that it’s interesting hearing what aspects are hugely vital that can’t be overlooked.
Without further ado, here is my awesome interview with Ines McNeil – I hope you enjoy!
Ines McNeil on How to Build A Business and Course that Generates Passive income
Tell us about yourself!
Ines: I’m a dog trainer turned digital marketing strategist. In college I pursued and received a Bachelors of Science in Biology. I always loved science, animal behavior, and nature. In college, I started my own dog training business to get some extra income. That in itself was its own learning experience. I learned how to start and run an LLC in Texas, manage clients, and market my business. Around that same time, I started a blog to share my experiences in dog training as I learned about the science of it. In 2014, I started a new blog to share more about the business of running a dog training business called The Modern Dog Trainer. I was better able to monetize this blog since it had a specific audience. The local business and the blogs were my introduction into digital marketing. After a move across the country and a bit of burn out, I decided to pursue a career in digital marketing. I loved the possibility of remote work and after a short stunt as an SEO Coordinator for a local company, I landed a position as a remote digital marketing strategist for a company based in Maryland.
When did you start The Modern Dog Trainer and what was your goal with it?
Ines: The Modern Dog Trainer was started in 2014 with the purpose of teaching other dog trainers how to be more professional, better manage their business and clients, and use modern marketing practices to grow their business. This blog had a specific audience and goal which made it much easier to produce specific products to suit the audience.
Is Modern Dog Trainer a side hustle or your full-time work? How many hours do you spend on it per week?
Ines: The Modern Dog Trainer is a side hustle. I spend very little time on it now. At most, 1-2 hours/week because I have a supportive husband that runs the social media marketing side of things now. All the email marketing is automated and drives sales without me needing to be online and working.
How long did it take to really get this business going and how has the growth been? What was the significant moment or milestone in which you realized “I can do this” and that it was going to work?
Ines: There are two ways I determine “growth.” The first is how much traffic the website got. Since I had a previous blog, I actually already had a small loyal audience that followed me over. This helped spur the growth of The Modern Dog Trainer initially. Next I recruited volunteer writers who contributed articles on a semi-regular basis which kept the blog active and expanded the reach of the blog since they shared their posts with their social networks. After that, I started a podcast where I interviewed guests about their businesses and their work in the dog training world, this further expanded awareness of the blog since the guests would in turn share the interviews with their audiences.
A significant milestone for me was when I began to create courses and downloads that began to turn a profit for this blog. I understood my audience and the industry to well that I knew what they needed and what was currently missing.
The site looks beautiful! It seems to have had a redesign since the last time we communicated. Has the redesign created more conversions or traffic?
Ines: The redesign has certainly created a more professional aesthetic. It was designed and built by Alice Tong Dote of Choose Positive. It was a collaborative effort as it was her first time using WordPress so we put our heads together and made it happen! I was just focused on not dropping any traffic so I haven’t really paid attention to any increases in conversions. Luckily, everything went as planned and still runs well today.
Do you have tips on how to increase traffic on your website?
Ines: I think I mentioned a few ways to do that above. The main key takeaway is that you have to network. Don’t be afraid to interview people either in a podcast or in a blog post so you can access their networks. You can also build a Facebook group that is helpful to your target audience and has an easily searchable name so people can find it on Facebook. Lastly, make content that resonates with the challenges your audience is facing. Find out what the inside scoop is in your industry and write about it. I knew the ins and outs of running a dog training business so I knew the kinds of clients other trainers dealt with and what organizational challenges they faced. This put me in a position to 1) connect and relate with them and 2) provide helpful tips.
I also noticed that you not only blog but also podcast. What are your biggest challenges with podcasting, and do you find it helps with getting the word out there with your business?
Ines: Podcasting is a great way to meet new people in your industry. Its the best excuse to talk to someone you’ve never met. You can easily get started with as little as $125/year to host your podcast. Start with the technology you have then upgrade as you can. I didn’t mind scheduling out the podcast interviews and hosting them, but everything after the interview I dreaded. The editing, writing the description, and the publishing was all a pain to me. I recommend outsourcing the parts you don’t like. There are all kinds of people online that can help you out for a low fee (and can do a much better job!)
How long did it take you to create your courses and do you have any tips when it comes to creating them?
Ines: The first course, a 12-Week How to Start Your Dog Training Business, was written and created as the first course participants went through it. I had a business coach, Dina Pyramid, that helped me develop it and launch it. Needless to say, I had to stay ahead of the course participants, but it worked out! Now it is an evergreen piece of content that remains for sale on my website. (There is also a group and I’ve added bonuses to it over time.) Investing in my business and hiring a coach was a big decision, but that was the turning point in making my blog profitable and I’d highly recommend it!
What are some tips you have when it comes to marketing your business? Do you have any examples of something that increased conversions to your courses?
Ines: Some things that are often overlooked is the importance of 1) relating to your audience, 2) sharing testimonials, and 3) having limited time offers. When I say relating to your audience, I mean letting them know you understand their challenges. This builds trust and helps them say internally, “Wow, she really gets what I’m going through, I can trust her advice.” Then, you have to remember to ask for and post testimonials on your website (all over, not just one page), and share them on social media. If your customers love your work, they’ll actually join in and promote it in social media chats when people ask questions about your products – it’s amazing. Lastly, it’s cliche, but having limited time offerings generate sales Every. Single. Time. It might seem sleezy, but it works because it makes people commit. They have to make a decision by a certain time. They can’t sit on the fence about the purchase forever. If they are already strongly considering the purchase and this makes them commit then great! *They* will benefit from this commitment and from the product the purchased. It helps separate those who are in it to win and get shit done and those who are just idea people that ponder ideas forever.
Do you have any recommendations on specific resources you used to learn about building a site and marketing it?
Ines: I have to say I have read hundreds of digital marketing blogs over the years. I’ve learned from Fizzle, Search Engine Land, Neil Patel, and Pat Flynn (back in 2011!). I often look at sites that are doing well and sell similar products to mine but in a different industry and try to mimic their marketing tactics.
What inspires you?
Ines: At this point in my life, I’m pursuing patience, appreciation, and balance. I’m definitely more of a workaholic type so now that I’ve accomplished some major life milestones, I’m taking a breather and enjoying what I’ve worked hard to get. I’m sure I’ll get bored sooner or later and give something else a go. 😉
Do you have any other advice for others trying to start their own courses?
Ines: Try and DO! There’s no better way to learn than trying it yourself. Taking steps forward may lead you to some open doors you couldn’t see before. Being able to quickly learn, problem solve, and adapt is a skill in and of itself!
Know your audience and show them that you know and understand them.
Learn the basics of sales. I promise it’s not as bad as you think. Learn the motivating factors that trigger people to make a purchase.
Conclusion
What a great interview! A huge thanks to Ines McNeil for speaking about how to build a business and course that generates passive income. I love that it only takes her 1-2 hours a week to maintain the business and have it generate passive income. There were many great insights in the interview! Check out some of the resources Ines mentioned below.
Resources mentioned:
The Modern Dog Trainer – Ines McNeil’s business
Choose Positive – Design work
Dina Pyramid – Coaching
